ON THE ROAD -- German Tour Opens Printers' Eyes Wide

Bringing the hypothetical print shop to life, Torsten Uhlig of German printer Druckhaus Heidenreich, shared some of his company's real-world experience with installing a Rapida 142 and 10-color Rapida 105 perfector. Uhlig says the machines were installed to increase the shop's capacity.

Customer concerns about gloss were a key factor in the printer's decision to go with the large-format Rapida 142 press rather than adding a second 10-color perfector, the company exec reports. Demanding car manufacturers, in particular, had noticed a drop off in gloss from the front of sheets to the back in jobs produced on the perfector, he says. In addition, the company had the Rapida 142 configured for hybrid UV printing to meet increasing demand for coatings.