Print News: Xerox Invents Metal Ink For Printable Circuit

A new invention by Xerox researchers will allow electronic circuits to be printed on fabrics and plastics, according to a 27 October 2009 press release from the printing brand. The new conductive silver ink paves the way for e-readers that can be folded like newspapers, or circuits that can be integrated into clothing and worn. It may make redundant the silicon chip, on which electronics have been dependent.

The Xerox silver ink has a uniquely low melting point for a metal, essential for printing on plastics. While normal metals have a melting point of 1,000 degrees, plastic melts at 150 degrees. Yet Xerox’s silver ink melts at 140 degrees, meaning the circuit can be printed, before the plastic is compromised. This opens the way for countless applications. Xerox’s press release for example raises the possibility of pill boxes that can measure their remaining contents, ideal for medication.

Speaking in the press release, Laboratory Manager at the Xerox Research Centre in Canada Paul Smith said: "We've found the silver bullet that could make things like electronic clothing and inexpensive games a reality today. This breakthrough means the industry now has the capability to print electronics on a wider range of materials and at a lower cost."

According to a 26 October 2009 post by Dean Takahashi at VentureBeat.com, the silver ink has been in development at Xerox since 2001. The silver ink enables circuits to be printed like an everyday printer, using an ongoing feed. It doesn’t require the clean rooms necessary for making a silicon chip, and bypasses the cost of production. For the first time, circuits could be almost weightless, integrated into the fabric of a shirt.

Scientists have sought this development for some time: Hewlett Packard for example has been working on plastic electronics since the 1990s. Having created a silver ink viable for commercial use, Xerox intends to “aggressively seek interested manufacturers and developers by providing sample materials to allow them to test and evaluate potential applications.” Expect to see electronic billboard t-shirts before the end of the next decade.

10 Incredible Crimes Against Printer Ink

In recent years a variety of people have used printer ink as the basis for their criminal schemes. Whether using the toner cartridge slot of their printer to squirrel money from drug deals, or bullying government departments into buying thousands of dollars of surplus toner, the criminal mind has used the potential of printer ink for breaking the law to the utmost.

Below we’ve got some of the more audacious crimes against printer ink to hit the newspapers. In each of these stories not only is a victim hurt or an offence committed: ink toner is subjected to an end other than helping to print quality images. So when you read, think not only of the folly of the rugby star found guilty of an ink cartridge scam. Think of the printer ink, forced to an end other than the manufacturer intended.

April 2002: Grand Theft Printer Ink

In April 2002, two men were convicted of stealing $2,500 worth of printer ink by hiding the cartridges in a toy oven’s box. Edwin Velez and Natchaz Chillmel, both 23 at the time, entered a Meijer retail store in Middleton, Ohio and stuffed the empty box with cartridges. They then took the box to the store checkout, paying only for the toy oven.

They were caught only when they tried the same trick at a Meijer store in West Chester.

Reported by David Eck on 2 April 2002 at Enquirer.com.

May 2003: Spot The Difference Hits Printer Ink

By May 2003, the Imaging Supplies Coalition believed that 1 in 20 ink cartridges sold in the United States was counterfeit. Often indistinguishable from the real thing, the cartridges were (and are) unknowingly sold by retailers and online businesses. The total revenue lost to ink toner brands like Canon and Xerox was thought to top $2 billion and, as of November 2009, this figure had risen to $3 billion.

Reported by Tom Spring on 22 May 2003 at PCWorld.com

September 2005: Resell Printer Ink At Your Peril

A court ruling by the Ninth Circuit in September 2005 found that consumers of Lexmark ink toner who resold their empty cartridges to retailers besides Lexmark were guilty of patent infringement. Lexmark’s consumer agreement made its printer ink ‘single use only’ in an attempt to strangle the remanufacturing market. Yet the ruling made consumers of Lexmark printer ink vulnerable to legal action, should they violate the agreement.

Reported on 2 September 2005 at Corante.com.

April 2007: Thieves Filmed Stealing 60,000 Printer Ink Cartridges

In April 2007, several thieves were caught on camera making off with 60,000 ink cartridges from the UK premises of Blink Inkjet. Though the offices housed laptops and computers, the thieves limited their pilfering to the printer ink. Under less than half of the cartridges contained any ink but this did not discourage the culprits, who bundled the spoils into white vans. The whole proceedings were caught on CCTV.

Reported on 24 April 2007 at TheRecycler.com.

February 2008: Dead Official Secures Printer Ink Financing

A letter from dead Memphis school board attorney Percy Harvey was used to secure funding for the district’s schools in February 2008. Unable to secure the $207,000 for the 3 copiers, official Al Flowers enlisted the help of his colleague, who had passed on 7 months earlier. The anomaly was soon discovered, as was the fact that the copiers acquired through the duplicity were not compatible with the schools’ electric grid.

Reported on 3 February 2008 by Kristina Geotz at Typepad.com.

August 2008: Rugby Star In Ink Cartridge Scam

A 30 year old winger of Hull Rugby Club was arrested in connection with an Ebay printer ink scam in August 2008. Gareth Raynor was questioned by police regarding his involvement in the sale of counterfeit ink cartridges on the internet action site. The sportsman, a member of the Great Britain rugby league team, was released on police bail at the time.

Reported on 14 August 2008 at ThisIsHullAndEastRiding.co.uk.

October 2008: Official In $1 Million Printer Ink Scandal

In October 2008, school official Arthur Rose was found guilty of accepting a $3,500 dollar bribe from a Ricoh America sales representative to secure a $1 million contract for the corporation. The contract meant Ricoh would have supplied the school district with 73 digital copiers and related products over 5 years. Rose faced up 7 years in state prison for his crimes, which included bribe receiving, official misconduct and receiving unlawful gratuities.

Reported on 18 October 2008 at MidHudsonnews.com.

October 2009: Western Australia Bullied Into Buying Printer Ink

In October 2009, the Corruption and Crime Commission of Western Australia investigated claims that the State Government purchased hundreds of thousands of dollars more on printer ink than needed because of a bullying salesman. Trever Gould of the Department of Agriculture was pestered and bribed by Consumables Management Group salesman Kevin Taverner to buy unneeded toner in excess of $310,000. The investigation into how this happened is ongoing.

Reported on 2 October 2009 at Abc.Net.au.

December 2009: Bomb Squad Explodes Printer Ink Cartridges

The bomb squad of Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania exploded a package of printer ink earlier this month, after officials were unable to identify what the package contained. The Plaza at PPL was evacuated after police stumbled on the small white box housing the toner ink, and found it suspicious. It was only after explosives experts blew the package to pieces that it was found to contain toner, after reassembly.

Reported on 3 December 2009 by Frank Warner at Mcall.com.

December 2009: Drug Dealer Squirrels Earnings In Printer

A 20 year old drug dealer in Liverpool, England was found by police to house his earnings in the toner cartridge slot of his printer, earlier this month. Ashley Moorcroft kept £1,700 in his home, which was searched by inspectors after they scented cannabis in his car. Moorcroft admitted he received the money as payment for storing the cannabis for a drug dealer, and was sentenced to 6 months in prison.

Reported on 18 December by Linda Roughley at CrosbyHerald.com.

Ink Plot # 1

.The tentacle gripped the leg of the irate consumer. It had appeared moments earlier, fumbling on the deck of the rowboat like a blind man seeking his coffee mug.

First it had located the oars and, with a subdued splash, sunk them beneath the waves.

He had watched. But now he waggled his aggrieved limb, and clung to the sides of the rowboat. He clung, but the tentacle was dragging him from his seat.

He mused. Hadn’t it been a good idea to recycle his toner? Yet the website instructions had been so vague. Was not putting it back in the octopus the right idea?

The salt water covered his knee. The tentacle’s grip was iron.

Perhaps not, he mused. Perhaps not.

