Digital Presses: News
Features
DIGITAL PRINTING: A VARIETY SHOW
Feb 1, 1999 12:00 AM, David L. Zwang
We have been hearing about the potential for variable data publishing for some time, yet we haven't seen as much adoption of this process as might be expected. Currently, the bulk of variable data publishing is limited to larger printers doing personalized addressing, specialized advertising, large directories and other high-volume printing projects.While this slow adoption rate can be attributed
DIGITAL PRINTING: DIGITAL PRESS UPDATE
Feb 1, 1999 12:00 AM, WILLIAM C. LAMPARTER
In 1998, the digital printing world refined its processes and made significant production operating cost reductions, as well as introduced new equipment and technology. This trend is expected to accelerate as the industry moves toward the year 2000.Digital printing progress is being made in both the fixed-imaging on-press platemaking approach, as well as the direct-to-paper technology (plateless variable
STOP SELLING, START TELLING
Nov 1, 1998 12:00 AM, Katherine O'Brien
Have you been to a Home Depot lately? One consultant suggests that the typical shopping experience at one of these huge home improvement centers provides a wonderful insight into the changing buyer/seller relationship. "When you go into a Home Depot, someone greets you at the door," says Harry Wallace managing director, focused accelerated teams (FAST) at Arthur Andersen. "You tell them what you want.
DIGITAL PRINT: ENTERING THE ELECTRONIC WORLD
Oct 1, 1998 12:00 AM, LISA LELAND
While Suzanne Cowan was sure she wanted to return to the business world once her twin daughters were grown, she wasn't so sure about her former career as a bank trust investments officer--she didn't want the responsibility of investing people's hard-earned money. So she opened an AlphaGraphics franchise with her husband."The funny thing is running a business is no different," laughs Cowan, sole proprietor
AN ON-DEMAND PERFORMANCE
Oct 1, 1998 12:00 AM, AMERICAN PRINTER STAFF
More than 8 million people call the Chicagoland area home--including the editorial staff of American Printer. We're proud our city is hosting Graph Expo--during the show, you'll find us at booth 1014. After the show, we hope you'll explore our hometown. As you may know, the city's official motto is Urbs in Horto which means "City in a Garden." The reason this particular slogan was selected was because
PRINTING WHAT YOU NEED WHEN YOU NEED IT
Sep 1, 1998 12:00 AM, AMERICAN PRINTER STAFF
In 1987, TechniGraphix consisted of six employees and some copiers occupying 6,000 sq. ft. "Basically we were a copy shop," reflects co-founder and president, Jack A. Tiner. "We did that for a few years and we grew about $1 million a year."In the 1990s, however, TechniGraphix decided to radically reinvent itself. It would no longer be a copy shop--it would become instead an on-demand book printer.The
TAKING MATTERS PERSONALLY
Sep 1, 1998 12:00 AM, AMERICAN PRINTER STAFF
Fidelity Investments was founded 52 years ago on the simple premise: "Work harder and smarter every day to help a small group of investors meet their goals."Today, as the largest mutual fund provider in the world, Fidelity aims to maintain this same "small" scale attentiveness with technology that provides customized and personalized, up-to-the minute information to help investors around the globe
TARGETING PRINT ON-DEMAND
Sep 1, 1998 12:00 AM, JILL ROTH
We are entering a media-savvy society in which the broadcast function appears to have limitations, observes Forrest P. Gauthier, CEO of Varis Corp. "That's where the real opportunity for digital printing comes in. Digital technology's real strength is when each page in a document is different--total page composition based on demographics. The objective is to create a document that meets exactly what
AN ON-DEMAND PERFORMANCE
Sep 1, 1998 12:00 AM, AMERICAN PRINTER STAFF
During the trailblazer days of electronic publishing in the early '60s, newly opened XRC, Inc. was taking advantage of digital information to expose electrostatic plates. Later, it was one of the first printers to implement Xerox's 9000 copier and original DocuTech, actually serving as one of two beta test sites for the latter.Seven months ago, the company integrated Oce's DemandStream 8080DI printing
A FAST AND FLEXIBLE VARIABLE DATA SOLUTION
Sep 1, 1998 12:00 AM, AMERICAN PRINTER STAFF
Banta Direct Marketing Group is one of North America's largest producers of direct marketing materials. Typical products include brochures, direct mail components, direct mail packages, publication and package inserts, coupons, reply cards, return envelopes and specialty booklets. Increasingly, these clients are exploring the benefits of one-to-one marketing--targeting each piece to an individual
DISTRIBUTED PRINTING THE SECOND TIME AROUND
Aug 1, 1998 12:00 AM, MEENO MOOIJ
Current trends in servers and RIPs serve as the building blocks to a completely automated prepress workflow. With Ipex and Graph Expo looming on the horizon this fall, the graphic arts industry can expect an array of exciting new product introductions in the coming months. In order to put these new introductions into perspective, and more fully understand the global graphic arts marketplace for prepress,
Finishing: Now Presenting. . .
