Print News Feed for Blog

Protecting consumers with WeLove2Print

Fri, 07 Aug 2020 10:32:06 +0000

Printing agency WeLove2Print has opened up about its use of the new Boss Bloc anti-bacterial laminating film from Vivid Laminating Technologies, saying how the product has allowed it to create print that is safe to use during the ongoing novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

Solvent ink prices to rise on 1 September

Fri, 07 Aug 2020 09:59:30 +0000

INX International has informed customers in North America of a price increase from 1 September on all solvent inks and coatings. It blames the rise on the cost of manufacturing solvents - especially alcohols used in the production of critical sanitisers and medical initiatives to fight Covid-19.

Massive surge in business rates appeals revealed

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 13:51:42 +0000

Business rates experts at Colliers International are calling for a radically different approach from the Government’s Valuation Agency (VOA) to cope with unprecedented volumes of appeals in what it is calling a “Wartime scenario”.

Nordic swissQprint competence centre opens

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 13:50:11 +0000

Nize, swissQprint’s partner for Scandinavia and the Baltics, has moved into a new building which CEO Lars Nikolajsen has labelled “the Nordic swissQprint competence centre."

Future Focus for Antalis

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 09:19:34 +0000

Antalis has announced the launch of a new promotion, which it says will benefit customers’ businesses and also help them to reach sustainability objectives.

EFI Engage conference to run in January

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 07:20:13 +0000

EFI will run an Engage conference online at the start of 2021. Beginning on 25 January, the event will be held on six days over the course of two weeks. Compared with the EFI Connect event, Engage will feature shorter sessions, with consideration of varying time zones.

New president for SDEA

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 07:19:38 +0000

The Shop and Display Equipment Association (SDEA) has elected Arken P-O-P International business development director Paul Smart as its president.

Protection perfection at Screenworks

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 08:07:14 +0000

Suffolk-based screen print company Screenworks has paid tribute to the impact that its new Beck Serienpacker has had on business, revealing that the machine has played a big part in its production of reusable face masks.

Epson merges Robustelli and For.Tex

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 08:54:27 +0000

Epson is merging textile print subsidiaries Fratelli Robustelli and For.Tex. Completion is expected by the end of the year and according to a statement will “position them to provide even better need-based solutions for inkjet digital printers, consumables, and services.”

Minuteman helps local businesses bounce back

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 08:27:31 +0000

The Minuteman Press Bath franchise has been helping local businesses return to work after the nationwide novel coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown, as part of the wider ‘Bounce Back UK’ programme.

Gardeners launches air cleaning coating

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 08:19:06 +0000

Gardners has launched an pollution eating print range called ReactivAir - a specialty coating that can be used on a wide range of print applications to significantly improve air quality, while also keeping the surface cleaner for longer.

MediaCo wraps new ‘art car’

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 10:15:15 +0000

VR Motorsport has unveiled a new ‘art car’, printed by MediaCo using HP Latex technology and designed to inspire and celebrate female drivers.

Lights, camera, action for TheMagicTouch

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 09:32:40 +0000

Printing equipment and materials supplier TheMagicTouch has revamped its showrooms and training facilities in order to offer online demonstrations to customers across the UK.

Covid-19 forces one-in-three small businesses to close says new report

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 08:41:50 +0000

Nationally, a total of 35% of all SMEs said they had been forced to shut down during the Covid-19 crisis according to the first ‘Small Business Monitor’ from WorkLife, a new employee benefits service from online money manager OpenMoney.

Smithers moves conferences online

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 09:08:51 +0000

The Smithers’ annual Digital Print for Packaging (DPP) conference and Digital Textile Printing (DTP) conference will now take place online in October 2020. DPP will run on 12-14 of the month, and DTP on 15-16.

New council member for ISA-UK

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 09:07:52 +0000

ISA-UK powered by BSGA has appointed Linda Edwards of The Sussex Sign Company to its council.

Guandong sets out ambitious development plan

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 08:43:31 +0000

Guandong is marking14 years of business with a three-year strategic plan that sees the media company earmarking more than 3.5 million Euro for the development of new products, acquisitions, and joint ventures, as well as the creation of new branches abroad and the purchase of a new production site on the outskirts of Milan.

3 Sixty installs EFI Vutek h5

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 08:23:09 +0000

3 Sixty has installed an EFI Vutek h5, with MD Richard Inkin calling it a “game-changer” for the ten-year-old Cardiff-based PSP.

Report finds massive rise in cybersecurity issues impacting supply chains

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 13:20:48 +0000

According to the ‘Supply Chain Resilience Report 2020’ from 3D Hubs, cybersecurity issues affected less than 10% of firms over the past 10 years, compared to 60% that have suffered directly as a result of Covid-19 disruption.

FUJIFILM Holdings raises its target on reducing CO2 emissions for FY2030

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Fujifilm launches “FUJIFILM Shoe Mount Flash EF-60”

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 05:00:00 +0000

FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies Texas Facility to Support COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Manufacturing

Mon, 27 Jul 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Centus Biotherapeutics Announces Positive CHMP Opinion for FKB238, Biosimilar Bevacizumab

Mon, 27 Jul 2020 08:00:00 +0000

Novavax and FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies Initiate Large Scale Manufacturing of COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 08:30:00 +0000

Fujifilm wins internationally prestigious “Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design 2020”

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Disaster Relief Donation for People Affected by the Heavy Rain Event of July 2020

Fri, 17 Jul 2020 06:30:00 +0000

Fujifilm develops “FUJIFILM PROJECTOR Z8000”

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Xerox Launches ConnectKey-Enabled AltaLink Digital Workplace Assistant

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 13:24:00 +0000

Norwalk, Conn., July 15, 2020 – Xerox announced its new Xerox AltaLink^® C8100 and Xerox AltaLink B8100 Series multi-function printers (MFPs), that can better support today’s flexible work environment and help companies speed their digital transformation with access to the ConnectKey^® ecosystem of apps.

