Shorter run printing takes an increasing proportion of the total printing volume, and the show that features the world of shorter-run printing has grown as a result. This year’s model brings big-name exhibitors, a major event or two, seminars on sales, management and new graphics technology, some returning favourite features and a new feature, Design City, “a show within a show.”
The program
Seminars
Print World is running three seminars, each costing $75 per person, on Monday, November 20 starting at 11:00 a.m.
Bob Rosen, consultant to top graphic arts firms around the world, will present “The Eight Habits of Highly Successful Graphic Arts CEOs: What every printing company CEO needs to know.”
Sales and marketing consultant David Fellman will present “How to Become a Super Sales Person: 10 ways to push your sales off the chart.”
Bob Atkinson, author and consultant, will focus on how to get the maximum profit from prepress technology in “Making Money on Prepress: New technology — getting it right.”
Print Software Theatre
A visitor favourite at previous Print World shows, the Print Software Theatre gives software vendors 30 minutes each to show attendees their new products. Visitors can drop in to a comfortable education/theatre setting equipped with at 7 x 10-foot screen and the latest in audio-visual equipment. They’ll hear new software tools in image editing, page layout, illustration, Web design, prepress production and workflow.
Adobe is the key sponsor of the Print Software Theatre, and will present three sessions each day of the show.
Professional event: XPlor Canada
Jeff Hayzlett, Chief Marketing Officer and vice-president of Kodak Graphic Communications Group, will deliver the keynote address at a meeting of XPlor Canada to be held on Monday, November 20, during the show.
XPlor Canada is the Canadian chapter of XPlor International, a worldwide association of document management professionals and companies.
New feature: Design City
Print World has set up a “show within a show” specifically for graphic designers and the vendors who supply them. Design City is a part of the show floor set apart specifically for this market, at the back of the exhibition space.
Exhibitors in Design City include:
istockphoto.com – collection of royalty-free stock photography generated by members
M-Real – importer of printing paper stocks from Europe
Loop Enterprises – European-based communication design, production and consulting company
Marcam Printers – communications, prepress, printing and finishing firm based in Toronto
RGD – the Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario
The exhibits
Print World 2006 has drawn an impressive list of major vendors to the graphic arts industry. The full list is available at their Web site, www.printworldshow.com, and will be available on the show floor, as well.
Rather than repeating that on scant paper pages, what we’re presenting here is a quick guide to some of the most important exhibits and some innovative sections that are well worth a visit. It’s not a comprehensive guide to the show, but rather a selection of booths that we think a graphic arts professional shouldn’t miss.
Heidelberg – Booth 400
Heidelberg will be showing a full range of solutions for commercial printers, from workflow to prepress to printing and print finishing, and material handling.
In prepress, Heidelberg will show off its Prinect print production and workflow system. Prinect Colour, Production and Management solutions handle workflow and reducing waste. Also, Heidelberg will show the Suprasetter A52/A74 thermal, daylight-operating CTP platesetter. This new machine has an innovative thermal laser and compact design for more flexibility and expandability.
Heidelberg Canada is also showing two presses at its booth. The Printmaster QM 46-2, which it describes as “the most successful press in the under-20 inch market since its introduction in 1994.” The press on the floor will show such standard features as automatic plate loading, ink fountain setting and automatic blanket washing.
Printmaster PM 74-4-P is a medium-format, 29-inch press with a compact design. Standard features include automatic blanket and impression cylinder washers, AutoPlate and remote ink console.
In print finishing, Heidelberg Canada will show the Stahlfolder B 20.4/4 for short to medium runs. With quick makeready, high production speed and easy operation, the B 20.4/4 comes with DCT 500 Digital Control and zero-makeready buckle plates as standard equipment.
The Polar 78 X cutter will be shown, with its standard 15-inch colour display control console and 75cm X 75cm packing tables on each side of the machine. Like the larger Polar cutters, this model is designed to be a workhorse with full network capability, allowing remote control.
Heidelberg Canada will also show a line of Heidelberg Consumables: plates, blankets, ink, pressroom chemistry and other supplies.
Agfa – Booth 750
Agfa Canada will bring some of the “new experience” from its Graph Expo display in Chicago a month earlier. In addition to its products in computer-to-plate production, proofing, workflow and other software, the company will feature sessions on business development in the graphic arts. So instead of hearing sales pitches on products, visitors will have the chance to learn about client-printer collaboration, enterprise connectivity and other business topics.
Of course, the :Avalon family of platesetters will be shown, as well as :ApogeeX and :Delano software, plus wide-format colour printers, high quality colour proofing systems and other key graphic arts products.
Canon Canada – Booth 600
Canon will feature the new imagePRESS C1 as well as the brand-new imageRUNNER C5180 series, which has four models: the C5180, the C4580 and the C4080.
