GRAPH EXPO 2002 CHARTS EVOLUTION IN PRINTING TECHNOLOGY
Are you prepared to keep pace?

Graph Expo 2002 exhibits featured a large number of evolutionary changes in printing technology and gave a clear indication that the rate of change continues to increase. The show had little that can be considered revolutionary technologies, with the notable exception of a completely new press design concept from one of the European forms press suppliers. Revolutionary changes in printing technologies are more likely to appear at four year intervals in the huge DRUPA show in Germany, while the annual Graph Expo events tend to show which technologies are being accepted and improved and which are not successful. The overall technology trend evident at Graph Expo 2002 was a gradual move towards computer-integrated printing, with greater dependence on computers than traditional graphic arts skills for controlling all parts of the print production process. It was clear that digital printing devices combined with digital workflow systems offer the quickest path to a fully automated and computer-controlled printing and finishing process.

The general atmosphere at Graph Expo, held in Chicago from October 6 through 9, was one of cautious optimism about the future of the printing industry and show managers indicated that both the number and the quality of attendees met all expectations. Most exhibitors appeared to be pleased with the number of serious leads and some of the large equipment suppliers reported that sales at the show met their goals. Major exhibitor presentations on the key technologies that are reshaping the printing industry drew large crowds of people obviously interested in keeping pace with competitors and advances in equipment and systems.

The following are some of the exhibit highlights and trends evident at Graph Expo 2002:

• Advances in digital workflow
• Digital printing, with more high speed color machines approaching offset print quality
• Computer-to-Plate systems and digital plates
• Digital color proofing
• Demonstrations of successful and profitable on-demand digital printing applications
• New prepress and printing techniques
• New product opportunities for printers
• A sizeable number of exhibits emphasized equipment, methods and software to increase productivity in printing operations
• E-commerce initiatives in printing have shifted from providing buyer advantages to helping printers communicate with customers, reducing order cycle times, and improving the productivity of printed product suppliers

The first two categories on the above list dominated the show and hold the greatest potential for transforming the printing industry to the same extent that offset technology and digital imagesetters changed it years ago. Therefore, this review of Graph Expo 2002 will cover primarily digital workflow and digital printing.

DIGITAL WORKFLOW
The term "workflow" refers to the way operations and production devices in a printing plant are linked, and the latest innovations using the Internet are extending these links to print buyers, designers and advertising agencies. Before introduction of computers, workflow consisted of discrete manual steps and the concept of workflow was confined to prepress operations. Computers have linked and automated many, and in some cases all, of the prepress workflow steps, including scanning, layout, file checking (preflighting), stripping, imposition, trapping, proofing, corrections and film or plate imaging. The transition to digital prepress workflow has required investment in new computer-driven prepress equipment and software to link all devices and workstations in a production network. The workflow systems exhibits at Graph Expo 2002 focused on two types of advances:

• Solutions to problems that have limited the effectiveness of existing workflow systems. These limitations include proprietary features that restrict the choice of devices and software modules, limited scalability and provisions for upgrades, and lack of support for the latest industry standards.
• Extension of the prepress workflow automation concept by providing links between all components of the printed product supply chain.
  

Drupa 2000 and Print 2001 shows featured major advances in linking presses to the prepress workflow. Graph Expo 2002 exhibits indicated progress in developing workflow that automatically links buyers, designers, prepress, pressroom, bindery, warehouses and shipping for communications, proofing, delivery of correct job specifications to workstations and direct to computer-controlled machines, job status updates and signals of process problems or delays. Systems suppliers are also starting to provide links between production workflow systems and the printing plant management information systems (MIS) to automatically update inventories, job costs, individual machine schedules and alteration charge records. Heidelberg stated that their goal is to connect all operations and machines in a printing plant to a workflow management network by 2004 to form the technological backbone for computer integrated manufacturing (CIM). Graph Expo 2002 exhibits showed that the CIM goal has been almost achieved by several suppliers with their latest workflow software, digital presses and automatic in-line finishing machines. Many suppliers are working on the next step of linking different brands of both conventional and digital presses and bindery equipment to the same workflow network.

The latest development enabling advances in workflow systems is a new Job Definition Format (JDF), proposed by a consortium of industry participants. The CIP4 standards consortium (International Cooperation for the Integration of Processes in Prepress, Press and Postpress) has developed JDF as a common XML-based communications data format to link individual machine production control software, printing plant MIS software and E-commerce initiatives. The JDF standard supports job ticket specifications from origination to delivery, including quoting and ordering over the Internet, real-time job tracking, data exchange between workstations, process control computers and machines, and integration of equipment and software from different vendors. While the JDF standard is new and may be developed further, several major printing plant workflow and equipment suppliers at Graph Expo 2002, including Adobe, Agfa, Creo, Heidelberg, MAN Roland and Printcafe, signaled a strong commitment to comply with it. Workflow has become a very complex issue for printers, and progress towards the ultimate goal of CIM will require new equipment and software, or modifications of existing systems to take advantage of the JDF standard. Success in keeping pace with innovations in workflow and machine automation will be an important means of gaining competitive advantages and maintaining profitability in a variety of printing specialties.