In addition to its printing capabilities, the AltaLink 8100 series helps speed workplace digitisation with ultra-fast scanning of up to 270 images per minute and Optical Character Recognition that allows clients to extract more value from information. Combined with ConnectKey apps, including connections to the most popular cloud solutions, these printers can support a key area of focus for businesses as they shift from physical to digital enterprises. According to a recent global Future of Work Survey by Xerox, 34% of businesses are expediting digital transformation plans as a result of COVID-19.

“ConnectKey technology transforms the AltaLink C8100/B8100 into the digital workplace assistant that modern businesses need to speed their digital transformations,” says Tracey Koziol, senior vice president of Global Offerings, Xerox. “The tablet-like user interface allows for easy, familiar interaction or the user can choose to print from their mobile devices. These workplace assistants bridge the physical and digital world with innovative apps like converting the most challenging hand-writing into editable text documents, auto-redacting documents for private information and even creating audio files from text.”

According to Quorcirca, a Smart MFP is a key enabler for digital transformation, providing access to services and systems beyond digitisation and into more complex business process and workflow automation.¹

“The most mature smart MFP platform is Xerox ConnectKey,” says Louella Fernandes, director, Quocirca. “Xerox ConnectKey-enabled MFPs support a range of cloud and mobile digital workflows, boosted by a broad ecosystem of Xerox and third party-developed apps. The Xerox App Gallery continues to only grow stronger with more apps and widening developer support.”

Additionally, a more flexible workforce brings with it heightened security concerns. Xerox partners with leading cyber security experts such as McAfee and Cisco to give AltaLink comprehensive built-in security that protect both device and network. Integration with industry leading security solutions like Security Information and Event Management solutions from McAfee, LogRhythm and Splunk simplifies reporting and management of security events.

For the past two years Keypoint – BLI has named Xerox Workplace Suite and ConnectKey Apps the Document Imaging Software Line of the Year Award and Outstanding Job Management & Mobile Print Solution.

Availability:

The AltaLink C8100/B8100 are available immediately in the Americas and the AltaLink B8100 is available now in EMEA. The C8100 will be available in EMEA in September 2020.

About Xerox

Xerox Holdings Corporation (NYSE: XRX) makes every day work better. We are a workplace technology company building and integrating software and hardware for enterprises large and small. As customers seek to manage information across digital and physical platforms, Xerox delivers a seamless, secure and sustainable experience. Whether inventing the copier, Ethernet, the laser printer or more, Xerox has long defined the modern work experience. Learn how that innovation continues at xerox.co.uk.

¹ Quocirca Predicts: 5 trends for print industry players to capitalize on in 2020

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Media Contacts:

Gary Walker, Xerox, +1-585-427-1679, Gary.Walker@xerox.com

Sonia Panchal, Xerox, +44 (0)7713 191581, Sonia.Panchal@xerox.com

Note: To receive RSS news feeds, visit https://www.news.xerox.com. For open commentary, industry perspectives and views, visit http://twitter.com/xerox, http://www.facebook.com/XeroxCorp, https://www.instagram.com/xerox/, http://www.linkedin.com/company/xerox, http://www.youtube.com/XeroxCorp.

Xerox^®, AltaLink^®and ConnectKey^® are trademarks of Xerox in the United States and/or other countries.

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Mylan and Fujifilm Kyowa Kirin Biologics Announce U.S. FDA Approval of Hulio® (adalimumab-fkjp)

Thu, 09 Jul 2020 10:30:00 +0000

FUJIFILM X Webcam software now also available for macOS

Thu, 09 Jul 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Fujifilm develops high-performance multispectral camera system

Thu, 09 Jul 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Xerox Adaptive CMYK+ Kit for Xerox Versant Expands Color Palette to More Than a Million

Tue, 07 Jul 2020 13:19:00 +0000

Norwalk, Conn., July 7, 2020 – Xerox announced the Xerox Adaptive CMYK+ Kit for Xerox Versant^®, the print market’s first adaptive technology kit that adds seven specialty colors to an existing production press, enabling instant digital print enhancements. The kit transforms a four-color Xerox Versant^® 180 Press into an 11-color Beyond CMYK press capable of creating a million color hues and shades by adding gold, silver, white, clear and fluorescent colors of yellow, magenta and cyan.

Digital enhancement of print is projected to be a $25 billion market¹, but access to that opportunity usually requires a capital investment in a new press with the ability to print Beyond CMYK. The Xerox Adaptive CMYK+ Kit for Versant gives print providers the ability to simply swap out toners to print colors and enhancements that increase profitability and deliver higher margins without needing a new press.

“The Versant CMYK+ Adaptive Kit delivers what print providers need – the ability to provide higher value offerings without major investment,” says Marybeth Gilbert, vice president and general manager, Production Business, Xerox. “The Versant kit further expands Xerox’s market leading Beyond CMYK portfolio, providing our customers opportunity for digital print enhancements from large volume print shop, to light production and into the office space.”

According to Keypoint Intelligence, print providers can increase profit margins on digital enhancements between 50 and 400 percent versus ordinary print. Also, promotional printing such as marketing collateral, brochures, business cards, and signage is the most common application category for embellishments². The Versant 180 is uniquely suited and designed for such uses so print providers can easily convert, enhance and charge more for ordinary jobs.

The Xerox Adaptive CMYK+ Kit for Xerox Versant has three options: the Xerox Vivid Kit (gold, silver, white and clear), Xerox Fluorescent Kit (cyan, magenta and yellow) – or the combination Xerox Vivid + Fluorescent Kit for all 11 colors. The adaptive kit works with EFI DFE versions of the Versant 180 and Versant 180 with Performance Package.

Availability:

The Xerox Adaptive CMYK+ Kit for Xerox Versant is available now for order taking in both EMEA and the Americas. The kit will be available for delivery in EMEA on July 15, 2020 and in the Americas on August 17, 2020.

About Xerox

Xerox Holdings Corporation makes every day work better. We are a workplace technology company building and integrating software and hardware for enterprises large and small. As customers seek to manage information across digital and physical platforms, Xerox delivers a seamless, secure and sustainable experience. Whether inventing the copier, Ethernet, the laser printer or more, Xerox has long defined the modern work experience. Learn how that innovation continues at xerox.co.uk.

