R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced that it has unified its Content and Creative Services (CCS) and Global Outsourcing (GO) capabilities to expand and streamline offerings for clients. By aligning these capabilities, the Company will be able to better address client needs through a single, centralized global resource platform for creative communications, managed services, transaction processing, and intelligent digital solutions. “Now, more than ever, companies are in need of compelling content creation, coupled with technology-enabled solutions for their creative communications that empower content production at scale,” said Kiran Shankar, President, RRD GO CreativeTM. “We created this new integrated platform in response to an ongoing need articulated by our clients and that we are seeing in the broader market — that is, to provide a seamless high-velocity content services offering, supported by a best-in-class tech stack.”

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) has set up a dedicated business unit for the industrial development, manufacture, and sale of printed and organic electronics. The company has also started production at its Wiesloch-Walldorf site, investing some five million euros in a complete production line for printed sensors. Sensors developed at InnovationLab (iL) in Heidelberg for use in dental technology are set to be printed first. These innovative printed sensors make it possible, for the first time ever, to digitally record the distribution of masticatory pressure during occlusion, that is to say when the upper and lower jaws come together. 3D visualization on a tablet and data archiving enable malocclusions to be identified and subsequently corrected. Looking further ahead, Heidelberg is to use state-of-the-art printing technology at its high-tech campus to produce sensors for other digital applications – in particular in healthcare and logistics, and also in the retail and automotive sectors.

Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is pleased to announce the launch of the new Canon ProStream 1800 continuous feed inkjet printer, the newest model in Canon’s ProStream 1000 series. With increased speeds of up to 436 ft/min, the new printer boasts one of the highest resolutions and print quality of any digital printing press at that speed, making it the ideal solution for commercial printers who want to achieve ultimate performance. Supporting customers’ passion for print, the new ProStream 1800 has been designed to push the boundaries of commercial print to meet changing customer demands. Combining new inkjet innovations with proven offset printing techniques, the press strikes a unique balance between high productivity, superior print quality, flexibility, and media versatility.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company introduced a holistic supply chain solution for the production, kitting, and fulfillment of point-of-care and at-home diagnostic test kits. The solution builds upon RRD’s significant experience, processes and systems to address the increased need for end-to-end test kit production. To address this evolving and critical demand, RRD created a diagnostic test kit offering — an end-to-end supply chain solution that integrates and accelerates all stages of test kit production from ideation, development and production to fulfillment and supply chain management. The process also incorporates creative design, packaging and label production, and scalable execution on a global footprint. Given RRD’s existing supply chain solutions and regulatory-compliant facilities, the new solution addresses common industry challenges such as compliance, cost, and speed to market.

Worzalla, an employee-owned company specializing in printing high-quality children’s books, movie tie-in books and coffee table books, announced that two associates had been elected to its Board of Directors. Mary Przybylski was elected to a three-year term and Megan Meyer was elected to a 1-year term. Przybylski joined Worzalla in 1992 and currently works as a Lead Customer Service Representative. Throughout her career at Worzalla, she has held numerous roles with the Finishing, Prep, and Customer Service departments. She had just finished serving a 1-year term on the Board of Directors after previously serving as an interim board member. Meyer joined Worzalla in 2016 and also holds the role Lead Customer Service Representative. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point in 2009, Meyer worked with Sentry Insurance in various roles in commercial claims. Since joining Worzalla, Meyer has been promoted rapidly through different customer service roles and now takes lead managing several customer accounts.

Kansas City, MO-based Richardson Communications Group, a leading printer in the Midwest for nearly a century, has been acquired by Kingston Printing, Eudora, KS, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary as a premier, independent commercial printer. Graphic Arts Advisors, LLC (GAA), Mountain Lakes, NJ, a strategic financial advisory and consulting firm devoted exclusively to all sectors of the graphic communications industry, represented Richardson in the transaction. GAA Director Michael Wurst served as lead advisor on the engagement, with Mark Hahn, GAA Senior Managing Director, providing support. John Hyde, Esq., GAA Managing Director, is advising Richardson on the post-sale wind-down and creditor settlement negotiations. Combining Richardson’s customer relationships and capabilities with Kingston’s operations creates a full-service, robust company offering clients a broad spectrum of printing and marketing services. With similarities in terms of 2019 sales volume ($5.2 million for Richardson and $6 million for Kingston) and number of employees (Richardson with 35 and Kingston with 36), the two firms had different areas of specialty and equipment.

W+D North America Inc. announces the installation of a “solo tending” 410 Easy Enveloper with MSP in Freedom, PA. The W+D 410 Easy Enveloper offers a reduced manpower solution for running direct mail and transaction letter mail sizes up to 500 envelopes per minute while simultaneously reducing paper waste with its “drier chain run out” capability. The 410 Easy Enveloper’s built-in “Expert On-Line Help” service offers immediate troubleshooting without the need for outside technical support/service visits. According to Doug Wright, Chief Operating Officer of MSP, “the 410 Easy Enveloper has allowed us to optimize our internal web printing process with faster ‘time-to-mailbox’ solutions as we can literally go from web printing to envelope converting to inserting without losing a beat.

