Printing Pulse
Canon U.S.A. and CGS Publishing
Technologies International Announce
the Compatibility of imagePROGRAF
PRO Series Printers with Color Tuner
Continuing to expand its off erings of large-format print solutions
for professionals in the graphic arts market, Canon U.S.A., Inc. and
CGS Publishing Technologies International (CGS) announced the
compatibility of the imagePROGRAF PRO Series printers with the
Color Tuner // Web soft ware. Building upon the long-standing relationship
between Canon and CGS, and its success with legacy
deployments of the imagePROGRAF technology in the proofi ng
arena, this new integration now expands the compatibility to include
the latest generation of PRO Series printers. Th e result of this
collaboration is a powerful toolset for users to help meet advanced
requirements in graphic arts and proofi ng applications.
“We are pleased to continue to expand the network of compatible
RIP solutions to our line of imagePROGRAF PRO Series devices
with the CGS Color Tuner // Web soft ware,” said Toyotsugu Kuwamura,
8 Wide-Format & Signage August 2017
executive vice president and general manager, Business
Imaging Solutions Group, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “Th is brings a powerful
set of capabilities to enable end users to pursue additional
diverse and targeted applications, all while maintaining a convenient
and seamless workfl ow with their PRO Series devices.”
PrintingNews.com/12346485
Avery Dennison
Introduces a New
Format and New
Regions for Fifth
Annual “Wrap Like a
King” Challenge
Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions
announced that the fi ft h annual
“Wrap Like a King” Challenge will
run July 1 through September 15, 2017. Th is year’s Challenge will
feature a new Continent Wrap King title, to be awarded between
the announcement of Regional Wrap Kings, and the crowning of
the “King of the Wrap World.” Due to increasing global interest in
2017, Avery Dennison is adding Mainland China, Japan, and South
Korea, while dividing Europe into four distinct regions.
Wrap installers from 53 countries across the globe can submit
commercial, full print, or color change wrap projects to be judged
to win thousands in prizes. Th is year’s prize packages are worth
a combined total of $30,000, which will be spread out among Regional
Wrap Kings, Continent Wrap Kings, and the “King of the
Wrap World.” More than 220 installers entered the challenge last
year, and more are expected to compete in 2017.
“We feel that our fi ft h annual Wrap Like a King Challenge will
bring out the most creative and stunning vehicle wrap projects
yet,” said Jeff Losch, marketing director, Avery Dennison Graphics
Solutions. “Th is year’s Challenge has more competing countries,
more winners, and greater worldwide recognition, and this combination
should make for an event that is even more captivating
than its past editions.”
PrintingNews.com/12348349
Economy Improving for Sign, Graphics,
and Visual Communications Industries
As the U.S. economy grows, sign, graphics, and visual communications
companies are on pace to benefi t, according to the
ISA Sign Industry Quarterly Economic Report for the second
quarter of 2017. Th e report forecasts into 2019 and is sponsored
by the National Association of Sign Supply Distributors.
Overall, the trends are positive for the industry. Supply side
has a strongly positive outlook for both 2017 and 2018, showing
large improvements over last quarter’s mark, in large part
due to the bump in business investment at the beginning of
2017. Business fi xed investment increased at an annual 11.4%
rate in the fi rst quarter, the strongest gain in fi ve years. Construction
spending will likely drop in the second quarter, but
then rebound solidly in the second half and post sizable gains
early next year as spending from additional infrastructure
kicks in. For suppliers in the printing industry, the outlook is
strongly positive over the course of the forecast following a
down year in 2016. Expectations improved quite a bit for suppliers
to the electronic and digital sectors of the market, with
big upticks in both 2017 and 2018 aft er a relatively diffi cult
year in 2016. Th e outlook for end market electric and digital
signs remains strong through 2018.
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