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¹ Keypoint Intelligence/Infotrends, “Beyond CMYK: The Use of Special Effects in Digital Printing”

² Keypoint Intelligence/Infotrends, “Market Opportunities for CMYK+”

Media Contact:

Gary Walker, Xerox, +1-585-427-1679, Gary.Walker@xerox.com

Sonia Panchal, Xerox, +44 (0)7713 191581, S onia.Panchal@xerox.com

Xerox^® is a trademark of Xerox in the United States and/or other countries.

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Fujifilm partners with Dr. Reddy's and Global Response Aid for deployment of a COVID-19 treatment drug outside of Japan

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 05:00:00 +0000

The biggest firmware upgrade in the history of the GFX System

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Fujifilm releases FUJINON Lens GF30mmF3.5 R WR

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Fujifilm Kyowa Kirin Biologics Announces Approval of “Adalimumab (Genetical Recombination) [Adalimumab Biosimilar 1]” in Japan

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 07:00:00 +0000

Fujifilm offers new firmware for the FUJIFILM X-A7 and the FUJIFILM X-T200 adding webcam function and expands X Webcam compatibility

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 05:00:00 +0000

A Mural With a Message in Seattle’s Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone

Print — Mon, 15 Jun 2020 13:01:01 +0000

As Fox News published Photoshopped and alarmist, misleading images of Seattle’s “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone,” the peaceful reality was a stunning visual wonderland.

In 19-foot-tall block letters spread across nearly 200 feet, a message took shape on the streets here as it has in other cities around the country: Black Lives Matter.

Kyle Kotajarvi

Inspired by DC’s solid yellow Black Lives Matter installation on the road to the White House, and the Charlotte, NC, adaptation that gave each letter individual visual life, a group of predominantly black artists created Seattle’s mural that stretches from 10th and East Pine to 11th Avenue.

As an anonymous muralist organizer told The Seattle Times, “What’s happening right now should not be forgotten. The best-case scenario is that this will stay here forever, and the city helps us touch it up each year or whatever to make sure it does.”

Here is a list of participating artists. Follow them to discover more of their creations, and see their collective work from the skies thanks to drone footage and images shot by Kyle Kotajarvi.

B: @kimishaturner⁣⁣
L: @perrypaints⁣⁣
A: @onesevennine⁣⁣
C: @thecurlynugget⁣⁣
K: @thesoufender⁣⁣

L: @drakesignanddesign ⁣⁣
I: @stattheartist⁣⁣
V: @aohamer⁣⁣
E: @barryjohnson.co⁣⁣
S: @snekeism ⁣⁣

M: @moses_sun and more ⁣⁣
A: @artbreakerbt ⁣⁣
TT: @tdubcustoms⁣⁣
E: @future_crystals⁣⁣
R: @artvaultseattle Artist: @thekingfroshow⁣ ⁣

The post A Mural With a Message in Seattle’s Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone appeared first on Print Magazine.

Xerox Future of Work Survey Reveals 82% of Employees Expected to Return to the Office

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 07:00:00 +0000

A new global business survey commissioned by Xerox Holdings Corporation (NYSE: XRX) shows an estimated 82% of the workforce in respondents’ organizations will have returned to the workplace in 12-18 months’ time, on average. In preparation for a return, companies are investing in new resources to support a hybrid remote / in-office workforce, with 56% increasing technology budgets and 34% planning to speed their digital transformation as a result of COVID-19.

The Xerox Future of Work Survey, conducted by the independent research firm Vanson Bourne, polled 600 IT decision makers including senior C-level professionals from the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany and France, whose organizations have at least 500 employees. Respondents reported challenges caused by the sudden transition to remote work, with 72% citing they were not fully prepared from a technology perspective. In addition to technology (29%), the biggest pain points during the required work from home period were communication breakdown across teams/employees (26%) and maintaining focus (25%).

“While there is no doubt the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we work, our research found that over time many companies plan to have most employees back in an office environment. This could be for a variety of reasons, including communication, speed of decision-making and talent development,” said Steve Bandrowczak, Xerox president and chief operations officer. “At the same time, the sudden shutdown and ongoing hybrid work environment has exposed technology gaps that require new or additional investment in the coming months.”

Key survey findings and Xerox takeaways include:

Businesses plan to return most employees to the office, though expanded remote work policies are here to stay.
Prior to work from home requirements being imposed, 33% of respondents said network/data security and privacy was their biggest concern with a remote workforce; 24% cited employee productivity followed by 16% citing technology infrastructure. These concerns, coupled with the belief held by 95% of respondents that in-person communication is important for personal development and assessing talent, indicate widespread remote work will not replace more traditional workspaces.

However, now that businesses are more comfortable with remote work, attitudes and policies of C-suite leaders and IT decision makers are shifting. Among the countries polled, the U.S. is the most likely to have an increase in confidence in remote working (86%), followed by the U.K. (80%), Germany (80%), Canada (77%), and France (75%). Furthermore, 58% plan to change their work from home policy within the next year, highlighting the need for companies to support a hybrid workforce.

Our takeaway: Employees may not be going back to the office all at once — or even in the same capacity as before — but the need for organizations to support a hybrid workforce is here for the foreseeable future.
Sudden stay-at-home orders quickly revealed technology gaps.
The rapid transition to remote work was difficult for most businesses, with only 28% saying they were fully prepared and 29% citing technology as their biggest pain point. Among the specific countries polled, France was the least likely to be fully prepared for the sudden transition to remote work, while the U.S. was the most likely to be fully prepared. With regards to technology specifically, respondents said their top challenges were remote IT support (35%), inadequate workflow solutions (27%), lack of communications and collaboration tools (22%) and lack of cloud-based solutions (10%). 85% of business leaders also missed the accessibility and ease of use of their office printers, with U.S. respondents missing them the most (93%) followed by Germany (92%) and France (91%).

Our takeaway: To mitigate against future disruptions, such as the rapid transition to remote work resulting from COVID-19, companies will look to invest in new technologies and seek added capability from existing tools to accelerate their processes digital transformation.
Technology purchasing priorities are shifting to better support employees.
As a result of technology gaps uncovered by having a mostly remote workforce, 70% of IT decision makers globally are reevaluating their budget spend, with companies increasing investment in remote technology resources (55%) or a hybrid of remote and in-office resources (40%). The pandemic also has businesses prioritizing investments in cloud-based software (65%), remote IT (63%) support and collaboration software (52%).

