Industry Advocates Convince Adobe to Remove Controversial Print Link

Earlier this summer, FedEx Kinko's and Adobe announced that Adobe Reader 8.1 and Adobe Acrobat software would feature a connection to FedEx Kinko's Print Online functionality, allowing users to send documents for output to any FedEx Kinko's Office and Print Center in the US. Both products integrated a "Send to FedEx Kinko's" command option within the File Menu as well as a button on the main toolbar, setting off a maelstrom of controversy within the print community which has long supported and worked with Adobe.
The relationship between Adobe and the print community ultimately proved too valuable to Adobe, who recently announced that the FedEx Kinko's button will be removed from some of its current programs and in all future releases and is also offering instructions on its web site to disable the function from existing programs.	Steve Bova, CAE Executive Director

Just over two weeks after Adobe's announcement, leaders among the print community, representing thousands of printing and graphics companies, made their concerns known to Adobe leaders. The IRgA issued a breaking news story in the July issue of News Digest, addressing the impact that Adobe's business move was having on its own member companies and sharing some of the thoughts and opinions about this issue from its membership. Click here to read the IRgA's response.

Adobe CEO Bruce Chizen met with several printing executives on July 17th, at Adobe's offices in San Fransisco, CA. Among the chief concerns and criticisms of the print community made known to Adobe were the same points brought forth by IRgA member companies, that:

• Aligning with only one provider as a means of offering these efficiencies gives FedEx Kinko's an unfair competitive advantage over its competitors and betrays the relationships that other print companies have with Adobe.
  
• Many of our member companies have actively promoted the use of Adobe Acrobat products - and a PDF workflow - with their clients. It's a mistake for them to overlook our industry as an important customer and business partner.

Johnny Loiacono, Adobe Senior Vice-President of the Creative Solutions Business Unit, also released a letter, responding that Adobe's intention was not to exclude or alienate print partners or in-house print service providers but simply to create a more seamless process for customers who already print with FedEx Kinko's.

For now, the storm clouds have parted, and it is back to business as usual. Still, it leaves many questions unanswered about the changing nature of the industry and about the evolving competition that faces the print community and the IRgA's member companies. As the leading association representing the reprographics industry, the IRgA welcomes your feedback on what we can do to respond to issues like these in the future and how to better address the increasingly complex needs of our membership.

As always, on behalf of the Board of Directors, I look forward to your input so the IRgA can deliver more value to you and your company. Please e-mail info@irga.com, or you may contact me directly at sbova@irga.com.

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Inside the IRgA

IRgA Member Benefit Feature
News Digest
While featuring a different IRgA member benefit each month, we cannot fail to mention this communication piece itself!

To stay up-to-speed on all the industry news, resources and IRgA updates, read on! You don't have to go out and look for all the news on an ongoing basis. The IRgA does that for you and delivers you this resource on a monthly basis. Watch for each issue to arrive in your inbox at the beginning of each month. The News Digest always features an update from the IRgA Executive Director, Inside the IRgA with updates, the latest Industry News and a REPRO REPORT feature article.

Enjoy this issue and you can visit the IRgA Web site to review archives of previous issues of News Digest.

If you are not a current IRgA member company, join or renew your membership so you can take advantage of all the other IRgA member benefits and receive IRgA's printed publication, REPRO REPORT.

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IRgA Issues Call for Speakers for the 2008 Convention
For more than 80 years, the IRgA's Annual Convention has been delivering education programs specifically geared to the needs of reprographers and, more recently, those serving the wide-format digital document industry. The 2008 Program Committee seeks proposals that provide practical, real-world educational information that attendees can immediately apply back at their jobs. Click here to access our Call for Speakers form. We will need your response by September 7 for consideration.

Last 2007 Mounting & Laminating Seminar Offered in Canada
The IRgA, in conjunction with Drytac Corporation, is offering its last Mounting & Laminating Training Seminar of the year in Concord, Ontario, Canada, October 18-19. The two-day program for equipment operators integrates theory with actual hands-on training, progressively providing the fundamentals of mounting and laminating technology and techniques. Day one covers foundational information, while day two concentrates on more advanced trouble shooting and special applications training. To register online, click here. For a PDF brochure and registration form available for download, click here.

