The 2011 version of GRAPH EXPO, the printing industry’s annual showcase for the Americas, is set for Sunday, September 11 to Wednesday, September 14 at Chicago’s world-class McCormick Place. Trust me – you’ll need more than the entire four days to visit the over 450 exhibitors and special feature areas, and take in some of the more than 34 co-located conferences, user groups and special events – not to mention the over 50 seminars covering just about every conceivable aspect of printing and graphic arts. Those “in the know” will come one day earlier, on September 10, to attend the always-popular EXECUTIVE OUTLOOK conference where the 2011 MUST SEE’em technologies and products – the best of the “Best in Show”— will first be revealed.
I doubt that there’s anything that this show doesn’t have — pre-press, offset, digital, wide format, finishing, mailing and fulfillment, package printing, converting, you name it! Just as impressive will be all the new equipment, applications, services and solutions from exhibitors – some making their North American and world debut!
There’ll be hundreds of live equipment demonstrations, too. In fact, the largest number of state-of-the-art offset and digital presses ever seen this year in one place. You can test amazing new applications designed to take your business to the next level. Of course, there’ll be four days of opportunities to network with the industry’s most successful companies and professionals.
Time is money, and this year show officials have made it easier for you to plan your GRAPH EXPO visit. You can create your own personalized schedule (preview exhibitors, do product searches, schedule meetings and booth visits, get the latest product news, select seminar sessions, etc.) by using the GRAPH EXPO planner, online at: http://bit.ly/qKML2T.
Special feature areas and pavilions will cover marketing, newspapers, packaging, new and emerging technologies such as printed electronics and RFID, mailing and fulfillment, sustainability and resources to connect with your future workforce. Conferences, special market-segment presentations, free “how-to” sessions in the GRAPH EXPO theatre and seminars will bring you up-to-date on a host of timely topics including, cloud computing, colour management, digital, e-books, interactive media, print buying, sales and marketing, social networking, web-to-print, workflow and many, many more.
Here is a preview focusing on selected booths and what they will be showcasing (at press time). We wish we had room to include all exhibitors! For more detailed information, visit www.graphexpo.com. Enjoy the show!
4over, Inc. (Booth 2449) is North America’s largest trade-only printer, with locations in California, Ohio, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Chicago, Arizona and soon in Toronto, Ontario. It has over 400,000 square feet of production facilities housing some of the industry’s most sophisticated hardware. Streamlined fulfillment systems allow 4over to consistently deliver low prices and the highest print quality. The company is also able to print and ship print orders faster than ever before! Stop by the booth for some fun and prizes, and learn about 4over’s innovative line of new products first-hand! www.4over.com or call toll-free 1-877-782-2737.
Visit Agfa Graphics (Booth 1227) to experience inkjet like never before. Agfa will showcase applications that creatively portray inkjet output in the home, fine art gallery, outdoor and retail environments. Settings will highlight digital inkjet applications such as framed and free-standing water-based fine art pieces, textured wall surfaces, floor murals, printed lampshades, tabletops and a plexiglass desktop, among others. Live demonstrations of Agfa’s inkjet solutions include the :Anapurna M1600 UV curable high-output printer with white ink and the :Jeti 3020 Titan FTR, a field upgradeable grand format printer delivering 1200 dpi for photorealistic image quality. Many innovative technologies and best-in-class services along with the industry’s leading plate product portfolio will be on display. Go to www.agfa.com and www.pitman.com for more information.
AmazingPrint.com/Racadtech (Booth 4552) will be featuring its complete suite of web-to-print solutions covering B2B, B2C, retail, estimating, online proofing, variable data print, website creation and email marketing, PURL and mailing lists, online marketing, and W2P templates – as well as all other areas of web2print storefront creation. The complete suite of web-to-print technologies is designed to be a one-stop shop for printers, print brokers and graphic designers. For more information, visit www.amazingprint.com/racadtech, email info@amazingprint.com, or call 905-738-9920 Ext. 224.