The American Meteorological Society (AMS) has chosen to streamline and optimize its journal production workflow by partnering exclusively with Sheridan for all stages between accepted manuscripts and online hosting. Sheridan’s unique offering integrates production and online hosting, eliminating the traditional hand-off between the composition vendor and a third party online hosting platform to further accelerate the publishing process. The new 5-year agreement between AMS and Sheridan, beginning in 2021, adds automated XML composition, web-based author proofing, and a fully integrated online hosting platform to the long-standing production and print services provided by Sheridan.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company introduced a retail solution that streamlines the process of creating in-store promotional materials, while reducing production time and labor costs. Through its work for 52 of the National Retail Federation’s top 100 retailers, RRD found that many retailers still rely on manual processes for creating their visual merchandising materials for floor displays, aisle end caps, window signage, and more. This entails everything from creating the design of materials and converting files from one format to another, to proofing and editing – tasks which are all time and labor intensive. To solve these challenges, which are particularly acute in today’s environment, RRD developed Variable Content Automation for Retail. This new offering enables companies to create tailored-to-location marketing kits while cutting the project cycle from as many as 15 steps down to as few as four.

PRINTING United Alliance, the largest and most comprehensive member-based printing and graphic arts association in the United States, today announces that the call for entries has opened for the annual Product of the Year Awards competition. The competition includes more than 85 categories spanning the printing industry and judging this year will take place over a new virtual event format. The deadline to submit entries online is September 8, 2020. This year, the coveted program features a streamlined entry site along with a new virtual gallery for displaying entries, which will be available at: poy.printingunited.com. The program is open to inkjet output devices as well as non-output products that are currently available for sale. Winning companies achieve worldwide recognition and the ability to market their product as a winner of this prominent contest during PRINTING United Month this October, further highlighting the transition of the previously scheduled show in Atlanta, now taking place digitally over four power-packed weeks of industry engagement.

We recognize it’s a crazy time but with everything happening in the world today, we wanted to make sure you are aware of the two upcoming USPS postal promotions. If you still haven’t read our blog post sharing the full scope of this year’s postal promotions, we highly encourage you to do so here: https://arandell.com/news-events/2020-postal-promotions-calendar-approved-by-usps/ . 2020 Mobile Shopping Postal Promotion (Registration: June 15 — December 31, 2020 | Effective: August 1 — December 31, 2020 | 2% of eligible postage); 2020 Informed Delivery Postal Promotion (Registration: July 15 — November 30, 2020 | Effective: September 1 — November 30, 2020 | 2% of eligible postage)

Xerox announced the Xerox Adaptive CMYK+ Kit for Xerox Versant®, the print market’s first adaptive technology kit that adds seven specialty colors to an existing production press, enabling instant digital print enhancements. The kit transforms a four-color Xerox Versant® 180 Press into an 11-color Beyond CMYK press capable of creating a million color hues and shades by adding gold, silver, white, clear and fluorescent colors of yellow, magenta and cyan. Digital enhancement of print is projected to be a $25 billion market¹, but access to that opportunity usually requires a capital investment in a new press with the ability to print Beyond CMYK. The Xerox Adaptive CMYK+ Kit for Versant gives print providers the ability to simply swap out toners to print colors and enhancements that increase profitability and deliver higher margins without needing a new press.

During the early days of the COVID-19 crisis, many printing companies scrambled successfully to be designated as essential businesses. For the future of many of these businesses, this was a life or death move — a valiant effort to protect both the business and the jobs therein. As the crisis has developed over the past few months, numerous companies have proven how truly essential they are to the communities they serve, providing capabilities, expertise, and a lifeline for other businesses. Here are a few ways PSPs are supporting their local communities — both during this crisis and well beyond. 1. Finding the Way - Addressing the need for social distancing, and to apply order to what, before the crisis, was a free-form shopping experience, many PSPs with wide-format printing capabilities are producing floor graphics urging social distancing, specifying “one way” in retail aisles, and signifying spacing in check-out or register queues. 2. Creating Functional Barriers - One of the ways the world of retail shopping has changed due to the COVID-19 crisis is the creation of barriers between customer and cashier.

CJK Group, Inc., announced today that it has completed an agreement with Quad/Graphics, Inc. to acquire the assets associated with its Versailles, Kentucky, book manufacturing facility. The 1,000,000 sq. ft. facility specializes in the production of softcover and hardcover books as well as a variety of other publication types, featuring state-of-the art prepress technology, a fleet of inkjet and web offset presses, all paired with robust bindery and finishing capabilities, distribution, and mailing services. CJK Group will acquire the equipment and assume the customer contracts at the facility. The new entity will operate under the name Sheridan Kentucky and will align under the Sheridan division of the CJK Group. This is an exciting acquisition for CJK Group―one which significantly expands its capacities and capabilities. The facility serves many high profile publishing houses in the areas of educational textbooks, trade books, children’s books, and scientific/technical books.

