Heidelberg

By Erik Cagle Good news! In October, Postmaster General John E. Potter told the Direct Marketing Association's annual conference attendees that, because of its reform efforts that enabled the USPS to remove $2.9 billion out of its bottom line in fiscal 2002, there would be no rate hikes until "well into 2004." The bad news, of course, is that the general economy and volume reductions in mailings made 2002 a challenging campaign for those companies that provide direct mail solutions from the production end. Thus, in noting that there will be no rate hike in 2003 is akin to pointing out, "At least the

PEWAUKEE, WI—Quad/Graphics, based here, has begun construction on a new printing facility in Oklahoma City. Initially, Quad/Graphics will install two web offset presses—an eight-unit Heidelberg and an eight-unit MAN Roland—as well as saddle stitching equipment. When gravure operations begin in 2005, Quad's Oklahoma City plant will feature Italian-made Cerutti gravure presses. The presses will be equipped with full automation, from cylinder loading through signature delivery, including computerized process-control systems by QTI, Quad/Graphics' R&D subsidiary. "Quad/Oklahoma will feature a manufacturing platform engineered for nimbleness," reports Thomas Quadracci, president and CEO. "We're constructing and equipping the plant to rapidly adapt to changing client needs in terms of geo-demographics, targeted

MENOMONEE FALLS, WI—The Arandell Corp. has announced it will build a new, expanded facility adjacent to its headquarters here. "The growth of our business has pushed the limits of our present facility," says Jim Treis, Arandell's executive vice president of sales and marketing. "We are investing in this multimillion-dollar expansion to meet our customers' needs." The new, 60,000-square-foot building will house a major addition in Arandell's bindery operation, giving the company increased capacity for perfect binding. The new building will also create needed space for the company's expanding mailing operations. This second site will be linked directly to Arandell's headquarters. The company plans to install a

Printcafe Closes Acquisition PITTSBURGH—Printcafe Software has completed its acquisition of printChannel. Printcafe did not assume any printChannel obligations or liabilities other than in connection with certain customer contracts.Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Donnelley Exec to Head Oce CHICAGO—Ronald E. Daly has resigned as president of R.R. Donnelley Print Solutions, the company's business responsible for magazine, book, telephone directory and catalog/retail insert printing, as well as premedia services, to become the CEO of Océ-USA Holding, the North American business of Océ N.V., based in the Netherlands. Michael B. Allen, executive vice president for R.R. Donnelley Print Solutions, and Robert S. Pyzdrowski, president of operations for

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 &

CHICAGO—The feeling inside McCormick Place was one of optimism as the 2002 Graph Expo and Converting Expo exhibition featured crowded aisles, nearly 38,000 attendees, full seminar rooms, well-attended product demonstrations, 570 exhibitors and buyers from more than 9,600 companies. "Solid attendance, strong sales performance, full seminar sessions and abundant networking opportunities all characterized the annual event, creating the success for the industry that was sorely needed," reports Regis J. Delmontagne, Graphic Arts Show Co. (GASC) president. And, after last year's big-ticket event, PRINT 01, was brought to a halt by the September 11 terrorist attacks, it was reassuring to see crowded exhibit areas and

BY MARK SMITH Job Definition Format (JDF) support came the closest to being a theme among prepress exhibits at the recent Graph Expo and Converting Expo 02 in Chicago. The competitive pressure to beat the drum for JDF compliance may be causing an unintended complication, however. There are signs of a growing trend toward JDF being equated with all efforts to digitally integrate the entire print production process, a concept also known as computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM). That leap is not completely accurate, or at least premature. JDF capabilities are not precisely a successor to the CIP3/4 support touted by manufacturers in the

ARIZONA MESA—Hogue Printing has signed a deal with CRC Information Systems to implement THE System business management software, including the Commercial Estimating module. Hogue Printing, a 38-year-old family owned business, specializes in sheetfed printing, copying, design and packaging. CALIFORNIA PALM SPRINGS—The Desert Sun newspaper, a Gannett company, has purchased two KBA Colora Tower additions for upgrading and expanding printing and color capabilities for its existing Goss Headliner offset press. SACRAMENTO—Fong & Fong Printers and Lithographers has integrated a Gerber Sector coating blanket cutter into its workflow, lowering costs and speeding production. The printer formerly outsourced its coating blankets, requiring a three day turnaround.

Efforts Undertaken to Stimulate Digital Printing Business CHICAGO—Digital printing equipment might as well carry a warning label—"Customer education required!"—given how often that need is cited as the reason for the slower than expected development of the market segment. Several new programs recently have been introduced by industry groups and companies to try to fill the void. "Designing4Digital" is a new customer education program launched at Graph Expo last month by the Digital Printing Council (DPC) of Printing Industries of America (PIA). This multimedia "outreach toolkit" reportedly is designed to help printers educate their customers about the benefits and techniques of digital printing, thereby

BY CHRIS BAUER While some sectors of the graphic arts industry moved to a more automated and computer-dependent process years ago, binding and finishing equipment seemed to lag behind. At Graph Expo and Converting Expo 2002, it was apparent that the bindery is no longer the blue-collar cousin of the pressroom and prepress department. Automation can now be found in just about every corner of the bindery. Today's newest machines incorporate operator touchscreen interfaces, servo motors and automated makereadies. And with industry standards such as JDF and CIP3/CIP4 slowly catching on, an even more sophisticated, computer-integrating finishing department is on the horizon. Software for