ATS-Tanner Banding Systems Inc. (Booth 1038) is a Switzerland-based world leader in banding solutions, offering everything from banding machines for simple bundling tasks to integrated, fully automated solutions that blend seamlessly into the most complex of production workflows. The company’s machines are the epitome of traditional Swiss precision and innovative engineering. ATS will display the new generation of its US-2000 AD Ultra Sonic banding equipment. ATS-Tanner technicians will demonstrate the advantages of its many options and guide you through the helpful features that make it so incredibly easy to use. They’ll also be available to answer your questions. Call Martin Reist, ATS-Tanner national sales manager for Canada at 905-815-9999. www.ats-tanner.ca.
Avanti (Booth 861), an industry leader in print MIS and digital print workflow automation, continues its breakthrough innovation in integrating software and equipment. Leveraging another JDF certification for print MIS to prepress, Avanti will demonstrate integrations into ultimate technographics and duplo to help printers develop “zero touch” workflows. Avanti has also expanded its Application Programming Interface (API) library and will be launching two new services at the show: Avanti CRM Automated Lead Management, which streamlines the lead management process, and Automated Proof Tracking, which speeds up print-proof approval and turnaround time significantly. Stop by the booth to learn more, and to enter a free draw for a chance to win an Avanti mountain bike or call 416-445-1722. www.avantisystems.com.
Bell and Howell (Booths 3611 & 4622) will demonstrate its mailing innovations, including 4 inserting systems – from an efficient inveloping system (designed primarily for the high-integrity and productivity needs of transactional mail applications) to the dramatically enhanced gripper-arm systems that provide rugged, reliable and flexible service. Also featured: A new software control system that dramatically improves operator and machine efficiency and optimizes productivity; BCC Software Solutions for ensuring data and address quality; a new solution for digitally co-mingling mail; its next generation ADF software suite; the updated Turbo 26 inserter for high-speed, high-integrity applications, and the Plastic Card System, which features a new patented solution for reading RFID-cards through the closed envelope to verify the card is functioning when it leaves the machine. www.bellhowell.net or 1-800-220-3030.
Canon USA, Inc. (Booth 1213) will showcase Canon and Océ technologies designed to help printers increase productivity, reduce costs and generate more revenue. Demonstrations will include collateral creation, book publishing, commercial photo, proofing, direct mail, display graphics and transactional printing. Featured will be the new DreamLabo 5000 colour production inkjet printer; Canon’s imagePRESS C7010VPS digital colour press; Canon’s pioneering Clear Image Editor Viewer for imagePRESS C1 colour MFP and the Canon imagePROGRAF iPF750 large-format MFP and 12-colour iPF8300S large-format printers. The Océ ColorStream 3500 inkjet printing system, Océ VarioPrint 6000 Ultra Series cutsheet printer, and Océ Arizona® 550 GT flatbed printer will make their U.S. premiere. www.canon.com.
C.P. Bourg Inc. (Booth 2027), the print finishing experts, design and deliver innovative binding and finishing solutions to successful print finishing professionals worldwide. Its reputation as the world’s leading technology developer and supplier of on-line and near-line document feeding, binding and finishing equipment for digital printing shops is built on a continuing commitment to quality, innovation and efficiency. C.P. Bourg will showcase its advanced, highly automated binding and finishing solutions. www.cpbourg.com.
DRAABE (Booth 134) will be showcasing its renowned, dependable humidification systems for industrial and commercial applications. The DRAABE system features 100 percent hygienic design, patented titanium/stainless-steel nozzles, silent, drip-free operation, low-energy consumption and a lifetime warranty through a service agreement. The water treatment system ensures no scale deposits in pipes or mineral dust in the air, and provides reverse osmosis water for humidification and process applications. Constant, optimal air humidity is a crucial factor in ensuring a smooth workflow and maintaining the highest quality of printing. www.draabe.com.
Duplo USA Corp. (Booth 2617) will debut its new DBMi Saddle System – a fully automated system that handles up to 14″ x 24″ sheet sizes and can change from CD size to letter landscape or 14″ x 12″ books with no manual adjustments. It includes the DBM-S Saddle Stitch Bookletmaker with up to 6 DSC-10/60i collators that have optional intelligent feeding capabilities for custom-feed sequences. The DBMi can produce up to 9,000 2-up booklets per hour and is ideal for both short-run digital and long-run offset. Also highlighted will be Duplo’s most powerful, all-in-one digital colour finisher, the DC-745 Slitter/Cutter/Creaser. Performing up to 10 slits, 25 cuts, and 20 creases in a single pass, it eliminates white borders and toner cracking on digital colour documents at up to 50 SPM. www.duplousa.com.