Print News: Hull Ends Contract With Rugby Star Facing Counterfeiting Ink Charges

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Following twelve months in which Hull FC winger Gareth Waynor has suffered a foot injury and faces 11 counts of ink counterfeiting, Hull rugby club has terminated his contract. In an 18 December article at Guardian.co.uk, Gareth Walker reports that an official statement confirming his departure will appear this week, once the details are finalised.

Waynor has made only 14 Super League appearances in 2009, owing to a nagging foot injury. Moreover, he faces 11 counts of counterfeiting and 3 counts of fraud, concerning an alleged counterfeit ink cartridge trade on Ebay. This court case comes barely 18 months after Waynor was in court accused of assaulting a club bouncer. He escaped prosecution then, after being cleared of launching a flying tackle at the doorman.

Print News: Companies Settle With Canon Over Ink Patent Infringement

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A patent infringement lawsuit raised by Canon against five companies in Japan has been settled. The suit concerned the firms’ alleged recreation of Canon’s LED-equipped ink cartridges - a patented device – in their own cartridges without permission. The settlement means the five companies concerned are agreed not to sell, import or display the patented cartridges. Canon has agreed to drop the lawsuit.

Canon’s preliminary injunction for the lawsuit was petitioned on 31 October last year. Since then the Japanese ink merchants have agreed to halt sales of 28 products of 3 brands. Each of these products, though non-genuine, is compatible with Canon printers.

Canon’s press release – dated 17 December – contains an (almost) apologia for the lawsuit. It states: ‘Canon filed a patent infringement suit for preliminary and permanent injunctions because the company determined that the abovementioned actions infringed its intellectual property rights.’ This self-justification accompanies a grace period in which the Japanese companies must dispose of their inventories of the patented ink cartridges. The closing date is the 31st March 2010.

Print News: Solar-Powered Road Printer!

The device from industrial designers Hoyoung Lee et al. is a good sign for the environment.

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Until recently painting a road sign was a hazardous business. The workmen risked giving themselves a terrible posture, what with leaning down to spell words out onto the tarmac surface. Rarely had bending at the knees possessed such immense value.

At worst the work left them in a permanently bent position, unfit to do anything but paint roads!

But thanks to the invention of the solar-powered road printer, now workmen can put those fears behind them. Unveiled on 18 December at EcoFriend.org, the handy (since it doesn’t need hands) device is the work of industrial designers Hoyoung Lee, Doyoung Kim, and Hongju Kim.

The road printer harbours an onboard solar panel with which it powers itself, trundling along as it jet sprays the tarmac. Road signs are pre-programmed into the printer’s memory – right now it can print such classics as the U-Turn and Stop Sign.

The road printer doesn’t even require workmen to bend down to set it going: the buttons have been designed to withstand the steel-capped toe of a boot. Workmen need only replenish the paint reservoir, from which the paint cartridge refills itself.

Of course, the device needs charging – but even then workmen need only leave it sunbathing by the roadside.

The EcoFriend.org article doesn’t state if the road printer is intended for commercial use, or is just conceptual. But the device may yet become the No. 1 Christmas gift for workmen looking to be spared a visit to the chiropractor’s office.

For pictures of the solar-powered road printer click: here.

Print News: Xerox Is Managed Print Services Global Giant

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Xerox has long been recognised as a global player in the managed print services sector. However, a recent report by market research firm Gartner Inc. places the printing brand’s share of the market at an imposing 40%. This establishes Xerox’s position not only as a major provider of managed print services but the global leader.

Corroborating this, Gartner has placed Xerox in its Leaders Quadrant in the ‘Magic Quadrant for Managed Print Services for 2009.’ This quadrant measures both the vision of managed print services, and their ability to implement positive change for their clients. Of 7 major brand MPS providers assessed by Gartner, only HP shares the Leaders Quadrant with Xerox.

Gartner defines managed print services as ‘the ability for the service provider to take primary responsibility for meeting the customer's office printing needs.’ Placing Xerox in the Leader’s Quadrant is tantamount to rubber-stamping Xerox’s ability to meet this definition.

The analysis firm Quocirca meanwhile, has named Xerox its MPS European market leader for the year.

Xerox has especial reason to feel pleased by these announcements. According to Gartner, the managed print services market has seen double digits growth since 2008. These accolades will hence both reaffirm Xerox’s growth into managed print services, and encourage them to invest further.

The bracing financial climate has encouraged many companies to invest in MPS: global brands including Sun Microsystems and Universal Orlando have each sought Xerox’s expertise.

According to a 17 December 2009 article at Finchannel.com, Xerox monitors the output of as many as 1.5 million printing devices around the world. The printing brand’s Xerox Enterprise Print Services both generates new printing processes whilst measuring existing performance.

Xerox’s managed print services empire is kept in place through a global network of partners. These partners use Xerox’s supplies and technology support to establish their own branded expertise. Firms including Reuters and EMC are hence enabled to improve their infrastructure in offices around the world – benefiting from fixed assistance from Xerox.

The President of Xerox Global Services, Stephen Cronin, told Finchannel.com: "Success in MPS comes from effective execution, not up-front promises. Companies trust Xerox because we pioneered the market and continue to deliver validated and clearly measured results."

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Print News: Drug Dealer Squirreled £1,700 In Printer

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A 20 year old male who kept cannabis in his home for a drug dealer squirreled £1,700 in payment inside his printer, a Liverpool Crown Court meeting heard this Tuesday. The home of Ashley Moorcroft was searched by police the day after he was caught holding a bag of cannabis and £1,825 in his car. Pleading guilty for possession of the drug, Moorcroft has been sentenced to 6 months in prison and ordered to perform 180 hours unpaid work.

According to a 17 December 2009 article by Linda Roughley at Crosbyherald.com, police caught Moorcroft on the evening of May 1st in Blundellsands. He was seen walking to a Silver BMW from his own car, where on return he was questioned by police. Officers noted the strong smell of cannabis in the vehicle, and Moorcroft’s extreme nervousness. On searching the car, the police found a bag of cannabis in the roof lining of the driver’s side.

Initially Moorcroft protested that he didn’t know to whom the cannabis belonged. However, he soon conceded that he was holding it for a drug dealer. On being arrested and taken into custody, Moorcroft was found with £1,825 about his person. It was on the following day that police searched his home on Merrilocks Road, and discovered £1,700 hidden inside his printer. The money was stored in the cartridge slot.

Moorcroft pleaded guilty to counts of possessing cannabis and concealing criminal property, when his trial was held at the Liverpool Crown Court. His 6 months sentence has been suspended for 12 months, and he must perform 180 hours unpaid work.

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Print News: Ricoh ‘Green Printers’ To Swamp Ireland

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A portion of a €40 million budget the Irish Government’s Department of Environment has set aside for environmentally friendly equipment will go to printing brand Ricoh, according to a December 17 post at SiliconRepublic.com. In 2010 Ricoh will supply the government dept. with ‘green printers’ that produce 40% fewer carbon emissions than ordinary printers.

The Ricoh ‘green machines’, taken from the Eco-Line, are manufactured with recycled components. Over their lifetime, they produce 40% fewer carbon emissions than ordinary printers. They will be distributed in government offices throughout Dublin and the rest of Ireland.

According to an article by John Kennedy posted at SiliconRepublic.com on 15th December, the contract with Ricoh was prompted by the Department’s decision to revamp its entire printing strategy. This coincides with the relocation of its offices to a ‘Greenfield’ site in Wexford.

This decision is not isolated; the Department of Environment is making strides to set the environmental standard in Irish government. The Department’s €2.3 billion budget is the second largest of all the Departments. Further, the €40 million set aside for environmentally friendly equipment doubles the amount spent in 2008.

A spokesperson for the Irish Department of Environment told SiliconRepublic.com: “Ricoh's green technology and managed print services will not only have a positive effect on the environment but will also help us to reduce print costs across the department.”

The Ricoh multi-function printers will replace the existing stand-alone printers, copiers and scanners. The dept. stands to make substantial savings on its print processes. To make further gains, Ricoh consultants will help the dept. introduce ‘green’ practices. These include duplex printing as standard, default mono printing, and power saving.

