Presstek Inc.

BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor Printers in growing numbers are having second thoughts about their computer-to-plate (CTP) systems. First-time buyers are still the dominant force in the market today, but the aging installed base is rapidly driving up the percentage of shops looking to invest in a second, or even third, generation of technology. By the end of 2004, the installed base of CTP devices in North America had reached nearly 12,000 units, including metal and non-metal systems, according to a new plate market study recently published by PRIMIR (the Print Industries Market Information and Research Organization). Completed by State Street Consultants in

BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor Given all the debate about the technology of coatings in recent years, one might think printing plates are an exception to the rule that it is what's below the surfaces that really matters. One thing almost all of the solutions, even analog plates, have in common, though, is an aluminum base. Polyester plates are the exception, of course. This commonality in printing plates hit home earlier this year when vendors notified customers of price increases due to the rising cost of raw materials. Aluminum prices reportedly have risen some 40 percent over the past two years, and higher

At Presstek Inc., John Dreyer has been appointed lead director of the company's board of directors. Dreyer has been a member of Presstek's board of directors since 1996. He retired as chairman and CEO of the Pitman Co. in December 2000. Mohawk Paper Mills has named Thomas O'Connor Jr. chairman and CEO. Prior to this appointment, O'Connor was president and CEO. He represents a third generation of the O'Connor family closely identified with the family owned business. Michael Swack is the new public relations/analyst relations manager for the graphics market at Hewlett-Packard. He is now responsible for HP Indigo, HP Designjets, as well as MFP and

Buhrs, a producer of mailing and fulfillment solutions, has announced its intention to enter the market for FSI collating and wrapping systems for the newspaper industry. Buhrs has appointed Don Piontek, of Finishing Resources, to develop its presence in the market. John Kia has been named manager, production product marketing, for IBM Printing Systems. Also, Chris Reid has been named commercial print solutions manager. In this capacity, he is responsible for worldwide output solutions customized for commercial printers, including service bureaus, direct mailers and book printers. FileAmerica, a custom file folder manufacturer, is celebrating its 30th year serving the trade in the printing industry. Formerly known

EAST HAMPTON, NY—The Indigo Customer Exchange (ICE), an independent users group for owners of HP Indigo digital presses, has published an online directory of digital print providers. This "opt-in" directory contains information on nearly half of the more than 250 ICE members. Each listing includes contact information and a brief description of the kind of work the shop handles. (www.indigousers.com) KENNESAW, GA—One year after being rolled out worldwide, the installed base of Heidelberg's Quicksetter 300E and 400E polyester computer-to-plate systems has exceeded 100 machines in the United States alone. (www.heidelberg.com) BOULDER, CO—IBM reports that Xerox Corp. has joined the AFP

Heidelberg Showcases Equipment Range CRANBURY, NJ—Heidelberg USA held an open house here at its Tech Center East showroom early last month, attracting about 150 people. Demonstrations of equipment included its Suprasetter thermal and Prosetter violet CTP platesetters, Quickmaster DI 46-4 Pro with smart spooling mechanism and Speedmaster SM 52-5P+L with retractable in-line coating unit presses, Stitchmaster ST 100 saddlestitcher, Stahlfolder TH series folder and Polar 115 XT cutter, among others. Seminars held the same day featured Bill Bonallo, technotrans america, on trends in UV coatings; Mark Tonkovich, Heidelberg USA, on thermal platesetter innovations; and Paul Keuchenius, Heidelberg USA, on long perfecting press innovations. KBA North

BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor It’s been more than a decade since the first high-volume, modern digital color printing systems were introduced. Heidelberg and Presstek teamed up to launch the digital offset (GTO DI, in this case) product category in 1991. A few years later, the Indigo EPrint and Agfa/Xeikon Chromapress ushered in the era of the all-digital production color printing systems. In the future, though, 2004 may be looked back upon as a key transition period in the maturation of digital printing as a business segment—both on the vendor and user side. No fundamentally new technologies were unveiled, but all the vendors

BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor Among the more notable, prepress-related developments at Graph Expo and Converting Expo 2004 were several things that didn't happen. It was a simple matter of timing that kept Presstek Inc. from having anything new to report regarding its bid to acquire the business and assets of the A.B.Dick Co., according to Ed Marino, president and CEO. A.B.Dick's future continued to be in the hands of the Bankruptcy Court since it had filed for Chapter 11 protection. Marino still expected a favorable decision to be rendered by the end of October, since no other formal bids had been entered as

BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor Scientists have challenged its veracity, but the "boiling frog" legend endures. Here's a short version: Drop a frog into a pot of boiling water and it will immediately jump up. Place a frog into a pot of temperate water, then slowly turn up the heat, and it will stay in the pot until it is overcome. Admittedly, the dire consequences of this cautionary tale are overblown when it's applied to the current status of digital printing. Nonetheless, it does give one a visceral sense for how the slow pace of a change can mask its magnitude over time

BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor Not to get philosophical, but if a word comes to mean everything, there's a danger of it ending up to mean nothing. The digital revolution was already on its way to making "workflow" a catch-all term in prepress, when the rise of CIM (computer-integrated manufacturing) extended its use to the entire print production process. As a result, an ever wider array of products now can be called digital workflow solutions. For the purposes of this article, the definition is being limited to the evolution of what used to be called prepress systems. Vendors have responded to this trend with