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

The company recently brought prepress in-house, so it was able to plan ahead for the larger format requirements. It did add a larger cutter to handle the sheet size.

Uhlig says the challenges in handling larger sheets should not be underestimated. If sheets are not coated, the amount of spray powder that has to be used can cause problems and ripples can develop in loads of sheets on a pallet. Everything on the press is heavier and bigger, he adds, which means two people are required for many operations--such as plate and blanket changes. Waste also becomes a bigger issue.