Graphics News Review

Bitstream to be One of the First to Demonstrate Pageflex Software for VDP and Cross Media Marketing Campaigns on This Exciting New Press at Graph Expo 2006

Bitstream Inc., (NASDAQ: BITS, www.bitstream.com and www.pageflex.com) announced today that through its partnership with Canon USA, Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), Bitstream’s Pageflex will demonstrate one of the first cross media and variable data printing applications for the new Canon imagePRESS C7000VP digital press at GRAPH EXPO, October 15-18, in Chicago, Illinois. In the Canon booth (#1253), Canon will be using the Pageflex Persona™ Cross Media Suite software and the PPML output standard to demonstrate the production printing of personalized medical appointment reminder cards on the new imagePRESS C7000VP.

Anna Chagnon, Bitstream President and CEO, comments, “We are excited to be one of the first software vendors to drive the new Canon imagePRESS C7000VP. The Pageflex products offer the most robust and versatile software available for producing all forms of variable communications. It is very appropriate that at Graph Expo, the major printing event of the year, attendees will be able to witness first hand the positive impact that the pairing of these two technologies can bring to their businesses and customer bases.”

“The Canon imagePRESS C7000VP digital press is going to be a revolutionary product, representing one of the largest R&D investments to date for Canon,” said Sam Yoshida, director and general manager, Product Marketing, Imaging Systems Group, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “Partnering with key digital production solution providers, like Bitstream, will help complement the imagePRESS C7000VP and help print providers better meet the demanding needs of their customers.”

Cross Media Demonstration

Representatives from Pageflex will be available in the Canon booth to demonstrate how Pageflex Persona can be used to design a print document—in this case an appointment reminder postcard—with variable components. A database of recipient information then will be used to customize the text and images on each individual postcard. Pageflex Persona will produce a run of customized postcards in PPML format, which will then be printed four-up on the imagePRESS C7000VP digital press in the Canon booth. Pageflex Persona also will be used to produce a follow-up customized HTML email using the same project components and data file. Attendees will be able to watch every step of this process and walk away with a printed sheet of postcards.

PPML is an XML-based industry standard for high-volume personalized digital printing developed by PODi (www.podi.org) with active participation by Bitstream and Canon. It allows personalized print to be more flexible, easier to use and more affordable to produce.

Pageflex Persona Cross Media Suite

Pageflex Persona is a desktop application incorporating award-winning variable data and cross-media functionality from industry-leader Bitstream. It serves as campaign central for cross-media marketing programs ranging from print personalization, to variable-length documents with 100% content customization, to personalized emails.

Pageflex Persona provides an easy entry point for printers, service providers, small business owners, and corporate marketing departments beginning to use variable data and personalized emails, while offering powerful features not found in other variable data extensions or applications. Among the compelling features in the product are its easy-to-use variable data interface, variable-length document capability, flexible layouts, and support for more than 60 languages, including Japanese and Chinese

Pageflex Persona has been designated by Canon U.S.A. as “Canon Compatible” under the Canon U.S.A. Alliance program. The product is marketed through Canon USA’s dealer channel.

As a company’s capabilities and needs grow, Pageflex Persona projects are fully compatible with Pageflex server-class products enabling, for example, instantaneous deployment to an online Web-to-print storefront or online customization and interactive editing by remote staff.

Full Pageflex Product Line

Representatives from Bitstream will be available to demonstrate Pageflex Persona in the Canon booth (#646), and the full Pageflex product line in the Pageflex booth (#4846). In addition to Pageflex Persona, the product line also includes two server-based products:

• Pageflex™ 5.0—a brand new variable publishing platform that enables companies to produce All Things Variable™ from one modular application, including data-driven document customization, cross-media publishing, interactive online editing of documents, and Web-to-print document customization portals;
• Pageflex Storefront—a powerful solution for creating and managing Web-to-print document customization sites through an easy to use Web-based interface.

About Bitstream

Bitstream Inc. (NASDAQ: BITS) is a software development company that makes communications compelling. Bitstream enables customers worldwide to render high-quality text, publish all things variable, browse the Web on wireless devices, select from the largest collection of fonts online, and customize documents over the Internet. Its core competencies include font technology, browsing technology, e-commerce technology, and variable data publishing technology. You can visit Bitstream on the Web at www.bitstream.com.

Bitstream is a pioneer and technology innovator in the variable data printing market starting with its introduction of variable data software in 1997. Bitstream’s Pageflex software enables template design, flexible layouts, personalization, customization, document scaling, variable-length documents, Web-to-print portals, interactive online editing, cross media marketing, and personalized emails and web sites. Pageflex provides the capability to produce all things variable for printers, advertising agencies, marketing services companies, and corporate marketing departments worldwide.

Bitstream is a registered trademark. Pageflex, All Things Variable, Persona, and the Bitstream logo are trademarks of Bitstream Inc. Other technologies and brand names are used for information only and remain trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Joy Gendusa, CEO of PostcardMania — the leading direct mail marketing firm in the nation — recently spoke to an audience of printers about leading their companies through change. The panel discussion was held in Detroit, Michigan, on 19 October at the PIA/GATF Workflow Conference. Joining Gendusa on the panel were three other experts in the field: Mike Murtaugh of MJM Graphic Communications; Marty Stadtmiller of Edwards Brothers and Joseph Makarewicz of Offset Paperback.

“Because I got an IDB, I could take up to 18 months to spend the money and pay only the nominal interest each month (approx 3%) which gave me the luxury of truly evaluating all the existing equipment options out there before choosing,” Gendusa said, “Plus, an IDB allows me to have better cash flow than more typical bank loans while keeping my company 100% mine.”

Joy Gendusa, part of the small percentage of women that constitutes the printing industry, started out in the marketing industry before branching out into print. At the point she stopped farming out her printing and purchased the necessary press and pre-press equipment to manufacture in-house, she became part of that small percentage.
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Graphic communications providers across the United States and Canada can now drive efficiency, lower costs and improve overall profitability with the KODAK THERMAL DIRECT non process printing plate. First shown at PRINT 05, the THERMAL DIRECT non process plate is now fully commercially available in the United States and Canada.

“One year ago we introduced the THERMAL DIRECT non process plate to strong reviews at PRINT 05 and now we’re pleased to bring the benefits of this innovative, non process technology to our customers in the United States and Canada,” said Todd Bigger, Product Manger, Digital and Flexo Plates, United States and Canada, Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group. “The THERMAL DIRECT non process plate drives efficiency and also helps customers with space restrictions or environmental concerns.”

Kodak’s new non process plate shortens the platemaking cycle, reduces time to press, and increases production throughput possibilities by eliminating traditional plate processing.

The KODAK THERMAL DIRECT non process plate features a traditional grained and anodized aluminum substrate, creating a true “drop in” plate product with the familiar look and feel of a pre sensitized aluminum plate. Based on fourth generation thermal technology, THERMAL DIRECT non process plate completely eliminates the need for a processor and chemistry, which saves time and produces more consistent results. In addition, THERMAL DIRECT non process plates are compatible with all popular thermal computer to plate (CTP) imagers and a wide range of inks and fountain solutions. Read more