Canon U.S.A.

At the beginning of 2011, the in-plant at U.K.-based University of Essex, in Wivenhoe Park, rebranded itself as Print Essex. The 13-employee shop then strategically targeted a broader range of customers including those in the commercial market.

BYU's Print and Mail Production Center (PMPC) opened its photo book operation by "kind of hand-assembling" books, according to Assistant Director Thomas Roylance. But the in-plant quickly recognized the need for a true production solution.

When Simon Fraser University's in-plant introduced photo books in September 2009, its original goal was to create more demand for graphic color work.

When Graph Expo 2011 kicks off in Chicago on September 11, in-plant managers who walk the floor at McCormick Place will notice one big difference from last year: the resurgence of offset printing. True, there were presses at last year's show, most notably in Presstek's booth. But three offset giants—Heidelberg USA, Komori America and Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses—all chose to sit that show out.

When the University of Memphis faculty and students asked for on-campus photo printing services, Tiger Graphic Services got the picture and bought a Kodak GS Compact kiosk.

When the print shop for the City of Longmont, Colo., wanted to improve its capabilities, it didn't send out e-mails to ask what type of services customers needed. Instead, staff went out to each customer and asked what they thought the in-plant was lacking. "There was an expression of a need for a wide-format [printer],” reports Richard Showers, in-plant manager.

The IPMA 2011 conference was one of the most vibrant, well attended conferences in years. Here's a glimpse of what it was like.

Last week more than 135 in-plant managers met in Charleston, S.C. for the 52nd In-Plant Printing and Mailing Association conference. With 44 first-time attendees and more than 135 in-plants overall, the conference was bustling with activity, conversations and excitement.

We caught up with Chris Barclay of Connecticut College after his IPMA presentation to learn how his in-plant increased its monthly color printing by 375 percent.

Though digital printing equipment made the biggest splash at the On Demand Conference and Exposition in March, the Washington, D.C. show was chock full of bindery equipment too. IPG visited all of the major bindery vendors. Here's a look at what we saw.