The complex workflow issues addressed in Graph Expo 2002 exhibits may seem irrelevant to many forms and label producers, but that is only a temporary respite from the onrush of technology. Forms plants that have installed computer-to-plate prepress systems or are expanding into direct mail and commercial printing have been already forced to pay more attention to digital workflow development. The combination of sophisticated digital workflow systems and digital presses will take increasing document and direct mail production market share from conventional printing plants. The digital printing economics of producing invoices, statements, checks and other business documents, some with personalized promotional messages, is improving. Advances in digital workflow systems and communications standards will enable fully automated production systems. Keeping pace with developments in digital workflow systems can translate into new opportunities for forms producers and ability to compete with new types of document production specialists.

DIGITAL PRINTING
Most of the digital monochrome and color printing devices at Graph Expo 2002 have appeared in previous major shows, and the main attractions this year were new versions and features. Black-and-white model introductions included the Heidelberg Digimaster 9150i, a sheetfed machine similar to Digimaster 9110 launched in 1999, but rated at 150 pages per minute. Both Digimaster models have a MICR toner option. Advantages claimed by Heidelberg for the Digimaster presses include enhanced 600x600 dpi print quality, ability to print on coated paper, and operation at full rated speed with all finishing options, runs of 11"x17" sheets and in duplexing mode. Heidelberg has designed the Digimasters for easy operator maintenance and remote diagnosis of problems to minimize or eliminate click charges. Xerox showed a larger format Docutech printer, capable of running sheets up to 12.5"x18.5" and MICR toner for personal check imprinting. Other Docutech versions can now run paper as light as 13 Lb. basis weight or create complex documents by using up to 6 different paper feeding stations. Many of the sheetfed digital printers at Graph Expo were linked to automatic finishing machines and were in fact complete computer-driven production systems.

Delphax Technologies (previously Check Technology Corporation) demonstrated their web-fed two engine CR-1300 electron beam digital monochrome press rated at 1300 pages/minute (8.5"x11" pages) in duplex mode. This robust 600x600 dpi digital press can run pin-fed or pinless webs up to 19.75" wide with maximum 18.24" print width. Oce exhibited the high-speed dual electrophotographic engine 8090cx system, rated at 600x600 dpi resolution and 744 pages/minute in duplexing mode. The Oce machine can run pinless webs up to 18.25" wide and standard black toner can be easily replaced with a color or MICR toner. Another high speed roll-fed machine in the black-and-white category was in the IBM booth. All of the printer suppliers are working with various finishing machine partners to assemble automated web-fed production systems.

It was evident at Graph Expo 2002 that color digital printing is now a battlefield for the "three giants" – Heidelberg, Hewlett-Packard (Indigo) and Xerox. Heidelberg reported over 150 worldwide installations of the NexPress 2100 since start of sales at the Print 2001 show. This is a 4-color machine with maximum sheet size of 13.8"x18.8" and ability to print papers from 20 Lb. bond to 110 Lb. cover. Image resolution is 600x600 dpi, 8 bits per color, and rated speed is 4200 full color pages (4/0 colors) per hour. The "top of the line" machine in the Xerox booth at Graph Expo was the iGen3 four color digital press running sheets up to 14.33"x20.5" which can range from 16 Lb. bond to 100 Lb. cover, including textured stocks. Specifications include 600x600 dpi image resolution, 8 bits per pixel, printing equivalent to 200 line conventional screens and maximum production rate of 6000 full color pages per hour. This digital press is clearly intended as an alternative to 14"x20" and smaller offset presses.

Hewlett-Packard introduced the new Indigo w3200 web-fed seven-color dual engine digital color press rated at 8000 pages per hour (8.5"x11" printed 4/0 colors). Turn bars between the print engines allow single-pass duplex printing. Maximum web width is 13" and the w3200 can print images up to 11.9"x17.7" with a combination of process and spot color inks. Image resolution is 800x800 dpi, which according to Indigo is equivalent to 180 line screen offset printing. Hewlett-Packard offers a variety of Indigo web and sheet fed models with one, two or four print engines, all using the unique liquid "electro-ink".

With three large color digital press competitors, Xeikon may have to become a niche supplier looking for opportunities that fit their 12.5" and 20" web width four and five color presses. Xeikon has a sizeable installed base of machines and the roll-fed design appears suitable for a variety of label, packaging, direct mail, promotional, commercial and banner printing applications. Another niche supplier is Scitex Digital Printing, which showed the new VersaMark™ Vantage™ digital web press, which is primarily a forms and direct mail production machine. Scitex 9" wide print heads can be installed for printing up to 4 over 1 colors at 300x600 dpi resolution on 8.5"-9.5" wide webs. Rated speed of this machine is 325 ft/min. with sheet, continuous fold or roll delivery, and images can be fixed or fully variable from page to page. Scitex also demonstrated a faster machine that can print 4 over 4 process colors. A preview of the future in the Scitex booth included a new 9" wide print head that delivers much smaller ink droplets to achieve 300x1200 dpi resolution in process color printing at 325 ft/min.

