It's Showtime in Chicago

This is the time of year when thousands of printers and manufacturers breeze into the Windy City to sample and showcase the latest the industry has to offer. Here's a roundup of just some of the solutions on display at Graph Expo and Converting Expo:

Agfa (Booth 4024) is showcasing its chemical-free thermal plate, the Azura, first unveiled at the Drupa show in Germany in May. The aluminum plate uses a physical rather than a chemical process to provide thermal imaging, achieving run lengths of up to 100,000 impressions. Agfa also is showing its new Accento four-up thermal CTP imager.

Agfa's workflow offering, ApogeeX, is being released as version 3.0. Version 2.0, which debuted earlier this year, is a scalable, JDF-enabled solution designed to meet the needs of both small and high-end users. Also introduced at Drupa, the Grand SherpaMatic wide-format ink-jet digital proofers is featured in Agfa's Graph Expo booth. With a width of 50", the two-sided device has eight ink cartridges for up to eight colors.

CRC Information Systems, Inc. (Booth 5229) presents The System, a fully integrated information management system. The System uses the Windows 2000/2003 and SQL Server 2000 platforms, addressing the business management needs of commercial printers, including estimating, production, inventory management, accounting, and e-commerce.

Creo (Booth 4006) is showcasing many new prepress solutions, including version 3.0 of its Prinergy automated PDF workflow management system, featuring new rules-based automation, unified versioning, and full integration with Preps imposition software; Prinergy Evo, an affordable workflow solution designed to increase efficiency and reduce production costs; version 5.0 of its Brisque workflow solution, featuring new Synapse Director software for data management; and version 4.0 of the Synapse InSite Internet portal into prepress, featuring increased integration with the Prinergy and Brisque prepress workflows (Synapse InSite also is shown as part of a color-accurate remote proofing solution).

Creo also is demonstrating the new version of its Veris color proofer, featuring its own RIP and color management, and the new Integris desktop proofer.

In the CTP arena, Creo is highlighting the Magnus very-large-format platesetter, and the new Clarus PL processless plate, requiring no gumming, processing, or post-imaging treatment. The company is debuting Inventory Assist, which records the number of Creo plates imaged on the CTP device; users can track consumption on line for an accurate inventory of plate supplies and to check the status of pending orders and shipments.

A booth highlight, Staccato Showcase, features new Spotless printing used by Creo customers for commercial work, packaging samples, and newspapers.

Cyrious Software (Booth 5326) presents its Control management system, which integrates quoting, costing, work orders, production tracking, invoicing, receivables tracking, shipping, credit card processing, contacts, CRM, and marketing queries into one system.

DiMS! organizing print (Booth 4417) is debuting its 640 software, an integrated ERP-print management system featuring extended enterprise functionalities, robust contract invoicing features, and a streamlined estimation desktop.

Domino Amjet commercial printing division (Booth 3642) features the Domino ON Demand system, a complete variable-data printing solution comprising estimating, prepress, proofing, and printing modules. Domino also is exhibiting the new Bitjet+ printer, an enhanced version of its Bitjet binary printer, and JetArray, a high-speed ink-jet printer capable of printing up to eight lines of fully variable information in one pass.

EFI (Booth 4613) is launching the next generation of its Fiery System software, featuring the new Command WorkStation user interface, industry-leading VDP, specialized graphic arts tools, and automated production workflow solutions for increasing productivity and linking digital presses to MIS operations.

The company also is showcasing Colorproof XF, its new, highly scalable client/server-based proofing solution, featuring improved functionality and performance with cross Windows and Mac OS X support and compatibility with the current JDF job ticketing standard.

Flint Ink (Booth 836) is featuring an extended range of new ArrowStar sheetfed inks to complement its recently introduced ArrowStar 8030, Fast-Setting 3030, and High-Strength 4000 formulations. It also is introducing new Arrowlith UV inks, designed for open fountain presses.

Flint Ink subsidiary Jetrion, LLC is announcing its expansion of the Jetrion 3000 Series to include the Jetrion 3025m 3010, and 3005 ink-jet systems. Subsidiary Precisia, LLC is highlighting printed electronics solutions, including conductive inks for radio frequency identification applications.

In addition, Flint Ink is introducing a full range of workflow color management solutions from Progressive Color Media, LLC.

Global Graphics (Booth 5087) is previewing the latest version of its JDF Enabler module, which provides JDF support for the Harlequin RIP, TrapPro in-RIP trapping, ColorPro in-RIP color management, and the Harlequin Screening Library. JDF Enabler v2.0 is fully compatible with the latest JDF 1.2 specification and includes enhancements such as seamless integration of preflighting across the JDF workflow, greatly expanded color correction and color space conversion features, enhanced proofing support, and support for TIFF files.

