Heidelberg To Showcase Full Network Integration, Cross-Platform Color Management at GRAPH EXPO 2011

Heidelberg, the world’s largest supplier of print media solutions and service provider to the graphic communications industry, will demonstrate “HEI Flexibility” in Booth 1200 at Graph Expo 2011. “HEI Flexibility” refers to an intelligent combination of offset and digital printing, as well as web-to-print offerings, designed to produce top-quality print products in the most profitable way possible, regardless of run length or variable content.
 
Graph Expo 2011 is the first North American show at which Heidelberg will present both its new digital and conventional production equipment alongside its Speedmaster presses. Accordingly, Graph Expo will see the U.S. launch of the Ricoh ProTM C901 Graphic Arts Edition high-speed color digital press. Running at up to 90 ppm, this high-output press is the offset printer’s answer to short runs, variable data printing, and fast turnaround on a wide range of substrates. Heidelberg also will launch its own web-to-print solution, giving commercial print shops the chance to enter this market in an affordable way. The company will also exhibit for the first time the VUTEk GS3200 grand-format UV inkjet printer, a hybrid UV device for rigid and roll-to-roll printing.
 
“As a supplier of all the technologies and support services that define graphic production today, attendees can see these systems in action as they could be in their own plants,” said Jim Dunn, president of Heidelberg USA. “We also want them to know that optimized production comes not just from acquiring the right solutions, but from making them work together at the highest level of performance. Graph Expo, which will attract tens of thousands of visitors over four days, provides the ideal opportunity for us to show attendees how this can work in their shops.”
 
As visitors approach Booth 1200, they immediately will see a bright red 18-wheeler forming almost one entire wall of the booth. The big rig is courtesy of Unisource, Heidelberg’s partner in Printers Advantage, a new national partnership that makes it easy for printers to obtain all the paper and consumable supplies they need together with world-class technical support, all from a single team dedicated to their success.
 
Digital Production

In its entirety, Booth 1200 will be a fully networked print shop running live work for the duration of the show, simulating the digitally controlled production environment that Heidelberg can help its customers achieve. It will offer examples of everything a printing company needs to optimize its production and grow its business—not in the form of static equipment displays, but in one seamless example of automated print manufacturing at its most efficient.
 
In live demonstrations, Heidelberg will exhibit its color management solutions, where attendees can experience color matching across all platforms. The VUTEk GS3200, the Ricoh Pro C901, and the Speedmasters all will be linked in a live, color-managed workflow as they print a variety of materials for a simulated advertising campaign, showcasing Heidelberg’s cross-platform expertise in integrated production and color consistency.
 
Visitors to Booth 1200 will learn that getting harmonious results from all three processes can be a major competitive advantage for printers who know how to make cross-platform color management part of their everyday production routines. Prinect workflow technology will drive color management and all other integrated functions from a bank of workstations at the center of the booth. Prinect brings “HEI Flexibility” to every phase of print manufacturing by routing jobs quickly and efficiently to production equipment for optimized throughput and higher profitability.
 
Offset Lithography and Prepress