EFI

Efraim "Efi" Arazi has died at the age of 76. Arazi founded digital printing firm Scitex, as well as Electronics for Imaging (EFI). Arazi began his career in the United States. While he was a student at MIT in 1969, he built the camera the Apollo 11 crew used to broadcast the first pictures of the moon.

After returning to Israel, he established the Scitex company, which introduced the first digital pre-press computer and CCD scanner to the world in 1979. In 1990, at the age of 54, he founded EFI (Electronics for Imaging).

Hooven-Dayton Corp., one of the 200 largest printing and packaging companies in North America, has upgraded to the EFI Radius ERP system as its business management solution.

PODi, the Digital Printing Initiative, announced today that Xeikon, an innovator in digital printing technology, has become a member and joins the ranks of industry leaders focused on the adoption of digital technology applied to labels & packaging.

The Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC) has formed a strategic alliance with the International Sign Association (ISA), the authority on signs, to offer opportunities for attendees from the sign, display, and large photo imaging segments of the graphic communications industry at PRINT 13, coming Sept. 8-12 to Chicago’s McCormick Place.

InfoTrends recently surveyed converters of labels, folding cartons, and flexible packaging in North America, ultimately to ask a few overarching questions: What do converters want when it comes to print technology? What are their pain points? How can digital printing presses help? Our survey, of course, asked many other questions, but those are the key ones.

With the addition of a new Martin MBSF butt splicer on a new 13˝ Nilpeter SG3300 press, El Paso, Texas-based General Labels increased its production throughput by nearly 40 percent. "We selected Martin Automatic because of their reputation, engineering, and dominance in the industry. We liked the fact that they have experience in a wide range of industries so there are very few surprises for them."

The Connect EFI user’s group conference last week featured more than 150 sessions covering MIS/ERP software, Web-to-print systems, industrial inkjet printers and Fiery® technology. Event highlights included a fireside chat between EFI CEO Guy Gecht and industry pioneer and Landa Corp. Partner activities at Connect included a live wrapping demonstration of 3M media with graphics produced using co-branded 3M and EFI UV inks.

Coloredge turned to EFI for the replacement of several wide-format digital printing presses damaged by Hurricane Sandy. “When the flooding occurred, we reached out to EFI and asked if they could expedite every part of the new equipment process—from orders to shipments, right through to installations,” said Jeb Ball, Coloredge’s executive vice president and COO.

NPES has elected four new directors and has re-elected several returning directors to the NPES Board during its business meeting on November 12 at the organization's 2012 Annual Conference in Indian Wells, CA.

EFI has acquired MIS/ERP provider Technique. EFI provides a comprehensive set of MIS/ERP solutions and will look to integrate portions of Technique’s leading capabilities with EFI's Monarch™, Pace™ and Radius Solutions. While financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, it is not expected to be material to EFI's 2012 results.