DI Presses in the In-Plant

DIDI PressesPresses inin thethe In-plantIn-plant ScoresScores of of in-plantsin-plants are are installinginstalling directdirect imagingimaging (DI)(DI) offset offset presses.presses. WhyWhy do do theythey feel feel DIDI technology technology isis so so well well A brandA brand new new Presstek Presstek 52DI 52DI was was just just installed installed at at GlasgowGlasgow Caledonian Caledonian University, University, in Scotland.in Scotland. With With it hereit here are are suitedsuited to to (from(from the the left): left): Andrew Andrew Scott, Scott, head head of Printof Print Design Design Services; Services; theirtheir mix mix of of StevenSteven McCart, McCart, print print production production manager; manager; Colin Colin Gaffney, Gaffney, offset offset work?work? printprint operator; operator; and and Karen Karen Kernan, Kernan, offset offset print print operator. operator. ByBy Bob Bob Neubauer Neubauer EVENEVEN AFTER AFTER installing installing an anHP HP Indigo Indigo 1050 1050 recentrecent years, years, viewing viewing it asit asa cost-effective a cost-effective way way digitaldigital color color press press four four years years ago, ago, San San Diego Diego to toenter enter the the four-color four-color market. market. StateState University University ReproGraphic ReproGraphic Services Services still still ThatThat was was the the case case at atCalifornia California State State Poly Poly- - foundfound it challengingit challenging to toreach reach portions portions of ofthe the technictechnic University, University, in inPomona, Pomona, where where the the inin- four-colorfour-color market. market. Longer-run Longer-run jobs jobs were were not not plantplant added added a Presstek a Presstek 34E 34E DI DI to tostem stem the the flow flow EEcostcost effective effective on on the the 1050, 1050, so sothe the in-plant in-plant was was of offour-color four-color work work to tooutside outside printers—work printers—work usingusing its itsaging aging computer-to-plate computer-to-plate (CTP) (CTP) sys sys- - thethe in-plant in-plant couldn’t couldn’t previously previously handle handle with with its its temtem and and two-color two-color presses presses to toproduce produce them. them. It It one-one- and and two-color two-color presses. presses. waswas not not the the most most efficient efficient setup. setup. “The“The 34E 34E DI DI enables enables us usto toproduce produce four- four- SoSo in in2006, 2006, Leslie Leslie Rutledge, Rutledge, manager manager of of colorcolor work work in-house,” in-house,” explains explains Daiken Daiken Fiore, Fiore, thethe nine-employee nine-employee in-plant, in-plant, made made the the decision decision managermanager of of Graphic Graphic Communications Communications to toinstall install a Presstek a Presstek 34DI 34DI direct direct imaging imaging press. press. Services.Services. LifeLife has has not not been been the the same same since. since. The The “We“We needed needed to toget get into into four-color,” four-color,” adds adds chemistry-free,chemistry-free, waterless waterless offset offset press press images images DaveDave Nelson, Nelson, director director of ofPrinting Printing Services Services at at platesplates directly directly on on the the press, press, saving saving time, time, IllinoisIllinois State State University, University, in inNormal, Normal, Ill., Ill., where where improvingimproving quality quality and and decreasing decreasing costs. costs. a Heidelberga Heidelberg Quickmaster Quickmaster DI DI 46 46 has has been been in in “For“For our our shop, shop, it wasit was the the best best decision decision I I placeplace for for nearly nearly a decade. a decade. “We “We were were a two-col a two-col- - everever made,” made,” declares declares Rutledge. Rutledge. or orshop, shop, and and this this was was the the most most compact compact and, and, A Agrowing growing number number of ofin-plants in-plants agree agree with with frankly,frankly, least least risky risky way way to toget get into into four-color.” four-color.” her.her. OneOne of ofthe the newest newest DI DI installations installations took took ThoughThough introduced introduced to tothe the market market back back in in placeplace last last month month at atGlasgow Glasgow Caledonian Caledonian Uni Uni- - 1991,1991, direct direct imaging imaging (DI) (DI) technology technology has has lin lin- - versity,versity, in inScotland. Scotland. The The in-plant in-plant added added a a geredgered on on the the fringes fringes of ofthe the industry; industry; tradition tradition- - PresstekPresstek 52DI. 52DI. alistsalists were were skeptical skeptical of ofit andit and progressives progressives by by- - “Ninety-five“Ninety-five percent percent of ofour our work work is isfour- four- passedpassed it itfor for toner-based toner-based devices. devices. Lately, Lately, colorcolor