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Industry News

IRgA Regional Meetings Coming Soon
Central Reprographic Association (CRA)
The CRA's 2007 Annual Convention and Trade Show, "Foundations for Success," will be held September 13-15 in Minneapolis, MN. It will feature five educational sessions and a sales training workshop, and all of the events are guaranteed to deal with major items of interest to the large format printing industry.

Presenters are Rick Farrell, Tangent Knowledge Systems; Phil Magenheim, IDEAL.com; Sallie Voyles, Training for Success; and a panel discussion on customer's changing needs and expectations from a customer's perspective. Guest speaker Dave St. Peter, president of the Minnesota Twins, will discuss building a baseball stadium from an owner's perspective.

There will be more than 40 booths at the trade show, including major machine manufacturers, the latest services and products for the reprographic industry. Planned social events offer opportunities for networking with reprographers from 18 states. Saturday night's Minnesota Twins vs. Detroit Tigers baseball game will bring the convention to a close.

Convention registration materials are available on the CRA Web site, www.cra1.org. Please call 630/351.2202 to request a convention registration mailing.

Western Regional Reprographic Assocation (WRA)
The WRA's 57th Annual Convention will be held September 20-23 at the W Hotel in Seattle, WA. The business program will feature a presentation on "The Psychology of Ethics: Why Smart People Can Do Such Dumb Things!" by keynote speaker, Patrick Kuhse, who will share his personal journey from successful stockbroker with a loving family to the jungles of Costa Rica as an international fugitive. The session will also include round table discussions on the most relevant issues facing the industry, like environmental, business management, digital services and operational issues. On Friday, there is a vendor forum and hosted reception.

The convention's social programs include the Robert E. Burns "Scramble" Golf Tournament, the President's Hosted Cocktail Party, and Saturday evening's Theme Dinner and Party held at Seattle's Space Needle.

For more information, and to register for the WRA's Convention, visit the WRA Web site, www.westernreprographics.org.

Southeastern Reprographic Association (SRA)/Eastern Regional Reprographic Association (ERRA)
The SRA is hosting members from the ERRA at its 2007 Annual Convention in Louisville, KY, October 31-November 2.

The convention features Vince Lombardi, Jr., as the keynote speaker and offers four, high-impact educational programs designed to help reprographers improve revenue streams in a changing industry. The presenters will offer expertise on the most requested topics of interest to reprographers and are all well-known leaders from within the reprographic community.

Educational topics include "Charging for Things Other Than Printing," "BIM - What Does It Mean To The Reprographer?," "Operational Efficiency/Workflow" and "Proper Training: Understanding and Managing Your Sales Force."

Trade show exhibit space is sold out to more than 35 nationally known suppliers who will be featuring machines, software, media and other vital products for the reprographic industry. Planned social events offer opportunities for networking with reprographers from 21 states. Activities include an outing to Churchill Downs. New this year is the live SRA Charity Auction, which will benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.

Visit the SRA Web site, www.serepro.com, for convention information and registration materials. Contact Shirley Zawoyski at 630/351.2202 for additional information.

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Feature

The Cash Behind the Clichés
Your repro firm can prosper by paying heed to some old sayings

By Ed Avis

You've heard the sayings. "Time is money." "A penny saved is a penny earned." "You have to spend money to make money."

These are all clichés, sure, but behind those clichés hide some cash-filled truths. And smart reprographics shop owners know that heeding those old sayings, and applying them to their businesses, can pay off.

Read the complete article in the July/August issue of REPRO REPORT.

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For advertising information, contact IRgA Headquarters: info@irga.com or 800/833–4742. Or, click here to request a copy of the 2007 Media Kit.

Reprographic Industry Brand Mantra
Reprographers offer professional expertise in project-critical, large/wide format document distribution and management.

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