Offset Printing - Web

WILLIAMS PRINTING — WORLD’S LARGEST SMALL PRINTER
March 1, 2006

It’s a rarity to hear about a new printing facility being built from the ground up in today’s graphic arts world. But that is just what Williams Printing, an RR Donnelley company, celebrated when it opened a new 130,000-square-foot facility located near Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in 2005. But, then again, Williams Printing does not consider itself your Average Joe Printer. During the past 80 years, Williams Printing has built a reputation for outstanding quality, service and innovation. And although RR Donnelley is now the world’s largest provider of print and print-related services—and Williams is among the largest commercial printers in the Atlanta area—both pursue a

NATIONAL HIRSCHFELD — ROCKY MOUNTAIN BUY
March 1, 2006

Sometimes necessity is the mother of consolidation. Case in point is National Hirschfeld of Denver. Less than a year ago, there was no such animal as National Hirschfeld. Oh, the Hirschfeld portion sounds extremely familiar, as in longtime family owned printing business A.B. Hirschfeld. Outside of former Rocky Mountain dweller Mail-Well (now Cenveo)—which recently relocated its headquarters to Connecticut—century-old A.B. Hirschfeld was easily one of the most recognizable names for printing in the state of Colorado. The groundwork for negotiations that eventually led to the creation of National Hirschfeld began last April, when Brett Birky, president of National Printing and Packaging (NP&P), met with his old

PRINT 05 Sheetfed/Web Offset presses -- Perfecting Personified
October 1, 2005

By Mark Michelson Editor-in-Chief Growing interest in digital press offerings notwithstanding, the estimated 62,000 attendees at PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05 surely didn't go home with the impression that the traditional sheetfed offset market has lost its luster, especially given all of the big iron dominating the show floor during the seven-day-long exhibition last month. Sealing the deal for nine new Komori six-color, 40˝ Lithrone presses at various Consolidated Graphics facilities are, front row from the left: Robert Birmingham, Consolidated Graphics; John Marotta, Komori America; back row: Yoshiharu Komori, Komori Corp.; George Abboud, Consolidated Graphics; Stephan Carter, Komori America; and Satoshi Mochida, Komori

SPECIAL REPORT -- Web Offset - Weird Windings Of the Web
April 1, 2005

COMMENTARY by Vincent Mallardi, C.M.C. A monstrous double-round cylinder transfixed a trio at a trade show as if it was an object from outer space. A technician turned it reverently as it revealed the gleaming and exaggerated reflections of the human forms facing it. "That's what we need to replace the M-1000-A!" A sales exec nearby wasn't moved. Eerie onlookers like these were serious in intention, correct in their vision, but pathetically "years late and dollars short." That's why only a cylinder, and not a press, was being exhibited; as an auto dealer might showcase a wheel-assembly instead of a car. Web printing is no longer

Web Offset Presses -- Spinning a Better Web
April 1, 2005

by chris bauer Managing Editor The demand for technology that allows web printers to efficiently produce shorter, versioned runs continues to increase. Print becomes a more attractive option for media buyers when they can combine the impact of highly targeted pieces with the advantages of the web offset process, including faster turnaround times and lower costs. As a result, web press manufacturers are designing machines able to satisfy the ever-changing needs of web printers. "The playing field for web offset is expanding," assesses Greg Norris, manager of marketing communications for Goss International. "Innovations in areas like automation, waste reduction and makeready speed are pushing

SPECIAL REPORT -- The State of Web Printing - A Year's Worth of Mastery
April 1, 2005

By Kristen E. Monte What a difference a year makes. When Mary Garnett was named executive director of the Web Offset Association (WOA) a little over a year ago, she had high hopes for what the organization could do for web offset printing companies. So far, she has proven herself to be an effective leader of the organization. Mary Garnett Garnett took over the position with WOA, a special industry group of Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF), in February 2004. She immediately got to work on some of the major concerns that confronted the industry as a whole. She says that

SPECIAL REPORT -- The State of Web Printing - A Web Offset Visionary
April 1, 2005

By Kristen E. Monte The Harry V. Quadracci VISION Award, presented by the Web Offset Association (WOA), is awarded to a heatset web offset industry executive who has become a dominant force in shaping the business of heatset printing. William F. Hogg Jr., this year's VISION Award winner, has gone far beyond executive-level duties to make significant changes, not only with his company Valassis Communications, but for the web offset industry as a whole. William F. Hogg Jr.Hogg is executive vice president of manufacturing and operations for Valassis, headquartered in Livonia, MI, and a member of Valassis' executive committee. He began his career

SPECIAL REPORT -- The State of Web Printing - Web Printing At Mid-Decade
April 1, 2005

by Dennis E. Mason Halfway through the first decade of the 21st century seems a good time to step back and assess the status of web offset printing and what the future may hold. The web printing industry is five years beyond the Y2K scare, and has largely recovered from the downturn that followed the 2001 terrorist attacks. So where do we go from here? For answers to this key question, Printing Impressions went to a number of web industry observers and printers. Here is what they had to say about a number of important issues: How are JDF and Computer-integrated Manufacturing

Applied Printing Technologies -- Full-service Approach
March 1, 2005

Despite all of the changes afoot at Applied Printing Technologies (APT), there is something very familiar about this full-service, general commercial printer. For example, APT President and CEO Carl Grossman has been on the job a little less than two years, yet is a very familiar figure in the printing industry. Jack Egan, executive vice president, has been with the company for roughly one year, but was recently with a very large, well-known national printer. Even Joe Rondone, vice president of sales and marketing, has been on board less than a year. Want familiarity? The Moon-achie, NJ-based printer is owned by Morton Zuckerman,

Coldset Web Presses -- Newspapers Staying Cool
June 1, 2004

by chris bauer Managing Editor As printed media, especially newspapers, battle outside competition from a growing number of digital sources, non-heatset web press manufacturers have to keep up with the technology that will help newspapers compete and survive. More color, faster speeds, and versatile and automated presses are now needed in most newspaper pressrooms. "Coldset printing—particularly newspapers and semi-commercial newspaper supplements—remains an extremely effective, economical and accepted medium for delivering advertising and editorial content," points out Greg Norris, marketing manager for Heidelberg Web Systems. "Advertisers will continue to demand more color and higher print quality. Newspapers and coldset printing specialists will continue to respond