Offset Printing - Web

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

THE WORLD of closed-loop color control (CLC) somewhat resembles a PGA-caliber golf course. In both cases, the rewards for mastering it are high, but hazards along the way can certainly leave you in a tough spot. What some web offset printers agree upon is this: closed-loop color control is a tool, not a turnkey panacea that will solve all color reproduction issues. Perfect, it is not. Generally speaking, CLC is a process where the control system analyzes printed color bars at full web press speeds and makes on-the-fly adjustments to maintain accurate color control. “The biggest challenge is getting our internal

WORLD AND industry viewpoints alike are set to come together at the upcoming 2006 Web Offset Association (WOA) Management and Technical Conference. But what sets this meeting apart in our conference-heavy industry? According to the WOA’s executive director, the combination of heavy-hitter speakers and relevant industry information will keep those attending the event wanting more. “We want attendees to be able to customize the experience for their individual needs,” reports Mary Garnett, PIA/GATF vice president and WOA executive director. Titled “Decision Points 2006,” the 54th annual conference will take place at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando, FL, on May 21-24. Designed for executives

STEVE FORBES has been described as a media mogul, a Web-savvy ideologue, a simplified tax advocate, a publisher and, more relevant here, the keynote presenter at next month’s Web Offset Association (WOA) meeting in Orlando, FL. Not only does Steve Forbes know our business, he lives it. Forbes Inc. is an 88-year-old publishing company riding the cusp of the Internet and new media challenges. Having invested tens of millions into the Internet, the president and CEO of Forbes Inc. and editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine continues to be very optimistic about the power of print. In addition to his intimate dealings with the printing industry

It’s a rarity to hear about a new printing facility being built from the ground up in today’s graphic arts world. But that is just what Williams Printing, an RR Donnelley company, celebrated when it opened a new 130,000-square-foot facility located near Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in 2005. But, then again, Williams Printing does not consider itself your Average Joe Printer. During the past 80 years, Williams Printing has built a reputation for outstanding quality, service and innovation. And although RR Donnelley is now the world’s largest provider of print and print-related services—and Williams is among the largest commercial printers in the Atlanta area—both pursue a

Sometimes necessity is the mother of consolidation. Case in point is National Hirschfeld of Denver. Less than a year ago, there was no such animal as National Hirschfeld. Oh, the Hirschfeld portion sounds extremely familiar, as in longtime family owned printing business A.B. Hirschfeld. Outside of former Rocky Mountain dweller Mail-Well (now Cenveo)—which recently relocated its headquarters to Connecticut—century-old A.B. Hirschfeld was easily one of the most recognizable names for printing in the state of Colorado. The groundwork for negotiations that eventually led to the creation of National Hirschfeld began last April, when Brett Birky, president of National Printing and Packaging (NP&P), met with his old

By Mark Michelson Editor-in-Chief Growing interest in digital press offerings notwithstanding, the estimated 62,000 attendees at PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05 surely didn't go home with the impression that the traditional sheetfed offset market has lost its luster, especially given all of the big iron dominating the show floor during the seven-day-long exhibition last month. Sealing the deal for nine new Komori six-color, 40˝ Lithrone presses at various Consolidated Graphics facilities are, front row from the left: Robert Birmingham, Consolidated Graphics; John Marotta, Komori America; back row: Yoshiharu Komori, Komori Corp.; George Abboud, Consolidated Graphics; Stephan Carter, Komori America; and Satoshi Mochida, Komori

by chris bauer Managing Editor The demand for technology that allows web printers to efficiently produce shorter, versioned runs continues to increase. Print becomes a more attractive option for media buyers when they can combine the impact of highly targeted pieces with the advantages of the web offset process, including faster turnaround times and lower costs. As a result, web press manufacturers are designing machines able to satisfy the ever-changing needs of web printers. "The playing field for web offset is expanding," assesses Greg Norris, manager of marketing communications for Goss International. "Innovations in areas like automation, waste reduction and makeready speed are pushing

By Kristen E. Monte What a difference a year makes. When Mary Garnett was named executive director of the Web Offset Association (WOA) a little over a year ago, she had high hopes for what the organization could do for web offset printing companies. So far, she has proven herself to be an effective leader of the organization. Mary Garnett Garnett took over the position with WOA, a special industry group of Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF), in February 2004. She immediately got to work on some of the major concerns that confronted the industry as a whole. She says that

By Kristen E. Monte The Harry V. Quadracci VISION Award, presented by the Web Offset Association (WOA), is awarded to a heatset web offset industry executive who has become a dominant force in shaping the business of heatset printing. William F. Hogg Jr., this year's VISION Award winner, has gone far beyond executive-level duties to make significant changes, not only with his company Valassis Communications, but for the web offset industry as a whole. William F. Hogg Jr.Hogg is executive vice president of manufacturing and operations for Valassis, headquartered in Livonia, MI, and a member of Valassis' executive committee. He began his career