LSC Communications Completes Acquisition of CREEL

Breaking new ground, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, announced a new web-fed inkjet press for commercial and business communications print service providers with the ProStream 3160, the new flagship model of the ProStream 3000 series, that can help bring quality and productivity to inkjet printing for commercial markets, direct mail, and publishing, among others. The ProStream 3160 is an ultra-fast roll-fed 4/4 inkjet press that can deliver up to 525 feet per minute (160 meters per minute). With the new ink set, the ProStream 3160 boasts 100% productivity increase when printing on 12 pt media and up to a 66% productivity increase on 9 pt media compared to previous ProStream models. This press is market changing and shows Canon’s commitment to the evolution of this ProStream 3000 platform.

Quad/Graphics announces a new technology platform for testing direct marketing that lifts response rates, increasing reliability and shortening time to market at a fraction of the cost of traditional mail testing. The testing platform, called Accelerated Insights, is a virtual platform that can test up to 20 content variables in one pass. It uses a sophisticated persona matrix that combines demographics with emotional characteristics to predict what factors motivate someone to act on an offer. All of this can be accomplished without a physical mailing. Using Accelerated Insights, Quad has helped direct marketers: • Reduce total testing time to 60 days; • Realize 97 percent level (+/-3 percent) accuracy on projections; • Achieve increase in response rates of 18 to 27 percent; and • Lower testing costs by as much as 90 percent. “Marketers have been following the same testing methods for decades, many times with disappointing results,” said Scott Harvey, Quad/Graphics Senior Vice President of Marketing Solutions. “This technology creates a roadmap for campaign creative that tells marketers exactly what is most important to customers and prospects.” Click Read More below for additional information.

The Stevens Group, Elmhurst, Ill., a full-service print management and marketing support company, has acquired Crystal Lake, Ill.-based CL Graphics., a printing and cross-media marketing firm. CL Graphics’ operations will be integrated into The Stevens Group’s Elmhurst facility. Graphic Arts Advisors, LLC, a strategic financial advisory and consulting firm devoted exclusively to all sectors of the graphic communications industry, represented CL Graphics in the acquisition. Graphic Arts Advisors Director Mitch Evans served as lead advisor on this sale. CL Graphics’ commitment to providing the highest level of customer service aligns well with our culture, making this acquisition a very positive move for our company,” says John Brahm, president of The Stevens Group. “Our combined expertise in marketing and production will help further enrich the solutions we provide to clients. What’s more, CL Graphics’ extensive experience in direct mail will help broaden our already comprehensive mailing services.” Click Read More below for additional detail.