2011 was another monumental year for Inkcups Now! We grew as a company, introduced new products and updates to the market, expanded our presence in the garment tag printing (aka Inkcup Print) market. We have compiled a list of what we accomplished in the past year:

1. WE TURNED 10!
Inkcups Now celebrated its 10th year as a company! Starting out selling ink cups out of his basement, Ben Adner (President and founder) quickly turned this small company into a market leader in 10 short years! Even receiving the honor of being named entrepreneur of the year!

2. INKCUPS NOW EXPANDS THEIR FACILITY
In early 2011 Inkcups Now decided that we needed more space! We were expanding our inventory and simply could not house it all in a single place. We moved our entire ink, thinner and auxiliary line to a state of the art facility. We now have a larger inventory and faster than ever turnaround!

3. INCREASED WORK FORCE
Throughout the year Inkcups Now has obtained new employees in all departments of the company. We expanded our production department, our corporate sector and our sales department. We also have more international sales representatives in Central and South America.

4. INTRODUCED THE ICN-2200PS
The ICN-2200PS revolutionized 2 color pad printing. The reason why this machine is so effective in printing 2 colors is the fact that the parts do not move, only the pads, ensuring flawless 2nd color registration. The ICN-2200PS is also much faster than typical 2 color pad printing machines. The 2200PS is the most advanced 2 color pad printer on the market.

5. INTRODUCED THE ICN-B150
The ICN-B150, also known as the big brother to the ICN-B100, was an excellent addition to the ICN line of pad printers. This pad printer is a bench top model that now allows users to place in smaller work cells, yet can accommodate images up to 150mm in diameter. A great addition to any print shop!

6. INTRODUCED THE ICN-2200PSx
The ICN-2200PS was a great achievement for Inkcups Now and the printing industry as a whole. However, we managed to increase the speed of the machine by giving it an independent cup drive. The 2200PSx managed to increase the overall speed of the machine by 40%. This is now the fastest pad printer on the market today.

7. CREATED A ROTARY MODULE FOR THE MIMAKI UJF-3042
We built the first and only proprietary head lift system and rotary module for the Mimaki UJF-3042. The head lift system raises the print head to allow it to print on items up to 5 inches in height instead of the standard 2 inches. The rotary module gives the machine the ability to print on cylindrical objects, 360 degrees around.

8. NEW PLATE MATERIALS
We introduced new plate materials to the market for pad printing. Our premium orange laser plates are perfect for garment tag printing. Our gold plate material is great for doctoring because it has such a smooth glossy finish.

9. NEW TOUGHCUP
We redeveloped our ToughCup coating for the VersaCup Inkcup to be as tough as ever! The new coating even resists ink. The ink can literally sit over 48hours and harden inside the cup, no matter what the ink can be removed with just a single paper towel. A lot of companies have tried to introduce “green” products this year, Inkcups Now, however was the only one to truly succeed because there is no need to use chemicals and there is nothing to throw away.

10. SILICONE INK
Inkcups Now had begun selling a silicone ink that will adhere to any silicone material. The ink is available for pad printing and screen printing. The silicone ink can withstand extreme temperatures and will not crack or peel when bent.

What’s to come????
We plan on having another stellar year! We are going to continue to grow as a company. We are going to introduce a whole line of new machines, modifications to old machines, and continue to provide the best customer service in the industry.

What do you most want to see from Inkcups Now in 2012?

With everyone turning the corner into the new year, Inkcups Now celebrates a very special one! 2011 marks the 10 year anniversary of the company and it’s impact on the printing industry.

Marking such a special occasion, Inkcups Now did what it does best, PARTY! Everyone in the company was in attendence including all of the sales people from across the country…and beyond!

The event was held at the Lyceum in Salem, Massachusetts. Not only was this a beautiful venue, but it also held sentimental value for the company’s founder and president Ben Adner. The Lyceum was a regular meeting place for Ben and current vice president Mike Bissel. They would meet once a month

and talk about the industry. This is where Ben eventually offered Mike a Job to join the Inkcups Now bus.

Starting with 1 employee and only selling ink cups to over 20 employees 10 years later (and still expanding.) Inkcups Now sells a wide array of products and has gone great lengths in proving itself as a leader in the pad and screen printing industry, most notably introducing tagless printing to the apparel industry.

