DIGITAL digest
Open House Event Touts By-the-Book Production
HAUPPAUGE, NY—Muller Martini and Nipson recently teamed up to host an open house at Muller Martini’s headquarters on Long Island. The theme for the day was short-run book production using the latest on-demand digital printing and finishing technology.
“We see 2007 as a transitional year for digital print manufacturing, during which the industry will fully realize what on-demand technologies are capable of,” noted Robert Stabler, of Nipson America. “The short-run book market will grow very strongly.”
According to Stabler, book publishers gain a number of benefits from being able to print lower quantities with digital technology. These include improved cash flow, lower inventory costs, better inventory turns and the ability to extend the profitable life of titles on backlists.
“Today’s digital book manufacturing technologies are highly advanced, not only in terms of efficiency, but also when it comes to quality results,” commented Werner Naegeli, president and CEO of Muller Martini. “In fact, these latest systems can create books with a level of quality that is nearly equivalent to traditional perfect binding workflows.”
The day’s activities centered around demonstrations of a full in-line digital book printing and binding workflow. Components of the system included two Nipson VaryPress 400 monochrome printers with EMT unwinder, a FME sheeter and stacker, and Shuttleworth Star Roller conveyor, which led into a Muller Martini SigmaBinder perfect binder, SigmaTower cooling tower and Esprit three-knife trimmer.
Nipson’s printing systems are based on magnetographic imaging with flash fusing, which can print a wide range of stocks because no heat is applied to the substrate. The Muller Martini finishing units are part of its scalable SigmaLine digital book manufacturing solution, which can also include the SigmaFolder, SigmaCollator and SigmaStitcher, all driven by the SigmaControl system that utilizes a JDF (Job Definition Format) interface to coordinate all functions of the printing and binding process.
New Tools Created to Educate Marketers About VDP Benefits
LYNBROOK, NY—To spur use of variable data printing, the Ad Age Custom Programs Group (a division of Advertising Age magazine), PRINTING IMPRESSIONS, Kodak and the U.S. Postal Service are working with TeleTime Video to jointly create a multi-platform communications effort that defines personalized marketing. Two key components are an interactive DVD and Webinar that will be available on the Ad Age Website (www.adage.com).
Variable data printing methods and successes are covered on the DVD, including case studies from companies that have experienced a dramatic ROI on personalized marketing campaigns. The greater relevancy of personalized direct mail pieces has been shown to increase response rates two to seven times compared to static content. Among the businesses highlighted in the case studies are Charles Schwab, Kodak, Verizon and Oceania Cruises.
The materials on the DVD and in the Webinar are intended to educate marketers—the media decision makers—on the advantages of variable data digital printing, says Harold Klein, president of TeleTime. The DVD is designed for use as part of customer and new prospect presentations, in training programs and for presentations at trade shows, he adds.
PRINTING IMPRESSIONS will promote the DVD through ads in future editions, along with banner ads and a video trailer on our Website (www.piworld.com). The USPS will be equipping its 1,000-person sales force with copies of the DVD to be used in consultations with marketers. Kodak will also distribute at least 1,000 DVDs to printers and marketers.
For more information on the program, contact Harold Klein at (516) 316-3798 or hklein@teletimevideo.com.
Double Digit Growth for Digital Color Investments
HANOVER, MA—Measured in terms of revenues from sales of hardware, media and chemistry, I.T. Strategies is forecasting the worldwide digital color market—ink-jet (both narrow and wide format) and electrophotography (EP)—to grow to $173 billion by 2010, up from $103 billion in 2005.
The research firm is projecting the market to record an 11 percent compound annual growth rate over that period of time.
On a percentage of total revenues basis, I.T. Strategies expects investment in ink-jet technology to drop to 37 percent ($64.1 billion) of digital color hardware and consumables sales in 2010, down from 46 percent ($46.9 billion) in 2005. Color EP will continue to grow by taking more share from monochrome EP printer and copier applications, as well as some offset applications, according to the research firm. EP technology revenues should grow to $108.6 billion in 2010, up from $55.7 billion in 2005.
Opening Up To New Vista
CAMBRIDGE, UK—It’s not unreasonable for a commercial printer to take the approach of, “I’ll deal with it when the first job comes in the door.” The latest potential “it” is the XML Paper Specification (XPS), which is a core part of the now released Windows Vista operating system and also being incorporated into the Microsoft Office application suite.
Global Graphics has played an integral role in the development of XPS, but even it is predicting that commercial printers won’t see significant demand for handling jobs in this new format until 2008, and likely not until the second half of next year. It has an education effort under way now, though, since equipment vendors will be developing solutions ahead of that demand, and commercial printers may want to factor the capability into their equipment and software buying plans.
Konica Minolta Business Solutions already has announced it will support the XPS file format in the next generation of its bizhub multifunctional products, slated for release this summer, and select bizhub and magicolor printers.
XPS is said to provide greater accuracy and productivity in reproducing the layout and color of a document on the printed page. It has the potential to set the expectation that “everyday” documents are suitable for commercial printing, says Martin Bailey, Global Graphics’ chief technology officer. The ability to produce smooth gradation and support for transparency are two important ways in which it addresses shortcomings previously encountered in Microsoft Windows/Office documents, he explains.
Demand will be driven from the bottom up, adds Paul Collins, product manager, RIP technology. Windows users will see XPS support introduced on lower-end devices this year, and then likely will want to standardize their document creation procedures. Office 2008 for the Mac is supposed to support XPS, and there will be viewers for the Mac that will save to other formats, he notes.
Global Graphics has set up an XPS resource page at www.globalgraphics.com/xps/index.html.
digital bytes
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA—Kodak has donated a Trendsetter 800 III Quantum eight-page, thermal platesetter to Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department. Cal Poly printed a commemorative poster (pictured above) for the dedication ceremony.
EULESS, TX—Spurred by the need to have its existing CTP device repaired, Curry Printing has added a Javelin 8300E eight-up, thermal platesetter from Fujifilm. The company was looking for greater production flexibility and the move up to a 40˝ format to support its five presses.
PALO ALTO, CA—HP reports its user base has set new records in digital printing volumes for the calendar year 2006. The total number of annual impressions printed on HP Indigo presses reportedly surpassed 10 billion, for a year-over-year growth rate of 40 percent. In addition, users set a single-month record by printing more than 1 billion impressions in November. According to research firm InfoTrends, overall U.S. revenues generated by digital presses in the high-volume (1 million plus average monthly impressions) category is expected to grow from $3.5 billion in 2006 to $13.5 billion by 2010.
SEWICKLEY, PA—PIA/GATF’s Digital Printing Council (DPC) has released the latest set of reports in its Marketing 4 Digital (M4D) research series. This third set focuses on the industry sectors of food services-wholesale, food services-retail, associations, higher education and training, publishing (books, magazines and newspapers), sports and entertainment, pharmaceutical and fund raising.
WIESLOCH, GERMANY—The 1,000th platesetter from Heidelberg’s Suprasetter production family has rolled off its production line. The landmark system, a Suprasetter E 105, is being installed at a Brazilian company.
LAS VEGAS—The FusionPro Users Forum celebrated a membership milestone during the opening session of its 2007 User Conference. In just over a year, more than a 1,000 members have joined this peer support group for users of Printable Technologies’ FusionPro variable data software suite, which includes desktop, online and server-based solutions.
In attendance, from the left, are Nipson America’s Robert Stabler and Jan Hommema; Bob Donovan and John Kent, Quebecor World Eusey Press; and Muller Martini’s Andrew Fetherman.
