Graph Expo Report

Following is a brief sampling of exhibitor activities and announcements at Graph Expo and Converting Expo in Chicago.

Baldwin Technology featured its high-speed WebCatcher system, LithoSpray World Ci spray dampener, BasicLiner compact fountain solution unit, GraphiSet range of infrared and hot-air drying systems and GraphiCure UV curing system, and Impact blanket cleaner with Prepac supply roll.

Buhrs America introduced BuhrsWrap for the poly wrapping of magazines and journals, which features longitudinal perforation for easy opening.

CGS Publishing Technologies debuted its Oris Color Tuner proofing system with Canon U.S.A.'s new line of large-format bubble-jet printers, including the six-color ImagePrograf W2200, W7200, and W7250, for the high-speed production of contract-quality color proofs. Also, the new SWOP-certified Color Tuner version 5.0 adds automatic device calibration, independent spot color calibration, and enhanced remote proofing capabilities.

First-time exhibitor ContiTech Elastomer Coatings introduced three Conti Air printing blankets: Evolution (cold web and newspaper use); Zenith (heatset); and Prestige (packaging applications), plus a strippable blanket with high-profile layers.

Electronics For Imaging, another first-time exhibitor, announced the Fiery Q4000 server with advanced variable-data printing capabilities; Velocity OneFlow CTP workflow solution; Velocity Balance high-productivity workflow software for digital printing; and Splash G640 server for Mac OS X users.

Heidelberg announced that its eight-color Speedmaster 102 sheetfed, which was specially decorated in red, white, and blue, was purchased by Haig Printing, Las Vegas, Nev., to be installed soon after the show closed.

MAN Roland played host to about 50 attendees at special morning tours of its Graphic/Training Center in Westmont, Ill., which included automation demonstrations of its Roland 300 and 700 presses.

Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses demonstrated its new 23½x29" Diamond 2000 sheetfed, operating with water-only Hydro H₂O offset inks from Midwest Ink Corp.

Printcafe Software debuted its Printcafe Press Connector, version 1.0, a JDF-based integration module that links its print management systems with third-party production equipment.

Printing Developments, Inc. showed use of its Prisma bimetal thermal CTP and Eclipse Thermal CTP plates for sheetfed printing.

Ultimate Technographics announced two imposition workflow developments for Mac OS X—the commercial release of ImPress 3.2 for on-demand printing, and the field-test release of Impostrip 6.7, based on PDF as well as PostScript—plus the commercial release of SkinnyServer 2.0, designed to produce open non-proprietary files for PDF workflows while dramatically reducing the size of EPS image files (with bundled SkinnyEPS plug-in).

Xerox Corporation announced customer installations of its 100-page-per-minute DocuColor iGen3 digital production press (base price: $510,000, with color per-page cost as low as 3.4 cents) in Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, and Washington, D.C. Xerox also revealed workflow tool enhancements, including DigiPath 3.0 production software, new PDF color splitter/LPDI software for mixing color and monochrome pages on different printers, and VIPP version 4.0 variable-information production software.

Also, a DocuTech system upgrade allows printing on paper larger than 11x17", while the Signature Booklet Maker II gained a square-fold booklet making option.