The Managed Services Print Manager at Ricoh Ireland, Aine O’Shea, praised the dept. for the contract. "The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has been a trailblazer in promoting cleaner and greener business practices,” she said.

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10 Best Ads For Printers Ever Made

For brands like Hewlett Packard, deciding how to advertise their latest printers raises a problem. After all, printers aren’t sexy like phones, so HP can’t have adverts showing off the sleek dimensions of their new range of multi-function copiers. Nor are printers lifestyle products, so it wouldn’t do much good to feature Kate Moss writhing against the new inkjet model. Instead, it’s pretty widely acknowledged that printers are boring. They are a boring part of office life, which by and large is also acknowledged to be boring. So how does Hewlett Packard compensate for this?

With one word: humour. The world of the printer advert is one in which the frustrations of a malfunctioning machine are turned on their head. “Run out of toner at the wrong moment?” these ads commonly ask the viewer. Cue the fifteen second shot of an office employee screaming himself unconscious at the printer which has betrayed him. “We know how you feel. But with new ABCDE-54321 Multi-Function Lazer Inkjet Super Turbo Deluxe, that’ll never happen!” the narrator assures us. Cue the same office worker, weeping with joy as his documents are printed flawlessly on his new device, while the old one sits battered in the corner.

So it goes. But around this mould the printer industry has produced some pretty creative adverts that can still surprise the viewer. Featured in our favourites we’ve got quantum physics-spouting supermodels, sarcastic clowns and, yes, old fashioned sex appeal. We’ve listed these ads below so have a flick through and enjoy. But be careful - one too many and the urge to buy a new Canon may be overpowering.

For the full list Click Here.

Print News: End In Sight For Xerox Ink Shortage

A Christmas miracle it may not be, but printing firms dependent on the Xerox 700 toner may be pleased to know that the global shortage for the ink is coming to an end. A 17th December 2009 article by Adam Hooker posted at Printweek.com includes an interview with the Head of Technical Services at BPIF, Peter Vicent, who has received “direct assurance by Xerox that things will be back to normal” by 25th December.

This will be small comfort for printing firms, many of which have seen losses of estimated £20,000 in unfilled business. The shortage of the Xerox 700 toner, on which many companies depend for their print presses, began almost two weeks ago. Xerox have given scant explanation for the global lapse, except to mention an unseasonal rise in demand. Nor have they outlined the scale of the ink supplies shortage.

Aside from the loss in revenue, many firms are in fact peeved about the lack of transparency in Xerox’s responses. The print brand has reportedly given several different reasons for the ink shortage to different companies. As Peter Vincent told Printweek.com, during his private talks with Xerox “I made it clear to them they need to make sure their own people are giving the truth and consistent messages."

Several printers are considering seeking compensation from Xerox for their lost earnings. Printing industry specialist lawyer Phillippa Dempster told Printweek.com that firms should check their contract with Xerox. She said: “Sometimes, companies have it in the contract that something outside of their control enables them to escape responsibilities. The contract may also limit liability.”

Dempster’s advice suggests that, even once Xerox has resumed delivering the 700 toner supplies, this story will continue. Whether assurances from Xerox that they are working “very, very hard” will satisfy their customers as much as a cheque remains to be seen.

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Print News: Registration Open For 2010 InkJet Academy

Do you think of yourself as an ink jetsetter? Do you consider learning how a printhead works the height of scientific inquiry? If so, the announcement of the 2010 InkJet Academy Conference (subtitled Theory of InkJet Technology) may be of interest. Featuring such Course Leaders as Mike Willis, the Managing Director of Pivotal Resources Ltd., the program is being held in the opening two days of February in Arizona. And for the low low price of $1095 per registrant, you could attend.

According to Imiconf.com, this one-off fee includes not just attendance at all sessions, but continental breakfasts, lunch, and coffee breaks for both days. Seemingly, the academy organisers are not advocates of dinner. The sessions, meanwhile, each last four hours and cover such topics as: ‘Advances in UV Curing Ink Technology’ and ‘Considerations for Page Arrays.’ Held at the Crown Plaza San Marcos Resort, attendants can at least be confident that the breakfasts will be good.

To register for the conference, and for the chance to see pictures of an Alpine lodge given the Andy Warhol treatment, visit the 2010 InkJet Academy website at: Imiconf.com.

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Print News: Epson Conquers The Printer Cable With iPhone App

For years the printer cable was a tether by which the computer user was kept in spitting distance of their Epson printer. A slave were they to the length of that copper wire. But no longer. For, according to a 14th December 2009 press release from Epson, owners of network capable Epson printers, including the Artisan 810 and Workforce 610, will be able to print their images wirelessly. The means of this freedom? Nothing less than Epson’s very own iPrint Application, for use with the iPhone.

The Epson App is available from the iTunes App store, seated alongside similar releases from rival brands. Earlier this year both Hewlett Packard and Canon enabled their customers to cast away their printer cables, so long as they own iPhones. The Apple device comes equipped with a sixth sense, meaning that it’s capable of automatically identifying printers in your network. It does this with WiFi. Yet persons seeking this printing freedom ought beware: according to a 14th December 2009 post by Ragu Magapann at TheStandard.com, the quality of images produced on the iPhone is mediocre.

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Print News: Brother Launches UK Garment Printer / Starts Revolution

The launch of the second generation direct to garment printer from Brother may cause uncontrollable weeping.

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The man on the street may not know it, but the way his t-shirts are made is changing. Little does he realise that for almost five years experts in garment printing have been altering their methods. No longer dependent on old fashioned screen printing, there has been growing under the very nose of the man on the street a revolution in garment printing. The leaders of this revolution are Brother, and the broom with which they’ve swept away the old ways is direct to garment printing, otherwise known as digital garment printing.

Printers of a revolting inclination in the US have been using direct to garment printing for several years. They have found the quality of their garments improved and their costs reduced. Now, with Brother launching a direct to garment digital printer in the UK, merchants on this side of the Atlantic can join the garment revolution too. And all without the man on the street ever knowing about it.

Unless of course, you’re a man on the street who happens to subscribe to this news feed. In this case the details of the direct to garment printing revolution are ripe for your perusal. For example, you may be interested to know that direct to garment printing enables printers to replicate images on fabric direct from a computer. It does so using a single machine, housing every imaginable shade or colour. It does without the need for chemicals or stencils, which for garment printers are as a plague of boils on the face, or a mouth ulcer you can’t help tonguing. It does so at a fraction of the cost of the old method, which means theoretically that printing firms can pass their savings onto you, oh man on the street.

The miracle box through which printers might experience these benefits is the Brother GT 782. This is a second-generation direct to garment printer, necessary because the earlier GT 541 did not print white ink. Recipients of the GT 541 quickly discovered their direct to garment purchase only printed effectively on light colours. The new GT 782 corrects this, enabling printing firms to print designs on fabrics every colour of the rainbow. A shrewd man on the street may describe this is an improvement; or he may describe it as performing as the original GT 541 should have in the first place. Either way, the quality of the garments he may purchase with the new GT 782 is enough to cause uncontrollable weeping.

Should the man in the street not be afraid of crying in public, he may find the Brother GT 782 on display at the UKL open house in Swindon. Alternately, since there is little appeal in seeing a large grey box, however superb its printing powers, the man on the street may purchase a t-shirt from any printer using the direct to garment technology. Then he may both see the quality, and may wear it also.

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Print News: Ricoh Develops Plant Biomass Toner

With a release intended to reduce the dependency of the print industry on oil, Ricoh have created the world’s first green toner.

When a person decides to do their duty to the environment by recycling toner cartridges, they’ll usually think of the plastic casing in which the toner is contained. It’s the obviously ‘un-environmentally friendly’ component of the cartridge, after all. What is much less widely known is that the ink itself is produced using many processes and materials that are equally damaging to the planet. For example, the primary ingredient in toner is resin, which is derived from petroleum. With 200,000 tonnes of toner produced each year, according to a report published on 15 December at Megateamblog.com, this means the ink in ink cartridges contributes greatly to global warming, even without considering the casing.