All based on four-drum technology, the new series is meant to be an affordable family of printers for large and small offices.
All three have a resolution of 1200 x 1200 dpi and come with a 100-sheet duplexing automatic document feeder (DADF), which has a top speed of 70 images per minute (ipm). They also can scan and send electronic documents directly from the printer.
These printers will be the first imageRUNNER models to support the Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV) protocol, an emerging industry standard for sharing and managing documents and printing through the Web. They’re also available with a choice of print controllers, including an external one.
The new printers use Canon’s colour imagePlatform system architecture, imageCHIP (Concurrent Hyper Intelligent Platform) for speed and reliable colour processing. The dual CPU structure with up to 1.5 GB of RAM and an 80 GB hard drive efficiently processes scanned, copied or printed documents.
The Color imageRUNNER C5180 prints at 51 pages per minute (ppm) in black only or four colours; the C4580 at 45 ppm in black and 40 ppm in full colour; and the C4080 at 40 ppm in black only and 36 ppm in colour.
Robert E. Thistle, Ltd. – Booth 200
Longtime equipment maintenance professional and dealer Robert E
. Thistle will show the line of c.p. Bourg collating and perfect binding equipment, as well as Challenge paper cutters and drills and the Smart Plate CTP systems for small offset presses.
Presstek – Booth 300
Presstek says it “anticipates a strong show and our Canadian sales team is truly excited about it.”
In booth 300, they’ll demonstrate the new Presstek 52DI digital offset direct imaging press, the same model that was first shown at Ipex in the U.K. last spring and featured at Presstek’s open house in September.
The 52DI is a 52-cm, landscape format device with a top running speed of 10,000 sheets per hour. Automation and on-press plate imaging allow a total job changeover time of just over 10 minutes.
Presstek will also show two chemistry-free computer-to-plate systems: the Dimension Excel imaging Anthem Pro and the Vector TX52 imaging Freedom.
Also on the booth will be the ABDick 9995 two-color press, and AB Dick’s DPM 34 polyester platesetter.
Hewlett-Packard – Booth 1200
HP will show its new Designjet Z2100, Designjet Z3100, Designjet 8000 and Designjet 10000 wide-format inkjet printers. HP will also show an HP Indigo 5000 digital press, and a Scitex-branded inkjet digital press.
Fujifilm – Booth 626
Print World 2006 will be the Canadian technology premier for Fujifilm’s V-6 violet platesetter running the brand-new Pro-V chemistry-free plate.
The company will demonstrate both its Pro-T, currently available processless plates, as well as its Pro-V technology. Still in development, the Pro-V plate is a UV-ink compatible plate, rated at 200,000 impressions, with a dynamic range of 2 to 98 percent at 200 lines.
The company will also demonstrate its current processless plates, the Pro-T, by imaging them on a Dart 4300-E thermal CTP platesetter, then taking them to K-North in the next booth, where they’ll be mounted on a Spica sheetfed press. The Pro-T plate has a dot size of 20 microns, and is capable of 300 line screens; rate run length is 100,000 impressions. The Spica will also be using Fujifilm’s Anchor pressroom chemicals.
Fujifilm Canada will also show some of the output technology that it sells, such as the Mutoh PJ-1946 solvent printer and the Inca Spyder 320 UV printer. Print World is also the Canadian premier for the Mutoh PJ-1946, which is available in 1.9 m, 2.6 m and 3.3 m wide models. This printer has a six-colour print head and images 216 square feet per hour. It uses Fujifilm’s Sericol inks on uncoated materials.
The Inca Spyder 320 is a six-colour flatbed printer that images 860 square feet per hour, edge-to-edge without any waste or margins.
Fujifilm will also show two Xerox digital presses: the 50 ppm DC5000 and the entry-level DC240.
On the software side, Fujifilm will show Trueflow, Adobe-based workflow technology, and the Rampage system, based on the Harlequin RIP.
In a rather enigmatic announcement, Fujifilm Canada has also stated that it’s planning three presentations (Saturday 3pm, Sunday 2pm, Monday 2pm) in the Print Software Theatre. It will show “an implementation of the Adobe PDF RIP engine technology,” which is still under development. “These presentations will serve to showcase what will be possible in a print production workflow once the Adobe PDF RIP Engine technology is fully implemented,” the company stated in a release.
MAN Roland – Booth 1226
At Print World 2006, MAN Roland Canada will show the new Ryobi 3302HA two-colour offset press and the MBO B21/4 folder.
Designed to meet the demands for digital compatibility, the RYOBI 3302HA makes printing faster and easier.
The Ryobi 3302HA is an A3-size, portrait format, two-colour offset press with a reputation for reliability and performance. Its satellite V-shaped, five-cylinder system ensures stable printing quality, and its SuperDampener continuous dampening system ensures a steady supply of dampening solution.