Recent Actions: *Quad completed the sale of its Versailles, Ky., book manufacturing plant, to CJK Group, Inc., which serves book, magazine, catalog, and journal publishers. This initiative was the first step in the previously announced strategic decision to divest the Company’s book business to optimize its product portfolio. Quad expects to use the proceeds from the sale to reduce debt. *The Company obtained an amendment to its existing April 28, 2014, senior secured credit facility that widens the leverage ratio by an estimated 0.75x to 1.0x turn through the third quarter of 2021. As a part of this agreement, Quad maintains the ability to complete certain acquisitions during the relief period and has agreed to reduce the revolver capacity, which was previously expanded to support a subsequently terminated acquisition, from $800 million to $500 million. The agreement’s maturity remains January 2024, and Quad’s next nearest debt maturity is the 7% senior unsecured notes due May 2022. *Quad recently strengthened its leadership team at its integrated marketing agency, Periscope, with the addition of new President, Cari Bucci-Hulings. Bucci-Hulings is an industry expert who has driven highly successful product development and business growth platforms, and most recently served as President of MARC USA, one of the largest independent agencies in the country. *The Company also continues to scale Accelerated Insights, its proprietary virtual testing platform, to help clients in multiple industry verticals predict which combination of format, offer, message and imagery will be most effective in print. The unparalleled testing methodology drives improved response at a fraction of the time and cost of traditional testing. Quad recently brought aboard senior-level data analytics and business insights talent to expand the solution beyond direct mail and catalogs to packaging and other retail uses.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company introduced an integrated, comprehensive solution in response to COVID-19 for universities and colleges that ensures a safe, in-person return to school for students, faculty, and staff. To ease concerns and contribute to the health and safety of both students and staff, RRD has mobilized its expert resources to offer institutions of higher education a custom-built care package of solutions composed of: *Touchless communications – connecting digital interactions (e.g., payments, registrations, and ticketing) with labels and/or physical signage via Near-Field Communication (NFC) and/or QR-Code (QRC) technologies to accommodate demand for contactless engagement *Custom program support – from integrated email and direct mail campaigns to multichannel billing and payment systems *Signage and wayfinding – production and distribution of high-quality signage and customized graphics for all campus facilities and spaces *Wellness and safety materials – industry-standard safety materials (e.g., face shields, thermastrips, and customized experience kits) for students, visitors, and staff.

Sun Chemical and its parent company, DIC Corporation, have completed the purchase of 100 percent of the shares of Sensient Imaging Technologies and certain other assets related to the production of inks. The strategic investment in Sensient Imaging Technologies, a supplier of digital inks, will allow Sun Chemical and DIC to expand its inkjet ink capabilities and expertise using complementary technologies that will further strengthen the highest standards of services and solutions to its customers and distributor partners. The acquisition also underscores Sun Chemical’s ongoing commitment to sustainability by expanding its offering of inkjet inks for textile and dye sublimation printing – technologies known for their improved sustainability profile. Inkjet is a strategic segment for Sun Chemical and DIC, and the investment in Sensient Imaging Technologies demonstrates Sun Chemical and DIC’s commitment in the digital segment.

Infused with new capital from an unconventional parent company and energized by an expanding client base, Minneapolis-based Periscope is fortifying its executive team in pursuit of double-digit growth. The integrated marketing agency today announced that Cari Bucci-Hulings will join as president, effective July 6, in addition to other recent high-profile hires. Bucci-Hulings most recently served as president of MARC USA, one of the largest independent agencies in the country. In the role, Bucci-Hulings will be responsible for accelerating Periscope’s mission to do things people love and growing the business into new offerings and markets. She will report to Eric Ashworth, vice president of Agency Solutions for Quad, the creative engineering company that acquired Periscope in 2019.

High-graphic, efficient digital inkjet corrugated printing on EFI™ Nozomi C18000 ultra-high-speed single-pass inkjet printers continues to reach new benchmarks for packaging providers, including the achievement of another important certification addressing key recyclability needs. Electronics For Imaging, Inc. has received an additional validation from the Western Michigan University (WMU) Recycling, Paper and Coating Pilot Plant – a leading certification organization for corrugated recycling – that further verifies the recycling and repulpability of boards printed with white EFI Nozomi UV LED inks. The WMU Pilot Plant provided an OCC (old corrugated containers) certification to EFI Nozomi white inks, extending the solid, research-driven evidence that Nozomi inkjet-printed corrugated boards can safely, efficiently and effectively enter recycling streams. This new certification follows the WMU Pilot Plant’s initial OCC certification provided for the EFI Nozomi C18000 printer’s CMYK four-color process ink set.