In this short-run era, where a third of all jobs have run lengths of just 250 sheets, how are sheetfed offset presses faring? Industry observer Frank Romano offers his view.

By Frank Romano

• 60 percent of the printers at the conference did coating.

• The average invoice has dropped from an average of $14,000 to $3,500. This says that runs are definitely getting shorter.

Direct Imaging on Press

Producing the image carrier on a printing press has advantages. The plates are immediately in register and ink settings can be automatic. The downside is that the press is tied up during the imaging process, much as it is during makeready for offset lithographic presses. On-press platemaking/makeready still is less than the time for traditional off-press platemaking/makeready—but that gap has narrowed.