In-plant Graphics April 2009
58 Years and Going Strong
Henry Roy was working at a shoe store in Worcester, Mass., in 1950 when he got a call that would change his life. A friend of his ran the print shop at the nearby College of the Holy Cross, and he needed some help. He asked Roy if he'd like to give it a shot. "I said, 'sure, I'd be glad to,' " he recalls. So the 20-year-old Roy gave up a future in footwear and embarked on a career that would span almost six decades. Now approaching his 59th year at New England's oldest Catholic college, Henry Roy likely holds the record for the longest tenure as an in-plant manager.
Briggs & Stratton Swaps Indigo for NexPress
Adding an HP Indigo 5000 in 2005 was a great decision for Briggs & Stratton Graphic Services. It moved the 34-employee, Milwaukee-based in-plant into variable data printing and high-quality digital color. “It was a really, really great starting point for us,” says Manager Debbie Pavletich. “But I think we’re ready for that next step.” So the shop recently replaced its leased HP Indigo press with a new five-color Kodak NexPress S2500. Printing 83.3 pages per minute at 600 dpi, the S2500 boasts an 11,000-sheet capacity and can print on a range of substrates of different sizes and weights. Bundled in with the new lease was a Kodak NexGlosser.
Faster Proofs at Missouri State
After seven years of service, the Epson 10000 at Missouri State University was fading fast. When it reached the point where it would run for only an hour a day, Mark McCarty had enough. Despite the budget crunch, the Printing Services manager was able to get approval for a new Epson Stylus Pro 9900 so the Springfield, Mo., in-plant could once again offer accurate color proofs. The 44?-wide ink-jet printer arrived in February.
Finding the Digital Color Rainbow
WE’VE ALL seen impressive digital color printing statistics. For example, in 2006, for the first time ever, U.S. companies spent more on production digital color printing than on digital black-and-white, according to Caslon & Company’s 2008 PDP Market Analysis Report for North America. By 2008 the retail value of production digital color printing rose even further to $13.5 billion—65 percent more than digital black-and-white. In fact, while black-and-white volumes are declining, digital color printing is increasing at a rate so great that Caslon predicts the retail value will more than double in just five years.
From Modest In-plant To Powerhouse
For decades, new equipment was a rarity at the New York City Department of Health’s Reproduction Unit. Like many in-plants, the 18-employee shop languished in its basement abode, accepting equipment handouts from other agencies and buying inexpensive, small equipment when it could cobble together some funds. Then, about four years ago, everything changed. The Health Department invested $1.13 million in new press, computer-to-plate and bindery equipment for the in-plant. Then federal bio terrorism grant money funded more than a dozen additional machines. This astounding equipment infusion is unlike anything ever seen in the in-plant world.
In-Print 2009 Winners by Category
After a rigorous day of judging on March 16, our six judges selected the following In-Print 2009 winners. They are listed here by category. Overall there were 34 Gold Awards, 27 Silver and 15 Bronze. The In-Print competition is co-sponsored by IPMA and In-Plant Graphics. It is the only printing competition that is exclusively for in-plant printers.
In-Print 2009 Winners by Company
The judging of the In-Print contest took place on March 16. Our six judges selected the following In-Print 2009 winners. They are listed here by company. The competition is co-sponsored by IPMA and In-Plant Graphics. It is the only printing competition that is exclusively for in-plant printers.
In-Print Winners Selected
As usual, the judging of In-Print 2009 last month was a rigorous task. Still, despite earning crossed eyes from looking through loupes all day, the six judges managed to select 76 winners out of a sea of excellent entries. The judging of the only printing contest for in-plants took place again in the Salt Lake City offices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Printing Division. LDS staff members Karen Pixton and Cindy Astill spent months sorting and cataloging the submissions and were on hand to record the winners. A drop in entries this year to about 420 helped the judges finish their labors in record time. In the end, they awarded 34 Gold Awards, 27 Silver and 15 Bronze.
