Canon Offers PosterArtist Software-- Wide Format Poster Templates

PosterArtist is a poster creation software program designed to be used by all levels of users to create professional-posters, banners and signage in just four easy steps. This template driven poster creation tool for PCs was developed by Canon specifically to create large-format posters quickly and easily.

PosterArtist provides over 200 professionally designed templates, and over 1000 royalty free images and clip art that can be quickly customized and outputted to a variety of media. You can even import your own images such as company logos and digital camera photos. With PosterArtist, now you can quickly customize and print posters, banners, signs, and eye catching displays.

PosterArtist includes an Auto Design feature to make printing even easier-just specify your layout elements and the software will automatically generate a variety of designs for you to choose from. With PosterArtist, you can integrate variable data, enlarge scanned data, import presentations and other office documents, and bring in images directly from most digital cameras. Visit Canon's PosterArtist Website to learn more and download a trial version today!

End of a Decade

Woo, what a wild ride the last decade gave the reprographics industry. I thought it might be fun to look back over the last ten years and highlight some of what I thought were the most memorable or maybe the most impactful events that occurred.

• Death of the Blueprint Machine
• No More Vellums
• No Large Format Cut Sheets Inventoried
• Azon who?
• 18-22 “D” PPM LED Large Format Plain Paper Plotters
• Plotting tools like ReproDesk and PLP made Plotting more of a Commodity
• Buzzsaw Collaboration and Plans & Specs were going to eliminate the need for Reprographics
• Project Control Transferred from the Architect to the Owner’s CM or General Contractor
• Océ overtakes Xerox in Engineering Systems
• HP acquires Indigo and ColorSpan
• Death of the Monochrome Inkjet Plotter
• GSA and US Army Corp of Engineers mandates Electronic Bid Sets
• American Reprographics taken Public and Traded on NYSE "ARP"
• Introduction to On-line Plan Rooms
• IRgA issues Best Practice “ Reprographers need to charge for digital services”
• Fewer Pick-ups due to Electronic Orders
• Manufacturers introduce Lower Cost Wide Format Machines
• More FM Placements
• Design moves from 2D to 3D CAD and BIM
• Flatbed Printers and Electronic Cutters Introduced
• Decline of Centralized Printing Volumes (Distribute and Print vs Print and Distribute)
• Green Sustainability and LEEDS
• Double Digital Growth of Half Size Printing
• Smaller Print Shops
• Projects Delivery Methods Moving Toward Design Build or IPD
• Océ Merges with Canon

As you start thinking about all of the significant changes that took place in the reprographics industry over the 10 years it is important to keep in mind that change will continue to occur but at a much faster pace.

I am sure I just scratched the surface on the various changes that occurred in our industry, if you would like to add to the list please make your comments below and share your thoughts about the last 10 years.

Happy New Year


Shaun

PEiR Group Member Alert: Océ 9160 Arrives in Australia

The folks at Océ say they’re making their new Océ CS9160 eco-solvent wide format digital printer available to Australian shops. Those of you Down Under may want to check out this machine, built for creation of high quality indoor and outdoor durable prints onto a wide range of uncoated media.

Potential applications include banners, posters for indoor and outdoor, general signage, canvas reproductions, backlit imagery and pull up display stands.

To support the launch, Océ is promoting a “Think Opportunity, Think Océ” trade-in offer, giving users a considerable discount on their outdated wide format printer to move up to the new Océ CS9160. Users can log on to www.thinkopportunityoce.com to register their interest.

Tell ‘em The PEiR Group sent’ya…