Future Links May 24th

Investor plans new print concept for the Chicago Tribune
If the plans of new investor, billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, pan out for the Chicago Tribune, reading the newspaper could soon become a fascinating interactive experience. On Monday, Tribune Publishing Co. said Soon-Shiong’s Nant Capital had made a 70.5 million USD investment in the publisher. Soon-Shiong envisions a more integrated use of technology. For example, a reader could pan a camera across a physical newspaper and the photos could be turned into video.
More at Bloomberg

New 3D printing materials are reinforced with Kevlar and carbon
Printing with plastic filaments has its limitation and while many options, including metal printing, exist for industrial 3D manufacturing, the choice of materials is much more restricted in fused deposition modeling (FDM). Now, 3D Hubs has partnered with 3D printer company Markforged to launch a new series nylon materials reinforced with Kevlar, Fiberglass, and Carbon.
More at 3ders

Agfa Graphics launches version 10 of its Apogee workflow software
Agfa Graphics has introduced the latest version of this workflow software, Apogee 10, which has extra features, significant quality improvements, and performance enhancements, according to the company. Apogee 10’s new user interface for unbound work enables printers to make optimum use of press sheets and press time. Optimization is possible for both regularly and irregularly shaped print products and takes into account the required run length.
More at What They Think?

Direct mail and other print campaigns are trusted fundraising channels
Print remains highly important in charity fundraising. According to the Institute of Fundraising, 56 percent of donors think print is the most trustworthy of all fundraising channels. 79 percent of all gifts to charity come from direct mail. That’s why charities continue to spend 61 percent of their fundraising budgets on direct mail, in addition, 72 percent of charities produce magazines for their supporters.
More at UK Fundraising

How biometric research can lead to better packaging design
Focus groups are often used to assess the effects of new packaging designs. However, focus groups are not always useful because many of the processes that guide consumers’ preferences remain unconscious. Sara Shumpert, director of the Packaging School, believes methods like biometric research are much more powerful. She says that eye-tracking technology can now be used to effectively collect quantitative data on the effectiveness of point-of-purchase marketing in a controlled environment with a set methodology.
More at Packaging Digest

Brewery develops beer packaging that is less harmful for sea life
Everybody has seen the images of turtles and other sea life suffocating because they got entangled in the plastic rings that hold six packs of beer cans together. A brewery in Florida now came up with a new solution: Using wheat and barley left over from the brewing process, Saltwater Brewery in Florida developed an edible and biodegradable alternative to the plastic. Unlike plastic rings, which can poison or entangle sea life, the edible rings can’t harm animals. Not only do they break down in water, they’re edible too.
More at Cosmos Magazine

KBA plans takeover of die-cutter manufacturer Iberica
Koenig & Bauer AG (KBA) has finalized a Letter of Intent with Officine Meccaniche G. Cerutti S.p.A. (OMGC) in Casale Monferrato, Italy for the 100 percent takeover of its Spanish subsidiary Iberica AG S.A. in Barcelona. The planned takeover underscores KBA’s announced focus on the growing packaging market. KBA’s sheetfed segment is a leader in folding carton printing and there is a large overlap between its international customer base for sheetfed offset presses and die-cutters.
More at Graphic Repro Online