Heidelberg USA (Booth 1000) is debuting the Suprasetter line, a new generation of thermal external-drum platesetters supporting all standard plate formats. The two basic models, the Suprasetter 74 and Suprasetter 105, are available in a variety of speed ratings, with punching options and additional automation options for easy plate handling.

The Suprasetter 74 is compatible with all Heidelberg presses, from the Quickmaster QM 46 to the Speedmaster CD 74, as well as presses from other manufacturers. The Suprasetter 105 is compatible with Heidelberg's new Speedmaster XL 105, as well as web offset presses. According to the manufacturer, the option of imaging with centered or edge register integrates plate production into both sheetfed and the web processes.

The number of laser modules determines imaging speed; the more laser modules a Suprasetter contains, the greater the imaging speed. Additional laser modules can be retrofitted rapidly on site after the unit has been installed.

Henkel Adhesives (Booth 344) is showing Safe-T-Melt, a new low-application temperature hot-melt adhesive for bookbinding applications. Says Henkel, the adhesive is user-friendly, boosts productivity, and improves worker safety while helping to reduce maintenance and energy costs.

Kodak Versamark (Booths 2089 and 3477) is showing its VT3000 integrated digital printing system, capable of producing 100% variable data in black, spot color, or process color, depending on the configuration. The company also is showcasing the VX5000 systems, available in two models: VX5000 with standard 600-dpi resolution, and VX5000e with 1,200-dpi resolution.

The manufacturer also is showcasing the CS600 system controller, powered by EFI's Fiery QX9000 technology, which provides job control and queue management and lets users manipulate and process color image data in real time at the printer while the engine is running at full speed. Kodak Versamark's CS150 system controller, with easy-to-use Microsoft Windows XP-based Mailscape software, also is on display.

In its D-series of printing systems, Kodak Versamark presents its DS4350 UV high-speed digital printing system, which uses UV-curable inks that print on a wide variety of substrates. It is available as a fully integrated system bundled with a printer, controller, transport, and UV curing station, and also as a turnkey system including feeder, feeder base, and output conveyor. The manufacturer also is featuring the DS7122, a fully integrated digital printing system that provides a print width of 2.13" for printing on a variety of substrates.

NexPress (Booth 1697), a division of Kodak, is debuting the latest addition to its E series of Digimaster presses, the Kodak Digimaster E125 digital production system, rated at 125 pages per minute (ppm). Positioned between the Digimaster E150 and Digimaster 9110, the device can handle variable paper sizes and features an enhanced feed and MICR capabilities.

Pantone, Inc. (Booth 5431) is featuring its ColorVantage pigment-based inks for Epson Ultrachrome ink-jet printers, now supporting the Epson Stylus Pro line of wide-format professional printers, including the 9600, 7600, and 4000 models, as well as the Epson Stylus Photo 2200 large-format photographic printer.

Also in its booth, Pantone is showing new versions of HexWare, HexVector, and HexImage, now fully compatible with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

In addition, the company is introducing the ColorVision Spyder2 color management technology system, including the Spyder2 colorimeter, the latest addition to the Pantone ColorVision product line, featuring precise calibration and highly accurate ICC profiles for CRT, LCD, and laptop displays, say company officials.

Spartanics (Booth 218) is showcasing a 30"-wide version of its high-precision diecutting technology, the Spartanics M500 Wide Format Die Cutting System. The turnkey systems re-register at each press stroke, at production rates of up to 165 strokes per minute, according to the manufacturer.

Sun Chemical (Booth 824), through its Kohl & Madden division, is introducing XX-Treme, a sheetfed ink system designed to improve the results of stochastic screening. The division also features K&M Brite, a second-generation hybrid ink offering the best characteristics of UV and conventional offset.

Sun Chemical's North American Publication Inks unit is introducing PrintEasy, a new line of web heatset inks, as well as the High Fashion ink system for the stochastic market.

VUTEk (Booth 4469) is debuting its all-new PressVu UV 200/600 digital ink-jet flatbed printer, delivering four- and six-color, 600-dpi, photographic color reproduction and crisp text reproduction, according to the manufacturer.

Xerox (Booth 1431) is introducing the DocuColor 8000 digital press, an 80-ppm production color device that's positioned between the DocuColor 6060 and the iGen3. The DocuColor 8000 features 2,400x2,400x1-dpi resolution and new registration technology that controls front-to-back registration to within plus or minus 0.5mm, says the manufacturer.

The company is also strengthening its highlight color offering with the new DocuTech 128-, 155-, 180-ppm devices, with new cut-sheet technology. In the wide-format arena, Xerox is showcasing its 8160/8142 devices, printing up to 60" or 42" wide, respectively.

In addition, Xerox features four new software products inside its Freeflow Digital Workflow collection: Process manager, to pre-build workflows for automatic document preparation, proofing, and printing; Web Services, a digital "storefront" tool; Makeready, a single interface for all page formatting and layout; and Print Manager, offering an integrated printer manager and job ticketing workflow providing a single point of access for digital and offset devices.