Hardware such as laptops and printers were another important consideration, especially for companies based in France, with 22% of respondents citing it as the most important need when it comes to technology, productivity and their overall work experience.

Our Takeaway: COVID-19 is feeding digital transformation plans and companies are placing a renewed focus on meeting employees’ needs with both hardware and software.

For more information, visit www.Xerox.com/MakeNowWork.

Methodology
The survey of 600 respondents located in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany and France was conducted by independent research firm Vanson Bourne in May 2020. Respondents included IT decision makers (including senior C-level professionals), all from organizations with at least 500 employees across a range of sectors, including business and professional services, retail, health care, financial services, and travel and hospitality.

About Xerox
Xerox Holdings Corporation makes every day work better. We are a workplace technology company building and integrating software and hardware for enterprises large and small. As customers seek to manage information across digital and physical platforms, Xerox delivers a seamless, secure and sustainable experience. Whether inventing the copier, Ethernet, the laser printer or more, Xerox has long defined the modern work experience. Learn how that innovation continues at xerox.com.

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The Daily Heller: Seeing is Leading

Steven Heller — Mon, 15 Jun 2020 05:59:32 +0000

I am not a big fan of programmatic big ideas that insinuate that they’re the answer to any of life’s problems. I am especially leery of formulae that in any way use design as a tool for strategic promises. So when I picked up the book VisuaLeadership: Leveraging the Power of Visual Thinking in Leadership and in Life by Todd Cherches, CEO of leadership consulting firm BigBlueGumball, I figured my reservations (or bias) would be validated. I was wrong. I may not accept all of Cherches’ ideas, but I was struck by his intelligence, logic and wit, and by how he blends familiar aspects of popular culture and leadership.

Cherches founded BigBlueGumball with his brother Steve, with a goal of helping organizations and their human resources “turn ideas into actions.” They invoke a “patented learning methodology whose foundation lies is these three key words: Educate, Engage, and Excite!” I recently met Cherches and asked him more about the book and his TEDx Talk, “The Power of Visual Thinking.”

VisuaLeadership is at once timely and timeless. For millennia power resided not in the word but in the visual. Of course, the invention of the printing press changed all that. Not only was the word power, those who “spoke the word” gained the power. How do you distinguish, if at all, from the 15-century word and the 21st-century visual?
Ultimately it comes down to one word: communication. Whether one communicates visually, auditorily, through reading/writing, or kinesthetically (i.e., through movement)—the four of these methods are commonly referred to collectively as “VARK”—it’s about getting ideas out of your head and into the heads of others so that they can “see” what you are saying. Just as one must be “literate” in order to comprehend the written word, in the 21st century those who are “visually literate” will be best equipped and enabled to leverage the power of visuals—in all forms—to capture the hearts and minds of others.

You have a section entitled “Leading With … Visuals.” What is the significance here? Are you saying that those who can draw their thoughts are in a more powerful position vis a vis getting ideas across than those who can simply state them?
Just as the classic saying goes, “he (or she) who wields the pen, wields the power,” leaders who can think and communicate visually have a distinct competitive advantage over those who can’t … or don’t. The most common word that comes up when discussing leadership tends to be vision. And, by vision, in the context of leadership, we are referring to having an idealized picture of the future in one’s “mind’s eye” that is different from and better than the current reality. So, for a leader, step one is formulating that vision; step two is communicating that vision to others in a clear and compelling way so as to inspire others to not only follow you, but to want to work with you and for you to help turn that vision into a new reality. So, yes, the ability to draw one’s thoughts is a powerful way of getting them out there into the world so that others can “see” what you’re thinking and saying. But so is the ability to use other mediums, including photography, art, dance, poetry, theater and any other form of creative language that will enable you to translate your ideas into actions to produce change.

How do you propose that leaders conscript visuals into their armies? Does this imply that designers have a greater role in corporate structure than they’ve had in the past? Does it suggest that strength comes with “good design” or simply with “effective visuals” regardless of the design quality?
Leaders already use visual thinking and visual communication in their everyday lives—often without even realizing it. If you are using PowerPoint slides (even if badly done, as most are), you are using visuals. If you get up at a whiteboard or flipchart to start mind-mapping or storyboarding an idea, you are using visuals. If you use data visualization in the form of graphs, or process diagrams, or a company organizational chart, you are incorporating visual methods to illustrate ideas. Now, whether it is being done as well or as effectively as it could be is a whole other question! Unfortunately, most business professionals do not have any kind of design background, so they do the best they can with the tools and abilities they have. So this is where those with a design thinking mindset, tool set, and skillset can really “step up to leadership” and wield considerable impact and influence. Just as those who speak a language fluently will be able to communicate far more effectively than those who only have a rudimentary vocabulary, those skilled in design, visual thinking and visual communication will have a distinct competitive advantage.

Many companies large and small have learned over time that the better (more memorable, etc.) their overall design identity is, the more positive the relationship of the consumer to their company or product. How does the concept of visual leader work? What is the method of making hay from visual leadership?
If you think about it, we each have our own “brand identity.” In other words, what we are known for and known as. From a leadership perspective, we often talk about someone’s “leadership brand.” Similarly, in my coaching practice I often talk to my client in terms of these “3 Vs”: Visibility, Voice, and Value. This has to do with if you are seen and how you are seen (“Visibility”); if you are heard and how you are heard (“Voice”); and in what ways and to what extent are you perceived to be making a contribution (“Value”). All three of these attributes are based not on your own perception … but from the perspective of others. Another way of looking at it from a UX perspective: What kind of “user experience” do others have when interacting with you? Someone with a design thinking—and especially a UX-type—background can leverage their knowledge and experience to contribute to enhancing the end user’s experience when gauging an individual’s leadership effectiveness. And, as such, someone who develops their abilities in the art and science of visual leadership will be able to enhance their personal effectiveness.

