Xerox Corp.

In-plants have a lot to say—and some vendors are very interested in listening. Like Kodak, for example. I recently learned that the company's Graphic Communications Group assembled an in-plant advisory panel last month and brought eight managers to Rochester to listen to its strategy and offer feedback. When a major graphic arts company like Kodak takes an interest in the opinions of in-plants, it's certainly good news for the rest of us. It shows how important in-plants have become in the decisions of these firms. The managers on Kodak's advisory panel—both Kodak users and nonusers—were shown demonstrations of products and heard

In recent months Kodak has announced acquisitions and restructured in a bid to grab a bigger chunk of the graphic arts business. But how will this benefit in-plants? By Bob Neubauer Eastman Kodak is optimistic. The 124-year-old company is betting that in-plants and printing companies are looking for a single vendor to satisfy all of their graphic arts needs—and it has been investing rather heavily lately to make sure it becomes this vendor. Since 2002, the Rochester, N.Y.-based firm has been acquiring companies and buying out joint venture partners as part of a strategy to dominate the graphic arts business. But is this strategy

Ohio University has moved beyond printing. The additional services it provides have made it a more crucial part of the university. By Bob Neubauer Ohio University Printing and Graphic Services has been doing a lot more than just printing lately. Thanks to several initiatives coordinated by Director David Kasler, the 15-employee in-plant is now handling laser engraving, heat transfer printing, fulfillment of university gift orders and—perhaps most unique of all—a program that creates handmade wooden gifts from fallen university trees. "If all you're providing is printing and copying...I think your days are numbered," notes Kasler. "Because those are things that they feel

Digital color printing is on the rise at in-plants. To help, equipment vendors are making their devices more user-friendly than ever. By Vince De Franco When it comes to digital color printing, in-plants are among the leaders. Some 30 percent of color devices in the 24- to 59-ppm category reside at in-plants, according to an InfoTrends/CAP Ventures research study. Not only that, 20 percent of all production color devices in excess of 60 ppm are at in-plants. This has made suppliers of digital color printing equipment take note. They have responded by making this equipment more user-friendly than ever. Vendors have broadened the choice

Whether it's for the environmental benefits or the cost and time savings, an increasing number of in-plants are installing computer-to-plate systems. By Carol Brzozowski With a year of computer-to-plate (CTP) experience under its belt, Arkansas State University's in-plant has no desire to ever go back to film. "It's probably one of the best investments we've ever made here," says Director David Maloch of his shop's Heidelberg Prosetter 74. That's what an increasing number of in-plants are discovering. According to an In-Plant Graphics survey, 34.7 percent of in-plants have installed CTP—and the number is growing. The environmental benefit is one of the prime reasons.

By printing the course materials Kepner-Tregoe uses to train the world's top corporations, this in-plant helps its parent company shine. By Bob Neubauer Kepner-Tregoe is a familiar name to many Fortune 1,000 companies. Based in Princeton, N.J., this 47-year-old firm has made a name for itself by studying the habits of business leaders and teaching them to corporate clients around the world. These courses, like Kepner-Tregoe's flagship "Problem Solving and Decision Making" course, have trained thousands of corporate employees to be better managers. The materials required for these courses can be extensive—sometimes 40 items are needed for one three-day course, including wire-bound

School district in-plants provide valuable support to their schools, allowing teachers to focus on student achievement. By Bob Neubauer Public school has changed a lot since you were a kid. I don't just mean the addition of computers into the classroom nor the lax dress codes that would make your eyes pop. These days, many schools are specializing in specific subjects and allowing students to choose schools based on their own interests. For example, at Pinellas County Schools, in Largo, Fla., the district's 145 schools focus on such diverse topics as marine science, health care, computers and the arts. Students can pick

If you run a lot of 500- to 10,000-page four-color jobs with tight turnaround times and have the right computer skills, digital offset printing may be just what you need. By Bob Atkinson In-plants face increasing demands for short-run, fast-turnaround jobs, including full-color work. The problem? The traditional film/plate/ press route is poorly suited for these types of jobs. New technology has offered some help with this problem, first in the form of computer-to-plate (CTP) systems that eliminate the time and costs associated with film. Then, starting about a decade ago, an even more powerful technology arrived: digital printing, where a RIP

Refurbished equipment enables tight-budgeted in-plants to enhance their services and grow business. By Gretchen A. Peck When North Broward Hospital District's graphic communications department decided to upgrade its press capabilities, Director Dick Raveson didn't focus on the sparkling new presses decorating the manufacturers' showrooms. His eye was drawn to the used equipment market, where he found a pair of MAN Roland presses just right for his Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., in-plant. "There's no need for me to go out and spend $2.5 million if I don't need that kind of firepower," Raveson says. "Not that we wouldn't like a new press, but meeting the needs

A look at some of the latest workflow solutions. By Mark Smith The digital revolution was already on its way to making "workflow" a catch-all term in prepress, when the rise of computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) extended its use to the entire print production process. As a result, an ever-wider array of products can now be called "digital workflow solutions." For our purposes, the definition is being limited to the evolution of what used to be called prepress systems. Vendors have responded to this trend with a shift toward marketing workflow solution brands as much as specific products. Modularity and flexibility are at