SHEETFED PRESSES -- Sizing Up the Options

In the current market, 40˝ printers are feeling more of a pinch than half-size shops, believes Grego. "Run lengths are coming down. Jobs that might have been considered to be traditional, 40˝ work are now being produced on half-size presses more efficiently."

The trend is toward trying to create a good blend of press sizes and balance out the pressroom, Mitsubishi's Mullen agrees. "If a shop primarily has 40˝ capacity, it will tend to look at 20x28˝ or 23x29˝ presses next. In less frequent cases, commercial printers may look at larger (45˝ on up) presses."