Durst Canada Inc. (Booth 2044) is a leading worldwide manufacturer of high-performance digital imaging and converting machines for a variety of markets. The product range is specifically designed for short runs while maintaining high productivity and superb image quality. Durst will be displaying the Tau 150 digital UV inkjet printing press, featuring CMYK (standard) as well as varnish, white, orange and violet (options) enabling more than 90 percent coverage of the Pantone range. Outstanding and consistent image quality is achieved through Durst’s unique application of grayscale technology and at 157 ft./min., it’s the fastest high-resolution inkjet press on the market. Also on display is the Rotoworx 330, a modular converting and finishing system featuring industry-leading high-precision and high-speed semi-rotary die-cutting, lamination, flood coating, digital varnishing (DIVA) and variable data printing – all configurable to customer requirements. Visit www.durstcanada.com or call 1-800-545-0550.
EFI – Electronics For Imaging, Inc. (Booth 2000) will showcase its award-winning product portfolio, including print production workflow and business process automation software (PrintSmith, Pace, Monarch, Radius, Digital StoreFront and others), Fiery digital print servers and solutions, VUTEk superwide printers, Rastek wide-format printers, Jetrion industrial inkjet systems and proofing as well as large-format production solutions. Its booth will be divided into five areas: On-demand, commercial printing, in-plant/CRD, publishing/mailing, and mobile computing. The Digital Workflow Experience will be a highlight, featuring an integrated workflow from submission to output. The demos will track a job from EFI Digital StoreFront web-to-print, to both EFI Pace and EFI Monarch print MIS systems, to Fiery XF production RIP, and then to the VUTEk GS2000 printer. www.efi.com
Fujifilm North America Corp. (Booth 627). The Inca Onset S40 wide-format UV inkjet printer will make its North American debut. Available exclusively from Fujifilm, the Onset S40 (with automation) will produce 94 full-sized (63″ x 123.6″) high-quality prints per hour utilizing the new FUJIFILM Dimatix Sapphire QS-256 printheads that have two to four times more accurate drop placement. An optional 3Ž4-automation system can increase productivity by up to 50 percent. Another breakthrough in wide-format inkjet printing offering exceptional speed will be showcased for the first time in North America at Fujifilm’s booth. The new technology is ideal for those new to wide-format inkjet printing, or those wishing to reduce costs while increasing productivity and quality. Also featured will be the Fujifilm ColorPath Sync and XMF workflow. www.fujifilm.ca.
Gateway Bookbinding Systems (Booth 1061). The plastic spiral experts and manufacturers of PLASTIKOIL, plastic spiral binding (CPSIA-compliant coil and filament in 45 colours and diameters up to two inches) will be showing its state-of-the-art binding solutions, including the new KOILMATIC – an affordable, fully electric table-top automatic coil inserter for plastic spiral binding. Designed for the digital print market, it can bind up to 450 books per hour (no tools and no air required)! Visit www.plastikoil.com or call 1-800-665-7884.
GBC (Booth 217) will introduce the new Magnapunch 2.0 desktop punch. The Magnapunch 2.0 ushers in a new era in desktop finishing with its full colour LCD and electronic interface. It incorporates smart technology including automated die sensing and revolutionary edge-detection technology to guide more efficient setup and use. It’s the first desktop punch to move from the world of electro-mechanical devices into the digital age, bringing increased productivity to all print-finishing operations. GBC will also highlight workflow solutions via a multi-piece fulfillment job that will be completed using a variety of GBC binding and laminating equipment and supplies including the new Magnapunch 2.0, ProClick Pronto®, DigiCoil, the 620os one-sided laminator with the new optional feeder and the Plockmatic System 200 booklet making system.
www.gbcconnect.com.
Goss International (Booth 1636) will emphasize its recent North American web-offset activity and expanded product range focusing on recent projects where commercial printers selecting Goss presses to replace older technology or enter new markets have given the company a near-unanimous market position throughout 2010 and 2011. The Goss booth will present unique options for commercial printing, finishing and aftermarket support as well as the Sunday Vpak packaging presses and an expanded range of Akiyama, Purlux and Yawa products. Goss also remains active in the newspaper sector, with a full portfolio of press systems, Goss and Ferag finishing options and specialized experience in supporting hybrid and contract printing operations. www.gossinternational.com.
