GTI Graphic Technology

The official numbers aren't in yet, but the crowds at this week's Graph Expo show in Chicago seemed larger than in previous years. Those who attended certainly had a number of new products to check out. Here are just a few of the new machines unveiled at Graph Expo.

With traditional offset exhibitors like Heidelberg giving the Chicago trade show a pass, the digital print vendors were the new kings. Xerox, Canon, Konica Minolta and Fujifilm led the pack in booth size, and each of them had new inkjet production presses to proclaim.

Here's a look at some of the new printing and binding equipment and software that will be shown at PRINT 13, taking place in Chicago, September 8-12.

The Grand Rapids Business Journal (GRBJ) reported this week that Grand Rapids Community College and Kent Intermediate School District have consolidated their printing service operations to reduce costs and increase efficiency. The move became effective July 1.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Printing & Packaging Machinery, Ltd. and Ryobi Limited have signed a shareholder agreement to establish a joint venture and business integration of sheetfed offset presses. The signing took place in Japan following receipt of approval by the two companies’ boards of directors.

The Vatican has completed the installation of a Meteor DP8700 XL digital press within its in-plant production house (known as Tipografia Vaticana). The in-plant print's everything from magazines to brochures and all of the Vatican’s stationary and envelopes, as well as the weekly newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano.

Taking place only once every four years, the drupa international printing trade fair is a huge show. By the time it wrapped up its two-week stint in Düsseldorf, Germany, last month 314,500 visitors from more than 130 countries had walked its 19 halls and visited its 1,850 exhibitors.

After opening its 19 halls to the public yesterday, drupa 2012 is in full swing right now in Dusseldorf, Germany. IPG's sister publication, Printing Impressions, has two editors walking the show floor. With 1,850 exhibitors from 56 countries showing their wares, our editors have more than their share of work ahead of them. Here are just a few of the reports that have trickled back to IPG.

Introduced at Graph Expo, the new four-color Meteor DP8700 multi-substrate digital press from MGI Digital Graphic Technology, supports up to a 13x40˝ sheet (13x47˝ with manual bypass) and prints up to 71 ppm (letter-size) with a maximum 3,600 dpi resolution.

JUDGING BY the number of in-plant managers walking the Graph Expo show floor last month, there are quite a few in-plants itching to leave the recession behind and get busy adding equipment. The show gave them plenty to ogle, too, particularly in the inkjet arena.