Eastman Kodak

arizona SCOTTSDALE—Armed with a new Kodak Nexpress 2100 digital press and Kodak Nexglosser glossing unit, Sir Speedy Printing Scottsdale now can meet growing demand for short turnaround color printing and glossing. Since the installation a few months ago, the company reports it has gained new business from customers it previously could not service. illinois HARVEY—Andrews Printing has installed a four-color Printmaster PM 52 from Heidelberg. It replaces the shop's Printmaster GTO 52-2, which previously handled the shop's four-color jobs in two runs. Schiller ParK—The Business Press, now in its 26th year in business, has replaced its four-color Heidelberg GTO with a new five-color Printmaster

Nothing 'Static' About PIA/GATF VDP Conference PHOENIX—Somewhat akin to the early days of the California Gold Rush, there are endless growth opportunities in today's digital frontier. And the riches will go to those printers that can master variable data printing (VDP), database management and cross-media applications. There's no secret map to the gold, but shops that can provide these services—coupled with the ability to market, sell and then track the benefits of one-to-one marketing—will be the ones most likely to strike it rich. That seems to be the general consensus of the more than 300 participants who attended the 2005 PIA/GATF Variable Data and

By Erik Cagle Senior Editor It is virtually impossible to ignore the impact Robert (Bob) Burton had on the printing industry in 2005. Given his relentless pursuit of two companies this past year, it was almost a given that Burton would enter 2006 at the helm of some printing business. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. In the final analysis, 2005 will be viewed as a year marked by triumph, tragedy and transactions, not to mention some unexpected twists and turns. Which fits us to a T. While the news wasn't always positive, a silver lining—a moral or a lesson could usually

BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor "Workflow" used to be an easy, concise way to reference the digital equivalent of conventional prepress. It spanned the processes from when a file came in the door until the plate went out to the pressroom. Over time, usage of the term has been extended to encompass so much of the print production process that it now is in danger of applying to everything and effectively defining nothing. Workflow already has been—or is in the process of being—extended: * back to the customer, initially in the form of preflighting and remote proofing solutions, but increasingly including production portals

Milestone Printing Unit Celebrated Radebeul, Germany—KBA North America reports that the 100th Rapida printing unit of the super large-format series was put through its final print testing at the KBA plant here recently. The unit is part of the five-color Rapida 205 purchased by Integra-Color in Mesquite, TX. The 80˝ sheetfed press has been configured with a special board-handling package and is also to be equipped with UV facilities for printing on plastics. It also incorporates an ICS slitter system and non-stop pile changing for the feeder and delivery. Reseller Agreement Inked at Trade Show CHICAGO—During PRINT 05, Muller Martini and Kodak signed a reseller

BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor Automation usually has the effect of at once making equipment simpler to operate, but more complex to fix when a problem arises. Just as driveway car repairs have become a thing of the past for most owners, the response to any glitch on today's printing equipment is apt to be arranging for a service call rather than reaching for a wrench. The answer, of course, is to bring more technology to bear. As heavy iron has integrated silicon components, the potential has grown for capturing even minute operating parameters by tapping into the various electronic controls, IC chips and servo motors.

Tackling a sizzling-hot topic in the printing industry, the 2005 PIA/GATF Variable Data and Personalization Conference scheduled for November 6-8 at the Sheraton Crescent Hotel in Phoenix is designed to offer attendees the critical information needed for personalized digital printing success. In the following special section you will find articles pertaining to the main topic of this upcoming PIA/GATF event. Included are a look at several digital printers who have successfully implemented variable data printing (VDP); how a leading direct marketing agency relies on VDP to boost response rates; compensation plans for digital salespeople; results from a recent study concerning postal damage to digitally printed

Fall is prime time for professional sports, and many fans are too well acquainted with the sentiment, "Just wait until next year." For years, the same could be said for proponents of variable data printing (VDP). Early adopters of VDP often ended up with a great service in search of a market. Over time, the Web-to-print business model came to the forefront. It evolved around providing online, template-driven solutions for companies that market through remote agents, dealers and distributors. As the market continues to mature, a growing number of digital printing operations are developing other formulas for success. Daniels Marketing Support Services, Asheville, NC

Two dozen exhaustive overviews on opportunities for digital printing that exist in various U.S. markets are slated to be unveiled as Marketing 4 Digital (M4D) reports this fall. Introduced during PRINT 05 and CONVERTING 05, the findings will be issued in three sets of eight reports, with the final installment being released by April 2006. Each set will consist of a book containing eight complete market reports, each about 40 to 80 pages in length. The 24 research publications were developed by the Digital Printing Council of PIA/GATF. Researched by graduate students from Cal Poly and the Rochester Institute of Technology, the Marketing 4

BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor One of the most striking trends to take shape at PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05 is the degree to which one can now play a "zero degrees of separation" game between vendors of digital printers and prepress workflow systems. Some level of cross-linking seemed to be announced for almost every possible pairing. (More details are included in the "Prepress Workflow and CTP" show recap on page 28.) In terms of the print engines themselves, developments appear to have at least temporarily hit a plateau. The pieces required to build a viable business are already in place, so the focus