FUJIFILM Graphic Systems Div.

BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor At the risk of having this sound like yet another Drupa story, the quadrennial international exhibition traditionally has served as a status check for industry innovations. Developments in printing technology often are marked in "Drupa time"—such as the Digital Printing Drupa, CTP Drupa and, for this year's show, the JDF Drupa. The concentration of international vendors and worldwide attention given the event put pressure on exhibitors to show that they are keeping pace with each other. While not as broad-based of a trend, 2004 also heralded the Processless Plate Drupa. This technology has been talked about for years,

More Than 700 Get Connected At EFI Event LAS VEGAS—The plush MGM Grand Hotel and Casino was the mecca for approximately 700 worldwide customers as EFI/Connect 2004, Printcafe's fifth annual user's conference, paid a visit to Sin City June 27-30. The conference resembled a mini Graph Expo, with 22 exhibitors showcasing complementary equipment, and 162 educational seminars for users of EFI workflow solutions. The conference opened with a state-of-the-industry report by Andrew Paparozzi, the NAPL's chief economist, titled, "Success Factors of the Profit Leaders." Paparozzi pointed out that the recession has been much more severe for the industry than it has for the rest

BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor The front end of the printing process, or what happens "pre" the press, used to be a fairly contained, well-defined set of steps. Then the digital age dawned and, ever since, the changes have kept on coming. Another whole step, premedia, has even been added to the process. At Drupa 2004, computer-to-plate (CTP) production, digital proofing (remote and hardcopy), screening alternatives and, of course, the all-encompassing workflow and CIM concepts were the primary areas of focus in new product development. JDF support was pervasive, but came across more like a background buzz than a force destined to reshape

CGX Tabs Xerox for Digital Gear HOUSTON—Consolidated Graphics (CGX) announced it has selected Xerox to provide digital color printing technology to its 65 nationwide commercial printing locations. As part of the deal, CGX has installed six DocuColor iGen3 digital production presses and six DocuColor 6060 digital color presses. Xerox will also provide marketing and business development resources to assist CGX in introducing these solutions to current and prospective customers. GPO Seeks $25M for Upgrades WASHINGTON, DC—Telling the Committee on House Administration and the House Legislative Subcommittee that the Government Printing Office had the groundwork in place to move the agency's transformation to the "next

Window into the Future With the hustle and bustle of last month's Drupa 2004 now completed, this issue highlights some of the new products that became commercially available during the 14-day event, various vendor announcements, as well as a peek into future technologies that will shape the graphics arts industry for years to come. Just as important, the general sentiment among the more than 394,000 visitors and 1,860 exhibitors filling 17 halls was that market conditions—albeit fragile—are showing signs of a sustained recovery. Referred to by many as the "JDF Drupa," it should have been termed the "Workflow Drupa" even though, as Frank Romano

Growth Seen in Color Digital Printing Output NEW YORK CITY—Acceptance and use of any new technology is usually a direct function of a decline in cost and an increase in quality or functionality. Digital color printing is following this pattern. According to a new report released recently by TrendWatch Graphic Arts (TWGA), prices for digital presses and related consumables costs have declined significantly. This, in conjunction with technological advancements that have enhanced output quality, has led to a steady increase in investment in digital color equipment, which reportedly is up five percentage points in the last 12 months. In addition, demand for digital

BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor Proofing has been one of the most contentious aspects of the printing process, especially in the digital era. The expectations of print buyers, of course, have been a big contributing factor. Debates have raged within the industry as well, typically with the issue boiling down to whether a given proofing solution is "good enough." Ironically, the question beginning to be asked now is whether a proof is needed at all. The current state of proofing was nicely laid out during two sessions at the recent VUE/Point 2004 conference. One session was set up to focus just on remote

by marie alonso Business Development Consultant The three most prominent features of JDF are its ability to carry a print job from concept through completion, its ability to bridge the communication gap between production and management information services, and its ability to do so under nearly any precondition. JDF, JOB Definition Format, is without question the most significant and viable integration initiative targeting print connectivity today. The road to realizing the benefit from JDF integration has been a long one. There have been many milestones along the way—and Drupa 2004 is the biggest one in the ultimate quest for print connectivity. JDF

Vendors Time Release Products for Drupa DÜSSELDORF—Drupa 2004 will most likely have begun its run by the time this story is in print, yet it technically is still part of the pre-show coverage. Two companies elected to make their announcements embargoed until now. Presstek previously released information about its next-generation thermal imaging head, ProFire, but details of its application were held back. Formal product launches were being saved for Düsseldorf. The company is teaming up with Ryobi, KBA (Karat) and Kodak Polychrome Graphics (KPG) to introduce an entry-level, lower cost digital offset printing platform based on ProFire. An entry-level version of the yet-to-be- named

WESTAMPTON, NJ—MBO America President and CEO Hans Max and Vice President Hartmut Sohn welcomed 11 Chinese visitors for finishing equipment demonstrations and dialog at the MBO America headquarters here recently. Arranged by US-China Enterprises' New York branch, the guests represented five different printing companies and associations from China. COLUMBUS, GA—Kodak Polychrome Graphics (KPG) has dedicated its printing plate manufacturing facility here as the Edward E. Barr Building. Barr was KPG's first chairman and served on the board of the company until 2003. He retired in 2002 as chairman of Sun Chemical Group, following a 40-year career with the company. Quad/Tech has added two sales