Feelin' Those Print Migrations: Print 09 Wrap-Up Part 2

The annual Graph Expo printer migration to Chicago stepped up earlier this month for the quadrennial Print 09 show. For me, it’s all about the bus and taxi lines outside McCormick Place. To judge the success of a trade show, you can usually get a semi-accurate gauge by the lines (or lack of) at the cab stands come 5 p.m. While attendance admittedly was down, foot traffic did pick up as the show went on. Most exhibitors stressed the quality of leads they were getting over the quantity. The bottom line: more decision makers were ready to buy (see sidebar).

Because Print shows are held 15 months after Drupa, the cool thing about them is that we North Americans get a chance to see what many people could only read about from Dusseldorf last year. That was way back in May/June 2008, before the Great Recession hit the U.S. After last fall, with Print 09 one year away, people started pulling back. The Graphic Arts Show Co., which manages Graph Expo and Print, got creative to lure exhibitors with incentives via its own “economic stimulus plan.”

Still, Adobe was a no-show, which doesn’t bode well for a vendor/partner supposedly committed to our beloved print medium. Learning from past trade show missteps, KBA brought iron this year. But deep-pocketed HP didn’t bring its much ballyhooed 30-inch, high-speed inkjet web press that created much buzz in Germany. The formal commercialization of the now named T300 Color Inkjet Web Press was marked by a life-size interactive display in its booth. I’ve seen video of the actual press in action at Consolidated Graphics’ Frederic Printing, Aurora, Colo., and it looks quite a bit different from what I saw at Drupa—buku design improvements, definitely.

The following report is merely a glimpse (and is in no way intended to be comprehensive) of what else caught my eye at Print 09. Last week, Printing News Editor Toni McQuilken highlighted some of the software that impressed her at booth-side demonstrations. I’d like to add Responsive Solutions’ enhanced Customer+ product. Powered by Adobe InDesign Server, this online marketing automation system goes beyond Web-to-print to bring printers a comprehensive marketing resource center.

Whatever medium your customers need to communicate—direct mail, e-mail, pURLs—Customer+ offers them all up in a single browser. The digital asset management model handles images, audio and video. It even manages sub-contractors (T-shirt screen printers, gift vendors, etc.) within the supply chain. Hosted systems start at under $8,000. Another software product worth noting is Version 8 of ilinkONE, the multichannel marketing communications solution for print and fulfillment from interlinkONE.

Iron on Hand

While the presence of heavy iron was lessened at Print 09, there was still a lot of equipment operating among the floor’s more than 650 exhibitors and 600,000 square feet of exhibit space. The Heidelberg exhibit was a typically massive booth, sporting a 29-inch, 10-color Speedmaster XL 75 perfector with simultaneous plate changing, inline color and register control. KBA North America showed a 41-inch, eight-unit Rapida 106 (see sidebar) for the first time in the U.S. market, while press offerings from Komori America included a 41-inch, six-unit Lithrone SX 40. (Fry Communications is installing a unique configuration of this press in its Mechanicsburg, Pa., facility.) Komori also featured two 29-inch sheetfeds: a six-unit Lithrone SX 29 and a five-color Spica 29P configured as a convertible perfector. manroland’s exhibit showcased its service program and other value-added offerings, then showed off its iron off site at its North American headquarters in nearby Westmont, Ill. Before show hours, of course.

Heidelberg’s primary focus was its Prinect Press Center, which was a Worth-a-Look technology at the show, and also won a 2009 PIA InterTech Technology Award. The Prinect Press Center is designed to allow all tasks—from job preparation and press setup to print sheet measurement and evaluation—to be accomplished faster, more accurately and with greater reliability. This platform makes it easy for operators to keep track of the entire printing process, including the activation/deactivation of printing, dampening, inking and coating units. It is also possible to preset the printing speed, record okay sheets and waste, control sheet travel and regulate dryer settings, as well as the volumes of blast and air suction.

Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses (MLP USA) highlighted a 41-inch, six-unit, UV-equipped Diamond V3000 press in its exhibit. An eight-color version was recently sold to packaging specialist Southern Standard Cartons for its 225,000-sq-ft Louisville, Ky. facility, which is replacing a seven-color, 51-inch Mitsubishi 5FC. Meanwhile, MLP’s Diamond Color Navigator with color wheel selector was voted as a Must See ’Em technology in the offset press accessory category.

The color adjustment interface, which also received a 2009 PIA InterTech Technology Award, allows press operators to fine-tune color to match a proof or customer preference prior to and during printing by using their own intuitive color sense rather than attempting to interpret the necessary CMYK balance. If a sheet needs more blue in a given area, or less red, for example, press operators can use a color wheel selector rather than adjusting percentages on three sets of keys. Through a single operation that employs two touchscreens, the operator can color balance an entire image or sections of the image or alter ink densities without the need for frequent trial and error via manual ink key adjustments. Less experienced operators are able to isolate very specific areas of the image that need adjusting and then select a specific shade from the color wheel rather than guessing which percentages of process colors will achieve the requested shade. The system then automatically moves all the appropriate keys on each print unit to yield the selected color.

