Epson America

BY MARK SMITH What printer doesn't sell quality? The difference at Kirkwood Printing is the standard by which it is measured. Even when a client has signed off on a job, the work still must be deemed acceptable by the press manager or owner, as well as the lead press operator. "One of the defining attributes of Kirkwood is the length of time a client spends on a press proof. A lot of times the client makes no adjustment," reports Stan Monfette, prepress director. "With our production standards and emphasis on really getting to know our clients, we are able to quickly give them

Ricoh Corp. has aligned with UNIX and Linux software developer Codehost Inc. Ricoh will offer its customers and dealers BrightQT, Codehost's suite of Linux and UNIX-based printing tools, for use with Ricoh networked output devices. Creo Inc. has received ISO-14001:1996 certification for environmental management of its Canadian operations. This completes environmental management certification for both of the Creo design and manufacturing operations. Creo operations in Israel recently underwent recertification for ISO-14001—a standard first achieved in February 2001. KBA North America has promoted Evan Heise as its sales representative for a six-state region, including Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho and New Mexico. Heise is now

CALIFORNIA CARLSBAD—The Quebecor World location here has installed a six-color Komori Lithrone 40. CITY OF INDUSTRY—Printcafe's PSI print management system is now in use at Pacific Graphics. georgia ATLANTA—Graphic Response has implemented Printcafe's Hagen OA print management system. illinois CHICAGO—Rider Dickerson is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2003. It has expanded its facility over the last two years with the addition of a six-color, 40˝ Mitsubishi press with tower coater, computer-to-plate capabilities and Spectrum digital Matchprint. CICERO—E&D Web has successfully implemented the Printcafe Hagen OA print management system. OAKLAWN—Insert printer Atlantic Press has purchased a Tensor single-width press system consisting of three T400BE four-high

BY MARK SMITH Printing is one of the few places where eight is a magic number. Even the once standard eight-hour day for many has become an artifact of a simpler time. Eight-page production, however, continues to be the standard of comparison for most facets of the printing process. For a time it seemed to be the de facto size for computer-to-plate (CTP) solutions. Eight may indeed be enough, but it also can be too little or too much. Two-up platesetters actually helped pioneer the direct-to workflow and technology, albeit using paper and polyester plates. Small-format metal systems have been a more recent

MBO America Hosts "Octoberfest" WESTAMPTON, NJ—More than 150 existing clients and prospects, representing both commercial printers and trade binderies, attended MBO America's open house, which was held over three days recently at its headquarters facility here. With more than a dozen pieces of equipment specially set up for the open house, highlights included a B26-S/644 Perfection buckle folder equipped with an ASP-66ME mobile stream delivery unit, a Navigator control system with touchscreen interface and networked to MBO's Data Manager digital integration software. Also, the highest interest was over a B30-S/4 Perfection folder with a preslitter shaft unit, configured with a Herzog &

Printer Has 700 Reasons to Celebrate BEAVERTON, OR—Paramount Graphics' new MAN Roland six-color 700 sheetfed press with an in-line double coating unit was the centerpiece of an open house the printer conducted in September. The event attracted more than 275 print buyers and graphic arts executives. The company demonstrated the new press' capabilities by running a project for telecommunications leader T-Mobile. california IRVINE—Main Graphics has added a Creo Trendsetter 400 Spectrum and an EPSON Stylus Pro 7600. Both items complement a Ryobi 525 press with coater that was added earlier in the year. LOS ANGELES—A new four-color, 181⁄8x22˝ Sakurai 458EII automated press

CALIFORNIA CITY OF COMMERCE—Ross Bindery has purchased a Best Osako 368 AutoSet saddle stitcher from Best Graphics. The unit is the company's 13th Osako and the third 368 Ross has installed in the past several months. COSTA MESA—Western Litho has installed a new Rollem TR die-score system. A new addition to the company's bindery department, the TR system is used for scoring, perfing, trimming and right-angle processing. OXNARD—Custom Printing Director of Sales Charles Utts announced that the company plans to expand its plant after acquiring an additional 5,000 square feet of manufacturing floor space and sales offices. SAN CARLOS—A Presstek Dimension 200 thermal

BY MARK MICHELSON What a difference a year makes. Exhibitors came to PRINT 01 in Chicago last September feeling guardedly optimistic—despite the lingering effects of a soft economy and, consequently, a reduction in most printers' capital expenditure budgets. And, of course, no one could foresee the September 11 terrorist attacks that would hamper buying activity at the show and create heightened concern over the state of the U.S. economy. Now, fast-forward to next month's Graph Expo and Converting Expo 2002 exhibition in Chicago, scheduled for October 6 to 9 at McCormick Place South. With more than 400 exhibitors filling over 360,000 net square

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

BY MARK SMITH Advancing the capabilities of computer-to-plate (CTP) systems requires plate and platesetter manufacturers to perform a tricky little digital two-step. The pair's timing has to be just right since each half of the CTP solution is useless without the other. While the platesetter may represent a much larger initial investment, the plate really does the leading because of its broader impact on the success of a CTP implementation. As a whole, the printing industry hasn't been content to just dance with the ones (technologies) that brought it to the party. Thermal imaging barely had its coming out before people were looking ahead