WOA 04 -- Getting a Jump On Drupa 2004

Humility prevents us from saying that the Web Offset Association (WOA) is saving the best for last, but it is closing out the 52nd Annual Conference with a big finishing act. The final day's general session promises to give attendees "The Inside Scoop on Drupa" from industry experts who are in the know and under the direction of Printing Impressions Editor-in-Chief Mark Michelson.

The session will explore major themes expected to be in evidence at the trade fair, along with previews of specific products and technologies to be unveiled. To give a taste of what's to come, here is a short Q&A with some of the panelists scheduled to participate in the closing session. Taking part are Professor Frank Romano, RIT School of Print Media; Dennis E. Mason, president of Mason Consulting; and Darren A. Carlson, CEO of American Spirit Graphics.

PI: What are your expectations for the status and form of JDF-related developments at Drupa 2004?

ROMANO: JDF will replace WMD (weapons of mass destruction) as the most overused acronym. JDF workflow is a great idea and we look ahead to innovative and practical implementations. Every vendor will have a JDF-based product. The big question will be whether these solutions will work with your equipment.

The future of print is ink-jet. It is starting with "industrial" applications, but will move into documents and publications quickly.

MASON: Drupa 2004 is already being advertised as the "JDF Drupa," and I don't think anyone looking for JDF capability will be disappointed. But the challenge for a great many printers is still how to build a functional workflow with a mix of legacy equipment and new, JDF-enabled gear.

After Drupa, it probably will be possible to implement a fairly complete print operation with JDF-enabled equipment. But not many printers are in a position to start with a clean sheet of paper. For printers with legacy equipment in their workflows, the real issue is whether they will be able to compete effectively with printers that have installed a true, automated workflow. This could be the factor that brings us quickly into the JDF age.

CARLSON: Everyone always wants something big and new to showcase at Drupa. Because of its potential and the progress being made, JDF will likely be a topic buzzing around Düsseldorf. Though certain areas may not be ready for mainstream use, I expect manufacturers from job planning, prepress, press and postpress will combine their products to make an impressive system that flows smoothly in the controlled Drupa environment. With automated presetting and quick makereadies across departments, it will be a glimpse at how a company of the future might look.

PI: Do you expect Drupa to be a showcase for innovations that could spark a new round of investments in web offset units?

CARLSON: Yes. Drupa always showcases new innovations and gets people excited about technology changes. Our industry has been struggling with overcapacity, so most people have not been thinking much about new equipment. Drupa may change that. Even for those who don't attend, Drupa brings equipment into the forefront. Because of that, positive interest and momentum will likely build for manufacturers, but it will be tempered by other industry issues.

PI: Given the maturity of the technology, what areas of development are sheetfed press manufacturers likely to focus on—new press formats, more automation, greater speeds, others?

MASON: Obviously, press manufacturers are under considerable pressure in the marketplace. They must contend with excess print capacity among their existing customers, and with increased competition from the new digital machines. At the lower end of the market, I expect digital presses to prevail. Sheetfed press manufacturers will focus on the higher end of the market, and do so with products that will enable their customers to enhance printed products with coatings and special effects that are often done off-line today. I also expect them to promote further labor reduction through faster makeready, auto-mation in areas such as ink replenishment and cleanup, and the latest in JDF-enabled functions.

In other words, all of the above.

PI: What should visitors look for in the binding and finishing arena?

CARLSON: There will probably be a focus on presets and automation similar to other areas. The need for quick make-readies and reduced operator intervention has shifted into the postpress areas, as well.

MASON: Binding and finishing probably offers printers the greatest opportunity for labor reduction and productivity improvement, and at Drupa we will see manufacturers focusing on both. Computer-controlled folders that reset automatically for repetitive jobs have been available from a few manufacturers for some time, and that is one capability I expect to become more generally available. Cutters, too, should more broadly adopt the same technologies of computer control.

As this automation becomes more available, many printers will find it advantageous to bring in-house some of the work they previously sent outside to trade binderies. The ultimate result will be greater vertical integration among printers that become more efficient in the bindery.

PI: In the digital printing arena, do you see any potential for a breakthrough in capabilities?

ROMANO: I expect a few surprises in digital printing at Drupa, but most of what we will see will be incremental improvement. We hope to see at least one four-up system and more systems with online finishing.

MASON: I'm more of a believer in evolution than in revolution. I look for incremental advances in digital printing, but these could greatly influence how we view commercial printing. The very idea of digital printing can quickly bring us to the point where a commercial quality, four-color printing machine is just another icon in the printer folder on your computer. For many businesses this means it may soon be advantageous to have a "printing press" on the office LAN. This would permit printing of sales brochures, specification sheets and other collateral literature as needed, thus eliminating extra copies.

PI: Will processless/chemistry-free plates be the big news on the CTP front? Is the technology likely to revive the imaging system (violet, thermal, ink-jet) debate?

ROMANO: Processless is the way plates have to go. It is not a question of if, but one of when. How they will be imaged will then be less important.