Graphic Whizard Inc. (Booth 2627), a global leader for its creasing and numbering machines, also manufactures and distributes cutting-edge systems that perform many other print-finishing functions such as a rapidly expanding UV Coater line. Models range from a 3′ x 3′ footprint XDC Micro (the most popular, especially inline with a CreaseMaster utilizing a transport system), to larger manual and automatic flood and spot coaters. The company will showcase selected machines from its full product lines, including the CM Pro, CMPlus, Platinum, GW Numbering machines (electric and pneumatic), as well as perfect binders. They will also unveil a new logo as they celebrate 25 years in business. Visit www.graphicwhizard.com or call 905-633-7663.
Heidelberg (Booth 1200) will demonstrate its HEI Flexibility with jobs crossing three platforms: traditional offset, large-format inkjet and digital. With Prinect Color Toolbox, visitors will also see colour matching across all three platforms. All demos were produced using the entire Heidelberg portfolio including Prinect Workflow, Prinect Business Manager and Heidelberg’s W2Print Solution. Heidelberg will also host free presentations for printers about the latest in technology that can improve their bottom line. These include a State-of-the-Industry Report, Workflow Automation, Offset Made Easy, Packaging, Commercial Postpress and Digital. Finally, in just 10 minutes, you can learn about Heidelberg’s full range of equipment plus its services and solutions including Business Consulting, Saphira Consumables, Professional Training, Parts, Service, Remarketed Equipment and Workflow software. Visit http://sso.us.heidelberg.com/graphexpo/.
Hewlett-Packard (Booths 2610 & 3210) will feature its end-to-end digital colour solutions. HP digital press, large-format printer and specialty inkjet imaging solutions will highlight the ways printers can grow their direct mail, publishing, photo, labels/packaging and signage/display business. Software solutions on display (including HP Exstream and the HP SmartStream portfolio) facilitate faster operation, reduce pre-press time and improve planning in variable-data printing. Members of the HP Graphics Solutions Partner Program will highlight the ways you can reduce outsourcing needs, increase value and improve operations using integrated workflow and finishing technologies. The Digital Solutions Cooperative (Dscoop) HP users’ group will also provide information on how HP customers can share knowledge to increase revenues, improve productivity and enhance value. Visit www.hp.ca, www.hp.com.
HIFLEX Corporation of North America (Booth 4452). HIFLEX is an international software solutions provider that specializes in offering superior integration and automation to the print/media industries. HIFLEX is the unchallenged world leader in the field of JDF networking and focuses on dramatically reducing a printer’s administrative costs and improving productivity through world-class integration solutions. HIFLEX will be showing its MIS and Web2Print systems as well as sneak peeks at the highly anticipated cloud computing versions of its software.
Go to www.hiflex.com.
InfoPrint Solutions/Ricoh (Booth 2600) will showcase InfoPrint’s Managed ADF Services, Inkjet Technologies and InfoPrint Ink Suite. Its ADF services are fully managed, turn-key workflow solutions that provide immediate cost savings, proven security and reliability. Its InfoPrint 5000 family of inkjet technologies offers a range of speeds using water-based pigment, dye and MICR, on papers such as EP, recycled, ground wood, inkjet treated and coated stocks. Another solution, InfoPrint Ink Suite, further improves productivity for a variety of colour and monochrome applications and integrates existing stand-alone ink management tools into its InfoPrint ProcessDirector workflow solution. InfoPrint Solutions will be joined by Kern for live reprint demos that illustrate how generating a final insert log and automatic reprint can be made incredibly simple. Go to www.infoprint.com or call Tracey Sheehy 212-616-6003.
KBA North America (Booth 1255) will showcase its sheetfed and web-offset presses, part of its award-winning line of press solutions. Its unique Flying JobChange technology for sheetfed (recipient of the 2011 Printing Industries InterTech Award) on the Rapida 106 41″ Press reduces job changeover time to mere seconds. The KBA Flying JobChange system allows plates to be changed on dormant units while the press continues to print its current job, and sequence into production of the new job without pause. Also featured will be the new C16 16pp web-offset press. With an ultra-fast job changeover system, new production-enhancing features, the highest levels of productivity and outstanding ease-of-operation, the C16 can handle short print runs, super fast turnaround times and optimum print quality on different substrates. Experienced KBA staff will be on hand to answer your questions. Visit www.kba.com.
