Half-size The Ideal Press?

And though a number of in-plants do have 40˝ presses, for the most part, vendors say, half-size presses can compete effectively.

"When you have a six-up machine that can print 18,000 sheets per hour, you can easily compete against 40˝ printers for mid-range work," says Doug Still, of MAN Roland. "Smaller plates mean less time in prepress and makeready."