PI: Most prepress manufacturers seem to be jumping on the alternative screening—stochastic, hybrid, etc.—bandwagon and will have systems on display at Drupa. Are printers and their customers likely to buy into it?

CARLSON: We print some stochastic jobs currently and a few of our customers are jumping on the bandwagon with us. Printers need to understand their alternative screening method of choice and have proper control of their color management and pressroom processes before they get started. It also requires training the sales staff and customers to accurately determine which jobs will benefit from the screening change. For these reasons there will be a barrier for some printers and customers, but I don't think this is a trend that will end anytime soon.

MASON: Two kinds of printers will likely buy into the alternative screening concept. The first group includes shops that already have sufficient control over their process; they feel the new screening techniques will offer the opportunity to gain still better control and thus produce a better product. The second group encompasses those companies that are marketing focused and who will use the new screening techniques to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

Both of these groups can be expected to succeed or fail in these efforts depending on whether their customers can discern a difference in print quality. I am concerned that, for a great many print buyers, the new screening methods will be "a difference without a distinction" and that any increase in costs cannot be recovered.

PI: Will there be any other big stories coming out of Drupa?

CARLSON: I don't expect any big surprises unless someone uses Drupa to announce some merger or acquisition news. Aside from that, because of all the announcements and advancements that are made in a Drupa year, big stories that truly stand out are hard to come by.

ROMANO: Let me go out on a limb—this may be the most boring Drupa ever, and I have been to every one since 1972.

MASON: It is possible that the big story out of Drupa is that this may well be the last big Drupa. Trade shows seem to be waning, as manufacturers no longer find it economical to time their product introductions to one exhibition or to wait until the next trade show to introduce the latest product. Even printing machinery developments now occur on Internet time.

Just a few weeks ago, I attended the National Association of Manufacturers show in Chicago, and was amazed at how much the exhibition has shrunk in size in just the last few years. Soon, manufacturers will have to commit to space at the next Drupa. Keep an eye on those space sales for an indication of whether we are starting down a path that will change the way industry companies buy equipment.

Taking a Stroll in the Parc

Also taking part in the Drupa session at the WOA conference is Eva Teichmann, vice president of marketing at Messe Düsseldorf North America, a subsidiary of event organizer Messe Düsseldorf. Part of her presentation will focus on enhancements made to the international trade fair itself. Even the Messe's 17 exhibition halls are not enough to contain all the action, Teichmann reveals.

DRUPA 2004 is not just a platform for the "giants" of the industry. Often it's the "small" IT solutions and applications that cause a splash in the printing and media industry. To better showcase them, in the open-air area between Halls 1, 2, 3 and 4 at the Düsseldorf fairgrounds, visitors will find the drupa 2004 think-tank, which is formally called the "drupa innovation parc."

Here, three special presentations will provide a platform for innovations that go beyond the field of printing:

1) The "dynamic document parc" will focus on the hot topic of dynamic document generation, including XML publishing, database publishing and server applications with PDF and XSL/FO. This is a subject set to revolutionize the future of publishing.

2) In the "software innovation parc," smaller, young and creative companies, service providers and IT developers will have the opportunity to present themselves to a broad international audience for the first time. Intelligent software solutions in the print and media environment will be the focus of this special presentation. The software innovation parc also provides visitors with an important point of reference for navigating the flood of information being offered. On display will be applications and solutions from the areas of workflow automation in media production, server solutions, ingenious Internet solutions and PDF applications.

3) Digital photographers will be able to find the latest imaging applications and solutions at a special stand in the "picture innovation parc" organized by the ADF digital photography initiative. Topics include color management and the latest trends in the camera market. With original activities and a program of brief presentations and talks, the stand will inform visitors about the latest developments in digital photography.

Right next door in Hall 4 (Stand A 33), CIP4—in association with Messe Düsseldorf—will highlight the subject of JDF (Job Definition Format). The "JDF parc" will demonstrate how machines from different vendors can communicate with each other based on the JDF specification.

With more than 190 member companies, the CIP4 organization is responsible for the development of JDF. As such, it is working with Messe Düsseldorf to organize JDF programs at Drupa 2004 with the JDF parc in Hall 4 as the centerpiece.

When attendees arrive at the parc, they will be issued a "job ticket," which is a card printed with a unique identification number and whose design includes space for 10 to 12 punches. Attendees can go to any of the job initiation pods within the JDF parc and begin their "job." The identification number will be used to follow a job from station to station, and a visitor's card will be punched at each station. Attendees who complete a "job ticket" will be entered into a raffle for prizes.

In addition, Messe Düsseldorf will be installing a network from the parc to participating booths throughout the trade show. Hence, a "job ticket" can be followed to any connected booth, not just from pod-to-pod within the JDF parc.

There will also be a theater in the parc where educational and informational programs will be scheduled throughout Drupa 2004. These presentations will feature user case-study presentations on the efforts of pioneering prepress and printing companies that have implemented JDF-enabled production environments.

—Eva Teichmann