Eastman Kodak

THE FIFTH annual PIA/GATF Variable Data and Personalization Conference, held November 12-14 in Phoenix, will feature more than two days of sessions to help companies advance their capabilities. This special supplement has been designed to highlight some of the key conference topics and speakers. Attendees will hear case studies from the Canadian Conservative Party and Move.com that provide a behind-the-scenes look at effective uses of VDP. Three separate tracks, a total of 21 sessions, are being offered. Management sessions will include: Building an Efficient Cost/Financial Model; Liability/Security Issues; Managing a Multimedia Company; Transitioning from Transactional to Marketing; as well as Profiting from Digital

ROCHESTER, NY—Sept. 18—Facing growing competition in its offset printing services, Herald Printing in New Washington, OH, is using Kodak’s latest digital production color press to bring in additional revenue streams and separate itself from other printers in the market. The Kodak Nexpress 2500 digital production color press boasts speed, productivity and inline features that will allow Herald Printing to enter fresh markets and attract new customers. “After 125 years as a traditional print provider, we’re changing our philosophy as a company,” said Jim Morgan, Marketing Services Manager, Herald Printing. “The installation of the Nexpress 2500 press marks the beginning of a transition for

ROCHESTER, NY— Sept. 11—Miller’s Professional Imaging, the largest color portrait and wedding lab in the United States, has seen continued growth in business and customer satisfaction since installing its Kodak Nexpress 2100 plus digital production color press eight months ago at its Columbia, MO, facility. The company has expanded its range of services, made possible by the Nexpress digital press, to include photo books, calendars, greeting cards and postcards, creating new revenue opportunities for Miller’s Professional Imaging and its customers. The anticipated print volume from both the professional and Mpix businesses led Miller’s Professional Imaging to recently add a second Kodak Nexpress 2500 digital

Quality, reliability and flexibility drive sales of KODAK equipment and consumables ROCHESTER, NY—Sept. 5—Newspaper printers in Georgia, Oregon, Louisiana, and Ohio are the latest to purchase Kodak thermal CTP solutions to improve output quality and enhance operating efficiencies. Athens Newspapers LLC of Athens, GA, which prints the Athens Banner-Herald, a number of weeklies, the daily student newspaper at the University of Georgia and a large number of commercial projects, purchased two Kodak Trendsetter News 70 thermal platesetters, Kodak thermal digital plates, a Kodak Prinergy Evo workflow system, Kodak PREPS imposition software and Kodak Staccato screening. Athens Newspapers is part of Morris Communications Co.

Gämmerler will launch the BL 408 bindery stacker for use behind saddlestitchers, perfect binders, folders and inserters. Features wide format range, two-stage stacking system and a low copy drop height. The infeed is equipped with four top belts and eight bottom belts. Visit www.piworld.com/infocenter and enter number 381 Goss International will unveil its Pacesetter 2200 and 2500 saddlestitchers. The systems feature servo-driven hoppers and excel at quick makereadies. The Pacesetter 2200 system completes up to 22,000 books per hour. The Pacesetter 2500 model features a dual stitcher and a 25,000 books per hour capacity. Visit www.piworld.com/infocenter and enter number

THOSE DETRACTORS who claim that computer-to-plate (CTP) technology has not completely delivered on its promise might be lacking in big picture perspective. Like complaining that a cellular phone service provider doesn’t always generate “enough bars,” or the phone itself is now obsolete because it doesn’t take pictures, people often fall into the trap of wanting the next great technology. After all, does anyone miss the early days of composition? Have fond memories of pasting up boards, shooting them, developing film and burning/punching plates? Looking at it from the perspective of traditional prepress, there is a little room for forgiveness in noting that not

With digital printing in its various forms having been in the marketplace for more than 15 years, most industry pundits agree it has reached a level of maturity. Buyers of printed product, who once may have had objections to the quality or price of digital printing—or both—now no longer voice those objections for most projects. And as they have come to understand the advantages of digital printing— the ability to economically produce high quality short runs of full color materials on demand and its unique capability to deliver one-to-one communications—the face of printing has changed forever. No one is suggesting that offset printing is

Next Set of M4D Reports Published SEWICKLEY, PA—PIA/GATF’s Digital Printing Council (DPC) has released the second set of eight reports from its Marketing 4 Digital (M4D) research project. The goal of the project is to provide digital and conventional printers the information and insight they need to sell their services to 24 vertical market segments. Markets covered in this set of reports include gas and electric (utilities), hotel (hospitality and tourism), office supplies/home improvement (retail trade), banks (financial services), investment companies (financial services), travel agencies (hospitality and tourism), telecom (utilities) and professional services (legal, accounting, etc.). The reports are available for purchase through the PIA/GATF bookstore at

FASTER, BETTER, targeted, personalized, long run capable and continuously improving quality utilized by a new breed of information providers—transactional/promotional and marketing service providers—are prime drivers of digital printing growth. The idea that digital printing is limited to very short runs of static content material or limited runs of rather basic personalization is obsolete. The high profit dollars for print providers are in long run, increasingly complex, personalization. Long runs—sometimes in the millions on short turnaround schedules—are being produced on several different digital equipment configurations. The most common current approach is to utilize one of two methods of hybrid printing: off-line or in-line production. Off-line

Open House Event Deemed a Success LINCOLNSHIRE, IL—Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses (MLP U.S.A.) hosted a technology open house recently at the company’s headquarters here. Billed as “Diamond Days,” the event focused on the theme “New Technology Opening New Worlds,” exemplified by the latest advancements in the Diamond series 40˝ sheetfed press lineup. Highlighted were the Diamond 3000LX press, the Diamond 3000TP Tandem Perfector and the new Mabeg RS 104 in-line reel sheeter. Wausau Paper announced several new hires in the marketing department for its Printing and Writing sector. Jennifer Cox has joined Wausau as product manager. Andrea Alstad takes over as brand manager for the