To combat this, and reduce the dependency of the ink manufacturing industry on petroleum, printing brand Ricoh have announced the world’s first plant biomass toner. Biomass is an energy source derived from decomposed plant matter, and is already widely used for biofuel, an alternative to oil petrols. So attractive is biofuel that, according to a 28 June 2008 report published on BBC.co.uk, the EU intends for 10% of all transport to run using the renewable plant-based fuel by 2020.

For Ricoh though, the benefits of a plant biomass toner are several. For example, the CO2 emissions produced from burning paper are high because the sheets are coated in petroleum resin. The paper can be de-inked but this is another costly practice. By using a toner that is less rich in petroleum, the process of paper burning creates less CO2, and is therefore less environmentally harmful. What’s more, the plant biomass uses less petroleum in the first place, reducing our oil dependence.

The green toner isn’t entirely without petroleum – the plant biomass content is around 25% in fact – but Ricoh is describing its invention as an important first step. According to the 25 November 2009 press release from Ricoh’s website, “Sustainability is crucial to society’s survival. Ricoh believes that a company must take responsibility for all the materials used in its products.” The plant biomass is in fact commercially available, in a multi-function printer sold in Japan. It is not stated whether Ricoh plans to expand the availability of the toner; yet the brand’s website assures us of their “efforts to develop alternative materials to realize a low-carbon and resource-recirculating society.” With this conscientious mentality, the world-wide availability of the new toner is surely certain.

Print News: HP To Roll Out Web-Connected Printers in Spring 2010

A new range of printers from Hewlett Packard enable printing from the internet without the need for a PC.
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Some might query the value of a printer that lets you print straight from the internet without using a computer. What’s wrong with right-clicking from the desktop to receive your desired image? Yet at Hewlett Packard, Vice President of Marketing for the Imaging & Printing Group Ralph McNeil is certain this is the future of printing. In Spring 2010, he intends to begin global distribution of a new range of printers that enable users to produce documents straight off the internet, without the need for a PC.

In an interview with Marketnews.ca, Mr McNeil outlined his vision for the new printers. He said that the internet printers operate using a large touchscreen, eliminating the need for a computer. The details of the interface have yet to be finalised though, and this is something Mr Macneil recognises is crucial: "The easier it is, the more I'm going to use it," he told Gordon Brockhouse, in an article dated 11th December 2009. Regarding the value of the new printers he is more certain. He asserts that the expanding internet does not detract from the printed image, but increases the number of potential documents to be produced. "Where does it [the HP web printer] take you? To a repository of value on the Internet."

In 2009 HP greatly expanded their range of web applications, with programs that enabled users to print from their iPhones. A similar app for the Blackberry is expected soon. Mr Macneil anticipates that the HP web printers will mark another new platform for printing, making 2010 “a very exciting year” for the printing brand.

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Print News: Printers Hit By Low Xerox Ink Supplies

An unexpected jump in demand for ink supplies has caught Xerox unawares, with printing firms losing up to £20,000 in revenue through unfilled orders and lost business.

For printing brand Xerox, the holiday month is normally a time of relatively low demand for their ink and toner supplies. But this year they’ve encountered an unexpected jump in requests for their ink products, so great that they’ve been unable to meet their orders. A near-worldwide shortage of ink for the Xerox 700 press has forced firms around the globe to stop production on their presses. Not only have existing orders gone unfilled, but printing companies are turning away business, hence losing revenue of up to an estimated £20,000 according to a 11th December 09 report by Adam Hooker to Printweek.com. The shortage is affecting all Xerox customers outside Australia.

The shortage, which is affecting the Xerox 700 press in particular but other ink supplies too, was first reported by Printweek.com on the 8th. By this time though, customers may have been waiting for delivery of their ink supplies for up to 10 days. Xerox’s Vice President of Global Consumables Supply Chain Jim Brasser has acknowledged the problem, telling Printweek.com: “We are very much aware of the current, short-term situation concerning the supply of toner cartridges, resulting from growth in demand in certain situations.” Yet Brasser would not be drawn to discuss the exact details of the problem, nor how Xerox plan to speed up their deliveries.

Several printing companies have said they plan to extract compensation for lost revenue from Xerox. Speaking to Printweek.com, the Managing Director at Pro DM Solutions Martin Whetton complained that of the 10 toners requested in a 24th November order, only 2 had arrived by the 9th December. He said: "I would consider going after Xerox to cover our losses. I would hope that Xerox would offer compensation without the need for legal action,” estimating that the failure at Xerox has cost him £5,000 in lost income. Printweek.com spoke to 5 other printing firms who reported similar if not greater losses; some though are less concerned with exacting revenge upon Xerox than receiving their toner, so they can resume printing.

Mr Brasser was quick to emphasise that the shortage in toner supplies is only affecting a small percentage of Xerox supplies. He said: “"This is not a general shortage and only affects certain products. The vast majority of orders are being fulfilled within about a week, and we expect that pace to quicken.” Moreover, though printing firms in Europe, Asia and the US have been hit, Australia is exempt. Simon Lane of Fuji Xerox Australia told Proprint.com.au: “We have a sufficient supply of toner for the next 32-60 days which is in line with normal stock holding.’

Why the Australian market should remain unaffected is unclear, nor does Mr Lane speculate except to say that this sole wing of Xerox has been able to cope with increased demand. Elsewhere, though Xerox has offered assurances that “We aim to have the right amount of supply to satisfy demands,” as the European Head of Corporate Communications Kevin Perlmutter says, the worldwide shortage looks to continue.
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Print News: Judges Save 50% On Printing Costs By Banning Attorneys

Recently market research firms including Gartner and InfoTrends have released reports telling companies that they can save money on their printing costs by reducing the number of persons per printer. But at the General Sessions Court in Chattanooga, Tennessee, resident Judges have taken this policy to its logical extreme. By banning local lawyers from the corridor outside their offices, they have restricted access to their copier machine and saved 50% on their printing costs. Whereas, according to a Judge Bales, the ‘copier was breaking down once every six weeks’ before the restrictions were put in place, now the copier ‘has not broken down in more than a year.’ Businesses may learn a lot from this approach: simply refusing to let persons use their printer is a great way to keep them pristine.

This policy of the Chattanooga City Court was put in place at the climax of a ‘persistent erosion of collegiality’ between attorneys and Judges. This concerns alleged abuses of the General Sessions Court facilities on the part of visiting attorneys. Speaking to Chattanoogan.com, Judge Moon spoke of ‘major fiscal concerns’ not only regarding the copier but the City Court kitchen. ‘We have five judges and three staff members in our General Sessions Court. Only three of the eight drink coffee and yet we have previously had the highest coffee expense in Hamilton County for any office our size. Our annual coffee bill was approximately $2,600 annually for only three people,’ he said. By restricting access to the kitchen the Judges have reduced the coffee bill to $500 for themselves and the taxpayer.

A group of 30 attorneys have sent a letter to the City Court judges, calling the restriction to their access to the corridor ‘an insult.’ They object to the new policy not only because the court corridor was used for legitimate business, but because they were not consulted before the new policy was put into place. The attorneys said that business in the Court ‘is dependent upon quick access to all the parties concerned, including law enforcement officers, victims, witnesses and multiple attorneys.’ Yet they may have to learn to live with the changes; the judges have no plans to reverse their decision. Moreover, with reduced costs of maintenance for their copier and a smaller bill for paper, they could hardly be blamed.

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Print News: Students Take Creative Approach to Recycling Toner

Students of the South Polytechnic State University in Marietta recently took a creative approach to recycling empty ink cartridges when, to help beat exams stress, they tore the components to pieces using several blenders. Along with similar used components including defunct printers and old keyboards, the student chapter of the Association of Computer Machinery paid $1 for the opportunity to shred their used cartridges. One of a dozen student witnesses to the rampage, freshman James Mahoney, told AJCNews.com: ‘Destruction is always fun when it’s rampant.’