brochures, brochures, leaflets, leaflets, flyers, flyers, booklets, booklets, though,though, DI DI seems seems to tobe begaining gaining traction; traction; nu nu- - postersposters etc., etc., and and we we were were printing printing using using a a merousmerous in-plants in-plants have have installed installed DI DI presses presses in in two-colortwo-color press,” press,” explains explains Andrew Andrew Scott, Scott, head head 20 20 * * /Ê /,Ê*, -*ÊÊUÊÊ -ÊÊUÊÊwww.ipgonline.comwww.ipgonline.com ipg_0509.inddipg_0509.indd 20 20 6/2/096/2/09 9:36:19 9:36:19 AM AM of Print Design Services. He touts many advantages of DI technology, including “effort- less perfect registration,” excellent image quality, consistency of color and the ability to “de-skill” the whole prepress and printing process, which will make it easier to recruit less skilled staff. And then there are the “green” benefits. “The DI is the most environmentally friendly printing process available today,” he contends. “The waterless process and the automation greatly reduces the use of harmful chemicals.” Plus, he adds, waterless printing means faster drying times. So Why Doesn’t Everyone Have One? With all this acclaim though, why haven’t DI presses caught on even more? Numerous At the Missouri State in-plants have added CTP in the past couple of five presses for which the shop’s new Fuji Printing Center, years; why didn’t they skip that step and go CTP system is making plates. Replacing it press operators Jim directly to a DI press? with a DI was simply not an option, Fenske Morris (left) and Jeff A quick poll of recent CTP buyers reveals says. Claypool stand with one obvious answer: they need to make plates “The cost of upgrading a press is humon- their shop’s Ryobi 3404 DI press. for multiple presses. gous compared to a CTP device,” he says. “Our four-color [press] was only five years “It’s not a technology that we really inves- old,” says Doug Fenske, director of Printing at tigated too far, to be honest,” admits Lisa Minnesota State University, Mankato. It’s one Hoover, director of Administrative Services The Advantages of DI In the summer of 2008, InfoTrends surveyed 80 DI press users, the majority of whom also operate a conventional offset press and a toner-based production color printer. Some key findings of the study were: s Makeready on a DI press takes less time than a conventional offset press. On aver- age, 34 cm DI presses achieve makeready 23 percent faster than conventional offset, while 52 cm presses achieve makeready 38 percent faster. s Users consider DI presses to be most suitable for run lengths between 500 and 20,000 press sheets, though run lengths between 250 and 499 were fairly evenly mixed between toner and DI. Dennis Payton, s 80 percent of respondents said that DI at Bucknell University, in Lewisburg, Pa. Her supervisor of printing at the University of printing allowed them to increase their 23-employee shop installed a Presstek Vector Maryland, and Teresa business by bringing in new customers. TX52 metal plate CTP device late last year to Thacker, manager s 71 percent said they can now produce make plates for the in-plant’s two presses. of Printing Services, applications that they were unable to Impracticality aside, though, Hoover also show off their produce previously. acknowledges, when pressed, a lingering lack Presstek 34DI press. s The most important advantages of DI over of trust in DI technology. conventional offset were print quality and “It did seem like the technology just didn’t ease of use/automation. Close behind were catch on,” she says. This notion was intensified durability, throughput and makeready times. when Heidelberg stopped manufacturing DI presses in 2006. May 2009 21 ipg_0509.indd 21 6/2/09 9:36:25 AM “Heidelberg kind of abandoned it, and that made us say, ‘wow, there’s FAST FULL COLOR got to be some reason why they’re not supporting it any more,’ ” Hoover notes. ENVELOPES, CARDS AND SHEETS Though Presstek, which invented DI technology back in 1988, has never wavered in its support of DI, Heidelberg, which partnered with Print Presstek to bring the first DI’s to envelops to market, felt that demand was decreasing. It chose to focus instead on 13" x 17" improving automation of conventional sheetfed offset presses, its core business. Print 3,300 full color Heidelberg’s decision is still a #10 envelopes per hour, sore point for Dave Nelson, of Illi- 500,000+ per month nois State, owner of a Heidelberg DI. “When Heidelberg finally got the The Heidelberg Quickmaster DI 46 at Illinois State University, operated here by John Sheets DI really right, they ended up pull- Getz, enabled the in-plant to enter the four-color market almost 10 years ago. up to ing it from the market,” he says. 13" x 22" Still, he remains a fan of the DI “A lot of times, no, because I couldn’t She lauds the DI’s fast makeready process.

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