Komori (Booth 1244) will introduce its innovative “Offset-on-Demand” concept with the launch of the new Lithrone G40. Maximum printing speed of 16,500 SPH makes the Lithrone G40 the ultimate high-performance press for producing high-quality jobs in minutes. Its features include a Suction Tape Feeder Board for accurate feeding regardless of paper weight, reduced paper waste, the quickest automatic blanket washing system in the industry and a new fully automatic plate changing (APC) that’s not only faster than previous systems, but employs the use of a benderless clamp, thus eliminating the need to bend plates, and making plate discharge and feeding more efficient. Go to www.komori-america.us.
Konica Minolta Business Solutions, USA Inc. (Booth 2227) will be featuring several new products, solutions and services alongside the bizhub PRESS brand of digital print systems, including the remarkable new bizhub PRESS C70hc. With a print speed of 70 ppm, it’s ideal for graphics professionals and print shops that require fast, higher quality output. Konica Minolta will also be highlighting ways for printers to increase their digital imaging output. You’ll hear current customer success stories using Konica Minolta market-leading innovation and technology, as well as new services and solutions that are focused on guaranteeing consistent, reliable, high-quality output and improved overall productivity. www.konicaminolta.com.
manroland Inc. (Booth 1236). “Digital Meets Offset Power” is the theme of its exhibit, focusing on technology, automation and the company’s ability to integrate a broad range of offset printing equipment and related technologies into customizable workflows that meet specific client needs. “Digitally integrated printing technologies are the wave of the future,” says Vince Lapinski, CEO of manroland North America. You’ll learn about the ROLAND 700 DirectDrive Press (the offset answer for short-run printing), advances in web automation and manroland’s new PRINTVALUE Program. The new Roland 700 HiPrint HS high-speed press will make its North American debut at manroland’s Print Technology Center in Westmont, Illinois just before the show. For the ninth consecutive year, manroland will sponsor the Dr. Joe Webb Breakfast Event on Monday, September 12. www.manroland.us.com.
MGI USA (Booth 3619) will be showcasing its line of award-winning digital printing and finishing solutions for paper and plastic applications. These include the new Meteor DP8700 XL, EnvelopExpress Pro, Meteor DP60 Pro, EnvelopExpress, DF360, JETvarnish, UVarnish, PressCard Pro, PunchCard Pro. Also included will be the new JETcard inkjet plastic card factory featuring 4-6 colour UV inkjet printing, spot/flood coating, security coating and data encoding/verification in just one pass. Visit www.mgi-fr.com.
Muller Martini (Booth 845) will feature live demos of innovative digital and traditional technologies that enable printers and binderies to compete in today’s tough market. Leading the way is Muller Martini’s award-winning Scalable SigmaLine. This solution significantly streamlines the production of one-off and short-run books resulting in greater productivity in-line. It can produce 1,000 variable-length, width and thickness books per hour! Also featured will be its Orbit Three-Knife Trimmer (an easy transition between offset and digital) and Primera Digital (a saddle-stitching system for both digital and conventional print finishing). Reps from Muller Martini’s operational improvement program, MMServices, will also be on hand to answer your questions. Go to www.mullermartini.com or call 1-800-268-1999.
Petratto (Booth 4023) will showcase its full line including the Metro multifunction folding and gluing machines and the CORDOBA and BAT rule and matrix die-creasing and folding equipment. Petratto machines can produce flexi or integral book covers, book jackets and super book jackets, with French folding and folders and leaflets with glued flaps and pockets. Metro folder-gluers can be used for a wide range of applications such as presentation folders, CD wallets, multimedia packaging, file folder, sleeves, airline ticket wallets, credit card wallets capacity folders, and greeting cards. www.petratto.com.