The faculty advisor to the Association of Computer Machinery recommended the Blendtec Total Blender to the group, after seeing the machine perform on YouTube. Powered by 1500 Watts, the blender will shred almost anything; although, as AJCNews.com reports, ‘it gets tripped up with some metals and, as students discovered, ink cartridges.’ The students, extremely relaxed and ready for their exams after the rampage, plan to recycle the shredded remains of the empty ink cartridges. Though where they intend to do so remains to be seen - whether the Cartridge Recycling Programs at Canon and Lexmark accept powered plastic is doubtful.

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Print News: Canon Celebrates 20 Years Of Toner Recycling

The cartridge recycling program initiated by Canon is about to celebrate its twentieth anniversary. In 1990 the scheme only operated in the USA, Germany and Japan. Today it covers 23 nations and, as of June 2009, has collected around 220,000 metric tonnes of used toner cartridges. The toner recycling scheme is unique among print brands in that 100% of the cartridge parts are recycled and recovered, so that nothing goes to landfill. For example, the energy used in recycling the cartridges is used for heating, while the plastic is used for new cartridges.

The timeline of the Canon Recycling Program documents the company’s increasing concern with recycling. Beginning in 1990 with only three nations, by 1994 21 countries were involved. Further, the rate of cartridge collection has grown most rapidly in the last five years: at the Program’s half way point in 2000, only 60,000 metric tonnes of cartridges had been collected, of the 222,000 recycled today. Further, it was not only 2003 that Canon’s ‘zero landfill’ policy was implemented in all four of its global recycling bases. This period of greater dedication to toner recycling coincides with the increased number of accolades award to Canon. In 2005 for example, Canon received a 3R Award from the Japanese Minister of Industry.

Canon attributes the success of its Cartridge Recycling Program to its company ethos: ‘kyosei’. This mentality of ‘living and working for the common good’ meant Canon introduced its ink and toner recycling program before any other printer brand, and without cost to the consumer. Today it implements a ‘closed-loop recycling’ method, meaning that a minimum of new resources are needed for its products. The company presently only recycles ink cartridges of its own brand, though this may change later on. To take part in Canon’s program, visit their website.

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Print News: HP Printers Proved Best in Lab Study

Two HP printers have been demonstrated to be superior to comparable machines from rival brands, in an independent study conducted by print consultancy and testing firm SpencerLab. In two separate tests for inkjet and laser printers, the HP printers were shown to produce higher quality printing on almost every tested criterion. These included: default print quality on standard paper, colour print quality on glossy paper, and draft print quality on plain paper. The HP printers tested were the (toner) based HP Officejet Pro 8500 All-in-One and the (inkjet based) HP Officejet 6500 All-in-One. The results for both US and EMEA markets are available at spencerlab.com.

For the inkjet tests, the HP 6500 was compared with the Brother MFC-5490CN, the Epson Stylus Office BX600FW, and the Canon Pixma MX860. Of a total of 9 tested criterion, the HP Officejet performed best on 8, losing out to the Brother 5490CN regarding black-and-white printing on default copy setting. For other printing settings, the outputted prints of the HP machine were described as ‘vibrant and smooth’ or ‘with good saturation.’ For the laser test, the HP 8500 performed comparably, beating its competitors in all 5 criteria, and was described as ‘overall superior.’ The HP laser printer was tested against the Brother MFC 9440CN and the Samsung CLX-3175FN.

The SpencerLab tests were designed to replicate printer use in typical office conditions, with the choices of ink cartridge and paper type intended to reflect this. In the laboratory firm’s press release, it was stated that SpencerLab scientists were “particularly interested” to see how the latest HP printers performed, given that HP was one of the earliest manufacturers of ink-based technology. In short, they were “not disappointed.” The Vice President of Operations and Director of Spencer Lab, Catherine Fiasconaro, said: “HP is maintaining its solid reputation with the OfficeJet series [providing] a versatile product.”

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Print News: IDC Reports 25% Slump In OEM Toner Sales

Though the overall market for ink supplies shrunk 13.1% in the first half of 2009, the market share for compatible ink vendors grew.

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The market research firm IDC has released a report finding that sales of OEM toner cartridges fell by 24.9% in the first half of 2009, compared with the same period last year. Similarly, sales of OEM inkjet cartridges fell by 19.2% in the same span. The loss in sales owes much to a slump in demand from the office sector: owing to difficult financial conditions they have become cautious in their spending. Yet businesses are not simply getting by with less toner: in the same period sales for compatible cartridges from third-party vendors rose by 5.1%. According to IDC, the compatible toner market share has grown 7.7% to 37.3% in 2009.

The IDC report refers to the EMEA (European, Middle Eastern and African) market, and is based on studies conducted in 17 countries. However, within this market, the extent of the switch to third-party vendors varied widely. Consumables Program Manager Joanna Pupkowska said: The demand is higher in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa than in Western Europe. This is because of different price sensitivities and the structure of local offers, with, for example, Russia and Ukraine being heavily dominated by bulk products and refill kits." However, the IDC release neglects to outline the extent of the sales variation within these countries.

The switch to compatible ink vendors is expected to be a lasting trend in the market, because businesses will have signed long-term contrasts with their new suppliers. Senior Analyst Mario Lombardo said of Western European markets in particular that the new market conditions will lead to “increased competition” between OEM brands and third-party vendors. This is especially so because IDC estimates that the overall market for ink supplies dropped by 13.1% in the first half of 2009.

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Print News: ‘The Future is with Optimised Printing’ says Gartner

A Gartner Executive has delivered a speech outlining the potential benefits to offices of optimised printing.
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Firms could reduce their printing costs by up to 30% by implementing a few key changes, according to a speech by Gartner Vice President of Research, Ken Weilerstein. Delivered at the annual Print & Imaging Summit in Los Angeles, Mr Weilerstein presented to an audience of IT vendors a list of suggestions to optimise their printing processes. These changes include: cutting the number of pages printed each month by 10%, increasing the ratio of printer sharing from 5 workers to up 30 workers, and cutting the number of printer suppliers to 2-3 typical.

The Gartner speech follows similar findings from other market research firms in recent weeks. On 2 December, InfoTrends released a report stating that sectors including schools stand to save 30% on their printing with managed printing services. On the same day, Ricoh released a study that stated companies across Europe are losing up to 5% in annual revenue by not optimising their document management systems. Moreover, the ‘buzz’ regarding managed printing services arguably peaked some time ago: Greg Walters over at The Death of the Copier has queried why it has taken Gartner so long to address an already well-discussed topic.

Yet though the suggestions of Mr Weilerstein are perhaps well worn, they remain valuable. Plenty of firms remain that would benefit from an assessment of their printing requirements, for example, to distinguish between ‘what they currently have and what they really need.’ The effort of remaining conscious of printing processes is constant too: the Gartner presentation serves if nothing else as a reminder to companies to keep on top of their print management strategy. Mr Weilerstein also noted that workers may be wary of the process: ‘Taking away a person's printer is scary to them. What seems like an opportunity to you is a nightmare to them,’ he said.

In the preceding days, other Gartner officers have addressed the Print & Imaging Summit. Yesterday, the Managing Vice Director Peter Grant identified three key printing technologies to complement print management strategies. These included cloud computing and green IT.

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Print News: Photo Printing Market Remains Hopeful into 2010

A release by the market research firm InfoTrends has encouraging findings for photo printing companies.
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InfoTrends, the market research firm, has released its 2009 report detailing the photo printing habits of US consumers. An extensive quantitative study, retailing for almost $4000, the survey offers advice for photo printing firms looking to maximise their investments. According to the InfoTrends press release, it finds ‘bright spots’ in the photo printing market in spite of stiff competition from digital storage methods. In particular, ‘Households with children, family memory keepers, and hobbyists’ remain dedicated photo printers, while there are ‘many things’ vendors can do to encourage increased rates of photo printing among consumers.