Your book is of interest to designers because you are addressing strategies that involve them. But are you saying that designers are essential or nonessential to this process?
My answer to that question is not “either/or,” but “both”! Designers, base on their experience and expertise, bring a unique and powerful perspective and arsenal to the table. They have the ability to see things and notice things, and to identify problems and discover solutions, in ways that nondesigners couldn’t even imagine. It’s as if designers have a superpower—like Superman’s x-ray vision, combined with a toolkit like Batman’s utility belt—that equips, enables and empowers them to solve problems … and, in some cases, even save lives! So, in this regard, when it comes to the integration of form and function, and the blending of art and science, designers are essential and indispensable in terms of their contributions. I think what my book VisuaLeadership does is demonstrate—both to designers and, of equal importance, to nondesigners—how thinking and communicating more visually can help anyone change the world … simply by more effectively getting others to be able to “see” what you’re saying.

I would be remiss if I didn’t congratulate you on making such a potentially dry subject so engagingly entertaining. One of my favorite chapters is “How My Cardiologist Almost Gave Me a Heart Attack (Or, the Right and Wrong Ways to Communicate Numbers).” How are visuals best deployed to keep them safe and fuzzy?
Thank you for saying that! My “3 E’s/3 I’s” approach to everything I do—including writing this book—is called, “Educate, Engage and Excite.” I strive to Educate (or “Inform”) people through the presentation of important ideas and information; capture and hold people’s “Interest” by actively Engaging them through entertaining storytelling; and Excite people so that they are “Inspired” to go out there and change the world. Depending on the context and the purpose, the chosen visuals can be whimsical and fun … or they can be devastating and heartbreaking. This is where the congruence of words and images is so essential. And this is where having a design thinking background can enable someone to take advantage of their knowledge, experience and skills in the most effective way. Just as any tool of any kind can be misused or abused, I’m sure that the list of design-related horror stories is miles long.

Is there any downside to leading with visuals?
Just as there is no one-size-fits-all solution to any problem, visuals may not, necessarily, be necessary or appropriate for every situation. Sometimes, the written or the spoken word is sufficient or—in some cases—preferable or more effective than a visual might be. We, of course, need to consider our audience (or various audiences), and design and deliver our messaging in a manner and/or medium preferable to, and most effective, for them. Just as one person may prefer listening to an audiobook rather than reading the hardcover, someone else may prefer a graphic novel, a pop-up book or a video. So we need to be open, flexible and innovative in terms of our chosen approach. In fact, in VisuaLeadership, I distinguish between these four types of visual thinking–based approaches: visual imagery and drawing; mental models and frameworks; metaphor and analogy; and visual storytelling and humor. And, again, as in any situation, a wrong decision can backfire on you … while the right choice can move mountains.

If you were to present this material to an audience of graphic or UX/UI designers, how would you alter your content, if at all, to preach to the converted?
The closing line of my TEDx talk on “The Power of Visual Thinking” (the transcript of which can be found in the Introduction of my book), is this famous quote by the French novelist Marcel Proust: “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands, but in seeing with new eyes.” Those trained in design thinking view the world through that lens. You know the value and the power of good design, and the horrors of poor design. However, most of the world does not have your design background, knowledge or experience. So, if you want to have impact and influence, if you want to lead, if you want to change hearts and minds so that you can change the world, you need to be able to get others to “see” what you’re saying. And leveraging the tools, tips and techniques I illustrate, both verbally and visually, in my book, will enable you to do so more effectively and more successfully. My wonderful new website designer, Nancy Siegel, recently introduced me to this simple-yet-powerful quote from graphic designer Saul Bass: “Design is thinking made visual.” And, as designers, with this understanding and appreciation, you are more equipped than anyone to bring this quote to life.

The post The Daily Heller: Seeing is Leading appeared first on Print Magazine.

Saving the Last Taoist Effigy Shop in Singapore With Design

Print — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 19:56:00 +0000

You’re used to seeing design competitions from industry media (raises hand), professional organizations and other institutions. How about one from a 124-year-old Taoist effigy shop in Singapore?

“Established in 1896 and the last of its kind in the glittering city-state today, Say Tian Hng Buddha Shop lies almost forgotten in a corner of touristy Chinatown. It is filled from floor to ceiling with hundreds of wooden statues, some as large as a chair, some as small as an iPhone, some half-carved, others completed in resplendent gold.”

The shop, the last of its kind in Singapore, is run by 89-year-old Tan Chwee Lian and her 68-year-old son—“keepers of a dying heritage craft” of Chinese immigrants who arrived in the country in search of a better life. The matriarch and her family repair and sell effigies of Taoist deities, and now, fourth-generation family members are seeking to reinvent the business so that it can stay in business. And to do so, they’re turning to design.

Joseph Nair

“Design has always been vital to religion,” says Ng Tze Yong, descendent and a former President’s Scholar at Parsons. “It helps people visualize divinity.”

The goal is a relaunching and rebranding of sorts. Currently, the shop’s patrons are temples and the devout—a small, ever-shrinking market. The family believe there’s great potential in offering their wares to an international secular audience—turning “objects of worship into objects of art.”

Joseph Nair

“In Chinese religion, history and mythology, there is an immense cast of memorable characters, with intertwining origin stories,” Ng says. “Most of them are still largely unknown to the West. You don’t need to be a Taoist to appreciate the stories and timeless values they embody … stories tell of devotion, compassion, reconciliation and—very aptly today—courage in the face of injustice.”

The challenge at hand: Redesign a statue of the Monkey God, known for his playfulness, rebellion, intelligence, strength, speed and tenacity.

Joseph Nair

The judges include IDEO designer Jerome Goh, Parsons assistant professor of strategic design and management Rhea Alexander, Singapore Heritage Society executive director Chua Ai Lin, Royal Anthropological Institute fellow Chan Chow Wah, Forest & Whale co-founder Wendy Chua and, of course, Tan Chwee Lian and her son, Ng Yeow Hua.

The judges will be focused on creativity, respect to the culture and character, and craft. Submissions are due Aug. 9, and after judges select a shortlist, a public vote will be held from Aug. 16–Sept. 6 to choose the final winners.