Presstek, Inc. (Booth 3200) will feature the Presstek 75DI digital offset press. The 75DI effectively delivers high quality, fast turnaround, short-run colour printing on a wide range of stocks (from 0.0016″ to 0.031″ thick), often at less than one cent per page! The highly automated 29-inch press goes from digital file to ready-to-sell sheet in six minutes. Available in 4-colour to 10-colour configurations, a coater and a full range of productivity-enhancing options can be added. Its features support 300-lpi and FM screening, six-minute job-to-job turnover (including on-press, chemistry-free plate imaging) and a small environmental footprint. Print quality is also enhanced by waterless printing technology. It can print up to 16,000 full-size sheets (or 96,000 letter-sized pages) per hour and has a maximum sheet size of 31.02″ x 23.62″and a minimum paper size of 10.98″ x 7.87″. For more information, go to www.presstek.com or call 603-595-7000.
Standard Finishing Systems (Booth 617) will present a broad range of intelligently automated post-press, paper handling and inserting solutions, including some North American premieres. The highlight will be a live demonstration of a complete bookbinding workflow that begins with pre-printed digital rolls up to 30 inches wide. Making its North American debut will be the new Standard Hunkeler PF7 Double Plow Fold System, designed to convert digitally-imaged webs up to 30 inches wide into book blocks that are then bound on the Standard Horizon BQ-470 Perfect Binder in-line with the HT-80 Three-knife Trimmer. The BQ-470 can produce up to 1,350 books per hour, bind books up to 2.5″ thick and has interchangeable glue tanks that support both hot-melt EVA and PUR adhesives. Go to www.standardfinishing.com or call 978-470-1920.
Xanté (Booth 5033) will showcase its new Xanté iQueue 5.0 Ultimate, the latest version of its powerful pre-press workflow for Xanté Pro Series digital print systems. iQueue allows users to take control of digital files, manage multiple jobs on multiple ILUMINAs, apply custom colour corrections, estimate job costs and deliver improved print quality. New workflow enhancements and production smart features include the Right-On Spot-Colour-Matching System that employs a unique visual gamma matching system for custom colour corrections on individual spot colours that exist within a digital file. Right-On allows digital colour printing on projects that would otherwise cost too much using traditional offset printing. Now, traditional offset spot colour will match projects printed using an ILUMINA Digital Colour Print System. Visit www.xante.com or call 1-800-926-8839.
Xeikon (Booth 4027). An innovator in digital printing, Xeikon designs, develops and delivers high-end digital colour printing systems for the global industrial, document printing and commercial markets. Its systems are composed of advanced web-fed printing engines using LED-array-based dry toner electrophotography, open-workflow software, exclusive toner and other consumables. Xeikon will exhibit in the “Pack Print” pavilion and display the flagship press of its renowned 3000 series, the Xeikon 3500. The Xeikon 3000 series offers a range of high-performance digital presses that set the highest of standards for digital label printing, especially when using variable data. Visit www.xeikon.com.
Xerox Corporation (Booth 400) will showcase its wide range of market-leading digital and inkjet products through real-world examples of how print professionals can produce more jobs, reduce costs and grow their businesses. Xerox’s Production Inkjet System will be unveiled for the first time in North America. It’s the world’s first high-speed waterless inkjet system that produces vivid image quality on low-cost paper for high-volume, high-value jobs. The Xerox DocuColor 8080 digital press, Xerox iGen4 EXP press, Color 1000 press, the Espresso Book Machine, Xerox Nuvera 144 Production system, Color 550/560 printer and other Xerox print engines wlll also be featured. Completely automated end-to-end solutions such as FreeFlow Productivity apps, a collection of automated workflows for the most popular jobs for production presses, as well as new business development tools, will also be shown. www.xerox.com.
X-Rite/PANTONE (Booth 448) will unveil new products and show how the latest X-Rite/Pantone line of design, prepress and print solutions can imagine, define, apply and create colour. They will showcase their colour management solutions for profiling and calibrating scanners, monitors, printers and presses; press-quality control tools for proofs, plates and prints; ink-formulation tools; dedicated flexography and packaging solutions; and process control and colour certification for the digital supply chain. The essential PANTONE Colour tools will also be showcased, including Capsure, designed to capture colour from any surface, material or fabric and match it quickly and accurately to a PANTONE Colour. You’ll also see Pantone’s two new mobile applications myPANTONE for Android and myPANTONE 2.0 for the iPhone, iPod and iPad, all designed to capture, create and share PANTONE Colour Palettes on popular mobile devices. Visit www.xrite.com, www.pantone.com or call 1-800-248-9748 or 616-803-2100.