Coldset Web Offset -- No Heat, No Sweat
August 2000
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BY ERIK CAGLE
Aretha Franklin herself would have a tough time drumming up a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T for the coldset web offset press.
While its heatset counterpart struts on by, wearing UV Ray Bans and leading the way as the prime choice for high-end, multi-color commercial work, the dryer-less stepchild ekes out a living churning out newspapers, direct mailers, promotional graphics and other types of printed communications, primarily on uncoated stocks.
Even manufacturers and distributors of open-web presses believe the market for this type of machine has been declining in recent years, but it remains a viable, strong option in several print communications segments. Like the forecasted print demise by some doomsayers, the obsolescence of coldset is unlikely.
Why, given all the tech advances currently enjoyed on the heatset side? Let's not kid ourselves—for many clients of b&w and color work, maintaining the bottom line is foremost and essential. Also, in certain segments, coldset is still the better mousetrap and has enjoyed some improvements recently. Local niche markets: retail and food stores, small businesses and the like, are still well (read: better) served through coldset. Still, the coldset press will need to find new advantages to remain competitive with its heatset amigo.
In the book segment, for example, coldset reigns supreme. Ken DeVito, president of Timson's Inc., challenges manufacturers to come out with faster drying inks. In the book arena, dryerless printing makes for a more aesthetically appealing product. Dryers can produce subtle waves in books.
"Many presses today that are running heatset can run coldset jobs, but they [printers] seem to be afraid," DeVito remarks. "I think it's an education factor."
In many instances, coldset has kept pace by sleeping with the enemy. Barb Gora, marketing vice president for Goss Graphic Systems, points out that when coldset presses are "optioned up" in feature levels to include heatset characteristics, the presses can produce either heatset or coldset.
"This gives printers who choose these machines more flexibility to react cost-effectively to regional market demands," Gora stresses. "The press investment is typically less than for a commercial web machine and heatset packages can be retrofitted at any time if not originally purchased with the press."
The Magnum, Goss' entry in the coldset arena, evolved from its Community press. The Magnum prints regional newspaper inserts on coated and uncoated paper at speeds up to 40,000 cph and features advantages such as fast plating, easy blanket changes and accessibility to the inking and dampening systems for roller adjustments. The Goss Universal press (50,000 cph for one-around, 70,000 for two-around) is aimed at the directory, insert, commercial supplement, book, newspaper, shopper and flyer markets.
Aretha Franklin herself would have a tough time drumming up a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T for the coldset web offset press.
While its heatset counterpart struts on by, wearing UV Ray Bans and leading the way as the prime choice for high-end, multi-color commercial work, the dryer-less stepchild ekes out a living churning out newspapers, direct mailers, promotional graphics and other types of printed communications, primarily on uncoated stocks.
Even manufacturers and distributors of open-web presses believe the market for this type of machine has been declining in recent years, but it remains a viable, strong option in several print communications segments. Like the forecasted print demise by some doomsayers, the obsolescence of coldset is unlikely.
Why, given all the tech advances currently enjoyed on the heatset side? Let's not kid ourselves—for many clients of b&w and color work, maintaining the bottom line is foremost and essential. Also, in certain segments, coldset is still the better mousetrap and has enjoyed some improvements recently. Local niche markets: retail and food stores, small businesses and the like, are still well (read: better) served through coldset. Still, the coldset press will need to find new advantages to remain competitive with its heatset amigo.
In the book segment, for example, coldset reigns supreme. Ken DeVito, president of Timson's Inc., challenges manufacturers to come out with faster drying inks. In the book arena, dryerless printing makes for a more aesthetically appealing product. Dryers can produce subtle waves in books.
"Many presses today that are running heatset can run coldset jobs, but they [printers] seem to be afraid," DeVito remarks. "I think it's an education factor."
In many instances, coldset has kept pace by sleeping with the enemy. Barb Gora, marketing vice president for Goss Graphic Systems, points out that when coldset presses are "optioned up" in feature levels to include heatset characteristics, the presses can produce either heatset or coldset.
"This gives printers who choose these machines more flexibility to react cost-effectively to regional market demands," Gora stresses. "The press investment is typically less than for a commercial web machine and heatset packages can be retrofitted at any time if not originally purchased with the press."
The Magnum, Goss' entry in the coldset arena, evolved from its Community press. The Magnum prints regional newspaper inserts on coated and uncoated paper at speeds up to 40,000 cph and features advantages such as fast plating, easy blanket changes and accessibility to the inking and dampening systems for roller adjustments. The Goss Universal press (50,000 cph for one-around, 70,000 for two-around) is aimed at the directory, insert, commercial supplement, book, newspaper, shopper and flyer markets.
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