Moving forms online: Bring forms printing back to your shop with interactive PDFs

By Bob Atkinson

In GM's October 2013 issue we took a look at a specialty market that got away, and explored how you can bring it back to your shop. One market segment that’s been impacted less than others by the decade-long decline in business levels is forms printing. Each month, millions of print forms are used in Canada, whether simple one-part forms or multi-section/multi-copy forms.

That said, over the same decade we’ve seen a big move away from paper forms to electronic, designed to be completed and returned online. The shift started in the late ’90s when federal and provincial governments and big businesses (the largest users of forms) began adopting interactive PDFs or web-based forms. Many of the existing forms-printing companies moved to keep up, adding electronic form products and services, but much of the work disappeared into government and enterprise IT or fulfillment departments. >> continued

Boxing with the best

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Ricoh unveils the Pro C700X series

Ricoh launched the Pro C700X series, a cutsheet device family that offers a fifth colour station. The new station supports either white or clear ink.  The C7100X prints at speeds of up to 80 ppm and the C7110x at speeds of up to 90 pp, both based upon A4.

They have a maximum sheet size of 13 x 19.2" and maximum monthly volume of 240,000 based on letter size. It prints at 1200x4800 dpi with VCSEL image quality on various substrates, from tree-based paper to synthetics and envelopes. The C7100X series can support paper weights of up to 360gsm in simplex and duplex.

The Ricoh Pro C700X series has a targeted availability of December 2014. >> continued

New from Ricoh: the Pro VC60000 inkjet press

The Ricoh Pro VC60000 is Ricoh's  latest inkjet continuous feed platform. It is capable of printing more than 100,000 letter images per hour and uses Ricoh’s next generation drop-on-demand print heads and high density pigment inks. The new print heads can produce a resolution of up to 1,200 x 1,200 dpi, resulting in near-offset quality documents. Ricoh provides an optional undercoat unit for use on various stocks and an optional inline protector coating unit for scratch and scruff resistance. >> continued

Onwards and upwards for Prodigy Graphics

Prodigy Graphics has donated $12,000 to Evangel Hall Mission (EHM) a charity group that helps homeless individuals get off the streets. The president of the trade shop, Gordon McCauley, presented the money to EHM on July 29.


(left to right) Bob Price, Drop-In Manager EHM; Gordon McCauley, President Prodigy Graphics; Joseph Taylor, Executive Director EHM; Jo Ann Hislop, Director of Programs EHM. >> continued

C.J. Graphics hosts cancer fundraiser

C.J. Graphics Inc, CEO and president Jay Mandarino hosted a fundraiser at C.J. Skateboard Park and School, his non-for-profit organization— along with CIBC and Ontario Parents Advocating for Children with Cancer (OPACC).

CEO Jay Mandarino takes part in the festivities. Photo by Ian Kelso, Etobicoke Guardian >> continued

R.R. Donnelley eyes printed electronics market

Printing giant R.R. Donnelley & Sons is facing the necessity of re-engineering its business in the face of stalling print revenues. Its plan is to take on the market for printed electronic components and reduce its dependency on traditional. The Wall Street Journal recently took an in-depth look at the changing business model of this 150-year old company’s. Donnelley operates nine plants in Canada. Read it all at the source.  >> continued

Pioneer Press celebrates 120 years

Jim Edgar was only 16-years-old when he started working at Pioneer Press Ltd as an apprentice—13 years later he became the owner and has since been at the helm of the full-service printing house. 

Pioneer Press was founded in 1894 and is celebrating its 120th birthday this month. An open house has been planned for Thursday to celebrate with clients and employees—many who have been with the company for almost 30 years.


pioneerpressltd.com >> continued

BL Litho's demise and rise

B.L. Litho, a sheetfed commercial print shop with a history going back decades, filed for bankruptcy on September 5, only to have the company bought and relaunched a few days later, PrintCAN has learned. 

New owner Stephane Marcil said B.L. Litho ran into  financial difficulty and was forced to shutter its doors and lay off its 45 employees. Marcil, whose brother-in-law works at B.L. Litho, came in and bought the company in its entirety, though he hasn't yet taken possession of all the equipment. He expects that to happen in a couple of weeks. "I was at the right place at the right time," said Marcil. "I approached [former owner] Richard Beaulieu, we talked and established a good relationship." >> continued

Shipments on the rise for 2014

There's a big jump in shipments this period but the news is a little too good to be true as sales in most of the country remain flat. The big difference accounting for the jump is that Stats Canada is now tracking Alberta shipments again, after an extended absence.

Shipments (in millions)	2014	2013	% Change
February	$592.8	$547.4	8.3
March	650.4	592.5	9.7
April	652.7	623.0	4.7
May	665.6	627.5	6.0

Year-to-date shipping numbers for 2014 are $3.15 billion. That's a 7.7% jump from the $2.93 posted for the same period in 2013. >> continued