MBO America

Not all print shop proprietors have weighed in on the industry’s most pressing question, whether to go “all in” or hedge their bets on digital printing technology. If you plan on catering to both disciplines, having finishing capabilities that speak to the needs of conventional and digital printing is critical.

The four production lines that MBO America will run at GRAPH EXPO 2012 include: The High Speed Line, The In-Line Mailing, Basic Mail Line and 30" Continuous Web. MBO America, made up of four companies—including MBO, Herzog+Heymann, Palamides and Bograma—is offering integrated solutions that may increase production by 30 percent or more.

The Binding Industries Assn. has announced the winners of the 2012 Product of Excellence (POE) awards. For more than three decades, the POE awards have recognized outstanding examples of craftsmanship in binding, graphic finishing, information packaging, and custom loose-leaf manufacturing.

drupa will see a host of new perfect binder entries all designed to smooth the finishing workflow for both inkjet- and toner-based digital presses. All of these machines can either run in-line with the press, or in a near-line configuration.

Instead of seeing a gaggle of tire kickers, the printers and trade finishers who perused McCormick Place South during Graph Expo 2011 had more sober intentions. There is clearly pent-up demand in the marketplace, particularly for finishing equipment.

Want an honest, open, unbiased and unfettered report on the quantity and quality of visitors who haunted the binding and finishing booths during Graph Expo earlier this month? Fact of the matter is, no such beast exists. Here are some observations that have two sides to them, and may or may not represent the truth.

The Binding Industries Association (BIA), the preeminent organization for the graphic finishing and custom loose-leaf manufacturing industry, announced today its 2009 Product of Excellence Awards (POE) winners. From around the world, companies submitted their best work to be judged against that of their peers.

Despite bleak worldwide economic news that had dominated the media in the preceding weeks, GRAPH EXPO® 2008 exceeded expectations and enjoyed brisk business. While overall attendance was down 12.5 percent over the record-setting GRAPH EXPO 2007 show, interested qualified buyers from 8,800 individual companies—marking a slight increase in the number of unique companies over last year's show.

Countless binding and finishing technology providers were candid in their positive assessments of how the scene went down in McCormick Place South. It wasn’t all cartwheels and champagne popping, but this year’s Graph Expo did exceed the expectations of many.

OF ALL the avenues a general commercial printer can take for increasing its profit margin, raising prices to customers is the one option that isn’t likely to produce the desired results. Indeed, it takes a hearty printer to compete in the general commercial realm—one more apt to accept smaller margins, offer a full array of services, become the low-cost provider and be able to find ways to drive costs out of the system. Oh, and don’t forget quality. The implication is that quality is sometimes winked at in low-cost scenarios. . .your competition wants you to believe that. All of the aforementioned outlets are