Print Shows Deliver

Some 52,432 attended last month's Ipex exhibition in Birmingham, England, while over 6,000 attended the Nexpo newspaper show in Chicago. Both events delivered plenty of technology news. Some examples:

At Ipex, MAN Roland (Colorman press shown) announced it will offer a larger 41´´ format (measuring 780×1040 mm) for its eight-up model 700 press, matching KBA's Rapida 105 and Heidelberg's XL105.

Presstek introduced a 20´´ portrait-style DI press and new generation chemistry-free thermally imaged digital plate that requires only a water rinse after imaging. Called Anthem Pro, the plate features PRO graining technology, specifically developed by Presstek to allow the plate to be used on a wider range of presses.

Punch Graphix introduced a six-up version of its basysPrint UV-setter for computer to conventional plates.

HP indigo unveiled a new model web press, the w3250, and announced an adjustment to its Indigo press 5000 that allows it to produce monochrome pages at 272 ppm and reduces variable monochrome costs to $0.004 per page.

In Chicago, the Newspaper Assn. of America announced that attendance at the Nexpo show exceeded the prior year's attendance attendance by the third day of the show. NAA announced survey results showing that America's newspapers are planning to spend $761 million on capital projects in 2006, including $210 million on expanding and modernizing and production facilities.

This month, web printers will meet for the annual Web Offset Assn. Conf., May 20-24 at the Gaylord Palms, Kissimmee, FL. www.gain.net