In June 2005, a report by InfoTrends found that the photo printing market faced possible decline. In spite of an 81% growth in digital cameras sales that year, consumers were increasingly likely to neglect printing their photos in favour of storing them digitally: either by hard disc, CD or DVD, or even on social media websites. Yet InfoTrends noted that an increase in photo printing revenues was possible, if vendors tried to increase the ease of printing while lowering the costs. The release found that, by 2010, revenues could either rocket to $7.6 billion or plummet, declining as low as $3.7 billion, depending on vendor strategies.

In February 2006, Hewlett Packard attempted to spur photo printing with the introduction of its self-service photo kiosk, housed in retailers across the US. The kiosk enabled consumers to not only design prints in under five minutes, but print each copy in 5 seconds. The Wal-Mart trial of the machines proved so successful that, by the end of 2006, it housed a total 50 photo-printers in its stores.

Yet in spite of this, vendors have largely failed to convince consumers of the worth of photo-printing over digital storage methods. In an article by Jennifer Nealson on 1 December 2008 for DigitalCameraInfo.org, it was reported that the volume of images printed in the year 2007-8 grew by 1.7 billion to total 19.7 billion. This is good news – but at the same time a report by PMA Marketing Research entitled ‘Consumer Imaging in Canada’ found that 73% of young consumers share photos online. For consumers who used to print, this transition may be permanent.

InfoTrends believes that vendors have ‘only two or three years to gain back consumers’ who now store photos online. Equally though, the market research firm suggests that vendors may better invest their time in products that cannot be replaced online. The market for specialty printing – where images are placed on almost any item imaginable – grew 11% in sales from $9.9 billion in 2005 to $11.1 billion in 2006, according to Dimitrios Delis, Research Director at the Photo Marketing Association. It may be through these items that vendors assure their future.

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Print News: US Government Subsidies for Publishing Industry?

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Publishers around the world are facing the notion that the survival of their industry may depend on government support.

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The future of the printed word may depend on government subsidies, according to several stories circulating at the moment. Not only in Canada, where government support for ‘literary arts' already totals tens of millions, but in the United States, where attitudes to state intervention are more hostile, the idea of supporting the ailing publishing industry with financial subsidies is gaining traction. This possibility – first raised by writers at the Washington Post in November - has emerged owing to a terrible year for publishing. Publishers have struggled to make the shift to online media profitable, and redundancies have followed.

In an 8 December post by David Kaplan at PaidContent.org, he writes that the quantity of magazine publishers appearing at the USB Media Week Conference will shrink by almost 5%. This is but the latest in a series of bracing reports to challenge not only publishers but the print industry. For example, it was found recently that almost 87,000 in the US print industry this year have been made unemployed.

Yet the deluge of bad news seems to have awoken people to the fact that the publishing industry is worth saving – by whatever means. Tom Clavin at 27east.com has proposed that ‘printing on demand’ may save the printed text from total collapse. His suggestion though reduces print to a niche industry: an aesthetic novelty subordinate to the digital colossus. Yet some writers would prefer that publishing be saved wholesale. In an 8 December article entitled ‘Keep Print Alive,’ Rachel Mendleson of Macleans.ca writes of the possibility of larger subsidies by the Canadian government for the publishing industry. In 2007 $80 million was contributed.

Elsewhere, in a 30 November post by David Westphal at Ojr.org, he notes that subsidising the publishing industry is a longstanding institution of the US Government. This is in spite of widely held right-wing perceptions to the contrary. Beginning with the Postal Act 1792, the cost of mailing magazines and newspapers has been subsidised. Even today ‘Federal and state governments forego about $890 million a year on income and sales tax breaks to the newspaper industry.’ It is only during the last few years – as publishers have come under threat from digital media, no less – that state legislatures have queried this arrangement.

The dire condition of the publishing industry may lead officials of the US Government to change direction once more. In India, the government has sought to bolster newspaper revenues by paying more for their printed advertisements. In France, 18-24 year olds are now offered a free 3 year newspaper subscription to increase readership rates. These are not permanent measures, but means of assistance for an industry that has suffered particularly badly in the global recession.

Moreover, from the perspectives of the elected officials, the packages are not designed to ‘save’ publishing but ensure a plurality of communication methods. Magazines Canada CEO Mark Jamison told Macleans.ca that ‘The government’s role is about ensuring that Canadian voices can be heard through a variety of means.’ Though the publishing industry may welcome government subsidies, in short, this doesn’t enable newspapers to put aside the challenges faced from the digital market.

Print News: Firms Save 30% with Managed Print Solutions

Report by Market research Firm InfoTrends shows consultancies lead to reduced office expenses.

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The market research firm InfoTrends has released a report stating that ‘prime markets’ including schools and legal firms stand to save up to 30% on printing processes with managed services. The survey, which involved 500 respondents, documents the rise in managed service solutions and potential growth for the sector. For those that don’t know, firms turn to managed service providers to optimise their office environment – and where documents are concerned, their printing processes. The InfoTrends results are based on criteria including: printing habits, hardware investments, managed service investments, and economic impact.

Though independent consultancies offer managed services, it is also possible to acquire these from your hardware provider. In the print industry, famous brands including Hewlett Packard, Canon and Lexmark each offer ‘complete enterprise solutions.’ For example, back in November Kodak announced an agreement with US distribution firm D&H to help firms ‘reduce their paper workflows and increase digital capabilities.’ This week, Pitney Bowes has signed with Kilburn Office Automation, a supplier of postage technologies and a distributor of copiers and printers, to help the transition to digital ‘post and stamp solutions’ across India.

The report by InfoTrends will give much-needed impetus to firms looking to make savings through efficient office management. Just last week, Japanese printing brand Ricoh released a report critical of the sluggish manner in which European offices are adopting document management. In spite of agreement of the potential benefits, most companies have not implemented even half the available process refinements. The new report by InfoTrends, which showcases the demonstrable benefits of managed print solutions, may encourage firms to put their printing processes into outside hands. They will find many consultancies wait with open palms.

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Print News: Seeking the Future of Publishing

A pair of posts from across the net discuss how publishing can flourish in a digital landscape.

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A pair of articles published recently speculate as to possible futures for the printing industry, at a time when conditions appear unfortunately gloomy for publishers. The first – posted by Evan Karp on 2nd December at Examiner.com – adopts a ‘long view’ of the shift to digital media and its implications for society. Pertaining to a discussion entitled ‘Is the Book Dead?’ among The Mechanics Institute Library, what the post lacks in solutions it makes up with thoughtfulness. The second – posted by Tom Clavin at 27east.com – suggests that ‘printing on demand’ may be a plausible and practical future for artists and publishers.

At the discussion at The Mechanics Institute Library, ‘the book’ finds a fierce advocate in Alan Kaufman. Responsible for putting the panel together, which included figures from online publishing, Kaufman nonetheless uses the debate to suggest the printed word is essential to society’s well-being. His essay – ‘Protecting the Printed Word’ – paints Google as a dictator of past and future literature, with the authority to determine what is and is not acceptable for reading. In other words, Kaufman’s key objection to digital publishing is the removal of autonomy from the individual in deciding what they read. He cites Amazon’s recent removal of George Orwell’s 1984 from their Kindle e-readers, as example.

Tom Clavin’s post at 27.com offers a less reactionary tone. It is also less concerned with the philosophical implications of Google, and more the economic reality for printers. His article ‘Printing on Demand’ suggests that the era of publishers printing thousands of books in the hope they sell has come to a conclusion. Instead, publishers may depend on ‘digital printing technology that allows a complete book to be printed and bound in minutes,’ meeting demand as it arises. Here – the printed book is not obsolete but a sensory alternative to digital content. The ‘book’ is a form of packaging wherein the content remains identical.

