PRINTING United Alliance, the most comprehensive member-based printing and graphic arts association in the U.S., has announced the recipients of the Pinnacle Product Awards program (formerly the SGIA Product of the Year Awards). Recipients are being showcased in the special online Pinnacle Product Awards Gallery.
Covering an array of product categories, the Pinnacle Product Awards—which are exclusive to PRINTING United Alliance members and now part of the new overarching Pinnacle Awards Program—have been awarded in fifty-eight categories to twenty-seven recipients from leading companies across the industry.
Pinnacle Product Awards
The Pinnacle Product Award competition is focused on manufacturer products in output (printers) and non-output categories. These two main categories are then divided into subcategories to ensure similar products and technology are judged accordingly. Judges worked through an impressive display of nominations for this year’s Pinnacle Product Award categories.
Companies that received 2021 Pinnacle Product Awards are as follows:
Agfa
Alder Color Solutions
Canon Solutions America
ColorLogic GmbH
CWT Worktools USA
Drytac
Durst Image Technology U.S.
Easiway Systems
EFI
Epson
HP Inc.
Keencut
Livingston Systems, LLC
LogoJET
LSINC Corporation
M&R Printing Equipment
Mutoh America
Nobelus
OmniPrint International
Onxy Graphics
Roland DGA
SAATI Americas
Siser North America
Stratojet USA
TVF
Ultraflex Systems
Vanguard Digital Printing Systems – A Durst Group Company
“I’m excited to see these programs continue to evolve and grow,” says Ray Weiss, director of digital print programs, PRINTING United Alliance. “From new categories to our new judging format, I’m proud of the changes that we’ve made to deliver a world-class competition for the industry. This competition highlights the new and innovative and shines a light on the cream of the crop.”
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite subscribers can now enjoy a more flexible way to stay up to date with new features that accelerate productivity, boost creativity, and enable colleagues and clients to collaborate in real time.
Corel extends its CorelDRAW® 2021 professional product family with new subscriber-exclusive updates for CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2021 and unveils CorelDRAW Technical Suite 2021, the newest edition of its comprehensive software collection for high-impact technical design and documentation.
Whether they choose CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite or CorelDRAW® Technical Suite, subscribers can now enjoy a more flexible way to stay up to date with productivity-boosting dynamic asset management and collaboration workflow enhancements, additional fonts, creative templates and more to maximize their creative potential.
“Whether you’re at the office, at home, or working remotely, the CorelDRAW 2021 product family includes robust suites that enable graphics pros to work how, when and where they want,” said John Falsetto, Senior Director of Products, Graphics and Productivity. “With new features, helpful content and support for the latest technologies, these new subscription-exclusive updates offer creative and technical graphics professionals maximum value and deliver on our commitment to provide everything they need for success.”
Available for CorelDRAW Graphics Suite and CorelDRAW Technical Suite, these new subscriber-exclusive updates include:
Work faster with dynamic asset management: Access and manage all assets from one central location and share symbols across teams. Easily sync updates to ensure you’re always working with the most current asset.
Work even better together with enhancements to collaboration workflows: An enhanced collaboration workflow makes working with colleagues and clients in a remote world more efficient than ever. Enjoy a streamlined sign-in process and performance enhancements for faster saving, opening and sharing of Cloud designs.
Boost your creativity with new time-saving typography tools: Create stunning typography faster than before with new integrated access to the Google Fonts library in Corel® Font Manager. Effortlessly browse, search and preview more than 1,000 font families from the Google Fonts library without having to install the fonts you wish to use.
Expanding beyond graphic design, CorelDRAW Technical Suite 2021 builds on the strengths of CorelDRAW to offer a full collection of powerful tools specifically for the creation of professional technical illustrations and visual documentation.
CorelDRAW Technical Suite 2021 offers exceptional control and precision for flawless technical documentation and design. From manufacturing and engineering to architecture and high tech, CorelDRAW Technical Suite 2021 is the ultimate hub for designing detailed technical illustrations, documentation, marketing and more with total control and incredible efficiency.
“Thanks to new timesaving tools and simplified workflows, CorelDRAW Technical Suite 2021 gives technical graphics pros everything they need to create exceptional designs,” said Klaus Vossen, Senior Product Manager, CorelDRAW. “Open everything from 2D and 3D source files to photos, documents and data. Produce, collaborate on and publish technical communications all with one comprehensive suite. Illustrators can boost their productivity and create intricate graphics or virtually any kind of technical visuals with total precision and control.”
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite subscribers can create stunning typography faster than before with new integrated access to the Google Fonts library in Corel Font Manager.
CorelDRAW Technical Suite 2021 goes beyond the new subscriber-exclusive updates to also include the following new capabilities:
Experience a seamless transition from 3D design to illustration: Easily turn repurposed 3D engineering data into detailed technical illustrations with a new thread workflow that simplifies working with bolts imported from XVL Studio Corel Edition. The new 3-Point Thread tool accurately snaps to the sides of your bolt as you drag the thread along it, and the new Remove Border tool quickly removes redundant outer lines of the projected shape with one click.
