In-plant Profiles

Not everyone uses proofs. According to some, the best way to print a job is by removing proofs from the pressroom and being objective. By Rich Bruce "Add snap" "I want the reds to jump off the page" "Give it more shape" These are proofing buzz words from a list provided by the Research and Engineering Council Roundtable. One word missing from the list is "objectivity." By this I mean looking at the press sheet for what it is by using numbers and not by comparing it to a color proof. Many printers and customers will use proofs as a crutch. Both use

The need for digital proofing is growing, as in-plants move to CTP. Does monitor-based proofing have a place in your shop? By Mark Smith and Bob Neubauer ith film disappearing from many in-plants' workflows due to the rise of computer-to-plate technology, the need for digital proofing has never been greater. Many new CTP users, like Ball State University Printing Services, are sticking with hard copy proofs. Now that it has a new Screen (U.S.A.) PlateRite 4100 platesetter, the Muncie, Ind., in-plant is using ink-jet proofs from Kodak Polychrome Graphics' Matchprint ProofPro 2610 driven by a ProofPro RIP to proof jobs. "The color

Not everyone has gone soft. At the recent IPG Conference, a panel of vendors and users discussed digital hard-copy proofing and how users can choose the right proofing technology for their requirements. Nick Patrissi, Creo's director of market relations and print media, advised attendees to consider the seven basic factors of color proofing and prioritize them before making a decision: • Consistency (repeatability of the device) • Resolution (how high do you need it?) • Color fidelity (can the proofer match the press's color space?) • Tonal fidelity (can it simulate the press's tonal characteristics?) • Halftone fidelity (do you need proofs to

In recent months Kodak has announced acquisitions and restructured in a bid to grab a bigger chunk of the graphic arts business. But how will this benefit in-plants? By Bob Neubauer Eastman Kodak is optimistic. The 124-year-old company is betting that in-plants and printing companies are looking for a single vendor to satisfy all of their graphic arts needs—and it has been investing rather heavily lately to make sure it becomes this vendor. Since 2002, the Rochester, N.Y.-based firm has been acquiring companies and buying out joint venture partners as part of a strategy to dominate the graphic arts business. But is this strategy

Ohio University has moved beyond printing. The additional services it provides have made it a more crucial part of the university. By Bob Neubauer Ohio University Printing and Graphic Services has been doing a lot more than just printing lately. Thanks to several initiatives coordinated by Director David Kasler, the 15-employee in-plant is now handling laser engraving, heat transfer printing, fulfillment of university gift orders and—perhaps most unique of all—a program that creates handmade wooden gifts from fallen university trees. "If all you're providing is printing and copying...I think your days are numbered," notes Kasler. "Because those are things that they feel

By focusing on customer service, Rick Wise helped boost business at his university in-plant. By Bob Neubauer If you ask Rick Wise whether or not he has enjoyed his three decades in the printing business, you'll get an enthusiastic "yes." "I don't have any regrets. It's been a wonderful career," says Wise, director of Printing Services at the University of Missouri-Columbia. But like many in-plant managers, he didn't have printing in mind when he first joined the working world. Wise was born in California—not the state, but a town by that name in his native Missouri (or "Missoura" as it rolls off his

After several in-plant jobs, Tim Steenhoek now heads up document management for ING, a financial services giant. By Kristen E. Monte When Tim Steenhoek began working for his school district's print shop in high school, he never dreamed printing would be his ultimate career choice. Now, however, as head of the Document Management Center for ING, one of the world's largest financial services companies, he wouldn't have it any other way. His Des Moines, Iowa-based operation provides ING with on-demand, variable data printing, as well as mailing and fulfillment. Steenhoek didn't just stumble into ING's in-plant; this self-described "technology freak" had been working to

One of the largest in-plants in the country, the Gospel Publishing House is crucial to its parent organization's existence. By Erik Cagle The Gospel Publishing House is arguably one of the most important and influential printing facilities in the in-plant world. How can that be, you ask? What makes the Gospel Publishing House—the printing arm of the General Council of the Assemblies of God—the dean of in-plants? Sure, it ranked a respectable number 22 on the IPG Top 50. But certainly, there are bigger facilities than the 93-employee operation, based in Springfield, Mo., site of the General Council's worldwide headquarters. And though

By printing the course materials Kepner-Tregoe uses to train the world's top corporations, this in-plant helps its parent company shine. By Bob Neubauer Kepner-Tregoe is a familiar name to many Fortune 1,000 companies. Based in Princeton, N.J., this 47-year-old firm has made a name for itself by studying the habits of business leaders and teaching them to corporate clients around the world. These courses, like Kepner-Tregoe's flagship "Problem Solving and Decision Making" course, have trained thousands of corporate employees to be better managers. The materials required for these courses can be extensive—sometimes 40 items are needed for one three-day course, including wire-bound

School district in-plants provide valuable support to their schools, allowing teachers to focus on student achievement. By Bob Neubauer Public school has changed a lot since you were a kid. I don't just mean the addition of computers into the classroom nor the lax dress codes that would make your eyes pop. These days, many schools are specializing in specific subjects and allowing students to choose schools based on their own interests. For example, at Pinellas County Schools, in Largo, Fla., the district's 145 schools focus on such diverse topics as marine science, health care, computers and the arts. Students can pick