Heidelberg

You guessed it, I just saw Momma Mia and "Like a Super Drupa" keeps rolling around in my head. For those of you not familiar with the show Momma Mia, which is based on the music of ABBA, it's a must see. Super Trooper, one of ABBA's huge hits 24 years ago, is one of the show's toe-tapping standouts with the catchy "Like a Super Trooper." Being a printer to the core, I just couldn't help putting my own spin to the tune. A Super Drupa it should be and, by the time you read this, many will be on their way to Germany

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

"On a $1,000-per-hour web press, it's almost unimaginable how expensive it is to not match color on the press," says Michael Graff, senior executive vice president at Sandy Alexander Printing in Clifton, NJ. These days, however, plate remakes due to color issues are down to 20 percent of what they were before, Graff reports. "We've had a perceptible improvement in time of matching proofs, and our makeready time is down considerably." Repeated rounds of color proofing used to be very costly for Que-Net Media, as well, reveals Brian Gaughen, color quality manager of the Quebecor World subsidiary in Los Angeles. But, recently,

Canadian Printer Goes High-Tech EDMONTON, ALBERTA—McCallum Printing Group has launched a technologically advanced printing plant to satisfy its customers' needs. The company was developed from the ground up utilizing Heidelberg's most advanced tools. These include a Prinect workflow, a Heidelberg Topsetter P 102 with Satin screening, two Speedmaster 102-6+LX presses, a Stitchmaster ST100 stitcher and Polar 137ED cutting system. Hi-Liter Graphics, located in Burlington, WI, has promoted Angela Damon to vice president of finance and Lynn Breunig to information systems manager. Digital printer Top Graphics has announced the addition of four new shareholders and named Steve Kodner as company president. Tony Hennrich, Michael Hayes and Michael

Glimpse Into Print Giant's Show Plans HEIDELBERG, GERMANY—It only seems fitting to travel to the birthplace of printing and the home country of the world's largest printing trade show for a pre-Drupa press conference. And when the company you are covering is Heidelberg, the show's biggest exhibitor, there is no better place to be than Germany during the spring season of a Drupa year. The two-day international press event opened at the Heidelberg sheetfed manufacturing facility in Weisloch with a speech from Heidelberg management board member Dr. Klaus Spiegel, who gave an overview of the company's recently announced deals—the selling of the Digital unit

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

connecticut MERIDEN—Sappi Fine Paper has named Miller Johnson Inc. a "Silver Award" winner in the general category for its printing of a 2004 Mercedes Benz dealer calendar. The 66-year-old printing firm has annual sales of $9.5 million. NEWINGTON—Direct mail provider Data Graphics has added its fifth Miyakoshi variable-size offset press to this location. The MVF22K is a six-color model and is configured to run all cassettes and OEM equipment now in use at Data Graphics. florida SARASOTA—The Sarasota Herald-Tribune has placed an order for two Goss Global Newsliner tower additions for its existing Metroliner presses. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune serves one of the largest and

Dallas Printers Agree to Merge DALLAS—Impression Graphics and Ussery Printing have agreed to merge, with the company operating under the name of Ussery Printing. The combined companies have 76 employees and roughly $11.7 million in annual sales. The company will be able to produce small- and large-format printing. Quad/Graphics Signs Extension SUSSEX, WI—Quad/Graphics will become the exclusive printer for U.S. News & World Report in January 2005 after the two parties reached an accord on a contract extension. Quad will print 2.2 million weekly copies of the publication for distribution throughout the United States. The work will be produced entirely at Quad facilities in Saratoga Springs, NY,

Spiral Binding Co. has named Joe Bondonna product manager for its line of document finishing products. He has worked for the company for 15 years in sales and training roles. Rick Parks is the new western region general manager of sheetfed operations for MAN Roland. He is responsible for sales, service and support in a territory that encompasses 11 western states. Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses has made two key personnel changes. Ken Kodama has been appointed vice president of sheetfed sales. The company also announced the promotion of Randy Siver to the newly created position of director of marketing and technical sales. Kodak Polychrome Graphics' (KPG) plate

BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor The media road tour leading up to Drupa 04 recently made stops in Brussels, Belgium, and Athens, Greece. Judging by the vendor previews offered so far, people making the trek to Düsseldorf for the international trade fair should expect to see incremental advances, not revolutionary changes, in the products shown. The outlook for the global economy—and printing industry—leading up to this year's event is vastly different from the heady days that preceded Drupa 2000, says Albert Follens, general manager, Graphic Systems, at Agfa-Gevaert N.V. The keys to success are increasing manufacturing efficiency and streamlining how business is transacted between