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

Back in 1998 we thought that direct imaging presses would someday dominate all reproduction, but all the above factors changed the equation. If direct imaging presses had been available then for prices in the $250,000 range, the base of installed systems would certainly be higher today. If the larger-format versions (29˝ or so) had continued in development, with more than four colors, the market might look differently today. If the “spray on” plate material had been commercialized, or if re-imageable plates had come into being, perhaps the market might be different at this point. In other words, direct imaging missed a few critical opportunities to expand its presence in the printing industry.