Work faster with a reimagined approach to technical illustration: A reconfigured Projected Axes docker brings commonly used technical drawing tools and settings to the forefront of your illustration workspace. Now there’s no need to switch between dockers or other UI controls to move objects on a plane and moving elements along the projected axis is more intuitive. A new Projection Shortcut makes projecting shapes in and out of parallel perspective instantaneous. Save time with new Projection Bookmarks and the ability to pin custom perspective settings on your illustration for easy use at a later time.
Create complete spare parts pages with impressive new functionality: Experience a series of noteworthy new features purpose-built to power discrete manufacturing workflows. Import .DES, .CDR, and spreadsheet files into Corel DESIGNER’s Sources docker to couple technical illustrations with specifications in tables. Working with linked assets is easier with the ability to sync changes to designs and data when the files are edited elsewhere. New support for interactive SVG files conveys parts information with even more clarity and makes it simple to publish fully interactive documentation online.
Transform technical designs into compelling marketing assets: Go beyond classical technical illustration with access to the latest CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2021 applications for professional image editing, page layout, font management and more.
Illustrators can create detailed spare parts pages with complete control, thanks to a series of new features purpose-built to power discrete manufacturing workflows in CorelDRAW Technical Suite 2021.
Main Applications in CorelDRAW Technical Suite 2021:
Corel DESIGNER 2021: Precision illustration and technical design
CorelDRAW® 2021: Vector illustration and page layout
Corel PHOTO-PAINT 2021: Professional image editing
XVL Studio Corel Edition: 3D visualization and authoring
CorelDRAW.app: File access, collaboration, and on-the-go illustration via web browser
CorelDRAW.app for iPad: Vector illustration and graphic design iPad app
PowerTRACE: AI-powered bitmap-to-vector tracing
CAPTURE: Screen capture tool
AfterShot 3 HDR: RAW photo editor
Extend the Power of CorelDRAW Technical Suite 2021 with XVL Studio 3D CAD Corel Edition
Transform complex 3D CAD parts and assemblies into comprehensible visualizations with the XVL Studio 3D CAD Corel Edition add-on. Available as a separate purchase for CorelDRAW Technical Suite, this powerful 3D authoring software is packed with productivity and performance enhancements, as well as added file format support.
Save time with a more efficient process for updating 3D-sourced illustrations in Corel DESIGNER, and experience more control over automated updates, thanks to enriched Auto Detection and Update functionality.
Availability and Pricing
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2021 is available on Windows 10 and Windows 11, macOS, web, iPad and mobile in English, German, Italian, French, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Czech, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, Swedish and Japanese. Subscription is $249 USD per year. A perpetual license with included 1-year maintenance is available at the suggested retail price of $599 USD.
CorelDRAW Technical Suite 2021 is available on Windows 10 and Windows 11 as an individual license in English, German, French and Japanese. Corporate licenses are also available in Spanish, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, Polish, Russian, Dutch, Turkish, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese. (All licenses include XVL Studio Corel Edition in a choice of English, German, French or Japanese.) Subscription licenses are priced at $499 USD a year. Suggested retail price (SRP) for a full version perpetual license with included 1-year maintenance is $1,199 USD. Perpetual license upgrading pricing with maintenance is also available.
Access to the newly included Google Fonts library integration, dynamic asset management features, and collaboration workflow enhancements are exclusively available with a CorelDRAW Technical Suite subscription, a CorelDRAW Graphics Suite subscription or licensing with maintenance.
Enterprise clients can take advantage of volume licensing options and maintenance, which offer benefits including software deployment and virtualization support.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., announced it is adding four new models to its imagePROGRAF series of printers. These new models will include fluorescent pink pigment ink, an industry first for aqueous printers.
“We are excited to partner with Canon U.S.A., Inc., to offer our customers the first-ever aqueous printer with fluorescent ink,” says C.J. Forker, vice president of sales at LexJet. “The new Canon imagePROGRAF GP Series will help meet the increased demand for intense, eye-catching colors for applications that include high-impact pop art, point-of-purchase graphics, posters, and more.”
The new imagePROGRAF GP-4000 (44-inch) and GP-2000 (24-inch) use 10 colors, including red, orange, green, and violet ink, plus the new fluorescent pink ink. The imagePROGRAF GP-300 (36-inch) and GP-200 (24-inch) use five colors plus fluorescent pink ink.
This ink combination helps expand the range of color reproduction to achieve the widest color gamut in the history of the imagePROGRAF line-up. The GP-2000/4000 models achieve up to 99 percent of PANTONE® coverage, obtaining a “PANTONE-calibrated” license with two Pantone publications.
“We are proud to deliver on our commitment to develop pioneering solutions that answer the demands of the industry and therefore increase business potential for Canon customers,” said Shinichi Yoshida, executive vice president, and general manager, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “Canon is excited to introduce the imagePROGRAF GP Series, the world’s first aqueous inkjet models to include a fluorescent color. This series was built with the widest color gamut of any imagePROGRAF in history to easily produce vibrant, eye-catching output.”