Market penetration by digital color presses has been slower than many industry observers have predicted, but with the combined marketing power of Heidelberg, HP and Xerox behind digital printing, it is likely to grow much faster than conventional offset production. Some of this growth will come at the expense of offset. Just like in the 1990’s when Xerox Docutechs and similar machines from other suppliers displaced large numbers of 1-color sheetfed offset duplicators and small presses, during the next 10 years digital color presses will displace large numbers of 14"x20" and smaller two and four color sheetfed offset presses. The combination of variable image printing, automated operation, digital collating and in-line finishing give digital presses a powerful competitive position. At the same time the number of machine choices suited to specific applications is increasing and color toner costs are declining. It was clear at Graph Expo 2002 that digital press suppliers have realized that selling machines is not enough to drive the growth of digital printing, especially in color and variable imaging applications. All of the major digital press suppliers have started to offer assistance to their customers in identification of potential applications, marketing, selling practices and business model development. Digital printing can be considered an important opportunity for forms producers, because applications include production of invoices, statements, checks, direct mail and other documents that are likely to migrate from forms plants to other types of facilities.

OTHER GRAPH EXPO HIGHLIGHTS
The exhibit shared by business partners RDP Marathon and Drent Goebel had a special attraction for forms producers: a prototype offset press tower with provisions for infinitely-variable size using special low-cost plate and blanket sleeves. In this unique design with a forms press heritage, support arms move aside to allow plate and blanket sleeve changes to vary print repeat by any increment from 15" to 30" for forms, labels, packaging, direct mail and other special applications. The plate cylinder accepts conventional plates with a lead edge bend, which is tucked in a narrow slot and results in a very small plate gap. The sleeve blankets do not have a gap. Each set of print repeat sleeves costs a fraction of conventional print cylinder inserts. Drent Goebel has installed several Variable Sleeve Offset presses, including an 8 color machine, and expects to start sales of this model in 2003. The same booth had information on a new RDP Marathon blanket-to-blanket variable repeat press design with a variable size signature folder for commercial printing.

Displays of computer-to-plate (CTP) equipment featured a mix of thermal imagers for long run plates and violet laser machines for shorter runs and smaller format presses. Most of the CTP equipment suppliers showed models specifically for 2 and 4 page presses, recognizing that this segment offers the potential for a sizeable number of installations. The number of plates for computer imaging is also increasing, and Presstek demonstrated their Applause no-process wet offset plate technology. This plate has a water-receptive ceramic coating, which can be vaporized in image areas by a thermal laser to expose the ink-receptive polyester base. Plate life is rated at 100,000 impressions, longer than existing no-process plates. Pressstek expects to make both metal and polyester base versions of the plate, but a release date has not been set.

Print Imaging Sciences, Inc. (PISCES) introduced a new CTP system using inexpensive conventional subtractive aluminum plates imaged with a special fluid on an Epson 7600 ink jet printer. The PISCES JetPlate 7600 system costs approximately $30,000 and includes the ink jet printer, customized Harlequin RIP, and a processor for curing, developing, washing and post-baking the plate. Maximum plate size is 24.5"x 29" and image quality is claimed to be suitable for 175 line screen process color printing. This system may be attractive to small forms plants that do not need a high volume platesetter.

In sheetfed commercial presses, the 23.25"x29" six page format appears to be gaining in popularity as printers seek any possible competitive advantage. Most of the press exhibits focused more on features that reduce setup time rather than high running speed. Press speed was not ignored, and the fastest sheetfed press at Graph Expo 2002, the new 6-page MAN Roland 500, was rated at 18,000 impressions per hour. Creo demonstrated how a new stochastic screening version in combination with the Hexachrome color system developed by Pantone could be used to accurately reproduce a wide range of custom spot colors. If this Creo "spotless" printing method proves successful, plants with 6 color sheetfed presses may gain an important advantage.

Producers of forms and direct mail should look at the increasing choice of hybrid inks promoted at Graph Expo 2002 as an alternative to UV inks. The hybrid inks still require UV dryers, but ink suppliers claim that they extend plate life and make it practical to switch to conventional inks as needed. The hybrid inks reportedly do not need special blankets or ink rollers.

Graph Expo did not indicate that printers and equipment suppliers can expect any relief from the intensely competitive business environment that exists today and the impact of rapid technological change. Consistent with other major shows since DRUPA 2000, the exhibits this year indicated that there are at least three paths to future profitability in printing. One is to pursue the goal of CIM and utilize the new digital workflow and digital printing technologies that can reduce costs and improve responsiveness to customer needs. The second path is to seek market and product specialty niches where competition is less intense. The third option is to combine printing with as many services as possible, such as design, digital asset management, personalization, warehousing, fulfillment, kit assembly, on-demand printing and mailing. Ink-on-paper is a commodity, and the future profit potential in print-related services will be higher than in conventional printing.

Ivars Sarkans is president of consulting firm Sarkans & Associates of Los Angeles, California and a long time contributor to DMIA publications. He can be reached by telephone at (323) 221-7791 or by e-mail at isarkans@sarkans.com. His Internet web page address is http://www.sarkans.com.

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