Offset's Rough Road To Prominence

"I think what it did was force press manufacturers to keep pace with the needs of printers," explains Mel Zischler, manager of Graphic Production Services for Principal Financial Group. "Because they wanted to remain competitive they had to find a faster way to makeready."

To combat the further erosion of their niche, press manufacturers focused on making presses faster and more automated. In-line production, push-button controls and mechanically automated inking systems all became standard in the 1970s, as well as increased press speeds, all to try to limit xerography's impact.