Color--The New Standard

Like automation, color is not just an option anymore. Manufacturers are responding to the trend by offering more color-productive equipment.

Color and simplicity seem to be the chief components of today's sheetfed offset presses. Quicker makereadies, digital prepress consoles, auto-perfecting channels and color controls are just some of the latest advances—with color creating a new niche market.

"In 1986, most of the 9,000 presses sold by small-press manufacturers comprised single-color presses," observes Tom Nishimura, president of Hamada. "However, last year approximately only 4 percent of about 2,700 presses sold under 40˝ were single color.

In-plants looking for easy-to-use, multi-functional machines that feature the latest technological advances and options have a plethora to choose from—and some won't blow the lid off your annual operating budget.

Sheetfed Or Digital?

A silent battle is occurring between traditional sheetfed printing and digital printing that will extend well into the next few years. At present, each seem to have their own niche.

"Digital color printing will continue to satisfy walk-in customers of runs fewer than 500 sheets of pleasing color on limited quality, size and stock," notes Tom Nishimura, president of Hamada. "But offset printing will be the mainstream in marketing and communication media for many years."

Digital devices provide print on demand, but many believe digital presses can't compete with the quality of a sheetfed press.

"Quality and color consistency continue to severely limit the impact of digital machines on the traditional sheetfed press market," explains Robert McKinney, vice president of marketing at KBA Planeta. "I think the larger question is when will the traditional sheetfed press become digital. It would seem only a logical evolution that the pressroom will ultimately follow the prepress in the digital world."

How To Pick A Press

So many presses. So many features. Where should an in-plant manager start? These press manufacturers offered to share their advice with IPG readers:

A.B.Dick: "The first thing an in-plant should be looking for is productivity with quick changeover," says William Pesch, vice president of international operations . "Look for a press that offers multi and process color. Color gets your point across more quickly and is more effective in attracting attention."

Ease-of-use is also important contends Pesch. "The craftsmanship that was around in the past is not available anymore. Look for quick set-up, tight registration between colors and, again, ease-of-use." Most users are not willing to train someone for a year and then turn them loose, he adds.

Heidelberg: Marketing Director Eric Frank suggests looking for more automation when purchasing a sheetfed offset because qualified operators are hard to find. "With automation, it's easier to teach someone how to operate a particular piece of the equipment," says Frank.

In-plant managers should also look for presses that give them flexibility. "In-plants need to look at what they may need in the future, not just what's needed today," Frank says.

Because of the fast turnaround of operators, Frank implores in-plants to look for manufacturers that offer in-house and on-site training.

Omnitrade Industrial: When shopping for a press, says General Manager Dick Shoener, managers should ask, "Does the press feed sheets in a landscape method?" This is a better way of printing, he says, because more ink is distributed on the page, preventing costly errors.

"Also, ask if it's bearer to bearer," he continues. "Does it have at least four form rollers,? A stream feeder with a pool guide? Consider buying a multi-color or getting a converter perfecting mechanism." And when purchasing a multi-color press, look for one that has grippers rather than chains.

A Model For Every Taste

A.B.Dick helps the in-plant market profit from color printing with its two-color press, the Century 3500. This press is easy to use, enabling you to immediately offer short-run, tight-register, two-, three-, and four-color work. With fast changeover features, the 3500 is designed for high productivity.

Advanced Graphic Equipment, the distributor of Hashimoto sheetfed offset presses, offers the SA-652P, a convertible perfecting press that is pneumatically impression-activated, bearer-pressured and changes over to perfecting from in-line in five steps. It can print on sheets from 9x12˝ to 20x26˝. It has mechanical and electronic double-sheet and register detectors, an underswing gripper feed and solid-state electronics for durability. A 20-roller ink train with four form rollers of various sizes ensures the reproduction of fine screens or full-page solids.

Akiyama recently introduced the J Print perfector press with a patented linear design that allows two-sided printing in a single pass without turning the sheet over. With this method, a single gripper edge is maintained throughout the process, resulting in consistent front-to-back register and minimal sheet distortion.

Halm Industries' EM4000 EnvelopeMaster is a four-color press that can print 30,000 envelopes per hour. It boasts single-operator control and a state-of-the-art computer interface, which allows quick set up and job changes. The EM4000 has scratch-free chrome-plated cylinder surfaces and interlocking steel covers. It offers an ergonomic design and is built with safety in mind.

The new Hamada RS34LSII offers superior registration and alignment due to an in-line satellite second-color head. Productivity-boosting features include: leverless start up, three form rollers, blanket washers and vertical micro adjustment. Equipped with a register board, it handles up to 11x17˝ bleed at speeds up to 10,000 iph. A 15 roller train inking system and a stepless ink/water control enable higher quality printing of large solids and halftones. It is designed for envelopes, letterheads and multicolor brochures.

The in-line features of Heath Custom Press PAK-TO-PAK presses allow you to print one or two colors offset, imprint one to three colors MICR and Arabic number, print marginal words, cross and lineal perforate, collate and crimp in a single pass through the press.

Heidelberg USA's Quickmaster 46 is a high-performance, small-format press that helps upgrade quality while handling short-run jobs more cost-effectively. Available in one- and two-color configurations, the Quickmaster 46 automates the small-format printing process with features like:

• Programmable controls.

• Autoplate, an automatic plate-clamping system that speeds plate exchanges.

• Central sheet-size adjustment, which speeds set-up between jobs.

• On-the-fly register control and bear-to-bearer pressure.

• Automated wash-up.

The MAN Roland 200 series produces work at speeds up to 12,000 sheets per hour (sph) on a range of materials. Roland 200 presses can print from one to six colors and can be equipped with a coater. One- and two-color machines can handle anything from quality multi-color to simple business letterhead. They require only 52 square feet of floor space. Maximum sheet size: 20x29˝.

The 28˝ Mitsubishi Model 1F, rated at 13,000 to 15,000 sph, is available with Digital Register Analysis for micron-precise measurement of press movement, and Diamond Litho Analysis, a print quality measurement system. Also available is Mitsubishi's new DiamondLink system, a PC-based electronic press control system that links output data collected by the press to spreadsheet, scheduling and accounting software. These advancements are also available for 40˝ Model 3F presses.

The four-color 15x20˝ Omni-Adast 547P features an automatic stream feeder with four sucker feet for faster running speed. Automatic tape slow-downs help improve register, while a pull side guide helps insure register on all stock weights. A large-capacity ink fountain and automatic ink roll wash up help operators save time. Coated cylinders prevent rust and corrosion, while auto plate rotation rotates the cylinder to plate load position. Four ink form rollers provide better ink coverage.

The Sakurai Oliver 272EPII, with 201⁄2x283⁄8˝ sheet size, is available in straight two-color or two-color convertible perfecting. It is automated and available with Sakurai plate changing, Sakurai automatic perfecter changeover, automatic roller wash-up, and the Sakurai interactive system to monitor the operator and all press functions.

The Swaneck Toko R2 True two-color Press is a common impression cylinder-type two-color offset press designed for quick job turnaround. Features include: one touch double sheet detector, removable cartridge, automatic water fountain drain, electronically controlled ink ductor and side-to-side register on the run. Wash-up devices built into the press make set-up, printing and cleanup efficient.