“Radiant Infusion” technology layers a newly developed fluorescent pink ink with other inks on the paper surface. This layering enables bright and soft color reproduction. In addition, the imagePROGRAF GP-4000/2000 features red, orange, green, and violet inks to achieve the widest color gamut available in the imagePROGRAF series.
Print service providers can create high-impact graphic posters, wall art, and custom pop art. Consumers are more frequently purchasing custom items with vivid neon and fluorescent colors.
The imagePROGRAF GP Series will be available from LexJet in October, with shipping planned for November.
The USSC Foundation Board of Directors has decided, after much deliberation and postponements, to cancel this year’s 2021 Sign Exchange at Harrah’s in Atlantic City the week after Thanksgiving, December 2021. This would have been the USSC Foundation’s twenty-fifth year anniversary.
This decision was not made lightly. The factors entering into the decision to cancel included:
Other large sign-related conventions have already cancelled for 2021;
Although there have been widespread vaccine immunizations, many have elected not to receive the vaccine;
Concerns about new strains of the virus will keep some attendees away;
Lower attendance would turn the event heavily into the red; and
Lower attendance would not meet the expectations of exhibitors.
Although the USSC Foundation Board of Directors felt they could have staged the event in early December, the challenges of the months leading up to the Sign Exchange made planning a convention extremely impractical.
The Board of Directors of the USSC Foundation wants to thank everyone for their faithful support over the years and wishes everyone cherished time with friends and family over the coming winter holidays. The Foundation will come back strong in 2022.
Large-format roll system engineered for storing and transporting roll media with 2- and 3-in. cores. Reel-holding system can hold up to six rolls and features an ergonomic design and one-hand blocking system.
A 130-in. dye sublimation press featuring integrated inline fusing for direct printing on polyester fabrics in a one-step process. Can also image transfer paper. Prints up to 4,122 sq. ft./hr. and offers CMYK Sublifix dye sublimation ink for vivid color on a variety of substrates.
Per the company, the Tetra Titan is the signage industry’s first 10-year power supply. Available in 24V and guaranteed to perform for the entire 10-year span.
Launched with Dataline, modular Switch platform from Enfocus offers automation for prepress and print-production workflow. With the app, it’s possible to optimize Switch with the data from MultiPress. All stored information is automatically linked to a job in Switch.
LightFair, the premier annual event in architectural and commercial lighting, is looking for experts in lighting, technology, and design industries to speak at next year’s LightFair, the largest commercial and industrial lighting trade show and conference, happening June 19-23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Lightfair has now extended the due date for applicants to submit criteria to on or before Friday, October 1.
“The LightFair conference is known for the valuable networking and education that our expert speakers bring to the stage every year,” said Dan Darby, LightFair show director. “We’re not only calling for speakers, we’re looking for the next round of industry professionals who strive to educate the future of lighting designers and architects through teaching about their passion for lighting design and technology.”
Professionals interested in speaking at LightFair 2022 can choose to present on seven different topics.
Design Guidance + Tools covers the latest energy and building code changes, new design metrics, industry review agencies, and design and measurement tools that pave the framework for good lighting design.
Evidence-Based Design focuses on methodologies and design trends used to enable project success in lighting.
Experiencing Light explores the influence of light on the human experience and nature.
Technologies discusses the flow of information, technological advances and market changes that affect the lighting industry.
The Art of Lighting shows how to translate inspiration into projects, products or company culture.
The Business of Lighting and Professional Practice focuses on charting careers and/or growing a company in the lighting industry.
The Next Decade explores the knowledge and vision with a diverse audience keen to participate in exciting innovations that will transform the next decade.
Speaker applicants can also choose to a focus on an area or topic that matches a subject within their field of expertise, aside from the listed topic suggestions.
LightFair conference sessions offer a variety of durations, levels and formats. Speakers can choose to present their topics as one-day courses, two-day courses and three-hour workshops and in shorter sixty-minute, ninety-minute, and three-hour sessions.
The formats for these in-depth topic studies include:
Experiential Learning, where participants are engaged through hands-on activity; a traditional Lecture using an engaging presentation;
Moderated Discussion, which involves a moderator leading a discussion or debate;
Panel Presentation, which utilizes a longer-format presentation by at-most three experts on one topic;
Rapid Fire, where three presenters give a short presentation, allowing for questions at the end; and;
Tour of a local lighting installation or significant project.
Courses levels are designated as Foundational, Intermediate, Advanced and All Levels (full descriptions are available on the application web site).
LightFair speakers will receive three-day unlimited conference and exhibit hall access, marketing support to promote their session, compensation depending on course format and duration, one complimentary hotel night for out-of-town speakers, prestige and brand value for presenting at LightFair, and more.
Applications must be completed online. Applicants are asked to submit a title, description, learning objectives and biography.
LightFair 2022 is June 19-23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. —Press Release
Complete graphic assets for traffic-sign creation and printing. Compatible with SAi Flexi software, includes regulatory signs, warning signs, temporary traffic-control signs, recreational and cultural-area signs, pedestrian, school signs and more.
2021: Precision illustration and technical design
Anaheim Signs 