Print 01 The Future Takes Shape In Chicago

Though tragedy cast a pall over the show's final days, most of Print 01 was filled with exciting product introductions and surprising merger news.

by Bob Neubauer

Even the biggest industry news at Print 01 was overshadowed by the horrific destruction of the World Trade Center, which stunned attendees as they prepared for the sixth day of the show. The resulting shock and cancelled travel plans drastically slowed trade show traffic on the show's final three days. Many vendors even abandoned their booths.

Prior to that tragic Tuesday, the largest graphic arts trade show of the year had been a place of excitement, with product debuts and vendor mergers the chief topics of discussion. Though the aisles had seemed a bit less crowded than at last year's Graph Expo, visitors had a lot of ground to cover; the show filled three different halls and took up nearly 900,000 net square feet of space.

Despite its unfortunately grim finale, however, Print 01 did provide its share of positive news in its early days. Perhaps the biggest surprise was Indigo's announcement, at a jammed press conference, that it would be acquired by Hewlett-Packard. Earlier this year, HP had bought 13.4 percent of Indigo's outstanding shares, and had even developed its own digital press based on Indigo technology. But this $629 million deal brings HP into the commercial printing arena full force—right on the heels of its merger with Compaq Computer Corp.

"Indigo is not going to disappear into Hewlett-Packard," promised Benny Landa, Indigo's founder, chairman and CEO. "The Indigo name will live on."

"We think it's exactly the right technology," added Bill McGlynn, HP's vice president and general manager for commercial printing solutions. "Indigo is at the center of our strategy."

HP was not the only company forging new relationships:

• Barco and Purup-Eskofot revealed they would merge into a new company, initially named BPE. The new firm, they said, will be Europe's largest digital prepress supplier.

• Just prior to the show, Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. announced it would acquire PrimeSource Corp., Heartland Imaging and Graphic Systems, the largest Fujifilm dealers, and create one new national distribution company.

• MAN Roland entered a strategic alliance with Océ Printing Systems USA. Océ will support the DICO line of digital color printing systems in the U.S. with installation, training, and service.

Though Xerox and Heidelberg's demos of their new high-speed digital color presses were somewhat trumped by the HP/Indigo announcement, the companies still drew crowds:

• Xerox showed off its not-yet-available but much-hyped technology, previously called FutureColor, but now rechristened the DocuColor iGen3 digital production press. The company also touted its ventures into new markets, announcing the first sales of its direct imaging offset presses and debuting three continuous feed printers.

• Heidelberg began taking orders for its NexPress 2100 digital production color press, featuring the scalable NexStation front end.

The HP/Indigo deal put Xeikon, one of Indigo's long-time competitors, in an awkward situation. At its press conference, the Belgian firm expressed confidence, saying added competition will increase awareness of digital technology, which will benefit everyone. Xeikon also boasted it had more installations than the other digital print players.

At Print 01, Xeikon announced the first shipments of its CSP 320 D sheetfed digital color press, unveiled its DMP 8000 digital monochrome press and announced it will henceforth offer sales and support for its own products, now that PrimeSource has dissolved Canopy LLC, Xeikon's former distributor in North America.

The cluster printing concept got a boost at Print 01, with both Xerox and Canon signing on.

• Canon and T/R Systems formed a deal to create connectivity between the MicroPress server and Canon imageRUNNER and Color Laser Copier (CLC) devices, such as the CLC 5000.

• Xerox and Electronics For Imaging introduced the DocuColor Cluster Powered by EFI Velocity, a workflow management product that manages multiple print engines, dividing large documents between multiple printers.

With such a wealth of new products on display at Print 01, IPG is spreading its show coverage over several issues. Here's a look at some of the new technology we saw:

Job Management

Heidelberg USA showed its Prinance costing and order processing software. The transparency of business management data over the entire print job is ensured since order data accompanies the job from start to finish—from the initial offer to post-costing and invoicing. The user can see at a glance whether the job is profitable, and at the same time improve the flow of orders.

