On its Facebook profile, xpedx announced that it intends to close its Stores division. A number of customers expressed their shock and disappointment in the comments that followed the announcement. xpedx launched the Stores division in 1995.

drupa is using Augmented Reality (AR) to promote its upcoming trade show in May. Advertisements set to appear in over 60 countries will feature a 3D animation that users can view with their smartphone. Once the drupa logo is scanned, "prepare for a surprise" says the trade show's website.

Heidelberg has recently announced 2,000 job cuts under its "Focus 2012" efficiency program. Out of its 15,600+ employees worldwide, up to 1,200 will lose their jobs in Germany, as will 800 more around the world. These will be positions in production, development, administrative, sales and marketing.

St. Thomas Printing, a family-owned commercial printing business, has recently invested in a new Polar 66 cutter. It was purchased through Heidelberg at the recent Graphics Canada Show. The company was established in 1990 and serves the London, St. Thomas and Talbotville area in Ontario.

Mutoh, a manufacturer and distributor of wide-format printers, is celebrating its 60th anniversary. The Tokyo-based corporation was founded in 1952 and today has manufacturing and distribution centres in Japan, Singapore, Germany, Belgium, China, Australia and the United States.

Toronto-based book printer Webcom has recently announced a major capital investment: an HP T350 Colour Inkjet Web Press. This will complement the HP T300 that the company installed just over a year ago, bringing Webcom's investment total in the last 18 months to $20 million.

Apple today announced iBooks 2 for iPad, featuring iBooks textbooks. This offers iPad users fullscreen textbooks with interactive animations, diagrams, photos, and videos. Educational book publishers McGraw-Hill and Pearson are on board with the product, offering their titles on the iBookstore.

After reports circulated for weeks about the dire financial situation at Kodak, the company has today announced that it has filed for bankruptcy protection. The 130-year-old photographic film pioneer has managed to secure a $950 million credit facility to keep it afloat.

An agreement has been made regarding the future of manroland. The company will be split into three independent units, one of which has been sold to German manufacturing conglomerate L. Possehl & Co. Out of 4,700 jobs at the company in Germany, only about 2,500 can be saved.

Yellow Thinking Ltd., a Brampton, Ontario-based printer, has recently purchased and installed a new offline UV Coater. Established in 2005 as a design and print studio, the company plans to offer offline UV Coating trade services under the website 800trade.ca.

A new Polar 115X has been installed at Mail-O-Matic Services, located in Burnaby, BC. Equipped with a touch screen, the device has "helped make finishing and final cutting a breeze." Purchased from Heidelberg, the cutter adds to a complement of automated finishing equipment at Mail-O-Matic.

Last week, reports were circulating that Kodak was preparing to file for bankruptcy. This week, the company announced the creation of a "new and simpler business structure" that it hopes will increase productivity, reduce cost, and accelerate its digital transformation.

Printing Industries of America, which formed in 1887, has recently announced that 2012 marks its 125th anniversary as an association. To celebrate the milestone, the organization is launching a new logo and webpage.

Standard Finishing Systems, a well-known supplier of print finishing equipment, has recently announced four key management changes at the company. Standard says the realignment of its management team will "better align the company for continued growth."

A new Kodak NexPress has recently been installed at Edmonton's DeJong Printing. The family business chose this technology because it wants "to be able to produce the best digital printing in town." The press features a Fifth Imaging Unit offering in-line coating, spot colour and watermarking.

Imafix Communications Visuelle, based in Terrebonne, QC, has recently installed a Screen Truepress Jet2500UV hybrid large-format printing system into its facility. Purchased through Nustream Graphic, the press features top printing speeds of 726.5 sq. ft. per hour.