Standard Finishing Systems

AFTER YEARS of healthy investment in prepress and press, in-plants are finally taking notice that their bindery is inefficient, unproductive and poorly suited to the short-run requirements of today’s print market. At the same time, printers recognize that manufacturers are bringing labor-saving innovation to the bindery. Automation stands out as the most powerful theme, with stepper motor controls, touch-screen interfaces and integrated digital workflows that enable automated setups and changeovers. Also significant, in-line finishing is gaining favor for some work—especially digitally imaged output. Digital printing sparked a wave of in-line finishing several years back, with high-speed monochrome printers introducing a range of in-line

ANDOVER, MA— November 7, 2007­—Standard Finishing Systems, a leading supplier of post-press and paper handling solutions, received the 2007 Gegenheimer Corporate Award for industry service from NPES, the Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies, on November 4 at the NPES 2007 Annual Conference in San Diego, CA. “I’m pleased to accept this prestigious award on behalf of all Standard employees,” said David Reny, Managing Director, Standard Finishing Systems. “It’s a real compliment to the dedication and service of our entire organization.” Named in honor of former Baldwin Technology Company Chairman Harold W. Gegenheimer, these annual awards recognize one company and one individual

THERE ARE two sets of attendees walking the show floor at Graph Expo. The first type has done his/her homework, knows all the primary players for a given product, has whittled down the equipment choices to a short list, and is at the show to see the machines in action. This person is on a mission. The second type has been to all the booths offering freebies, has three or four posters, two flash drives, one guitar and assorted other trinkets. For him, this show is a two-day reprieve from work. This tire kicker doesn’t really have an agenda. An educated shopper is the

“Puffy.” That’s how Charles Tyree describes the books produced by his in-plant’s previous saddle stitcher. Without a score on the folds, the pages of thick books bulged outward—not a very professional look for Virginia Tech’s publications. Tyree, director of Printing Services for the past 13 years at the Blacksburg, Va., university, says his staff was never quite satisfied with that stitcher, which it added in 1999 to replace a four-pocket Macy stitcher. “It didn’t trim three sides, it didn’t give us tight enough folds and it didn’t have vacuum feed in the pockets,” he says. Plus it was slow. “We wanted

NAPL, the trade association for excellence in graphic communications management, will induct eight graphic communications industry leaders into its Walter E. Soderstrom Society during a special gala on the eve of Graph Expo. The event, to be held at the Art Institute of Chicago, also marks the start of a year-long celebration of NAPL’s upcoming 75th Anniversary. This year’s inductees, all of whom have made significant contributions to the graphic communications industry, are: David Reny, managing director, Standard Finishing Systems, Andover, MA Francis A. McMahon, director of Marketing, Hewlett-Packard Company, Boise, ID Kevin Joyce, managing director, Kodak, Norwalk, CT Philip Ruggles, professor, California Polytechnical State University, San Luis

As printers gear up for Graph Expo, this look back at the On Demand show provides an excellent preview of what to expect in Chicago.

ANDOVER, MA— August 6, 2007—The Soderstrom Society of NAPL, the trade association for excellence in graphic communications management, has announced that it will induct David R. Reny, Managing Director of Standard Finishing Systems, into its prestigious Walter E. Soderstrom Society at the Associaton’s annual dinner meeting on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2007, the eve of GRAPH EXPO®. Named for the late Walter E. Soderstrom, one of the founders of NAPL, the Soderstrom Society provides industry leaders with the opportunity to exchange ideas, suggest improved practices, and recognize the contributions of their peers. This year, the Soderstrom Society Dinner will also commence a year-long celebration

NORMAN HOWARD sums up the feelings of most faith-based in-plant managers in just one sentence: “I just feel like I’m serving God here doing what I’m doing,” says Howard, director of printing for the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, Va. It’s a sentiment shared by countless in-plant managers at religious organizations—and one that drives them to put forth their best efforts in the service of their faith. “It’s not just a job; I’m working for the Lord,” echoes Trout Davis, print shop manager at Grace Baptist Church, in Santa Clarita, Calif. The devotion of in-plant managers like these has certainly been a blessing for the churches and

Meeting the printing needs of a 2,100-student liberal arts college is tough enough with just three employees. But when your main digital color printer can’t keep up with the growing volume of work—and you still have two years left on the lease—it’s time to take serious action. After shutting down its offset presses for good last June and putting its trust in its Canon CLC 4000, Allegheny College Printing Services, in Meadville, Pa., saw volume on the machine skyrocket. Clicks jumped from 19,000 to more than 40,000 a month. Unfortunately, the number of service calls grew as well. So Manager Mark Pritchard talked

SAN DIEGO State University is an academically rich, urban university with more than 34,000 students, award-winning professors, top-notch research facilities and a location that serves as the gateway to Latin America. Like most universities—especially in California—SDSU is also very conscious of its environmental footprint and constantly monitors and works to reduce its impact on the environment. In April of 2005, the university hired Leslie Rutledge to transform its in-plant, ReproGraphic Services. Her years of employment with commercial printers and graphic arts vendors made her the right person for the challenge. “When I walked in the door on April 4, 2005, which is one