Inkcups Now thanks you for your continued support throughout the years. Here’s to 10 more!!!

Are you struggling with keeping opened pad or screen printing ink and hardener fresh?
We have a convenient solution: the VersaCover! Don’t miss our commercial to air at the Super Bowl. Here is a sneak preview, just for you:

The VersaCover hermetically seals nearly all ink and hardener cans available on the market.
READ MORE

At this years’ ICN summer event, the game was definitely ON at the volleyball court! Despite some wind, a few clouds and a “slight” downward slant of the volleyball net, everyone had a blast!

Take a look at this video demonstrating our volleyball skills. We may not be professionals but it’s pretty darn close

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As part of Inkcups Now ongoing community involvement we were pleased to donate some of our time and effort for the Appleton Farm’s Fundraiser Event, which took place in June ’09 in Ipswich, MA. Please visit their website at www.thetrustees.org

“Appleton Farms” Laser etching on Hammers
We were approached by Mrs. Hoffman from Appleton Farms who came up with the idea of etching on hammers. She asked if we could do it in a way which would preserve the old fashion look of the hammers. That’s why we decided to simply engrave “Appleton Farms” on the wooden handle.

Next step was to put our innovative minds together to come up with the design and we used one of our CO2 lasers etcher to engrave the handle of the hammers. Supposedly it was the most popular item; all 50 hammers sold out in a matter of minutes!

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Times are tough, we know, but here at Inkcups Now we are committed to staying positive and optimistic about the future of the economy and our industry.

The last trade show we participated in – International Plastic Showcase in Chicago, IL – was definitely an eye opener. There were quite a few people in disbelief about the future due to the growth recession. But even though the economic climate is getting tougher out there, we choose to stay ahead of the game and look forward by creating new opportunities and innovative ideas every day. The second half of 2009 has just started!

We are also very excited to be participating in this upcoming trade show in October! It is the annual SGIA EXPO in New Orleans, LA from Oct 7-9. Please come and see us if you are in the area. Actually, we’ll make it easy for you; just click on the link to get a free SGIA pass today! No excuses!

Technorati tags: NPE 2009, SGIA EXPO, Free SGIA Pass

One of our indispensable sales managers, Paul Strunk was asked by his 11 year old daughter to come in for career day and talk about what he does for a living. Anyone who knows Paul also knows that he would never pass up an opportunity to crack a few jokes! He did however also have an agenda – encouraging young kids to stay in school and pursue a college degree.

Paul himself got his business degree while also serving in the Navy. After getting out he started working in sales and has been in this industry for the last thirteen years. Due to Paul’s endless sense of humor and slight sarcasms the kids seem to enjoyed his 10 minutes speech – he even got fan mail!

This wonderfully decorated ping-pong ball and toilet seat cover was given to one of our customers as a Super Bowl present. He also happens to be the biggest Steelers fan E-V-E-R!

For the toilet seat cover we used the Mimaki UJF 605 II flatbed printer. By using a primer wipe before the cover was printed on, the resolution and graphics came out exceptionally clear. In fact, it is so good that even after a couple of beers, when everything else is blurry, the logo will still be crystal clear.

The Cardinal logo on the ping-pong ball was printed using the PromoJET Solvent flatbed printer. By using a fixture to hold the balls still we can fit up to 50 at a time. Perfect for Beer-Pong! Read more

Here we are, the ICN Family, at our Grand Christmas-Hanukkah-Kwanzaa-New-Year Party, celebrating a successful year (despite these not easy times!) and looking forward to the next one.

We thank our customers and partners for both their friendship and their business and wish everybody happy holidays and a prosperous 2009!

Several times a year, the ICN people come from all over North America to the Massachusetts Headquarters to work together, make strategic plans and have fun. The holiday party was the fun part, with a delicious dinner, invigorating cocktails and dancing, news-sharing, laughter and heartfelt wishes – time well-spent!

It was great to see the ICN people and their loved ones all getting together, and great to feel that we are, more than ever, one strong team.

May everyone be happy, safe and joyful and… let’s overachieve more!!

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Technorati tags: The ICN Family

Here is ICN’s take on what Pad Printing is all about…
**Attention: all stunts in this video are done by experienced professionals, do not attempt this at home!!!**