Christian Cerfontaine

BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor With all the talk of excess capacity and declining sales, why would any printer consider buying a new press? First, the obvious reason. Capacity on an industry-wide level doesn't necessarily mirror the situation in a local market or any given company. There also is a more subtle rational that has grown in importance with the changes in business conditions. The pressures of a highly competitive market make it even more critical for a shop to have the right kind of capacity. Production efficiency and flexibility are more important than gross capacity. Sheetfed offset presses used to break down fairly

WESTMONT, IL—Printers who want to connect with customers from the creative side of the business should consider providing them with more information about the printing process, according to a recent survey conducted by MAN Roland. More than 87 percent of the creatives pooled declared that they need to be more knowledgeable about the printing process. Responding to a separate question, 91 percent say they would be willing to attend a free seminar to acquire more graphic arts expertise. "Clearly, a lack of communication exists between printers and creatives," says Yves Rogivue, CEO of MAN Roland. "Our study shows that the gap today seems to

ROLLING MEADOWS, IL—Creo, Printcafe and MAN Roland have joined forces for a continent-wide seminar series that explores the productivity benefits provided by computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM). Titled "CIM in Print: It Is Here. It Is Working. It Is Ready for You," the free seminars are designed to provide practical recommendations on how printers can utilize computer-integrated manufacturing to streamline their workflows and maximize their use of automation. Printers who attend this half-day event will discover how CIM can put a competitive edge on their workflows and help them win new business, according to the organizers. "The advantage of our CIM seminar is that it covers all print production,

SEWICKLEY, PA—Class is in session, and the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF) is welcoming a new pupil. No one will pick on the newbie, despite his large size. That's because this "he" is a four-unit Rotoman web offset press from MAN Roland. The GATF was slated to install the new press in April and May, with an eye toward it going live by early summer. The press was scheduled to ship in March from MAN Roland's Augsburg, Germany, production center. Best of all, the press comes compliments of the press manufacturer. "MAN Roland's donation of this highly automated system, and all the technical support and training that goes

BY CAROLINE MILLER It's not the size of the press that matters, but rather how you use it. There was a time when small-format sheetfed offset presses sat in the shadows. A workhorse, but nothing compared to their fast and flashy, 40˝ and larger brothers. Today, small presses are becoming the envy of the larger presses. The small press market has been the subject of intense technological development and, as a result, small presses, ranging in size up to 20x29,˝ now offer the features found on larger presses such as increased press speeds, makeready automation, networked systems and digital controls. In fact, with