Digital printing, automation to drive drupa '08

By Mary L. Van Meter
Publisher


DUSSELDORF, Germany — With more than 550 million newspapers printed worldwide each day, the power of the printed word remains strong, said officials at a weeklong event held last month to promote drupa 2008.

Newspapers are just one segment of the millions of tons of printed materials produced each year, said Albrecht Bolza-Schunemann, chairman of drupa 2008 and chief executive officer of Koenig & Bauer AG.

Bolza-Schunemann said contemporary newspapers have little to fear in comparison to Web sites, particularly since users still rate papers as friendlier and easier to read. “Consumers rate nothing as highly as newspapers in terms of credibility,” he said. Still, he said integrated workflow and process control will become more critical factors as publishers find ways to cut production costs. “Automation will be a key factor,” he said.
Albrecht Bolza-Schunemann, chairman of drupa 2008 and chief executive officer of Koenig & Bauer AG, touted the power of print at the January drupa preview. Photos: Newspapers & Technology

The global volume of printed materials, he said, is increasing at an annual clip of 3 percent to 5 percent. In more populous nations such as China and India, print growth is galloping along at double-digit rates, he said.

Bolza-Schunemann, along with drupa CEO Werner Matthias Dornscheidt, kicked off drupa Media Week. This year’s drupa, from May 29 through June 11, will showcase more than 1,800 exhibitors.

Among the key technologies drupa visitors can expect to see are those related to digital printing, along with an increased focus on automated and touchless workflow solutions, vendors said.

Companies such as Screen, Kodak, Ricoh, Fujifilm Corp. and Xerox Corp. said they’ll demonstrate hybrid applications based on the nexus of digital and offset technology.

These print-on-demand and Web-to-print approaches are geared to helping printers expand margins and attract new revenue streams.

Among drupa developments:

•Domino Printing Sciences said it would release two newspaper-oriented inkjet-based variable-print products, the K150 inkjet printer and version 4.5 of the vendor’s Bitjet printing system. Both enable high-speed inline inkjet printing and both can be integrated with web offset and flexo presslines.

•Screen previewed the TruePress Jet 520, a full-color variable printing system, as well as the PlateRite 2000+ thermal computer-to-plate system.

The TruePress can print different images and text on each page and features a roll-fed paper transport system, according to Tim Taylor, marketing director (see photo, page 24). Taylor said the system can be used with any uncoated newspaper stock and will be aimed at newspapers that want to produce print editions at remote sites.

“CTP represents 90 percent of Screen gross revenues and we are very committed to this market,” Taylor said. “But because Drupa only comes around every four years, we will devote a majority of our booth to print-on-demand to showcase that we are in the market.”

The 2000+, meantime, can produce 106 broadsheet or 49 panorama plates per hour and is Screen’s fastest machine. It’s available immediately.

•Ricoh showcased its Ricoh Pro C900 and C900s digital printer. Designed for high-volume print customers, it is integrated with a range of inline finishing devices that support perfect binding, ring binding and other capabilities.

•Presstek Inc. said it will display its chemistry-free platemaking systems, its line of 52DI and 34DI digital printers and its Momentum Pro workflow software.

The 52DI is a landscape digital offset press that can support FM screening without additional time or expense, Presstek said. The 34DI is a portrait format digital press.

•Fujifilm and Xerox said they would cross-promote each other’s digital printing capabilities as part of their reseller agreement. Among specific products to be displayed will be Fujifilm’s Brilla HD Pro-V chemistry-free digital plate and PressMax pressroom chemistry.

•Kodak said it will demonstrate its next-generation digital inkjet press, Kodak Stream Concept Press.

The high-speed press features print resolution that exceeds 600 dots per inch and relies on continuous inkjet technology. Kodak said Stream will be geared to commercial printers that produce monthly page volumes of 10 million or more.

“Stream Technology will bring some exciting changes to the industry and this technology demonstration will be an impressive display of its offset class capabilities,” said Ronen Cohen, vice president of marketing of Kodak’s inkjet printing solutions.

Additionally, Kodak will display Prinergy 5.0 workflow software and other CTP systems and associated software geared to commercial printers. —NT

Editor’s note: Newspapers & Technology is one of only seven U.S. publications to be selected as a drupa 2008 media partner and the only one whose primary focus is newspaper production.