Digital bytes 6-01
SANTA ANA, CA/HANOVER PARK, IL—Markzware's MarkzNet online preflight application will be integrated into myfujifilm.com under an agreement signed by the two companies. MarkzNet reportedly was selected for its ability to check native application files and instantly communicate any problems to the user. Developed by Fuji Photo Film, myfujifilm.com provides online solutions to help printers, trade shops, ad agencies, publishers and designers manage and enhance their production workflows. (www.myfujifilm.com/www.markzware.com)
ROCHESTER, NY—Canon Inc. and NexPress Solutions have announced a commitment to work together to promote open standards that enable the seamless exchange of digital color printing jobs between the office and commercial printing markets. (www.canon.com and www.nexpress.com)
ENGLEWOOD, CO—Signal Graphics has made the A.B.Dick Digital PlateMaster (DPM) 2340 direct-to-plate device and ScanMaster scanning solution part of its standard equipment package. The equipment package already has been added to six of the franchise printing organization's 55 stores, and is expected to be rolled out by all the locations within two years. (www.signalgraphics.com and www.abdick.com)
ZURICH—The International Cooperation for the Integration of Processes in Prepress, Press and Postpress (CIP4) has completed its registration as a Swiss association and will be headquartered here. CIP4 organizers say the association will operate as an international standards body, and work to develop and promote vendor-independent standards for the graphic arts industry, such as the Job Definition Format (JDF). (www.cip4.org)
PROVO, UT—excelgraphics claims to have installed the first computer-to-plate system in Utah County. The sheetfed printing and packaging company has added a CreoScitex Dolev platesetter.
EL RENO, OK—Heritage Press has capped off its two-year technical upgrade and expansion program with the addition of a CreoScitex Spectrum Trendsetter computer-to-plate system and an Imation Digital Matchprint color proofing system.
CHICAGO—A.B.Dick has logged a couple new installation sites for its DPM2340 computer-to-plate system. Rapid Press in Stamford, CT, has made the move to in-house prepress production by installing a DPM2340 unit and ScanMaster scanner. The shop reportedly is using the system to produce polyester plates for its A.B.Dick 9985 and Ryobi 2800 presses. (www.rapidpressct.com)
The Minuteman Press franchise in Duluth, GA, has upgraded its direct-to-plate capabilities by also choosing the A.B.Dick DPM2340 device. (www.abdick.com)
ROLLING MEADOWS, IL—Screen (USA) continues to build to the installed base for its PlateRite 4000 thermal CTP recorders. Art & Print in Washington, IL, installed the plate-setter and TrueFlow workflow system to support future growth.
Perfect Printing in Philadelphia has been doing CTP-based production since 1997, and recently upgraded to a PT-R4000 recorder to provide capacity for growth, says Joe Olivo, general manager of the third-generation family owned business. "This is a very efficient machine, reducing the time from proofing to press at an incredible rate." (www.screenusa.com)
FAIRFIELD, NJ—FLM Graphics has expanded its digital imaging capabilities with the installation of a Contex Ideal Superwide 50˝ color scanner. The scanner can handle originals on a variety of substrates and in sizes to 50˝ wide and 1⁄2˝ thick. (www.flmgraphics.com)
EDINA, MN—The International Prepress Association's board of directors has announced the appointment of Steve Bonoff as president of the organization. He succeeds Henry (Hank) Hatch, who recently retired. Hatch joined IPA in 1986 following a 33-year career at 3M.
The IPA Executive Committee has authorized Bonoff to create a Strategic Planning Group—composed of industry veterans and visionaries—to help redefine who the next-generation IPA members will be and what technological and management information they will need in order to prosper. (www.ipa.org)
ATLANTA—American Color Graphics has opted to stick with a film-based workflow in upgrading its prepress capabilities. The shop installed a Screen Tanto 5120 eight-up imagesetter driven by the manufacturer's Taiga prepress system. It also has added an Epson 9000 digital color proofer.
DALLAS—Said to be just the fourth such install site, KPT Inc. has acquired a Scitex VersaMark BCP42 digital color press. The service bureau plans to use the high-speed ink-jet machine to support its business printing and mailing services. (www.scitexdpi.com)
OVERLAND PARK, KS—On Demand Technologies (ODT) reportedly is the first printer in the Kansas City area to acquire a seven-color Indigo UltraStream digital press. (www.odt-inc.com)
ITASCA, IL—In order to provide a "total digital solution," Tarco Printing has added a Fujifilm Saber CTP system. The Saber's multi-beam imaging technology produces outstanding quality with pinpoint accurate registration that provides faster makeready on press, says Ben Reckards, president.
BOSTON—Commercial sheetfed printer Noonan Press has added an eight-page Fujifilm Javelin Luxel T9000 computer-to-plate device to its prepress department. Tommy Noonan, plant manager, says his company invested in a thermal platesetter in an effort to keep up with other printers in the tight Boston printing market. Noonan Press, which already uses Fuji's film, plates and chemistry as well as the plate processor and conveyor, also installed the Rampage RIP system to drive the Fuji machines.
WARREN, MI—To help keep up with a heavy workload from automotive and other customers, Clark Graphics has installed a PlateRite 8000 computer-to-plate device from Screen (USA). In addition to the eight-page platesetter, the shop also upgraded the TaigaSPACE workflow solution, which it has used for two years. Within two weeks of the installation, the PT-R8000 was utilized on 90 percent of its work. Producing everything from two-color to six-color jobs, the company outputs an average of 2,000 non-bake plates per month.