Printing companies that have adopted it are enjoying the rewards of significantly improved time savings, color accuracy and customer satisfaction. “Diamond Color Navigator can make a good press operator an excellent press operator,” said Alan Guttridge, owner of commercial shop Coastal Printing, Sarasota, Fla. “Press operators can make specific color adjustments with a higher degree of certainty than with any other color system on press,” Guttridge noted. “Even operators lacking technical understanding of the visible color spectrum can produce accurate color quickly and efficiently without ever manually touching a key on the remote press console.”

Pete Mikos, manager of print operations at Northwest Mailing Service, Chicago, pointed out that Diamond Color Navigator permits real-time proofing by the operator and customer of the adjusted image.

“A lot of our customers come in for press checks, and they have been very impressed with the results …,” Mikos explained. “They can immediately see how any adjustments will affect color and register by looking at the preview image on the touchscreen. It has been easier for our customers to work with the press operators because they are seeing exactly what the operator is changing. The customers can then give better direction to the operator in terms of color preference. This, in turn, has helped reduce the amount of time needed for press approvals.”

Diamond Color Navigator includes a hand-held spectrodensitometer for color matching specific spots on the sheet. But, according to Guttridge, “The system goes beyond standard densitometry readings to deliver an accurate and more consistent product. It enables you to verify that the color in a specific area, such as a customer logo at the bottom of each page of a catalog, is the exact same color everywhere it appears. You can adjust the color to an established standard on any part of the press sheet.”

Field data has revealed that, compared with conventional color matching, Diamond Color Navigator cuts color adjustment time in half, reduces press approvals from seven minutes to just under five minutes and trims the number of ink key moves from 137 to 29.

Digital, Inkjet and Mailing

InfoPrint Solutions, the Ricoh/IBM joint venture, showed off its Pro C900 AFP color cut-sheet digital production press, which was deemed “Worth-a Look” by the judging panel. Its Postal Optimization product also is definitely Worth-a-Look. Ricoh’s Pro C900 digital press with Creo Controller C-80 garnered Must See ’Em recognition. Ricoh America donated a Pro C900S model to Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department.

Screen USA reported the largest trade show sale in its history—$25 million to Fermata Capital, Allen, Texas, which is funding a new international short-run distributed printing company. The initial order for digital equipment includes four North American sites. The equipment included in the purchase is a Truepress Jet520 full-color variable inkjet web press, the Truepress Jet 650 industrial flatbed press, Truepress Jet 2500 UV grand format inkjet press, Truepress 344 digital offset press, and the Trueflow workflow SE automated, JDF-compliant PDF workflow system. The Fermata digital startup will use the equipment to supply a range of printing markets, including industrial printing for manufacturing, such as auto dashboards, variable personalized printing, large-format roll and board printing, and forms, signs and display ads.

Videojet Technologies’ Cheshire TLS tabber has been upgraded to meet new booklet tabbing requirements from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Noncompliance with the new tabbing regulations, which went into effect Sept. 8, means commercial printing and mailing companies cannot receive discounted postage rates. According to the USPS, booklets “consist of bound sheets or pages.” Binding methods that are compatible with automated processing and eligible for discounted postage rates include perfect binding, pressed glue and permanent fastening with at least two staples in the manufacturing fold (saddle-stitched).

Under the new rules, most booklets now require two 1.5-inch tabs wrapped on the leading edge of the product and one 1.5-inch tab wrapped on the trailing edge. These tabs cannot be perforated, and the required orientation of the tabs varies depending on the product being tabbed.

The upgraded Videojet Cheshire TLS tabber offers increased tabber head speed and greater product control. These upgrades ensure the tabber will meet the new USPS regulations and easily integrate with existing addressing and mailing systems. The Cheshire TLS tabber is capable of tabbing up to 30,000 pieces per hour. Extended product guides ensure that booklets do not shift as they move through the tabber, resulting in USPS-compliant tab placement. Commercial printing and mailing companies with existing Cheshire TLS tabbers can upgrade their systems to reduce capital outlays and installation time.

Based near Chicago, contributing editor Mark Vruno is a business writer who has reported on the commercial print industry for more than 20 years. Most recently, he was executive editor of Graphic Arts Monthly magazine. E-mail him at markvmail@comcast.net.