Pace Systems introduced its ePace data format, an enhancement to the Pace 2020 software suite. It permits shop floor personnel to use any popular Internet browser to enter data. Pace also debuted the latest enhancement to the Pace 2020 software—Version 9.0. It provides links to the ePace data format, permitting increased Internet connectivity and real-time collaboration among employees and customers. An upgraded customer service module accommodates online proofing.

As part of its goal to completely digitize the industry, CreoScitex unveiled Networked Graphic Production, a major initiative extending from the creative end to the finished product. It involves integrating the business systems in a print shop with the prepress systems, so data is instantly exchanged between the print production management system and management information systems. This will fine-tune functions like estimating, billing, inventory management and scheduling.

Imagesetters

Film isn't dead yet, and several vendors showed new imagesetters to prove it. For large in-plants, Screen (USA) debuted the eight-up Tanto 6120, imaging on 120 channels as the drum spins up to 510 rpm. It produces 20 flats per hour and supports media sizes from 33x45˝ down to 24x32.7˝. Resolutions range from 1,200 to 4,000 dpi.

For four-up jobs, Purup-Eskofot, fresh from its merger with Barco, demonstrated the DotMate 7500P imagesetter, with an internal drum and maximum film exposure area of 24x29.5˝. Resolution ranges from 1,200 to 3,600 dpi.

Another new four-page model came from CreoScitex. The Dolev 4press V2 imagesetter uses a very fast spinner, which rotates at 60,000 RPM to produce 33 four-page press size films per hour at 2,540 dpi. Currently in beta testing, the Dolev 4press V2 system exposes polyester plates and film. For an entry-level CTP system, the Dolev 4press V2 imagesetter features very high productivity and yields impressive output quality. It will be available for purchase in November 2001.

For screen printers, Xanté announced its new Colour ScreenWriter, a color laser printer able to produce quality film positives without film processing. It prints on Xanté's Myriad film and paper up to 13x19˝.

Platemakers

Computer-to-plate (CTP) technology was out in force at Print 01. A.B.Dick expanded its Digital PlateMaster line to include the DPM2404, a slightly smaller version of the DMP2508. With a maximum plate size of 15.9x20.8˝, the DPM2404 images direct to silver plates. Resolutions range from 1,200 to 3,600 dpi, with integrated punching on the drum and an internal drying system.

Agfa has been experiencing a boom in its CTP business, with CTP revenue growing by more than 60 percent during the first six months of this year, compared to the same period in 2000. This gave Agfa the confidence to launch its latest platesetter, the four-up Palladio violet laser CTP device. The company promised that the laser will last longer than the engine. To be available in 2002, the automated platesetter requires minimal operator attention, perfect for small and medium in-plants, Agfa says. It outputs Agfa Lithostar LAP-V plates at 1,200, 2,400 and 3,000 dpi.

Also using violet laser technology was a new generation of CTP recorders from Heidelberg: the Prosetter family. The 52, 74 and 102 plate formats are ideal for Heidelberg presses. The units are internal drum imagesetters that feature an integrated punch and require only a small footprint. The Prosetter is supported by the new MetaDimension 2.1 version front end. Heidelberg's recently launched Meta-Dimension PDF workflow module offers printers and agencies a low-cost gateway into a PDF-based workflow.

Fujifilm showed its eight-up Saber Luxel P-9600CTP photopolymer platesetter, featuring a multi-beam imaging system. Its advanced plate management technology allows it to offer up to 27 eight-up photopolymer plates per hour. It has a 1,130x900mm image area and offers a flexible format size. Saber also allows for online, automatic punching and loads up to five plate cassettes, holding 300 plates in a variety of sizes.

Purup-Eskofot introduced platesetters for both high-volume and smaller in-plants. The PlateDriver has the ability to load, expose and punch plates in landscape and portrait mode, and can operate unattended for 24 hours. The plate load path has been shortened by 40 percent, adding speed and accuracy. The PlateDriver produces 29 plates/hour at 2,400 dpi and 42 plates/hour at 1,200 dpi. Purup-Eskofot also demonstrated the DPX 5080 digital platesetter. It exposes polyester plates for small presses, offering drum quality at a capstan price. The daylight loading 5080 outputs 45 plates/hour at 900 dpi.