In the meantime, the printed document remains an essential part of daily life. Businesses are always seeking ways to reduce costs without cutting on important printing. On 8 December, Joseph F. Kovar at Crn.com reported on the trend among companies for multi-function printers, prompted by ‘concern about the cost of hardware, paper and consumables.’ The relatively low price of multi-function printers enables firms to purchase high-quality equipment without breaking the bank. Yet the high price of ink – especially official brand cartridges – means companies must adopt a managed approach to documents, for themselves and the environment.

Print News: HP Targets Youth with ‘Listen 2U’ Social Media Campaign

'Listen 2U’ website aimed at extending the brand’s existing social media marketing portfolio.

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Hewlett Packard have announced a major extension of their social media strategy, with a campaign aimed at getting in touch with creative youth. ‘Listen 2U’ is a dedicated website where young people can develop their talent, posting and directing their own movies for the chance to win HP products. With news posts ‘broadcast’ from university student unions, and subjects including the NME and Mighty Boosh, the site has a credible chance of resonating with creative young people. Moreover, HP has integrated a page dedicated to its products into the website, enabling the printing brand to combine marketing with social media interaction.

This ‘savvy’ campaign is but the latest from a printing brand that takes social media very seriously. The ‘Innovation’ area of the HP site includes a webpage extolling the worth of social media – for no more reason than a belief in its potential. As of August 2008, there were sixty ‘Employee Business Blogs’ at HP’s website which, moreover, included links to the personal web pages of their employees. Hewlett Packard evidently puts aside legal risks and trusts its employees ‘not to act like idiots,’ as Karen Snyder of ‘The Social Media front’ argues.

In January 2009, Toprankblog.com posted an interview with HP’s Web 2.0 Head Strategist, Tac Anderson, asking after the printing brand’s attitude to the internet. Mr Anderson is more than conversant in the web: he has ‘implemented internal wiki’s, train[ed] product teams on using Google Alerts, RSS feeds and other tools… as well [lent his] expertise wherever’ possible. Mr Anderson is convinced his strategy points the way for interaction betweens firms and their customers, and on top of everything runs a blog for firms getting into new communications. Visit NewCommBiz.com for what Mr Anderson calls ‘The Future of Social Media.’

Of course, the flipside for companies with a significant web presence is the difficulty of controlling the conversation. On 19 November 2009, David Spark reported on his negative experience with HP’s customer service helpline, broadcasting to countless people from SocialMedia.biz. The post even garnered comments from an ‘HP Insider,’ reporting what he feels is the profit-driven mentality of the company. Though this individual remains anonymous – quite understandably given the collusion of work and personal life latent in social media – the existence of such comments damages a brand whose image is largely sunny.

The new campaign from Hewlett Packard will seek to banish such comments while expanding on their community base. The ‘direct a video’ competition currently running asks people to post their entries on YouTube, encouraging entrants to interact. With an HP notebook up for grabs among other prizes, there is little doubt ‘Listen 2U’ will do much for creativity amongst youth. Depending on the success of the campaign, other print companies may decide to follow in HP’s footsteps.

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Print News: Almost 87,000 Made Unemployed in US Print Industry

A report by The Bureau of Labour Statistics finds 4.2% of jobs in the US print industry have been shed in 2009.
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In the year closing November 2009, 86,800 workers in the US print publishing industry were made unemployed, according to a release by The Bureau of Labour Statistics. 4,200 jobs were lost in November alone, amounting to a 4.2% total decline in the number of positions. Though total unemployment in the US dropped slightly in November – down to 10% - the print industry has fared badly, with publishers including Time Inc. and BusinessWeek.com announcing high rates of redundancy. The news comes only days after Tenon Recovery released a statement saying that 90% of the UK print industry faces collapse.

The huge rise in printing unemployment owes much to a bad year for the US print market. On Friday, the chief economist of the Printing Industries of America, Dr. Ronnie Davis, projected that output in the print US industry will fall 4.5%, followed by 2.5% in 2010. Flagging demand from publishers means 18% of print companies in the US vanished between 2005-2008. A 1% year decline in demand suggests more print businesses will disappear from the market before conditions improve, with existing companies having to charge ever lower prices to remain solvent.

So hard have the existing firms been squeezed, the value in shipments fell $1.1 billion from October 2008. WhatTheyThink.com reports that what is usually the industry’s most important month – in the lead-up to the Thanksgiving season and Christmas – is now second to March. According to the director of WhatTheyThink’s Economics and Research Centre, Dr. Webb, the 13% reduction owes much to the transition to digital media. He commented: ”The communications market is very dynamic… the guidelines for media selection and deployment are being rewritten every day.”

Yet publishers have failed to adapt, with many redundancies across the entire sector. Gawker.com reports that Time Inc. have laid off the assistant editors at Fortune Magazine, with other cutbacks in personnel within the conglomerate’s publications. Elsewhere, BusinessWeek.com has decided to drop 130 of its regular staffers, while the Washington Post has announced it is shedding 40 of its workforce. According to MNILive.com, more than 5000 members of the US newspaper industry were made redundant last year – while figures for 2009 have not been announced.

The report today by the US Bureau of Labour Statistics bodes ill. Moreover, the statistics do not include job losses within the online part of the US print industry. The real unemployment figures will hence be much higher than those reported. Although the downturn of the US economy is righting itself, with employment in commercial banking increasing by 1% in 2009, the print industry remains exempt from the recovery. This likely is because of the transition to online media - the newspaper industry is negotiating with Google for its very survival – but means it may be some time yet before today’s job losses are recovered.

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Print News: UK Print Industry Facing Widespread Collapse

A report by support services firm Tenon Recovery has shown that 90% of printer companies face closing.
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The dire state of the UK print industry has been independently confirmed, with PrintWeek.com reporting on a study by Tenon Recovery that 90% of print companies face collapse. Tenon, which gives support services to ailing companies, used numerous criteria to make its judgement, including: credit ratings, County Court Judgements and net worth. According to the report, 9742 print companies face ‘probable collapse and potential winding-up petitions.’ Another 5991 businesses ranked behind, ‘defined as being in danger because of substantial financial difficulties.’ Only one in ten firms in the UK print industry rated financially stable.

The report comes only days after the British Printing Industries Federation announced its annual conference. Centring on ‘Finance and Investment,’ the conference will address what BPIF calls the ‘New Normal,’ so helping printer companies to adapt to the financial climate. Given the desire of the BPIF to refocus on the positive, the report by Tenon Recovery could be called scare-mongering. Speaking to PrintWeek.com, Andrew Brown, BPIF’s corporate affairs director, said circumstances were ‘not as disastrous’ as Tenon was making out. ‘While the print sector is still contracting, the rate at which it is doing so is easing,’ he said.

Tenon’s report states that 419 print companies have collapsed this year alone. Included within their number is Butler and Tanner, previously the UK’s largest colour printing firm. The firm’s closure left publishers scrambling to make deadlines, and left 300 people jobless. Perhaps more importantly though, its collapse means publishers have very few options to print domestically, and must depend on European firms. Meanwhile, media agency GroupM has announced its prediction that print advertising will fall 20.4% in 2009, indicating a serious decline in demand among publishers. This will place the print industry under further pressure.

Yet some print industry insiders are painting the news as positive. Speaking to PrintWeek.com, Phil Payter, the Managing Director at PPG, argued that ‘The recession will change print for the better. [The] less crowded marketplace will mean unscrupulous print brokers and management companies will lose their grip in the industry and disappear.’ Malcolm Carter, the Managing Director of First Class Post, said that: ‘the only option is to operate more efficiently, trimming costs as much as possible.’ In other words, the depth of the recession means only the sturdiest firms survive: the crisis marks a chance to further define a firm’s strengths.

However, whether it is accurate to describe the 90% of print companies under threat, according to Tenon, as ‘unscrupulous print brokers’ is not certain. Doubtless the recession will reduce an overcrowded print market, but many legitimate – and valuable – businesses are sacrificed at the same time. Tenon’s report meanwhile, should be taken with a pinch of salt. Though giving a gloomy forecast for the print industry, the firm’s report does not compare it against other industries. For example, according to GroupM, spending in television advertising will fall 11.2% in 2009, while spending next year will increase by merely 0.1%. The printing market may take grim comfort knowing its collapse is not isolated.

