Printing Industries national communications and technology services manager, Joe Kowalewski, said that last week's meeting in the USA between Adobe CEO Bruce Chizen and members of his marketing team with print industry representatives had allowed everyone to "put their cards on the table". (Printing Industries members' views were represented by its US sister organisation, Printing Industries of America PIA).

Kowaleski says, "Our feedback makes it clear that Adobe have acknowledged they made an error of judgement and Mr Chizen reiterated this point on several occasions.

"It has also been underscored that Adobe is bound by contractual issues which need to be resolved. However that is not an issue of concern for the many thousands of angry printing companies who are growing impatient waiting for a suitable solution to be forthcoming.

"In reality there is only one reasonable solution, the removal of the 'print to Kinkos' button via a new Acrobat reader release and related upgrades of its other affected products.

"With such a move we believe Adobe could begin to minimise the impact of this controversy and start to rebuild its standing and reinforce the confidence of the industry in Australia and the many other countries affected."

Kowalewski said Adobe's undertaking to produce a statement on August 1 needed to be supported by both tangible and industry acceptable solutions to the issue.

"Our industry and the industries of our affected colleagues do not want a PR exercise. What they want urgently is a solution to a problem not of their making that is potentially affecting the print procurement procedures of customers each day it is left unresolved," he said.

Printing Industries' CEO Philip Andersen will meet Adobe Australia officials in Sydney today (Friday) to follow-up on the US meeting.

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