Offset Printing - UV/LED Curing

ARVADA, CO—February 21, 2008—Air Motion Systems, the leading North American manufacturer of high-performance UV curing systems, IR/Hot Air drying systems and related accessories for the printing and finishing industries, is the founding sponsor of Print UV 2008, a new, peer-oriented industry conference focused exclusively on the growing UV printing market. Designed for printers who are serious about differentiating, growing and profiting with UV printed media, Print UV 2008 and the PrintUV online community are co-sponsored by a group of key industry participants dedicated to encouraging, promoting and sustaining the growth of UV printing in the global graphic communications industry. Founding co-sponsors include major press

THINK OF a sheetfed offset UV press as a chemistry set for grownups, complete with an ever-shifting set of variables and a hands-on learning curve. The upside of that curve is the license to print an endless range of special effects impossible to achieve with conventional inks and coatings. And the downside? There isn’t one, according to a growing number of practitioners that may have assayed the market with a vague notion of value-added, then stayed once it became apparent what a mastery of UV techniques could mean to their competitive position and their bottom line. UV printing is not for the faint

WHEN IT comes to printing on paper, the field is crowded and the competitive situation is intense. Commercial printers looking for ways to differentiate themselves have cast an eye on the market for printing on plastic as a way to add value and boost profits. Sales of UV-equipped presses are said to be on the rise, suggesting that more printers are working with plastic now than ever before. Even so, it would be an exaggeration to say that printing on plastic is sweeping the industry. This is not to say that printing on plastic isn’t an attractive opportunity with plenty of profit potential, but

THE NEWSPAPER industry has seen better days. Facing greater competition from Internet resources, all-news cable TV channels and free tabloid dailies, the once-venerable broadsheet business is now, itself, making headlines. Many reports on the newspaper industry involve consolidation, fire sales or massive layoffs. Still, newspaper printers have found ways to remain profitable. One option is to produce commercial work during press downtime. Some coldset printers have added UV drying systems to their presses to enable the printing of advertising inserts and related materials. Take Eagle Web Press of Salem, OR, for example. The company, which traces its roots to 1970, boasts a staff of more than

Let's get a few things straight about Matt Edwards. The president of Knoxville, TN-based Alliance Press is ultimately focused on providing the best possible product that coldset web printing can provide. Period.

Secondly, in order to meet that end, Edwards is interested in fresh and innovative ideas. So when he attended a UV printing seminar held by Prime UV and Flint Ink a couple years ago at the Web Offset Association's (WOA) annual conference, Edwards found the best of both worlds—one that would launch the coldset printer into the realm of UV printing on coated and supercalendered stocks.

by chris Bauer Managing Editor Many printers report seeing the demand for UV offset printing continue to rise—a bright light in a sometimes gloomy commercial printing landscape. One reason given by printers for this trend is the growing desire of print buyers and designers to create high-end consumer packaging, displays and marketing materials. This change in marketing approach by print buyers has had an effect on printed materials, causing a need to provide high-quality results. UV printing is opening up new doors for commercial printers. When it comes to intangibles such as gloss, feel, protective qualities and scuff resistance, UV-printed products are often

By Erik Cagle Senior Editor When it comes to auditioning ink, Shawn Welch is no Simon Cowell. Welch, vice president of operations for Madison, WI-based American Printing, doesn't have the same itchy trigger finger displayed by the now-infamous "American Idol" judge. In fact, Welch loves to take a long, hard look at the results on-press, anywhere from two to six weeks. It behooved Welch to be methodical in choosing his primary ink supplier. Aside from some UV printing, the ink that emerged victorious from Welch's screening would pretty much cover all of American Printing's big press printing jobs. American Printing is a sheetfed-only printer with 75 employees