DAYTON — Although the losses continue for documents services firm Standard Register, Joe Morgan, its chief executive, is optimistic that the market understands the company is renewing itself.

“The dirty truth is, print isn’t going away,” Morgan told listeners at the company’s annual shareholders meeting Thursday, April 29. “Print is being augmented with other means.”

Standard Register saw a net loss of $813,000, or three cents per share, in the first quarter of 2010, well above the net loss of $10.9 million, or 38 cents per share, which the company reported in the first quarter of 2009.

Total revenue was down slightly, at $167.4 million for the 13 weeks that ended April 4, 2010, compared to $174.6 million for the similar quarter in 2009.

However, the company reported improved revenue across all business segments, new customers and positive cash flow for the second year in a row. The net loss in this year’s first quarter include $4.7 million in pension loss amortization, or 10 cents per share, the company said.

“Candidly, it’s not enough,” Morgan told shareholders at the company’s Albany Street headquarters. “There’s a lot more we need to do.”

The company’s directors declared a quarterly dividend of five cents per share to be paid on June 4, 2010 to shareholders of record as of May 21, 2010.

Shares of Standard Register (NYSE: SR) were trading up 12 cents shortly after noon, at about $5.59 per share.

Morgan and Bob Ginnan, the company’s chief financial officer, will discuss results in a conference call at 10 a.m. Friday. The call can be accessed at www.standardregister.com/investorcenter.

Standard Register has about 560 Dayton employees and about 2,900 nationwide.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or tgnau@DaytonDailyNews.com.