Toshiba Color MFPs Recognized as Some of the Best in the Industry

Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc. (TABS) color multi-function printers (MFPs) received multiple honors in The Office Products Analyst 2010 Color Dealer Product Study, including "Best Overall" (tied for first place). Additionally, Toshiba was rated "Best" in six product sub-categories including: Color Resolution, Color Fidelity, Overall Image Quality, B/W Cost per Page, Controller Reliability and Scanning Reliability. Toshiba also secured "Best Overall" for Service Support, as well as "Best" in four of the Service Support sub-categories including: Order Processing, Ease of Network Installation, Color Service Training Program, and Effectiveness of Service Hotline.

"We're very happy that our dealers continue to express that Toshiba color products are among the best in the industry," said Joseph Contreras, director, product and solutions marketing, TABS. "It's also equally important to us that they feel they are receiving the support they need. Our goal is to help them be successful by providing not only outstanding state-of-the-art technology and products, but superior service as well, and this survey indicates that we are meeting that goal."

The Office Product Analyst Survey

The Office Products Analyst conducts an annual dealer survey to determine ratings and rankings of current market offerings. The 2010 dealer survey is based on in-depth telephone interviews with 177 service managers in copy dealerships nationwide who are asked to rate MFPs that they sell and service on a scale of one to ten (ten being the highest) within a number of categories. Those 177 dealerships represented 22,335 multi-functional color units on the market.

About Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc.

Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc. (TABS) is an independent operating company of Toshiba Corporation, the seventh largest electronics/electrical equipment company in the world. TABS manages product planning, marketing, sales, service support and distribution of copiers, facsimiles, multifunction printing products, network controllers, and toner products throughout the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., TABS has five divisions: the Electronic Imaging Division; the Toner Products Division; the Document Solutions Engineering Division; the International Division; and Toshiba Business Solutions (TBS), a wholly-owned subsidiary corporation of TABS, that operates a network of wholly-owned office equipment dealers throughout the United States.

Named the most favored manufacturer ten times by the Business Technology Association (BTA), Toshiba's entire product line, customer support and marketing distribution policies are markers for the industry. For more information on Toshiba products, programs, solutions and services, please visit: www.copiers.toshiba.com

Original source: DEALERS NATIONWIDE RECOGNIZE TOSHIBA COLOR MFPS AS SOME OF THE BEST COLOR PRODUCTS IN THE INDUSTRY

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Epson Offers Tips for Printing Memorable Large Format Photos as One-of-a-Kind Holiday Gifts

Few gifts touch the heart like an oversized photo of loved ones, close friends, or special places and events. And with tens of millions of digital SLR and high megapixel point-and-shoot cameras in homes across the world, more people than ever can consider giving one-of-a-kind, truly personal gifts this holiday season.

Printing large format photos – bigger than 8”x10” – is no longer just the domain of the professional photographer, as professional caliber printers like the Epson Stylus Photo R1900 wide-format printer are becoming increasingly popular with the average digital photography hobbyist. Epson R1900 delivers vibrant photos up to 13-inches wide and 44-inches long, and offers the highest level of media versatility of any printer in its class.

“Giving one of your photos in the form of a large format print with stunning image quality that will last for decades is as unique and personal a gift as there is,” said Richard Day, product manager, Epson America. “In addition, if there’s someone special on your holiday gift list who’s already invested in a DSLR, chances are a new high-quality large format photo printer is already at the top of their wish list.”

If you are new to large format photo printing, Epson suggests you keep the following tips in mind to ensure the best possible output:
* Digital Image Size: In order to get a high quality enlargement, make sure your file is your final print size with at least 180 ppi (pixels per inch) resolution (300-360 ppi is ideal). For example, if you want to print an 11” x 14” picture at 180 ppi, you will need a file that is 1980 x 2520 pixels or five megapixels. It’s important not to resample the image to make it bigger as you will get a blurry or pixilated image.
* Color: It’s easy to get caught up in complex color adjustments, when all you want is a beautiful print. One of the best ways to get a great looking print from the Epson R1900 is to use one of the Advanced color modes. In the printer driver’s “Advanced” tab, try changing the “Epson Standard” setting to “Adobe RGB” mode for more vibrant and colorful output.
* Media Type: Using Genuine Epson papers, such as Signature Worthy fine art papers can add sophistication and depth to your images.
* Framing & Matting: When you’re getting a print professionally framed, make sure the print has had at least a day to cure prior to framing for maximum durability. In addition, printing with at least a half-inch to an inch margin around the edges gives the framer space to work with and leaves the entire image intact. Providing two prints also gives your framer a safety net for anything unexpected that may happen during the matting and framing process.
* Creativity: Using more than one media type for your print is a great way to make a one-of-a-kind keepsake. For example, try printing a background on canvas, starting with a group photograph and have it framed without glass. Then add on layers of cropped glossy photos and other embellishments for a true memento.

