Workflow/MIS/Web-to-Print

ROCHESTER, NY—Mar. 4—Kodak announced its intent to acquire Design2Launch (D2L), developer of a collaborative end to end digital workflow solution for marketing and creative teams in the pharmaceutical, food and beverage, automotive, and consumer package marketplaces. D2L is a proven player in the rapidly expanding corporate solutions software market and is a pioneer of “Graphic Lifecycle Management.” The D2L System is a suite of integrated modules created to save time and money at every step of the graphics creation process, from project initiation, collaboration and revision to approval and production. D2L, a privately held company formed in 2000, is based in Stamford, Conn.

CHANGE MAY be good or it may be bad, but it is nearly always disruptive. In a production workflow, that generally means that when procedures change, mistakes increase, resulting in heightened inspection vigilance. Ultimately, though, the goal is to complete the process better, faster or cheaper. Such a change is about to occur in digital printing and prepress as the adoption rates of Windows Vista and Office Suite 2007 swell, because Vista and Office 2007 create and print files differently than other systems. Microsoft’s new document standard is the XML Paper Specification (XPS), which, like Adobe’s PDF format,

HUDSON, NH—February 28, 2008—Presstek, Inc., the leading manufacturer and marketer of digital offset printing business solutions, today announced an alliance with Press-sense, the world’s leading developer of Business Flow Automation for the Print Industry™. Under the agreement, Presstek will offer the Press-sense portfolio of Web-to-print and business management software as part of its on-going plan to surround its digital offset product portfolio with value-added business solutions. Presstek will offer both licensed software and hosted versions. Presstek will be demonstrating this workflow solution at The Graphics of the Americas trade show in Miami, FL from February 28 to March 1 (Booth #1090), and

SITUATED ALONG the San Joaquin Delta waterway, about 80 miles east of San Francisco, San Joaquin Delta College has a student body of about 20,000 educated by more than 400 teachers. To help ensure students’ academic success, instructors provide assessments of each student’s progress just before final grades are assigned. The teacher identifies particular areas that need focus so students can gear their efforts accordingly. To produce a variable data piece such as this Academic Progress Letter, the college turns to its 12-employee Publication Center. “With our number of students and faculty, we probably do a half a million sheets of VDP a

SANTA ANA, Calif.—January 24, 2008—Markzware, the leading developer of preflighting, data extraction and conversion software, announced today that Enfocus/Artwork has entered into a settlement agreement for its part in the patent infringement lawsuit Civil Action No. SACV07-461-JVS, filed in the Central District of California in May of 2007. Technologies at issue included preflight products as described in the ‘641 patent. The agreement resolves all pending litigation between the companies. Details of the settlement are confidential. About Markzware Markzware, a privately held company based in Santa Ana, California, is a leading developer of quality assurance, data conversion and workflow solutions for the international graphic arts,

PALO ALTO, Calif.—Jan 22, 2008—HP (NYSE:HPQ) today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Exstream Software, LLC, a privately-held leading provider of enterprise software that streamlines the creation and delivery of personalized documents and other communications materials. Exstream is a portfolio company of American Capital Strategies, Ltd. (Nasdaq:ACAS). Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Exstream’s technology, when combined with HP’s presence in document output management and printing market leadership, helps businesses design, manage and publish structured and unstructured content in a fully personalized manner via print and online. Upon completion of the acquisition, Exstream Software will be integrated into

PITTSBURGH—January 10, 2008—Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF) and International Cooperation for the Integration of Process in Prepress, Press, and Postpress (CIP4) are excited to announce the formation of a JDF User Group to focus on the implementation of JDF-enabled systems and cross-vendor implementations. The first JDF User Group meeting will be held March 24–25, 2008 in Pittsburgh, PA. The first day starts at 2:00 p.m. at PIA/GATF and will provide a hands-on look at JDF implementations within the facility and a discussion of the challenges to creating successful implementations. Day two will consist of panel discussions, case studies, and peer networking;

PIA/GATF has released the third edition of “The PDF Print Production Guide.” It offers readers proven techniques to maximize the potential of the latest PDF software and handle any problems that could arise. The guide places emphasis on test-driven “how-to” tips, tricks and techniques for preparing bulletproof, print-ready PDF files using Creative Suite 3 and Adobe Acrobat 8. In the past, damaged PDF files required the use of third-party tools for repairs. This guide shows how to use the enhanced print production tools in Acrobat 8 Professional to restore files to their intended state with less reliance on third-party applications. For more information, visit

Xerox has updated its Web site to showcase its workflow offerings for digital presses and printers. The site (www.xerox.com/freeflow) details Xerox’s FreeFlow Digital Workflow Collection and features: • A comparison of print operations before and after the implementation of a digital workflow solution. • Detailed product information which outlines targeted solutions designed to increase the productivity and profitability of print shops. • Case studies of Xerox customers who have employed FreeFlow solutions. • Examples of revenue-generating digital print applications that are enabled by FreeFlow, including collateral by request, direct mail, transactional/promotional materials and books and manuals.

PARAMUS, NJ—10/22/2007—NAPL (www.napl.org), trade association for excellence in graphic communications management, the National Association of Quick Printers (NAQP), a member of the NAPL Network, and The Graphic Communications Coalition for Open Competition have been notified by Adobe Systems that the latest releases of the company’s Acrobat and Reader programs (Version 8.1.1) no longer contain a “Send to FedEx/Kinko’s” link. The updated software is now available for manual download from the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html The automatic update manager portion, which will notify current users of update availability, will not, however, be operational until early November. “We are happy