Gary Williford is preparing his in-plant at the University of Tennessee for a secure future after he leaves.

By Bob Neubauer

Taking Advantage of JDF

One thing that makes University of Tennessee Graphic Arts Service unique among in-plants is its JDF workflow. It is one of the few in-plants taking advantage of JDF automation in both the pressroom and bindery.

“It speeds up your makeready and improves your quality,” testifies Gary Williford, manager.

The in-plant uses Heidelberg’s Prinect PrintReady 2.1 along with a MetaDimension RIP. When the TIFF file is created to make a plate on the shop’s Fuji Sabre platesetter, JDF data is automatically generated and sent to the 40? four-color Heidelberg SM-102, where it presets the ink fountains. In addition to saving the press operator time, the process adjusts ink settings much more precisely than the operator is able to.

“We can print color now that we couldn’t print before,” says Williford.

The JDF automation doesn’t end there. When the printing template is being created in prepress, JDF data is sent to the 45? Polar paper cutter.

“The operator pulls up the program and it automatically programs the cutter,” he says.

JDF is working so well that Williford advises all in-plants that are replacing equipment to make sure it is JDF compliant. His shop is thinking of replacing a bookletmaker, and JDF compliance will be a necessary feature, he says.

AS FALLING leaves carpet the University of Tennessee’s Knoxville

campus, so has the autumn of Gary Williford’s career arrived. After 34 years at the university—30 of them in the in-plant—Williford plans to retire in a few months from his role as manager of the school’s Graphic Arts Service department.

In-plant Snapshot

University of Tennessee Graphic Arts Service
Knoxville, Tenn.
Employees: 55
Annual Sales: $7 million

Prepress/Printing Equipment:
• Hagen OA MIS system
• Printable online ordering system
• Topaz flatbed scanner
• HP 5500 wide-format printer
• HP 5000 wide-format printer for high-resolution proofs
• Fuji Sabre 9600 CTP system
• Four-color 40? Heidelberg SM-102
• Two-color 36? Heidelberg SORDZ
• Two-color Heidelberg SM-74
• Two-color Heidelberg Printmaster
• Two-color Hamada CD-555
• Halm Super Jet press
• Kodak NexPress 2500 with Watkiss finisher and NexGlosser
• Xerox 6135
• Three Xerox DC-70s
• Two Xerox DocuColor 12s
• Two Heidelberg 9910s
• Approximately 300 copiers/ printers in the convenience copier program

Bindery/Finishing/Mailing Equipment:
• Sunraise thermographer
• RB Sun business card slitter
• Polar 115XT and 78X cutters
• Fastback binding system
• GBC Digicoil inserter
• ProFold Elite tabletop folder
• Duplo automatic tabletop folder
• Stahl 26x40? continuous feed folder
• Stahl 20x26? folder
• Baum 20x26? folder
• Muller Martini Presto six-pocket saddle stitcher with cover feeder
• Muller Martini Amigo Plus perfect binder
• Rollem Model T-R scorer/ perforator
• Rollem Auto 4 numbering machine
• Accufast double tabber
• Duplo DC 10000S 30-bin collator/bookletmaker
• Three Pitney Bowes DM 900 mail machines with scales
• Two Pitney Bowes Series 10 inserters
• Pitney Bowes OCR
• Scitex addressing machine
• Pitney Bowes DF Works postage accounting software

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Bob Neubauer Author's page

Bob has served as editor of In-plant Impressions since October of 1994. Prior to that he served for three years as managing editor of Printing Impressions, a commercial printing publication. Mr. Neubauer is very active in the U.S. in-plant industry. He attends all the major in-plant conferences and has visited more than 180 in-plant operations around the world. He has given presentations to numerous in-plant groups in the U.S., Canada and Australia, including the Association of College and University Printers and the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association. He also coordinates the annual In-Print contest, co-sponsored by IPMA and In-plant Impressions.

Leaving A Digital Legacy at the University of Tennessee