Prizes range from $200 to $1,500. To find inspiration—as well as some 3D scans of Monkey God statues—drop by the Say Tian Hng Buddha Shop’s website.

Joseph Nair

Nicky Loh

The post Saving the Last Taoist Effigy Shop in Singapore With Design appeared first on Print Magazine.

Huiqi Qiu Captures the Last Days of Chinatown’s Oldest Hair Salon

Print — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 15:28:09 +0000

In light of COVID-19’s impact on design programs around the world—and especially its impact on the visibility of student portfolio shows—we’re launching a new series spotlighting student projects we love.

First up: Huiqi Qiu’s short documentary film CUT.

Qiu grew up in Xiamen, China, and moved to Vancouver at the age of 15. After earning her bachelor’s degree in graphic design at Boston University, she enrolled in School of Visual Arts’ MFA Design program in New York City.

As she details, “What I’ve gained from living in different places and interacting with diverse individuals enhances my passion to be a better designer. I chose design as my career because … I see graphic design as one of the most effective mediums to tackle social issues we are facing. I hope to use design to speak up, empower and connect people.”

Check out her portfolio here. From animation to posters to branding projects, it’s a visual playground.

CUT, meanwhile, captures the last days of the oldest hair salon in New York’s Chinatown.

As Qiu says, “I am hoping to get the voice out there and show how gentrification is deeply rooted in a history of discriminatory laws and practices in the United States, and how it also has enormous impacts on residents’ lives.”

Watch the film, and see excerpts from Qiu’s accompanying book, below. To learn more about Qiu—or to hire her—click here.

If you’re a student looking to share your project with the world, get in touch with us here.

The post Huiqi Qiu Captures the Last Days of Chinatown’s Oldest Hair Salon appeared first on Print Magazine.

Resources for Hiring and Celebrating Black Talent

Print — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 13:05:41 +0000

At PRINT, we’re working on new editorial initiatives around black designers and designers of color. In the meantime, here are some excellent links for finding, hiring and celebrating black talent, along with a host of resources beyond the world of design. If you’re looking for ways to get involved—protesting, donating, volunteering—the latter half of this collection offers inroads to start. And overall, this list is a start, too—it is by no means comprehensive. We’ll be updating and adding links as we come across them. (Have one to add? Please send it our way.)

For much more, stop by this Google Doc by @botanicaldyke—covering everything from jail support and legal services to advice for protesting, low-cost ways to support Black Lives Matter and even international resources.

Black Talent

Blacks Who Design

African American Graphic Designers (AAGD)

Hire Black Female Creatives

28 Black Designers (from 2017, though still a great list)

People of Craft

Black Artists & Designers Guild

Revision Path

Black Creatives Directory

Black UX Collective

Black-Owned Fashion Brands to Support and Invest In

Black-Owned Fashion Labels

Dialogue and Other Resources

Black Design Twitter

HUE Design Summit

Umber: The Creative Thinker’s Graphic Journal

38 Creatives Talk Being Black in the (Interior) Design Industry—and What Needs to Change

Black Designers: Still Missing in Action?

Designers of Tomorrow

Inneract Project: Empowering the Next Generation of Black and Brown Designers

Creative Reaction Lab

E4 Youth

designExplorr

Beyond Design

Register to Vote

Official George Floyd Memorial Fund

I Run With Maud (Ahmaud Arbery Fund)

National Bail Fund Network

Donate to Black Lives Matter

Black Lives Matter Website

List of Petitions

Black Lives Matter Healing in Action Toolkit

Guide to Allyship

Black History Library

Lucky Risograph in New York City is also offering free printing services for activists and organizers

Updated June 9 with additional resources. Special thank you to Terrence Moline.
Updated June 11, with special thanks to Tiffany Ricks

The post Resources for Hiring and Celebrating Black Talent appeared first on Print Magazine.

CoviDiaries: J.J. Sedelmaier’s Delightful Digital Ephemera Grab Bag

J. J. Sedelmaier — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 13:00:08 +0000

So much related to the area of the animation industry we inhabit has switched to the computer … and as a result, I spend the majority of my time in the world of digital devices, or online in one way or another. Through the course of the day, as I’m held captive by this domain, I download images of all kinds as reference. Years ago, artists accumulated filing cabinets full of clippings and pictures that were collected in a “Morgue.” Today these collections consist of .jpgs, .tiffs, .gifs, .pngs, and .mp4 files. I’ve chosen to use this “Period of the Pandemic” to shovel through all the files I’ve downloaded, and try to collate them into some sense of order. Many of these grabs ultimately end up on the different social media platforms I dance around in. I have a personal Facebook page, but our studio, J.J. Sedelmaier Productions Inc. also has its own group, as does the “History of Animation” group I established while teaching at New York University. (If what you see here tickles your fancy, I hope you’ll join both the JJSP and History of Animation groups!) I also contribute to the endless other groups that specialize in stuff I dig.

The whole social media experience has been nothing but exhilarating for me. By participating in the process of sharing material, it’s expanded both my acquaintance base as well as our studio’s identity and brand. There’s very little I enjoy more than being approached by someone I’ve never met before, and them saying, “I follow you on Facebook and love the stuff you post!”

Below are some of the grabs that I’ve decided will provide some fun and maybe even expose some folks to things they’ve never encountered before.

Robert De Niro’s mid-’70s taxi driver license

Brazilian print ad for Manix gel

East 86th Street, New York City, 1910

Lee Remick, New York City, 1960. Photo by Sam Shaw

Colorized shot of Broadway and 53rd Street, NYC, circa mid-1920s. What I found fascinating about the view is it shows the elevated railway that connected the 6th Avenue and 9th Avenue “Ls.” A rare view!

Martha Stewart on the NYC subway, 1960s

Times Square construction crater, 1982

35mm color motion picture film frame of Gloria Swanson, 1925

Walker Evans, 1929

A softer, gentler Alfred E. Newman …

Cartoonist and comic artist Jerry Robinson with his son, Jens, Jan. 4, 1968. This is from a set of color transparencies I purchased on eBay and later sent to Jerry.