A spring-tension plate clamp system accommodates both metal and polyester plates from CTP systems.
The press also has Ryobi’s semi-automatic plate changer, lever-free operation and the optional RYOBI PCS-F Printing Control System for easy operation and short makeready time.
The new B21/4 folder from MBO has a number of innovative features that make it a productive, effective machine.
User-friendly technology simplifies operation. A frequency-controlled (AC) drive with micro adjustment adds flexibility and production-friendly set-up.
Maximum speed is 8000 feet/minute.
Options include edge trim, punch and multiple perforation, crimp-lock, gatefold, sheet return device, glue folding and various delivery systems.
Three types of feeders are available:
• a pile feeder
• a continuous feeder
• a palletized feeder.
Kodak Graphic Communication/Spicers – Booth 322
Kodak Graphic Communications’ products are showing at the booths of its distributor, Spicers, owners of the PaperLinx paper distribution company. In addition to graphic arts papers and suppliers, Spicers will show a complement of Kodak Graphic Imaging digital copiers, wide-format printers and digital presses.
Konica Minolta – Booth 1014
Konica Minolta also didn’t tell us what their plans were for the show before press time. We hope they’ll show their new bizhub PROTM C6500 Digital Color Printing System, which received a “Must See ’em” award at Graph Expo. This printer features the EFI Fiery IC-303 Print Controller.
The bizhub PRO C6500 has a rated speed of 65 ppm in colour and black and white, with a 300,000-page monthly duty cycle. It can print on two sides on uncoated and coated stocks up to 10 point, and up to 14 point on a dedicated paper tray, to duplex print heavy and coated stocks – up to 256 gsm (10 point) through any tray – and 300 gsm (14 point) stock simplex prints through a dedicated paper tray. Finishing options include a saddle-stitch booklet maker for up to 200-page trimmed booklets, a multi-folding unit with post-inserter and hole punch, and a 5,000-sheet stacker unit for increased productivity and lower labor costs.
Gandinnovations – Booth 434
Super-wide printer manufacturer Gandinnovations of Mississauga will show its very wide, flatbed-format inkjet printers. They’ll have several models running, including: the JETi 3150 “True Flatbed” UV printer, and the brand-new JETi 3324 UV RTR printer.
This new flatbed printer has 24 print heads to lay down six colours of environmentally-friendly, UV-curable inks. It boasts the highest rated speed of any UV, roll-to-roll grand format printer. Substrates include fabric, canvas, vinyl, plastic film, paper and polyester. Resolution is true 1200 dpi, and speed is 40 square meters per hour (450 square feet per hour) in best-quality mode.
Other features include a take-up unit built into the printer, single-person operation, and automatic, software-driven detection of misfiring print nozzles. It also has an automatic head capping capability and automated air vacuum.
The Jeti 3150 UV has 24 Spectra print heads for high-speed output in six-colours at 1200 dpi; output speed is 450 square feet per hour in best-quality mode. Materials up to 5 cm (2 inches) thick.
Buskro – Booth 1222
Buskro Inc. of the U.K. will show its Apollo and Atlas lines of inkjet labeling systems for the direct mail industry.
Adobe Canada – Booth 741
Adobe will showcase the new Acrobat 8. The new version of the leading document sharing and print production software is a native to the Mac-Intel platform. It includes new tools for print preflighting, collaborating on the creation of documents, and for controlling output of PDF files. Support for PDF/X and JDF is built in.
Adobe will also hold workshops on migrating from QuarkXpress to InDesign, and demonstrate Illustrator and Photoshop.
Punch Graphix – Booth 426
Print World 2006 will be the first Canadian demonstration of the
Xeikon 6000 digital colour press. Punch Graphix says it’s the fastest digital colour press on the market, with a top speed of 160 A4 pages per minute, and a duty cycle of 4 million pages per month. It includes an new digital front end, X-800, form adapted (FA) toner and a fifth colour capability.
Punch Graphix is also showing the basysPrint UV-Setters, CTP systems. These UV-sensitive platesetters are designed to help printers transition into the computer-to-plate technology, while using the same UV-sensitive plates they’re used to with a film-based workflow.
Ultima Displays – Booth 1137
Ultima is bringing its newest display product, including the Excalibur Elite, an upgrade to its previous Excalibur series; the Imagine, which replaces the Merlin line; the new and improved Barracuda series; and the new Blizzard and Victory lines.
The new Excalibur Elite series has telescopic bars, new foam-fit bars, new J-hook sliders built into the display to avoid the need for wires, and improved sliding drawers. Changing graphics is now easier on the new system.
Visit the booths and tell us what struck you as most impressive.