Graphic Arts

BY HOWARD FENTON Anyone familiar with Publishers Press will not be surprised that it was the first company to express interest in, pursue and pioneer entrance into the GATF/Apple ColorSync Registry. The registry outlines tolerances for acceptable quality control specifications for the implementation of color management technology, as specified by the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF). Publishers Press is a family owned company originally created in 1866, now operating under the fifth generation of the Simon family. Printing giant Frank E. Simon ran the company from 1946 to 1990 and is responsible for redirecting the company to its niche of short-run publications. At

RESTON, VA—Addressing a growing issue as computer management systems and e-solutions tailored for the commercial printing market become standard operating procedure at printing companies, more than 16 of the most prominent print management system and e-commerce companies in the industry have announced plans to form a community to define a "best practice" common and open communications interface between their products. The project has been named PrintTalk. Current participating companies include Avanti Computer Systems, Cirqit.com, Collabria, Graphic Arts IT, GraphiTech Computer Systems, httprint, Impresse, MediaFlex.com, Noosh Inc., Parsec Corp., Press-Tige Software, Printable.com, PrintChannel.com, Profit Control Systems, Streamline Solutions and WAM!NET. "The

Celebrating its 25th (silver) anniversary, Graphics of the Americas 2000—held February 4th to 6th in Miami Beach—was the first international printing and converting trade show of the new millennium. But, unlike the Y2K fears that generated false media headlines as the new millennium approached, this event lived up to all of its advanced billing. Catering to both the U.S. and Latin American graphic arts industries, Graphics of the Americas 2000 featured more than 23,000 attendees and 1,500+ exhibit booths encompassed within more than 500,000 square feet of exhibit space. For the first time, the show occupied all four halls of the Miami Beach Convention

Sandy Alexander has forged a reputation as an upscale, high-end printer, which continues to grow through present investments and future acquisitions. BY ERIK CAGLE Let's face it, Sandy Alexander may not be for everyone when it comes time to choose a commercial printer. Roy Grossman, president of the company, admits as much. The primary reason is as simple as asking this question: Would you go to a five-star restaurant for a burger, fries and cola? "We operate within the 20 percent of the commercial market that's considered high-end color," notes Grossman of the Clifton, NJ-based company, which has a sister plant in St. Petersburg,

Chicago—Pressroom personnel and suppliers from across the United States, and as far away as Germany and Switzerland, gathered here recently at the 25th annual R&E Council Pressroom Conference to hear the latest news about technologies affecting the pressroom. Hosted by the Research & Engineering Council of the Graphic Arts Industry, this 25th in the series of annual meetings focused on improving productivity in the pressroom. Among the technical topics discussed at the meeting were soft proofing, closed-loop color control, and coating and curing. In addition, a significant portion of the meeting was devoted to personnel recruitment, retention and management issues, and to

TOKYO—Smaller than two years ago and with fewer visitors, IGAS 1999 nevertheless managed to attract genuine foreign printer-visitors this year. In previous years, foreign interest was shown primarily by dealers and distributors for Japanese equipment and materials, as well as area managers for overseas suppliers. Now, after many years of persistent efforts, the organizers of IGAS have at long last agreed to fit into the four-year cycle of the major international graphic arts shows: Drupa, Ipex and Print. Business in Japan is only beginning to come out of a severe recession. The buying and investment effects of a renewing confidence, though, will probably

CLIFTON, NJ—A $20 million expansion is under way at Sandy Alexander, based here. The core of the expansion is the installation of two new eight-color Heidelberg Speedmaster CD sheetfed presses with interdeck drying and a double coater capable of combining UV and aqueous coating, running at 15,000 iph. In addition, the company is installing a new off-line double coating/finishing unit, also manufactured by Heidelberg, and similarly rated at 15,000 iph. (Heidelberg plans to debut this coater at Drupa next May, however, Sandy Alexander will be up and running with it before the end of the year.) This new coater offers several competitive advantages, including: Ability

The call for open, device-independent color management is driving more and more prepress workflows. Are closely woven color management tools on the way out? Is ICC compliance the best route for color control? BY MARIE RANOIA ALONSO An overall ease of use and a simplification of the process; these may be the two strongest desires driving color management for any prepress professional advocating some sort of consistent, cross-platform, color management standard. Is International Color Consortium (ICC) compliance the answer? Are new, device-independent color management software solutions the key to unlocking color bottlenecks? Recently, Printing Impressions posed these and other questions to a sampling of

When considering a computer-to-plate purchase, printers usually look at utilization measurement rates to determine whether or not the purchase would be a wise one. But decision-makers should proceed with caution. While the use of utilization rates are based on sound, albeit traditional, financial principles, they do not take into account newer management theories. BY HOWIE FENTON Equipment purchasing decisions are never easy. This is particularly difficult today, due to the momentum-driving technologies such as computer-to-plate and the compressed life cycles of digital equipment. Now add to this problem the hidden expenses associated with the implementation of computer-to-plate such as: Digital contract proofing—faster networks;

ROCHESTER, NY—Xerox recently revealed a company-wide strategy to mobilize its global direct-sales force behind an initiative that, over a 10-year period, will grow to represent as much as 50 percent of its overall business. Xerox has refocused its direct-sales efforts by industry, rather than by products or geography. Six segments teams—each with its own P&L responsibilities and customer councils—are being established, focusing on publishing, creative professionals, prepress, commer- cial printing, franchises/ quick printing and service bureaus. As part of its new "Global Industry Solutions" portfolio, Xerox wants to redefine the value of digital printing by helping graphic arts companies use knowledge to outpace competitors in the