Interest Is Up for 28" Presses, Says Study

The popularity of larger platesetters isn't very surprising in light of the types of presses (particularly sheetfed) that printing firms have been buying.

In general, 40" presses traditionally had been preferred over 28" presses, though the mix is starting to change, according to TrendWatch Graphic Arts historical data. Planned investment in 40" presses peaked at 5% of all print and prepress firms in the late 1990s, but is down to an all-time low of 2% in the most recent Printing survey (Fall 2002). At the same time, planned investment in 28" presses had traditionally hovered around 2%, but peaked in Fall 2001 at 4%. This figure dropped to 1% six months later, but is now up to 2% where it is in a dead heat with 40" presses.

Among sheetfed offset shops in particular, the shift to smaller-format presses is a bit more pronounced. Planned investment in 40" presses peaked in Fall 1999 at 10%, and is now down to 3% in the most recent Printing survey. At the same time, planned investment in 28" presses bottomed out at 2% in Fall 2000, but is now back up to 4% in the most recent Printing survey, where it has passed planned investment in 40" presses.

Since press investment trends go hand-in-hand with computer-to-plate investment trends, analyzing them together can provide a better perspective on where the market is going. It sounds like a chicken-and-egg question (which came first, investment in four-up platesetters or 28" presses?), but a shop's prepress equipment will be a function of the printing equipment that it runs.

There is a caveat, however. Overall demographic trends, such as the number of sheetfed offset shops operating now and in the future, can complicate matters. After all, it doesn't matter how hot a technology is if the number of firms likely to be in existence to buy it is dwindling.