Presstek showed its series of Dimension CTP systems with new options. Dimension works with the company's Anthem chemical-free thermal plates. Presstek Dimension400, now with new options, offers versatility, connectivity options, and high speed due to major design innovations and utilization of Presstek's DI technology. The Dimension400 will image up to a 27x31˝ thermal plate.

Screen (USA) introduced a new version of its four-page platesetter, the PlateRite 4000II. It produces 17 plates/hour at up to 2,400 dpi and has a touch screen operation panel, a 32-channel laser diode, and an automatic drum balancing mechanism.

The PlateRite 8600 made its North American debut at the show. It has an enhanced 64-channel recording head that images 20 plates/hour at 2,400 dpi. It can image a minimum plate size of 19.6x14.5˝.

At the Douthitt booth, the semi-automated Model GEMINI platemaker was on display. Advantages of this system include: easy-to-use controls, adjustable lamp height, various power levels, heavy-duty construction, power-driven frames that travel on a steel gear track with steel precision bearings, and spring-loaded vacuum back to accept any height pins or any thickness registration board. The GEMINI can be manufactured in any size.

Digital Printing

Though Hewlett-Packard's entry into the commercial printing market with its Digital Press 6600 was overshadowed by its decision to buy Indigo, HP still launched the press as scheduled. Designed for short-run, personalized jobs, the 6600 boasts up to six process colors, custom colors and high-fidelity printing. It offers quick turnaround, with no plates, no film and no press preparation time or materials to worry about. Its operating software enables a user to prioritize, interrupt and resume jobs and accept submissions directly from intranets.

By the same token, the HP acquisition pushed Indigo's product debuts to the sidelines. New at Print 01 were the Publisher 4000, a twin-engine web press, and the Platinum, which produces 2,000 color, letter-size sheets per hour. The Platinum boasts a breakthrough laser writing head development called Image Tracking Technology, which allows lasers to precisely lock onto the surface motion of the photo imaging plate. This yields high-res images (175 lpi) and uniform tints. The Publisher 4000 is targeted at the direct mail market and is designed for personalized products. It delivers 136 letter-size pages per minute.

NexPress Solutions demonstrated its own brand of digital color with the NexPress 2100 digital production color press. It prints 4,200 81⁄2x11˝ four-color, one-sided pages per hour, or 2,100 four-over-four color pages. It can print stocks from 80 to 300 gsm, with its "DryInk" transferred by an intermediate blanket. This ink is a dry powder at room temperature and flows like liquid at the higher temperature of the fuser. The NexPress 2100 boasts operator replaceable components, onboard diagnostics, inventory control software and onscreen documentation to guide operators through procedures. Its NexPert support system lets operators solve up to 75 percent of all machine problems.

The big challenger to NexPress is the upcoming Xerox iGen3, formerly called FutureColor. The press, which won't be available until late 2002, has a straight paper-handling design engineered to recognize and print on different sizes and types of paper within the same print run. Xerox says the iGen3 is a step up in performance from the NexPress 2100, which, it contends, is more comparable to its DocuColor 2000 Series. At 28 feet in length, it has a paper capacity of 10,000 sheets. It can produce volumes of more than one million full color or black-and-white impressions per month, with output designed to have an offset look and feel.

Xerox also showed products for other markets, like its new, single-pass, color laser printer, the Xerox Phaser 7700, capable of speeds of 22 pages per minute (ppm) in color and black-and-white. It supports media sizes from 4x6˝ to 12x18.˝

On the continuous feed front, Xerox added three new printers, all using its Intelligent Print Line Manager control software. The printers are the DocuPrint 350 CP, the DocuPrint 700 CFD (two DocuPrint 350 engines in tandem) and the DocuPrint 1000 CFD (a twin-engine using the DocuPrint 500 CF).