IPMA Conference Is Around the Corner
In a little over a month from now, the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association (IPMA) will hold its 50th conference. On this momentous occasion, it’s only fitting that this event will take place in the home town of two of the association’s main supporters. That town is Rochester, N.Y., and those supporters are, of course, Kodak and Xerox. IPMA plans to visit both companies’ facilities as part of a packed agenda of events.
MSU Upgrades Digital Color Printer
Michigan State University is “very picky” about quality and registration, says Dennis Seybert, manager of Print and Digital Communications. So when the in-plant’s Konica Minolta bizhub PRO C500 left the shop a little unimpressed, it decided to upgrade. In January, the East Lansing, Mich.-based in-plant swapped the C500 for a new bizhub PRO 6501 color printer.
New In-plant a Hit With Customers
To support school districts in a four-county area in southwestern New York State, the Cattaraugus-Allegany-Erie-Wyoming Board of Cooperative Educational Services (CABOCES) had outsourced its printing for years. This arrangement, though, came at a cost. The newsletters, brochures, postcards, posters and other pieces were output on an offset press at a BOCES in another county, and then shipped back, which added to the cost. Mike Graf, director of Communications and Print Services for CABOCES knew there had to be a better way.
New Study Analyzes In-plant Market
THOUGH THE in-plant market is often overlooked by the rest of the printing industry, Info-Trends appreciates its value. The market research and consulting firm points out that in-plants have played a leading role in technology adoption. For example, they were the first to embrace black-and-white digital printing technologies, which helped establish the print-on-demand market.
Océ Wins On Demand Digital Color Cut Sheet Best of Show Award
Océ, an international leader in digital document management and delivery, has been recognized at this year’s ON DEMAND Conference & Exposition with a Best of Show award in the Color Digital Printing Equipment category for its new Océ CS Tandem family of scalable production cutsheet color printers. The Océ CS Tandem color cutsheet platform won for its unique flexibility, consistent color quality and production productivity.
Online Ordering: Latest Addition to New In-plant
Folsom Lake College knows the value of having an in-plant. That’s why the Sacramento-area school created a new in-plant a few years back and spent thousands of dollars stocking it with the latest equipment. Now, fortified with Konica Minolta printers, a Heidelberg press and an assortment of bindery equipment, the two-employee in-plant has just unveiled its latest addition: an online job ordering system.
The State of On-demand Printing
ON MAY 29, 2008, an article appeared in the Wall Street Journal called “Ink-jet Printers Get Set to Turn the Page.” According to author William Bulkeley, “Ink-jet printing technology that dominates inexpensive desktop printers is about to enter the world of commercial print shops. If the new technology succeeds, it could spell trouble for Xerox Corp. and lead to expanded business for Eastman Kodak Co., Hewlett-Packard Co., Ricoh Co. and other ink-jet makers.” That article, published on the first day of Drupa, as well as statements from industry experts Andy Tribute and Frank Romano, created a buzz suggesting that ink-jet printing would displace offset and toner-based printing as the dominant printing technologies. I’d like to discuss the facts behind the buzz and offer some conclusions about the real state of competing technologies.
UC-Riverside Printing, Reprographics and Mailing: A Valuable Asset
“OUR PRIMARY focus really is color,” declares Dallas Johnson, from his office at the University of California-Riverside. “We’ve moved away from black and white. We saw that as sort of a dying market…still see it that way.” With 35 years of printing experience to guide him, Johnson thinks he has a pretty good idea where the industry is headed. So when the director of Service Enterprises decided to move his in-plant away from the “dying” monochrome market and into the more promising world of color printing, he did it in a big way.
VDP and Cross Media: A Perfect Storm of Opportunity
IN THESE tumultuous economic times, organizations are looking for innovative ways to cut costs, maintain customer loyalty and increase business. Unfortunately, in their zeal to save money, some organizations overlook the true value of their in-plant and instead try to outsource this valuable resource. To stay in business, in-plants must transform themselves into profit tools. By offering new services—such as variable data printing (VDP) and personalized cross-media communications—your in-plant can increase its value and become an even more integral part of your organization’s core business.