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Print News: HP Joins Anti-Counterfeiting Group

In recent years HP has made huge investments to combat counterfeit ink cartridge sellers. Now the cartridge giant has joined the anti-counterfeiting Global Leadership Group.
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In an attempt to redouble its anti-counterfeiting efforts, HP has announced its membership of the Business Action to Stop Counterfeit and Piracy (BASCAP) Global Leadership Group. A worldwide organisation, members of the BASCAP co-operate to address property rights issues, as well as share resources to fight counterfeit groups. By the combination of their expertise, businesses within BASCAP aim to increase the effect of their anti-counterfeiting schemes, as well as educate consumers about the problem. Though HP is itself concerned with combating counterfeit ink sellers, BASCAP fights the sale of illegal goods across many electronics industries. BASCAP was formed in 2005 and since then has expanded steadily.

For HP, the rise of counterfeit ink cartridges has become a real problem. It is estimated that of the $3 billion lost to counterfeit sellers in the cartridge industry last year, $1 billion of that was lost by Hewlett Packard. This is according to market research by IDC. Combined with the tough climate of the recession – sales of HP products fell 21% this year in the US – counterfeiters today seriously undermine HP. This is due in part to changes in HP’s business model, which depends on the revenue from ink cartridges. They are sold at prices reaching half that of the printers themselves, which recoup only the cost of production.

Yet while making the ink and toner market incredibly profitable – according to BusinessWeek.com its value has ballooned from $11 billion to $45 billion in ten years – HP opened the way for counterfeiters. While the print giant spent this decade combating legitimate toner resellers, which depend on HP’s own empty cartridges, the market in counterfeit ink exploded. According to LatinTrade.com, since 2003 the revenue lost to counterfeiters has gone from $2 billion to $3 billion. The problem has become so massive that, between 2005-2008, HP’s anti-counterfeiting unit conducted 4,620 investigations, seizing $795 million in fake products.

The decision to join BASCAP is one of several attempts by CEO Mard V. Hurd to combat the counterfeit market. Talking to Cliff Edwards of BusinessWeek.com, he expressed concern that the widespread sale of fake HP toner would ‘damage [the brand’s] reputation. His concern is legitimate because, unlike resellers which don’t pretend to sell original cartridges, counterfeiters imitate HP toner packaging. There are ways of distinguishing – counterfeit toner won’t bear HP’s security logo, for example – but often the imitations are too accurate to be discerned. Moreover, unlike sellers of counterfeit watches, which go for reduced prices, sellers of HP counterfeit ink cartridges often match the prices of the original.

Whether HP will enjoy any success because of its BASCAP membership remains to be seen. Their existing anti-counterfeiting measures have paid some dividends – HP’s website notes that the manufacturer has seized 15 million false ink and toner cartridges in three years. Moreover, HP retains a full-time Anti-Counterfeiting Force, in existence solely to combat counterfeiting groups. The Force advises customers if they’ve fallen victim to a fake cartridge seller, and also performs sting operations. However, though glamorous, it is difficult to determine what impact such measures are having on counterfeiting groups. Judging by the yearly revenue HP is losing to the black market, counterfeiters are not yet going anywhere.

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Print News: Google to Limit Free Online News Access

BBC News is one of several sites to report on a recent concession by Google to restrict access to content from its search engine. Until now, accessing news websites through Google allowed people to avoid the news sites’ subscription charges. Though the sites of vendors such as The Wall Street Journal restrict access using a ‘pay wall,’ meaning that visitors must pay to read the Journal’s articles, the ‘wall’ was avoidable using Google searches. The announcement by Google though means that, after viewing a set number of pages, readers will be referred to the news service’s subscription page, or denied further access entirely.

The BBC is reporting the announcement as a ‘concession’ on Google’s part. This refers to the acrimonious relations the search engine has enjoyed with news services. In particular, the chairman of NewsCorp Rupert Murdoch has previously poured scorn on Google, accusing the internet firm of profiteering from news content created by others. Further, the free access given by Google has done nothing for the ailing newspaper industry. At the World Newspaper Conference, Timothy Balding pointed to the black hole in printing revenues, with falling circulation rates across Europe. Online media has so far failed to recoup these losses.

In recent months Rupert Murdoch has attempted to solve this problem head on. Appealing to news services the world over, he has fought for a consensus that paying for online news is not only necessary for the industry’s survival, but justified. Though Newscorp presently only charges for news at The Wall Street Journal, Murdoch has announced plans to charge across all Newscorp websites - including The Times and The Sun. Given the recent losses suffered by the corporation – in June Newscorp lost $3.4 billion in revenue – the reason for Murdoch’s scheme is obvious. Yet to be effective, news websites must act together.

The announcement by Google goes some way to make Murdoch’s scheme for charged content a reality. Huge numbers of people read the news through Google’s search engine, or its own Google News portal: the site acts as a gatekeeper to news services. By implementing its First Click Free programme, Google is giving news services a greater chance to profit from their online content. As to Google’s motives, the BBC describes the announcement as a ‘reaction’ to Murdoch’s recent pressure. Though news websites depend on Google for their online audience, the internet firm wishes to develop good dealings with news services, which remain powerful.

In an announcement, the tone of Google’s Chris Gaither was conciliatory: “We have conversations with publishers all the time and some have asked us for more control over their content," he said. Though this understates the extent of the news industry’s anger at Google, it demonstrates the search engine’s desire to be amicable. In a second gesture, Google announced that a separate ‘crawler’ will enable news services to decide where they want to be ranked: on Google’s search engine only, or in addition at the Google News portal, which links to pages directly.

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Print News: Ricoh Slams UK Document Management Systems

The research dept. of Japanese printer company Ricoh has released a report examining ‘document management systems’ across Europe. It finds that of seven developed European nations, offices in the UK & Ireland are most negligent in dealing with printed documents. The wasted potential for document management solutions amounts to a 5% waste in turnover, and has significant environmental implications. However, none of the nations examined by Ricoh for their printer practices scored above 43.5% - by France – suggesting room for improvement is widespread.

The Ricoh Document Governance Index, which is independently compiled by Coleman Parkes Research on the printer company’s behalf, uses a number of criteria to determine ‘best practices’ among office managers. It measures such factors as a company’s awareness of the benefits of document management systems, and how thoroughly they have been implemented. It also surveys how independent nations compare. For example, the report states that 32% of UK firms have ‘no idea of average monthly cost per printer to the business,’ compared with the European leader, France, where only 24% of firms are lost in the dark about document management.

However, though drawing attention to the missed chances of UK & Ireland firms, Ricoh’s report is critical of Europe as a whole. More than half of Europe’s businesses are “not implementing a strategy at present [and] many leave their departments to decide their own approach.” This is in spite of the fact of “widespread recognition of the importance of document governance policies.” In short, the document reveals that Europe’s ‘senior decision makers,’ who were surveyed, are widely dragging their feet in making their print practices more efficient.

The biggest missteps among businesses were the lack of a centralised strategy, leaving firms open to duplicate documents and increase ink and toner usage unnecessarily. Though 81% of managers recognised the benefits to revenue of document management solutions, few realised they result in increased worker productivity and improved security. Moreover, those firms that have implemented printing solutions often fail to regulate them, leaving businesses unable to measure the benefits. Only 43% of firms monitored document costs on a regular basis. On other criteria such as recycling and auditing ratios, the UK ranks bottom.

Tim Taylor, the Environment and Compliance Manager at Ricoh UK, said of the release: “there remains a lack of awareness of the role that document governance can play in driving both environmental AND business efficiencies. Businesses need to act now by taking some simple steps to improve the way they are managing and controlling their document workflows.” Ricoh’s website meanwhile details its ‘Sustainable Document Governance’ service, helping UK firms to optimise their printing solutions.

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