Duplo USA

VERNON HILLS, IL—Scheduling flexibility is what sets Aim Business Printers apart from other printers, asserts Richard Sussman, vice president and general manager. To support production of run lengths that vary from 500 to 1 million sheets, the shop installed a PlateRite 4000II thermal plate recorder and Trueflow PDF workflow from Screen (USA). It also implemented Screen's Spekta hybrid AM/FM screening technology. (www.screenusa.com) NORFOLK, VA—The Virginian-Pilot (daily circulation of 200,000 copies) has purchased two Polaris X violet-laser computer-to-plate platesetters from Autologic, an Agfa Co. (www.pilotonline.com/www.agfa.com) HOUSTON—Champagne Fine Printing is adding an HP Indigo digital printing press to assist clients in

Windy City Printer Upgrades Bindery CHICAGO—Schiele Graphics, a member of the Schiele Group, has purchased a Duplo System 4000 collator bookletmaker from Best Graphics. John Schiele, president, says that what got him excited about the machine was its ability to perform "intelligent collating," an add-on computer and software system that enables complex collating functions involving multiple components. alabama MONTGOMERY—Davis Printing has reportedly become the first printer in the state to employ FM screening. Creo's Prinergy workflow, two Intigris 800 proofers and a Trendsetter 800 Quantam are being used to produce 20 micron Staccato screening. The company plans to produce 90 percent of its

New Press Heats Up Southwestern Printer PHOENIX—Cereus Graphics has installed a new Komori Lithrone S40 sheetfed offset press. Cereus reportedly is the second printing company in the nation to begin operating the newly designed, 40˝ press after its Graph Expo introduction last fall. Alabama ADAMSVILLE—Precision Graphics has installed a five-color Komori Lithrone 40. arizona PHOENIX—A two-color, 17x22˝ Sakurai 258EPII perfector has been installed by the Arizona Department of Transportation. arkansas LITTLE ROCK—Magna IV has purchased two Model 3F sheetfed presses from Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses. The new 40˝ presses—a six-color with coater and extended delivery and a two-color—joined an existing six-color Model 3F.

The broader trend toward convergence in the digital printing segment also is evident at the product level. Black-and-white and color printing systems are being enhanced and expanded to meet the needs of corporate and commercial users alike. The trend is reflected in the capabilities and features of the latest product introductions from leading vendors. To expand its market, Heidelberg introduced the Digimaster 9110m network imaging system that uses magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) toner and prints special fonts and characters. It said to enable data centers and transactional printing environments to also do print-on-demand work with normal toner by simply changing developer stations. The

ARIZONA MESA—Hogue Printing has signed a deal with CRC Information Systems to implement THE System business management software, including the Commercial Estimating module. Hogue Printing, a 38-year-old family owned business, specializes in sheetfed printing, copying, design and packaging. CALIFORNIA PALM SPRINGS—The Desert Sun newspaper, a Gannett company, has purchased two KBA Colora Tower additions for upgrading and expanding printing and color capabilities for its existing Goss Headliner offset press. SACRAMENTO—Fong & Fong Printers and Lithographers has integrated a Gerber Sector coating blanket cutter into its workflow, lowering costs and speeding production. The printer formerly outsourced its coating blankets, requiring a three day turnaround.

BY MARK SMITH Adhesive binding has long been a benchmark of quality for finishing, but equipment costs and setup times traditionally had kept the process in the realm of long-run and/or higher end projects. The prevailing trend now in "perfect" binding systems is increasing their flexibility to handle shorter runs. This is true for all levels of equipment, but particularly for the relatively new product category of units designed to work in conjunction with digital printing systems. A related trend is the industry's move to computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) that is trickling down to postpress operations in general. Unlike prepress and printing, though, digital

BY CHRIS BAUER Football season is upon us, and the focus of most teams is on the quarterback. Some quarterbacks are pocket passers like the Saint Louis Rams' Kurt Warner, while others like to get out of the pocket and make plays on-the-run, like the Philadelphia Eagles' Donovan McNabb. For the printing industry, talk of pockets brings us to the bindery—where new collating equipment can be the quarterback of the finishing department. Just like NFL-caliber players, collating equipment has to be tough, smart, reliable and flexible, equipment vendors say. The same broad trends that are shaping the printing industry at large—shorter run

CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE—The County of Riverside has installed a two-color, 173⁄4x223⁄4˝ Sakurai 258EIIZ press. SACRAMENTO—Dome Printing has tripled the speed of its soft cover book binding capabilities with the August installation of a new 21-pocket Muller Martini Corona perfect binding system. The company now has the ability to utilize Polyurethane Reactive (PUR) glues, especially for the production of lay-flat books. SAN FRANCISCO—Flexible packaging company Lithotype has implemented CRC Information Systems' business management software "THE System." COLORADO LOVELAND—Rocky Mountain region sheetfed printer Vision Graphics has successfully implemented the Printcafe Hagen OA print management system. CONNECTICUT BRIDGEPORT—Millennium Graphics has signed an agreement with CRC Information Systems

Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. moved into violet imaging CTP technology by previewing three internal-drum systems that feature 30mW laser diodes for exposing photopolymer plates. The Saber Luxel Vx-6000 CTP handles a 29.5x26.4˝ maximum plate size and is offered in manual and semi-automatic configurations. The Saber Luxel V-9600 CTP and Vx-9600 CTP support a 45.7x37.8˝ maximum plate size and initially will be available in a fully automatic configuration. The Vx model supports a slightly larger imaging area and will be offered in manual and semi-automatic configurations in the future. Write in 382 on Reader Service Card Delphax Technologies debuted the Imaggia II series of sheetfed

BY CAROLINE MILLER Grelind Printing Center Owner Linda Peterson lives in one of the most beautiful places in the country. Her printing operation is nestled within the foothills of Black Hills National Forest in Rapid City, SD, located just miles from Mount Rushmore. While Peterson is greeted every day with awe-inspiring and breath-taking vistas, she also has to deal with the fact that there are less than 200,000 people within a 400 to 500 square mile radius. And she has to compete with more than 16 other printers within the Rapid City area, and still even more shops in surrounding towns. So how does