PRINT Show $ales

In addition to the $25 million Screen sale mentioned later in the article, other large capital equipment purchases were made on the floor at the big Chicago show, including:

• Postpress: Allan Graphics, Ltd., Kingston, Ontario (Canada), bought a C.P. Bourg BST-e tower collator and BME booklet-making system.
• Packaging: Folding carton producer Bell Inc., Sioux Falls, SD, became the first U.S. company to purchase Heidelberg’s new Speedmaster XL 162 6+LX press with aqueous coater and Prinect Press Center with Intellistart and integrated Wallscreen. This is the first sheetfed press for the formerly all-web company. The new machine will be the first installation of Heidelberg’s 64-inch VLF model in North America. Another large-format press—this one a six-color Speedmaster XL145—also was sold to carton producer Proteus Packaging. The Franklin, Wis. firm says it’s replacing a pair of aging 50-inch presses.
• Inkjet: Digital Edge, Oakville, Ontario, purchased a K200 drop-on-demand inkjet system from Domino Amjet.
• Bindery: Family Binding, Norcross, Ga., purchased its fifth Standard Horizon postpress line: a CABS 4000 perfect binder from Standard Finishing Systems dealer Paper Handling Solutions.
• Web Offet: The Church of Scientology will install a Goss Sunday 2000 press in early 2010, premiering a new web-offset production facility in addition to an existing extensive digital print operation in Los Angeles used to produce its collateral materials and publications. Automatic Transfer technology will enable language changes for various products to be completed on the fly. Also, Grupo Infagon of Mexico signed on for a 16-page Sunday 2000 web press from Goss International.
• Foil stamping/die cutting: French folding carton firm Cultech purchased North America’s first Duopress double-headed die cutter for its Edison, N.J. facility. Manufactured in China by Masterwork Graphic Equipment, the MK21060STE features two platens in a row and can foil stamp, die cut and strip inline.
• Digital Print: Commercial shop Hansen Quality Printing, Syracuse, N.Y., bought a four-color MGI Meteor DP60 Pro multi-substrate digital press. MGI sold five Meteors at the show. The DP60 Pro prints on paper, plastics and envelopes as well as in super-wide formats on sheets up to 13 by 47 inches.
• LF Inkjet: Screen and digital printer NGS, Elgin, Ill., bought an Inca Onset S20 UV flatbed printer from Fujifilm Sericol for short-run, quick-turn retail signage, packaging and point-of-purchase work as well as prototypes.
• Digital Imaging Offset: Mega printer Quad/Graphics, Sussex, Wis., purchased the first Presstek 52DI-AC, a 20.5-inch digital offset press featuring an integrated aqueous coater that supports flood and spot applications. The press prints on a broad range of substrates from .0024 to .02 inches thick, supports up to 300 lpi and FM screening, and support runs from 500 to 20,000.
  “Presstek’s 52DI-AC gives us high-quality reproduction and print-run-count flexibility—features which are extremely important to our client base—with the added benefits of quick makeready and minimal waste,” said Tom Frankowski, senior Quad/Graphics’ manufacturing vice president. “We envision a wide range of uses for this equipment. It will augment our manufacturing platform very well, giving our clients more ways to profitfrom our print capabilities.”
• Digital Print: Specialty Print Communications, Niles, Ill., a national printing firm and full-service direct mail production specialist, purchased a Kodak NexPress 2500. “The NexPress 2500 signals SPC’s continued commitment to data-driven, one-to-one personalized communications as a source of continued growth and escalation up the value chain,” says SPC’s Dustin LeFebvre. “The increased size of the 2500, along with the dimensional capabilities, enable SPC to continue to bring marketing solutions that drive engagement and interactivity, are targeted and relevant, and increase bottom line ROI for our clients.”
• Southeastern commercial shops 4D Printing, Conyers, Ga., and Paramount Performance Marketing, Jacksonville, Fla., each purchased a 29.5-inch Rapida 75; 4D’s is a six-color model plus coater. Manufacturer KBA North America reports selling some $25 million in press equipment at the Print 09 show, including 11 other printing presses—and says it has a commitment for six more. In addition to the Rapida 75, KBA also showed the 41-inch, 8-unit Rapida 106 and a 20-inch, four-color Genius 52 UV in its exhibit.

Post-show Buys

Two days after the Print 09 show, book printing firm Bradford & Bigelow (Newburyport, Mass.) placed an order for the HP Indigo W7200 digital press color web press that was on display on the show floor in Chicago. The firm said the purchase is part of its transition from book manufacturer to a “complete provider of sustainable supply chain solutions for the publishing industry.”

The press was crated after Print 09 closed on Sept. 16 for delivery to the Massachusetts plant, where it becomes a component to increase production capacity in what Bradford & Bigelow said is a growing Digital Book Factory operation for shorter run production. The press aligns with the company’s overall philosophy of offering a streamlined supply chain for publishers to reduce lead times and back orders, and obsolete stock.

“As a company that has built its reputation by delivering high-quality digital and offset printing, Bradford & Bigelow sees this as an important new addition that can transition a sizable portion of offset work to digital,” said president John Galligan. Bradford & Bigelow said it has produced primarily 8.5x11-inch one- and two-color products, operating a Timson web offset press. “Our offset pressroom will be dedicated to the work that fits it best, and our customers will have even more options for improving cash flow, shortening lead times and reducing obsolescence.”

The web-fed press prints at speeds of 240 letter-size, four-color pages per minute (960 ppm monochrome). It can also handle direct mail work, printing on virtually any standard, off-the-shelf offset or publishing paper. It was shipped with an HP SmartStream Production Pro Print Server.