International Paper

As digital color printing increases, in-plants are demanding heavier sheets. Find out what other changes are coming to your paper. By Vincent De Franco Color documents are finding their way into people's hands more than ever before thanks to the tremendous rise in digital color printers and copiers. Not surprisingly, this digital phenomenon has greatly affected the demand for paper; suppliers have not only changed their offerings, they have altered the way they bring these products to market. "More than ever, technology is the main driver of trends in paper," remarks Vince Phelan, director of product management and marketing communications for Boise Paper Solutions'

Even though Drupa is just a month away, vendors still had plenty of new products to show at On Demand. By Bob Neubauer The biggest news at the recent AIIM On Demand Conference & Expo was certainly Eastman Kodak's announcement that it would purchase Heidelberg's digital printing business. That announcement, unleashed the morning of the show, slowly filtered through the crowd of 33,753 at New York's Javits Convention Center, engendering lots of speculation. The upshot: Kodak will buy Heidelberg's 50 percent interest in the pair's NexPress Solutions joint venture, as well as the equity of Heidelberg Digital, which makes the Digimaster black-and-white printer. This

Are you getting the most out of your copier paper? Find out from the experts. By Kristen Monte How do you know your in-plant is getting the best performance possible from its copier paper? In-Plant Graphics talked to suppliers of copier paper and uncovered some valuable tips for getting better quality. Read on to learn more. Selecting Quality Copier Paper • Mill-branded product is always quality product. Once the product is labeled under another brand, you are not guaranteed that you will always receive the same product from the same manufacturing facility. —Dennis Essary, Stora Enso North America • While a 20 lb.

An unexpected Spring snowstorm and a down economy couldn't keep attendees from crowding the 10th annual On Demand show. By Bob Neubauer and Mike Llewellyn Despite a surprise spring snowfall that blanketed New York City and weakened first-day attendance, the 10th annual On Demand Digital Printing & Publishing Conference went on as usual early last month. The exhibit hall at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center seemed much larger this year, due in part to On Demand's co-location with the AIIM Conference & Exposition. As a result, there were 438 exhibitors, compared with 150+ at last year's show. By the event's second day,

As the paper industry consolidates, in-plants speak out on how it is affecting them. by Caroline Miller TWO YEARS ago, it seemed as if everyone in the paper industry was switching dance partners. Among the major acquisitions was International Paper's purchase of Champion—a deal worth nearly $7.3 billion, excluding net debt. Then came the almost soap-opera-like saga of Weyerhaeuser's hostile takeover of Willamette Industries that dragged on for 14 months. It finally ended with an agreement that called for $6.1 billion in cash, or $55.50 per share, including the assumption of $1.7 billion of Willamette debt. At $19 billion in combined sales, the deal

Two paper giants from the Northwest have been sparring. One wants to take over the other. Now shareholders have weighed in. by ERIK CAGLE The high-octane, acrimonious hostile takeover attempt of paper giant Willamette by fellow industry leader Weyerhaeuser appears far from over. Battle lines were drawn June 7, when Willamette shareholders appeared to have voted Weyerhaeuser's three candidates onto Willamette's nine-member board of directors. Official results weren't expected for a few weeks, as of press time. With its representatives in place, Weyerhaeuser vows to nominate another slate of directors for election at the 2002 annual meeting should Portland, Ore.-based Willamette continue refusing

As printing technology has changed, paper has had to keep pace. We've traced its path through the years. In many ways the history of offset printing is the history of a mad scramble by papermakers to keep up with the developments of the lithographic industry. Between 1900 and 1949, offset lithography was the red-headed stepchild of the printing industry, which left it without many choices of suitable paper. By the early 1930s, the pressure upon the paper manufacturer to produce coated papers for offset printing had reached the explosion point. Even though there had been some use of coated one-side paper in stone

As printing technology continues to change, paper companies are producing products to keep up with the times. In-plants aren't the only ones affected by the onslaught of new digital printing devices. Paper manufacturers have been busy modifying their products to keep up with the evolution. "We understand the importance of harnessing the potential of new and emerging technologies in order to develop products that offer value-added features," says Mary Jo Francis, marketing manager for Mead Carbonless Sheets. "The evolution of Mead Transcopy is an example of our commitment to achieving this goal." Mead Transcopy has been developed to run smooth and jam-free

Why is paper smoothness so important? How do manufacturers test and control paper curl? Is multi-purpose paper really good for everything? IPG gets to the bottom of it all. Once upon a time, paper was made of fibers from hemp, rags and mulberry bark, and it wasn't until 1850 that using wood fibers for paper became common practice. Now, at the end of the twentieth century, the paper industry has exploded into a supplier of over 725 pounds of paper and paperboard annually for every man, woman and child in the country. What does this little history lesson mean for in-plant managers?

Your demands are being heard. Vendors are altering paper content to keep pace with printing technology changes. As an in-plant manager, do you take your paper for granted? Do you follow the trends, or stay with what has worked in the past? If you're an efficient manager, you're always looking for ways to improve. And today's papers can improve the quality of your printing quite a bit. The advent of print-on-demand technology and the increase in color copying and printing have altered the types of paper printers want. Customers now look for brighter, whiter sheets to ensure sufficient contrast with various colors. Manufacturers are