Other continuous-feed printers were on display at the Océ Printing Systems USA booth, like the new DemandStream 8090cx. Its Quick Change Developer Station lets the press switch between different types of toner, including spot color and MICR toners. It can run 600-dpi data streams at 243 feet per minute or 1,062 images per minute using 300 dpi consumables. The 8090cx uses offset-quality paper from Willamette.

Xeikon's latest offering is the DMP 8000 Digital Monochrome Press. With 600-dpi quality, it produces 428 letter-size ppm. It offers a wider imaging width of 18.5˝, allowing three-up production of 6x9˝ books. The DMP 8000 uses magnetography technology and a new toner formulation to provide higher optical density for solids and lines.

Also on the black-and-white front, Canon U.S.A. introduced the imageRUNNER 105, a 105-ppm digital copier that supports monthly print volumes of 600,000 impressions. Its silicon drum has a yield of 5 million impressions. Toner cartridges each provide 36,600 images at 6 percent coverage per page. The imageRUNNER 105 scans 80 ppm and offers 600x600-dpi resolution.

Canon bolstered its color offerings with the new CLC 1100, which outputs 8.5 ppm in color and 42 ppm in black and white. The CLC 1100 uses Canon's Finer Brighter Toner, comprised of smaller particles than in conventional toners.

Océ-USA introduced a color product of its own, the CPS700, using Direct Imaging technology. It creates a complete toner image from seven base color cylinders and applies it directly onto one imaging drum in a single step without the use of developer. Colors are not laid atop one another but are applied in one pass, reducing toner usage by up to 50 percent and minimizing registration errors.

Océ also showed the first in a new family of high-speed digital copiers and printing systems. The Océ DPS400 permits concurrent scanning and printing of documents at high speeds. It can handle any length production run at full engine speed.

Duplo USA demonstrated the DP-63P digital printing system, which features 600-dpi print quality and produces up to 7,200 prints per hour. This system allows direct printing from a PC or Mac and is capable of printing a variety of spot colors. The DP-63P offers myriad design features such as a three-roller feeding system, three print modes, air-assisted sheet separation and three-dimensional printing capabilities.

At its booth, Riso was touting its new Zykros technology that enables imaging and printing of multiple colors in one pass. Dual master cylinders featuring inner press technology—with an impression cylinder beneath them—create a V-shaped path to produce printed output with multiple colors. The first product to use Zykros technology is the 8000 Digital Press, which was on display. Users can work from a desktop PC or Mac, or scan from the glass platen.

Another new Riso model, the RP3790 digital printer/duplicator, has an integrated system controller for easy, seamless connection to virtually any PC or Mac. It produces copies at speeds from 60 to 120 ppm.

Direct Imaging

Screen (USA) showed its TruePress 544 digital imaging system, this time with the new TrueFit automatic ink density measurement unit. It measures ink density in real time and displays results on the operation panel. Adjustments to color can be made during the print run. The TruePress 544 provides offset quality. Litho plates are automatically imaged on the press and printing proceeds using standard inks and consumables.

KBA North America showed its 74 Karat press, a 20-1⁄2x29˝ waterless, keyless, four-up, four-color digital offset press. It can run more short- and medium-run jobs per shift than conventional offset presses—and with considerably less operator effort, the company says. The 74 Karat can be easily integrated into digital workflows, combining the power of digital production with the quality of offset.

Heidelberg unveiled the Quickmaster DI Pro, using the A3 format. All settings on the new control console, including status of current processes, display on a touch screen. It has a maximum production speed of 10,000 sph and supports formats from 18-1⁄8x13-3⁄8˝ to 5-1⁄2x3-1⁄2˝.

Next month, in part II of our Print 01 coverage, we'll tell you about the latest developments in offset printing, proofing, folding, cutting, stitching, binding and more.

Print 01 filled three halls and took up almost 900,000 net square feet of space. Thousands of printers came to Chicago to see what the show's 850 vendors had to offer.