Mar 1, 1998 12:00 AM, Debbie Petersen
I'm sorry.""You're sorry? My meeting is in three hours," the client barks, checking his watch, "and I have no presentation folders in which to distribute materials to customers. What am I supposed to do?""We printed your folders on time," explains the printer. "But the finishing shop we use missed its deadline. The shop agreed to deliver today, but one of its employees unexpectedly quit and . . ."Many
FIRST CLASS MAILERS
Sep 1, 1997 12:00 AM, Bob Gragg
Of necessity, printers and trade binderies serve as value-added suppliers for direct mail customers. They offer many services, including printing, trimming, folding, gluing and tabbing, all with quick turnaround times.By maintaining good relationships with customers, printers and binderies are well positioned to capture larger jobs and more custom work. As customers' needs change, graphic arts execs
INDUSTRY NEWS
May 1, 1997 12:00 AM,
R.R. DONNELLEY NAMES DAVIS CEO R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. (Chicago) has named William Davis chief executive officer. Davis replaces John R. Walter who left the company last year to become president of AT&T.Davis, 53, joins Donnelley after a 20-year career with St. Louis-based Emerson Electric Co. His most recent post was senior executive vice president of Emerson's process control group, the company's
Business Management
Mar 1, 1997 12:00 AM,
BOOK MARKETS ANALYZED Book publishing and printing are expected to enjoy good growth with only a slight slowdown toward the end of the century. So says a new study analyzing the market for end-use products for book printing. The study was completed by Clayton/Curtis/Cottrell, a management services firm in Louisville, CO.The explosion of computers, the Internet and interactive communications is providing
Hugging the curves
Nov 1, 1996 12:00 AM, Mallardi, Vincent
Printers must develop specialized "assets" and sell in up-cycle marketsChange! It's usually so gradual that it goes unnoticed.Take the way printing is used. At the beginning of the 20th century, ours was the only medium for the mass storage, reproduction and distribution of information. Motion pictures, electronic recording media, broadcasting and, ultimately, the computer eroded our 500-year exclusivity,
Don't depend on the economy
Oct 1, 1996 12:00 AM, Paparozzi, Andrew D.
How dependent are you on the economy? When the business cycle turns down, do your sales go with it? Or do you keep growing, grabbing market share from recession-weakened competitors?Recently the National Assn. of Printers & Lithographers (NAPL) Printing Economic Research Center tracked the sales of 221 commercial printers against GDP from 1989 to 1994. Our sample included companies from across the
Direct mail still a good buy
Jul 1, 1996 12:00 AM, Behrens, John C.
The Postal Service, which has endured its share of bad press in recent years, has refocused its message and advertising. This effort has given direct mail a shot in the arm that irks some and delights others. Postmaster General Marvin Runyon is even talking about keeping the price of a first-class letter unchanged for the rest of the century.Some are unhappy, however, that the Postal Service is using
Selling digital color
Sep 1, 1995 12:00 AM, Petersen, Debbie
A look at real-world marketing techniques to profit from digital pressesGo ahead - ask them. Ask your customers what they want. No doubt cost-effective short runs and faster turnarounds would top their wish lists. After all, it's no secret that buyers want their jobs now.Digital presses, which require no film and thus save money and time, are riding to the rescue of such customers. You've read about
A digital finish
Mar 1, 1995 12:00 AM, Ferris, Fred
Digital printing requires special attention to post-press issues, especially for those new to the binderyThe digital age is here! (As if you didn't know). This is the era during which the world is changing the way it communicates forever. Unbelievably advanced computerized devices have proliferated throughout all aspects of the world, and the sky seems to be the limit for all varieties of new developments.Obviously,