Billy de Blasio

I have a thing for Harpo—especially unusual vintage shots like this color one from the mid-1930s

In the mid/late 1980s, the theatrical publisher Samuel French moved from its longtime office at 25 W. 45th St. in NYC. I worked in the area, and on my way to Grand Central I passed an endless row of mini-dumpsters in front of their building. I didn’t have my waders with me but proceeded to rummage through the contents. It was all their files, filled with correspondence and other ephemera. Had I been a car owner back then, I would’ve filled my vehicle to the brim. Alas, I had to grab what I could. The letterheads alone were to die for …

This is a shot Jerry Siegel and Jack Liebowitz at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. In 1938, Liebowitz was greatly responsible for bringing on Siegel and Joe Shuster, as well as their character Superman, at National Comics (later DC Comics) for their new “Action Comics” title.

Here’s the check that bought the boys and their Superman

Macy’s 1966 Superman balloon and Halloween costume

666 S. State Street, Chicago

A few years ago I sold the animated title sequence of the “Sgt. Bilko Show” to the Phil Silvers Museum in the UK. I knew I’d never find a better home for it. Before shipping the artwork off, I did high-resolution scans. The final product can be found here.

This is a film can label from William Tytla Productions Inc. Tytla was an animation legend. Although known primarily for his work on classic Disney features (he animated characters like Stromboli in Pinocchio, and Chernabog, the devil in Fantasia’s “Night On Bald Mountain” sequence), he also had his own commercial animation studio in New York City.

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<h1>The Daily Heller: The Corona Daily News</h1>
<p>Steven Heller — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 05:04:09 +0000</p>
<p>PRINT has published variously conceived and produced <a href= CoviDiaries since the beginning of this pandemic over 14 weeks ago. Essentially, they have been records of experiences, research, musings and other pastimes of our contributors more than diaries in the conventional sense. Pamela Sztybel, a New York–based painter, previous visiting artist at The American Academy in Rome and teacher at the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica, has lately and continuously created a daily COVID-19 diary of her art on Instagram. I’ve heard her work described as a “vibrant political journal,” that “has found unexpected humor in the daily news.” After being introduced to her drawings, which for me recall the joy-cum-spiritualist wit of Ex-Votos, I became a fan. I recently spoke with her about this obsessively purposeful intricate art produced in this unrelenting, joyless, explosive time.

Artists, it appears, are not as hard-pressed to fill their creative time as others working from home. What was your impetus to go Moleskine, as it were?
I went Moleskine because when I started the diary I looked for a sketchbook that would be portable and one that would accommodate a year’s worth of entries. The Moleskine that I have is about 5 x 8 inches with about 200 sheets. I figured I could make a year’s worth of notations if I drew around two per page, one side. The book has thin pages, not really meant for watercolor, but once I started, and things got more complicated, there was no going back. I decided to work with what I had.

Did you have an idea of how and/or what you wanted to have fill your book once you saw those blank pages?
My original thought was to keep a notebook of headlines with drawings as we went further into the election year. I did not know if I had the stamina to go for a full year, but I thought I’d give it a go. I don’t consider myself an illistrator. My work over the years has been landscape paintings and gardens and flowers. I showed at Spanierman Gallery for many years, and was scheduled to have another show of landscapes at Jill Newhouse Gallery in May. Postponed indefinitely for obvious reasons.

The first drawing I saw that got me going was of the passengers leaving the cruise ship in Japan wearing masks. I did not know at the time that the COVID pandemic would dominate my notebook. After quarantine, and I had more time, the drawings became more elaborate since I was not in my studio and had some time on my hands. Just home, with the notebook, a set of Winsor Newton watercolors and some Micron pens. As I progressed I very quickly started composing the drawings to illustrate the headlines, rather than just drawing from a news photo. And I felt very engaged that way. Very different from my usual work, but I didn’t mind. It kept me occupied and also engaged with the unprecedented and frightening situation. I posted on Instagram daily from Day 1, originally for my friends, who seemed to have a positive response to what I was doing.

It’s been over 14 weeks of self-imprisonment. Where are your subjects coming from?
I read the news pretty carefully. All headlines are from “reliable” news sources, like BBC, CNN, The Guardian, NPR, ABC, AP, Reuters, etc., etc. But I have to admit it is anxiety inducing.

Have you made any discoveries about you or your surroundings that would have remained undiscovered if not for COVID?
I suppose I could say, I really don’t mind sitting at a table and working in a very small format. (I did it once before, after knee surgery when I was also confined to my kitchen table, and illustrated a book for my friend Barbara Guggenheim, called Little Known Facts About Well Known People. (So I had a little practice, but that was four years ago.) I like thinking about how to make a visual out of the words. And I enjoy the words. Sometimes a headline can be quite poetic.

It is challenging to draw detail, and meaning (hopefully) into an area that ends up being less than four to five inches including the headline. It’s new for me—the other miniature work for the book was portraits.

Will you keep this going once (and if) the pandemic subsides?
I am going to keep going till a natural ending presents itself—either the last page of the notebook, the end of the calendar year, the end of the pandemic or the 365th day. I really hope it’s the end of the pandemic, before any of the other endings, for the sake of us all.

The post The Daily Heller: The Corona Daily News appeared first on Print Magazine.

Wael Morcos and Khajag Apelian’s Beautiful Plex Arabic Wins a Pencil

Print — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 19:06:13 +0000

When IBM started brainstorming a new typeface for their brand, they sought to create a workhorse that was steeped in and honored both their values and their long design legacy.

The solution? A well-crafted grotesque: IBM Plex. As the company details, “Plex is just as important as our name or our logo. It fine-tunes the tone of our words. It represents who we are and what we believe—as a company and as designers. Every decision was made with purpose; every detail has a reason for being.”

Furthermore, “Living up to our name—International Business Machines—meant thinking globally right from the start.”

IBM has since released Plex in more than 100 languages—including the cornerstone Plex Arabic, which just took home a wooden pencil in the D&AD Awards. Wael Morcos (a 2015 PRINT New Visual Artist) of Morcos Key and Khajag Apelian designed the face, with creative direction by Mike Abbink and type engineering by Paul van der Laan and Pieter van Rosmalen.