Original source: Epson Offers Tips for Printing Memorable Large Format Photos as One-of-a-Kind Holiday Gifts

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Canon USA And The Arbor Day Foundation Plant More Than 38,000 Trees In 2010

Continuing its long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability, Canon USA, Inc. along with the Arbor Day Foundation, announced that this year's Canon Forest Program has planted more than 38,000 trees nationwide and more than 85,000 trees since the program's inception in 2008. Commencing earlier this year and spanning across several product lines, Canon agreed to plant a tree in the nation's forests for every five Canon Generation Green Products registered on the Canon USA website.

As a result of this program, Canon U.S.A. will also be extending its Canon Forest Program to include the imageRunner Advance Series. Through this program extension, Canon U.S.A. will make a donation to the Arbor Day Foundation to plant one tree for every qualified Canon imageRunner Advance Series model sold through December 31, 2010. Introduced in 2009, imageRunner Advance Series incorporates an array of environmentally conscious features such as bio-based plastic components and lead-free parts, which help to dramatically reduce CO2 emissions over the entire product lifecycle.

"This year's program has exceeded expectations and we are excited to continue our relationship with the Arbor Day Foundation," said Bunji Yano, senior director and general manager, Corporate Communications, Canon U.S.A. "Canon has a long-standing history of environmental preservation and stewardship and the success of this year's initiative further underscores Canon's commitment to being part of the solution when it comes to protecting our natural resources."

The products that are part of Canon's Generation Green Program feature paper-saving technology and energy-saving measures, as well as minimal product packaging, all contributing to the overall sustainability of the environment. For more information on Canon U.S.A. Generation Green initiatives, please visit www.usa.canon.com/green.

In addition to Generation Green, Canon U.S.A. protects future generations by helping to preserve nature's most valuable resources through the support of a wide range of environmental education and conservation initiatives, including the Canon Envirothon, one of North America's largest high school environmental education competitions; the PBS NATURE series; and scientific research and educational programs at Yellowstone National Park. Canon also established its Toner Cartridge Return Program in 1990. To date, more than 150,000 tons of toner cartridges have been diverted from landfills. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com/environment

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Original source: Canon USA And The Arbor Day Foundation Plant More Than 38,000 Trees In 2010

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Dell, HP and IBM Named Greenest Companies

Dell, Hewlett-Packard and IBM are the greenest U.S. companies, with IBM claiming the number one spot globally, according to Newsweek’s Green Rankings 2010.

Rounding out the top five U.S. companies on the Green Rankings 2010 list are Johnson & Johnson at number four and Intel at number five. And joining IBM on the top five Global companies on the 2010 list are HP at number two, Johnson & Johnson at number three, Sony at number four and GlaxoSmithKine at number five.

Comparing the companies 2009 positions, both Dell and IBM increased, while HP slightly decreased. In 2009, HP claimed the number one spot; Dell was named number two and IBM number five.

The Newsweek Green Rankings grade America's 500 largest publicly traded companies, as measured by revenue, market capitalization and number of employees, on their environmental performance, policies and reputation as environmentally responsible companies. The complete list can be found at www.newsweek.com/green.

To rank the Greenest Companies in America Newsweek partnered with three independent organizations to assemble a 'green score' for each company. That score is based on three components:
* The Environmental Impact Score, compiled by Trucost, is based on more than 700 metrics, including greenhouse-gas emissions, water use and solid-waste disposal.
* The Green Policies Score is based on data collected by MSCI ESG Research and reflects an analytical assessment of a company's environmental policies and initiatives.
* The Reputation Score is based on a survey of academics, environmental officers and CEOs.

To calculate a company's overall ranking, the three component scores were standardized, combined using a weighted average (45 percent for the Environmental Impact Score, 45 percent for the Green Policies Score, and 10 percent for the Reputation Survey) and mapped to a 100-point scale.

Original source: Dell, HP and IBM Named Greenest Companies

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Lexmark Invites Developers to Build AIO Printer Apps

Lexmark International, Inc. is calling on third-party developers to expand the company's offering of all-in-one (AIO) printer-based applications for small and medium businesses (SMBs), which Lexmark will publish on its SmartSolutions Center, for users to download to their Lexmark AIOs.

"Last year, Lexmark introduced three AIOs that let small business customers take their devices way beyond printing by enabling them to download and customize cloud-based and other applications, which we call SmartSolutions, that save them time and money," said Paul Rooke, Lexmark executive vice president and president of its Imaging Solutions Division. "By opening our SDK to developers, Lexmark can build and provide a more dynamic and robust library of SmartSolutions to enable customers to better manage the constant flow and mix of hardcopy and digital content that co-exists in today's modern office."

Additionally, Lexmark is announcing the newest SmartSolution, Google Analytics, which analyzes and reports on Web traffic right from the AIO. Google Analytics will be available for download early next month.

Other current SmartSolutions include applications that range from one touch solutions such as scan to e-mail and eco-copy, to Google Calendar, Stamps.com shipping, Twitter, Scan to Evernote, TripIt, Scan to Box and Facebook.

Lexmark is now soliciting developers who have a strong background in developing Web applications using Adobe Flash technology.

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Original source: Lexmark Invites Developers to Build AIO Printer Apps

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