Eastman Kodak Co.

Xplor joined up with Graphics of the Americas last month to bolster its conference. Did it work? By Bob Neubauer AFTER WATCHING attendance at its conference dwindle since the booming days of the '90s, Xplor International teamed up with the successful Graphics of the Americas (GOA) conference this year, putting on a joint event last month in Miami Beach that drew about 24,500 attendees, according to organizers. The partnership seems to have been a wise move, as it freed Xplor from the task of organizing a trade show, allowing it to concentrate on its educational mission. GOA, in turn, got a host of

Computer-to-plate systems have dropped in price and jumped in quality. Take a look at the different systems on the market. By Bob Atkinson Computer-to-plate (CTP) technologies have been the norm at large print shops and newspapers for almost a decade. In the past few years, though, competition and new technologies have driven the cost of both CTP equipment and consumables down to the point where they're affordable and practical to any departmental or in-plant shop. In fact, if you use just 250 square feet of plate material per month—that's about 145 13x19˝ plates or 62 20x29˝ plates, for example—you'll find that the cost numbers

Monochrome printers provide cost, productivity and flexibility benefits that color printers can’t touch. AS DEMANDS for color printing continue to increase, many wonder about the fate of black-and-white-only printers. Most industry experts say not only will they still be an integral part of a printing operation, they will include more features and improved workflow functions. Paula Balik uses the analogy of a stove and microwave oven. “If you’ve got a microwave now, should you get rid of your oven or does it specifically have applications that make your kitchen efficient?” poses Balik, worldwide product marketing manager for Kodak’s black-and-white printing systems. “That’s what

Full-color variable data printing is not an "if" technology, but a "when." So ask yourself: "What happens if I don't?" And, "If I don't, who will?" By Vic Barkin MAYBE YOU'VE heard this one: A customer walks into your office and says, "We need 50,000 full-color variable data brochures by Friday!" O.K., maybe you haven't. For the past decade, full-color personalization has been proselytized as the printing technology of the future. The vision of millions and millions of pages being produced digitally, in full color, at rated speed, for an audience of one, has been the proverbial pot of gold at the

Hurricane Katrina packed a punch felt around the country. Among those reeling were many Gulf Coast in-plants. The fate of those in New Orleans is as murky as the water that once covered that town. Tulane University's in-plant, like its campus, remains closed. Through the in-plant grapevine I learned that manager Orin Fosberg got his family safely out of town, but the future of his shop, as with many New Orleans' businesses, is unclear. In Biloxi, which lost so many buildings to the storm, two of the in-plants closest to the chaos survived virtually unscathed. Though winds tore off roofs at Mississippi Gulf

A year after Drupa, what new surprises do graphic arts vendors have in store for in-plants? Here's an advanced look. In-plant managers eager to see the latest graphic arts technologies can't do much better than Print 05 & Converting 05. Held in Chicago once every four years, this is the printing industry's main event. Larger than last year's Graph Expo show, Print 05 will feature nearly 800 exhibits covering more than 725,000 square feet of floor space. To help in-plants prepare, many of the industry's key vendors offered a peak at the products they plan to display in Chicago. Offset Boasting

Technology mingled with history as the AIIM On Demand Conference and Exposition brought the latest digital printing technologies to Philadelphia. By Bob Neubauer Prior to this year's AIIM On Demand Conference and Exposition, vendors had wondered whether attendees would follow the show from New York, where it took place for the past decade, to Philadelphia. But after watching more than 21,000 visitors flood the show's two floors' worth of exhibits in May, few left disappointed. True, last year's showing of 25,903 attendees topped this year's crowd. But as locations go, the Pennsylvania Convention Center, smack in the heart of downtown Philadelphia, beat New

Providing low-cost printing is no longer enough. At IPMA 2005, in-plants learned they must improve their customer relations skills and integrate themselves into their organizations' core businesses to survive. By Bob Neubauer More than 100 in-plant managers gathered in suburban Chicago last month for IPMA 2005, the annual International Publishing Management Association conference. Appropriately dubbed "Winds of Change," the conference focused on the need for in-plants to transform from printing operations into providers of financial and strategic value to their parent organizations. The conference took place at the elegant Oak Brook Hills Resort, in the midst of a Midwest heat wave that kept

Several vendors recently revealed their plans for the big September show. By Bob Neubauer The Print 05 and Converting 05 trade show is right around the corner. To get a taste of what's in store, IPG was recently invited to Chicago along with other journalists to hear a handful of vendors discuss their plans for the show, which will take place September 9-15 in downtown Chicago. The two-day press conference, called MediaDays 2005, was organized by the Broadford & Maloney PR firm. Dave Poulos, of the Graphic Arts Show Co., told attendees that 80,000 people are expected to attend Print 05 and visit

Users of monochrome devices say speed, quality and service are among their chief considerations when looking for equipment. By Gretchen A. Peck While many in-plants cite color printing as an emerging opportunity, black-and-white output is still their bread and butter. Many, if not the majority, of their digital jobs are monochromatic. And since the speed of the printer largely determines how much work the in-plant can produce, this has become a very important criterion; it's typically the first specification a prospective buyer wants to know. At Greenville, Texas-based L-3 Communications Integrated Systems, the in-plant uses an assortment of Konica-Minolta black-and-white systems