“Plex Arabic was designed to complete IBM’s corporate font families,” Morcos Key writes. “Inspired by the Paul Rand IBM logo, the design echoes the company’s design ethos: an organic mix of engineered and humanistic shapes. The design of the Arabic translates centuries of calligraphic conventions to a modern typographic context.”

One more key thing about Plex—it’s free. Completely. Get Plex Arabic and all other variants on Github, and read much more about the development of the face here.

In the meantime, here’s a closer look at the award-winning Plex Arabic.

https://www.printmag.com/wp-content/uploads/k-PlexPromotion_3_190228.mp4

https://www.printmag.com/wp-content/uploads/k-PlexPromotion_5_190228.mp4

https://www.printmag.com/wp-content/uploads/w-PlexPromotion_1_190228.mp4

The post Wael Morcos and Khajag Apelian’s Beautiful Plex Arabic Wins a Pencil appeared first on Print Magazine.

Merch Aid’s New Line by Black Artists in Support of the Black Community

Print — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 17:05:17 +0000

Merch Aid emerged in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to support small businesses facing dire economic times. The concept? Give the community a way to show beloved businesses some love while scoring some well-designed merch in the process.

Created by a trio of innovative minds at R/GA, the project pairs designers with small businesses, and the subsequent collaboration is made available for a set preorder period. Production then takes place, and all profits go to the featured businesses. After launching with Debbie Millman’s Astoria Bookshop design, the initiative has gone on to feature designs by many creatives, raising nearly $200,000.

Now, in support of the global movement that has arisen in the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery and the injustices perpetrated toward innumerable others, Merch Aid is releasing a collection designed by black artists, with the funds going to organizations that support the black community.

“Merch Aid was started for a simple reason: to support those in need through connecting the community,” the site details. “For too long, the voices of the black community have been silenced. A kind of silence that has come at the expense of black lives, over and over again.”

Here are the current releases thus far, which are available as both T-shirts and prints. To buy one and support the organizations at hand, click here.

View this post on Instagram

Bobby C. Martin Jr. in support of Black Lives Matter Greater New York: BLMNY is an action coalition that assists, builds, and empowers Black communities in Greater NY. 100% of profits from this collection directly support the organizations featured. Link in bio to purchase. . . . @bobbycmartin @blmgreaterny #blacklivesmatter #merchaid

A post shared by Merch Aid (@merchaid) on Jun 10, 2020 at 3:01pm PDT

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Dani Coke in support of Be the Bridge: Be the Bridge is an organization that seeks to use education to empower people and culture toward racial healing, equity, and reconciliation. 100% of profits from this collection directly support the organizations featured. . . . @ohhappydani @beabridgebuilder #blacklivesmatter #merchaid

A post shared by Merch Aid (@merchaid) on Jun 9, 2020 at 2:59pm PDT

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Bria Benjamin in support of The National Bail Fund Network: This is the first organization featured in our week-long collection. The NBFN is made up of over 60 community-led bail and bond funds to help end pretrial and immigration detention. 100% of profits from this collection directly support the organizations featured. . . . @briabydesign #nationalbailfundnetwork #blacklivesmatter #merchaid

A post shared by Merch Aid (@merchaid) on Jun 8, 2020 at 3:01pm PDT

The post Merch Aid’s New Line by Black Artists in Support of the Black Community appeared first on Print Magazine.

Canvas Prints and Photography: Getting Crafty in Quarantine

PRINT Partners — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 16:35:58 +0000

This post is brought to you by our partners at BestCanvas.ca

Anyone who’s been spending time in quarantine knows all about the challenges that come with it. But there can be an upside: Isolation can open up our horizons if we use it to focus our creative energies.

If you’re tired of binging movies and TV shows, you can use your involuntary downtime to hone your photography skills and capture a record of the moment. Or you could browse through your old pictures and look back on the good times while looking forward to future ones—and think about creative ways to display those most precious memories in your home.

When you want to print your best photos in physical form, canvas prints are the perfect medium. The photo printing experts from BestCanvas.ca are here to tell us more.

Find Inspiration Right Where You Are

If you’ve got a passion for photography that’s been lying dormant, now’s your chance to get your enthusiasm back. Sure, you might not be shooting any crowded events for a while. But spending your days at home lets you discover rich subjects that you might otherwise have overlooked.

Train your lens on small details—the grain of wood, the texture of fabrics—or just into those forgotten corners of your home. If you can look at what’s familiar with fresh eyes, you’ll find a wealth of inspiration for your next shot.

And if you’re lucky enough to have a garden, you’re guaranteed a change of scenery every day—even as you stay in one place. Subtle variations in form and color as the seasons shift will have you jumping out of bed, ready to capture nature’s beauty.

Canvas Prints—a Creative Wall Decor Solution

If you’ve taken a new photo that you think is good enough for a gallery, canvas prints are a creative and surprisingly affordable way to set up that gallery at home—without breaking lockdown! Just upload a digital file to a respected provider like BestCanvas.ca and they’ll do the rest.

Printed using HP Latex Inks on real canvas fabric that’s wrapped by hand over a spruce-wood stretcher frame, each canvas print will bring out the very best in your image. Expect head-turning color saturation and intricate detail that will make you see your photo anew.

Whether you upload one of your captures from your time in quarantine or an older family photo, you’ll be delighted with the super-quick turnaround—and with how your new canvas looks once it’s hung. If you’re going to be spending a lot of time looking at the same four walls, a new decor feature can be the perfect way to lift your mood.

If you’ve had a fresh rush of photographic inspiration, get your image turned into a beautiful canvas print now with BestCanvas.ca! You can use the code “BESTCANVASPRINT15” and get 15% off all BestCanvas.ca canvas prints.

The post Canvas Prints and Photography: Getting Crafty in Quarantine appeared first on Print Magazine.

Fujifilm to invest 100 billion yen (928 million USD) to expand its large scale biologics production facility in Denmark

Tue, 09 Jun 2020 13:00:00 +0000

New Co-authored Book from Fujifilm Chairman Shigetaka Komori and Professor Philip Kotler Published

Fri, 05 Jun 2020 05:00:00 +0000