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 in Scotland. 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 it for 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 average, 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. have offered the same kind of pric- and turnaround times, and its ability “I’m a big believer in DI’s,” he ing structure, because you pay by to produce good solids, without dot Average says. The DI enabled his shop to get click charge on the Indigo.” gain. consumable into four-color printing, he acknowl- What’s more, points out Rut- “It’s really turned our shop cost per color edges, which really turned things ledge, the Indigo could not do let- around,” she says. #10 envelope around. terhead, due to toner’s propensity to is only 2¢ Feeder “It made us a contender,” he melt when run back through a laser One Or The Other holds remarks. printer. For most in-plants, though, up to 800 He would love to get another DI, “I do boatloads of letterhead,” getting both a digital color printer Card stock envelopes now that his shop’s press is nearly 10 she says. To print it, a DI offset press and a DI is not an option. Rodney to 14pt years old, and he really likes the became a necessity. Vessell, Missouri State Printer, Presstek 52DI, but others in his shop Another in-plant that has both a looked into getting a NexPress feel a larger press would be more DI and a high-speed digital printer is before deciding to add a Ryobi 3404 suitable. Ironically, the DI has been the University of Maryland. Its DI from xpedx. He was bothered by so successful at helping the in-plant Presstek 34DI complements its Nex- the click charges he would have had dominate the four-color market, that Press 2100 plus, says Teresa Thack- to pay on the NexPress. the shop may now be too sophisti- er, manager of Printing Services. “I wanted to be able to run as cated for another DI, Nelson says. “I might be doing a cover on the many jobs and as many impressions Variable 4000 Plus, the in-plant added an HP Indi- DI and do the guts of a job on the sheets of go a few years ago. NexPress,” she says. “It gives us data at full 20lb bond “It takes away some of the advan- more flexibility.” Find out More speed tages of the DI,” he says. Like Rutledge, she also points to Since Drupa 2000 (the DI high- the need for offset-printed letter- Presstekwater mark), is recognized several vendors Is Toner Just As Good? head as a key reason for getting the ashave a leadinglet their providerDI dreams of fade. Indeed, this is another reason that DI, in addition to its ability to more environmentallyToday, these are the responsible four main ® many overlook the DI. A digital pro- cost effectively print jobs of more DIproviders digital of offset direct presses imaging ILUMINA duction printer like an HP Indigo or than 1,500 impressions. Larger-for- andpresses: computer-to-plate Kodak NexPress can handle short- mat jobs, such as the tabloid-size (CTP)KBA solutions. run color, and offer variable data newsletters the shop produces, go www.kba-usa.com DIGITAL ENVELOPE PRESS+ printing capabilities to boot, they on its two-color, 40˝ press. The in- ForPresstek more information: The ILUMINA Digital Envelope Press+ is the new cost effective solution for printing on-demand, full color envelopes, cards and sheets. say. Many in-plants believe in this plant bought a Presstek Dimension visitwww.presstek.com www.presstek.com The high capacity feeder holds up to 800 #10 envelopes / window envelopes / large envelopes (to 13" x 17"), or 4000 sheets of 20lb strategy. But as San Diego State 800 platesetter to make plates for it Screen bond. You can also print full color cards (to 14pt / 307gsm) and sheets (to 13" x 22"), as well as personalized mailing pieces running learned, a digital printer can’t cost- about the same time it added the DI DIwww.screenusa.com is a registerd trademark variable data at full speed. Xanté ILUMINA Digital Envelope Press+. Go meet the demand! effectively do everything. and the NexPress. Thacker says her ofxpedx/Ryobi Presstek, Inc. “Could I have done the longer shop’s product mix make all three www.ryobi.xpedx.com US: 1.800.926.8839 / 251.473.6502 s EUR: +31 (0) 26.319.3210 s xante.com runs on the Indigo?” asks Rutledge. technologies viable. © 2009 Xanté Corporation. Xanté and the Xanté logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Xanté Corporation. Adobe and PostScript are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems, Incorporated. 22 * /Ê,* -ÊÊUÊÊwww.ipgonline.com

ipg_0509.indd 22 6/2/09 9:36:30 AM as I wanted, without having to pay,” Format size is another potential each,” Rutledge reports. he says. “For about the same money, problem. Marlin Keim, Printing & Though these in-plants and I’d be able to do as much work as I Duplicating supervisor at Millers- many others are strong believers in wanted to [on a DI], without those ville University, in southeastern DI technology, not everyone has type of costs.” Pennsylvania, looked seriously at DI the right applications for it. The He and his staff love their Ryobi presses before purchasing a used best candidates are those in-plants DI press. five-color Adast offset press who see a demand for four-color in “It’s been a great press for us so recently. runs between roughly 500 and far,” he lauds. “This has really turned “It was hard not to want one of 20,000, but can’t currently pro- our place around.” It allowed the those,” he admits. “It was going to duce it cost effectively due to anti- shop to keep four-color work in- do everything we wanted it to do, quated CTP/imagesetting and press house. As for the DI’s inability to do except sheet size.” equipment. color VDP, Vessell says this has not In San Diego, Rutledge also notes As for the future of DI presses, been a problem. that her Presstek 34DI’s 12x18˝ for- those who use them feel it is very “We have had very little call for mat size* prevents the shop from bright indeed. color variable data print,” he says. doing oversize jobs, but the in-plant “I believe in it 100 percent,” pro- The shop does a lot of black-and- has found a way to deal with that. claims Thacker, of the University of white VDP on its monochrome ma- “We give such a good price that Maryland. “I can see this really chines, he adds. most customers are willing to design growing.” within that format,” she says. Adds Vessell, of the Missouri DI’s Drawbacks SDSU ReproGraphics’ DI press State Printing Center, “I’m actually Despite all its strengths, the DI has been very busy this spring thinking of getting another one. It’s press has its limitations. printing commencement program just a nice piece of equipment be- “We’re getting a lot of demand covers for seven different colleges, cause it’s affordable and you can do for coatings and spot varnishes, and with print runs ranging from 2,000 pretty nice four-color work.” IPG that’s not something the DI has ever to 7,000. done well,” says Nelson, of Illinois “The covers are unique in that * Presstek’s 52DI handles a maximum State University. they have the college name on sheet size of 20.47x14.76˝.

JUMP into greater profitability and sustainability with Presstek DI® digital offset presses. Presstek DI® presses cost-effectively produce high quality offset output for runs up to 20,000. On-press imaging and waterless design reduce water consumption and eliminate the need for plate chemistry. Print brilliant colors. Naturally. Just another way we help make your business more capable, productive and profitable.

Presstek 52DI Press

For more information visit www.presstek.com Purchase DI press and other pressroom supplies at: shop.presstek.com DI is a registered trademark of Presstek, Inc.

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