Pre-Press - Computer-to-plate

Business requirements and customer demand dictate purchasing decisions For printers who need to protect the future of their businesses, direct digital output is the only option. That much is clear, but what is less clear is whether to choose computer-to-plate (CTP) technology or to invest in a Direct Imaging (DI) press, where the platesetter is built into an A3+ or B3 format press. The decision is not just a question of whether to buy a press with the platesetter built in, versus having a standalone CTP device. Now, more than ever, it is the applications that dictate investment preferences. Business requirements drive decision-making Talk

KENNESAW, GA—July 11, 2007—Heidelberg will focus on high-tech, high-performance solutions for companies of all sizes at the 2007 Graph Expo, where the print media industry leader will showcase the latest in graphic arts technology innovation. Booth visitors can experience Heidelberg’s commercial print, packaging, small business and workflow solutions at Booth #1200 at the tradeshow, which is being held in Chicago at McCormick Place on Sept. 9-12, 2007. “We believe that by blending our historic expertise in hardware with an equal commitment to optimizing efficiencies at all stages of the printing process, Heidelberg has become the only print technology provider capable of bringing the

Transporting plates to an automatic platesetter can be a clumsy business in small or confined areas—unless the plates are riding on the specially designed cassette trolley for Heidelberg’s Prosetter or Suprasetter CtP units. The ergonomically friendly trolley can be raised at an angle when the cassette is being loaded, making it much easier to insert the plates. Moreover, the trolley can be transported in this position—a real help when working in small rooms with standard doorways and when transporting large printing plates. Loading from the 31.5” wide trolley into the Single Cassette Loader (SCL) or Multi Cassette Loader (MCL) system is almost effortless. Simply

KENNESAW, GA—June 29, 2007—Heidelberg USA announces the following new product installations: Century Graphics Begins a New Era with Heidelberg’s Speedmaster XL 105 Richard Bonham, owner of Century Graphics in Columbus, Ohio, has been a Heidelberg fan since he began working with the 6-color Speedmaster SM 72 more than 15 years ago. He later added another Speedmaster SM 72, this time a 5-color, to his pressroom and recently went looking for a new Heidelberg press to keep up with the company’s growth. A trip to the Print Media Demonstration Center at Heidelberg’s headquarters in Kennesaw, Ga. helped him make up his mind. “When I saw

HEIDELBERG, GERMANY—06/13/2007—Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) clearly increased both sales and earnings in financial year 2006/2007 (April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007). “For the fourth year in succession, we have been able to draw on the upswing in the global economy and the resultant upward trend in our industry,” stated Bernhard Schreier, CEO of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG. “For the current financial year, we are expecting moderate growth in the volume of business,” he added. Sales by the Heidelberg Group during the period under review climbed six percent to 3.803 billion Euro (previous year: 3.586 billion Euro). The fourth quarter alone returned sales of 1.214 billion

KENNESAW, GA—May 31, 2007—Heidelberg USA announces the following new product installations: Great Atlantic Graphics Aims High and Scores with Speedmaster XL 105 Great Atlantic Graphics in Malvern, PA is doing higher math these days since the company installed a Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 105 6-color press last month with coating unit, extended delivery and DryStar 3000 dryers, including advanced presetting and storing functionalities. Also installed were Prinect Image Control and the CP2000 Center Options Instant Gate and Prepress Interface. According to Pressroom Manager Cal Bou, the new press already has logged more than 2.5 million impressions after just six weeks in production, turning out commercial

KENNESAW, GA—April 30, 2007—Heidelberg USA announces the following new product installations: Doubled Capacity and New Business in 2007 for Walker Printing Company, Inc. Owner Taylor Blackwell of Walker Printing Company, Inc. has worked hard to gain loyal customers. With the installation of Heidelberg’s 4-color Speedmaster XL 105, the customers are now coming to him. “Our customers are excited about everything the press can do” Blackwell said. “They want to come in and see it run.” Walker Printing Company has more than doubled its capacity since the new press was installed in December, replacing an older Heidelberg model. The company’s new press comprises the latest

The Summer University is being held at the Print Media Academy (PMA) in Heidelberg for the seventh time from July 22 - 27, 2007. HEIDELBERG, GERMANY—04/04/2007—It is the seventh time that the Print Media Academy (PMA) of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG will host the Summer University in Heidelberg. International managers from the print media industry will be taking part in a five-and-a-half day course from July 22-27, 2007 in Heidelberg that aims to provide them with further training and the opportunity to share experiences and exchange success strategies. “In today’s dynamic markets, it is more important than ever that managers keep up-to-date with the latest developments and

AS GRAPHIC communications professionals, we must work within a global supply chain. In today’s industry, is that a problem? Not all the time. But, even under the best conditions, there can be slight alterations in the chain, particularly with regard to material composition, that will create minor glitches or delays that affect the quality of the projects that come off-press—or, at least, the costs and the timing involved in moving those projects through the printing process. It’s the graphic communications version of the Butterfly Effect, also known as the Chaos Theory, which holds that a small change in the manufacture of one component in, say, China,

St. Paul, MN—March 14, 2007—Vanguard Graphics International (“VGI”) today announced its acquisition of Xitron, Inc., a leading graphic arts industry developer and integrator of Raster Image Processors (RIP’s), RIP management software and related digital workflow solutions. Xitron is headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI and markets its products worldwide. Vanguard Graphics International is a privately held holding company specializing in acquiring and managing graphic arts companies that serve small to medium sized printers worldwide. In addition to Xitron, VGI owns Printware, LLC of St. Paul, Minnesota, a leading provider of innovative prepress solutions focused primarily on polyester and metal based computer-to-plate systems and HighWater