The four-day Graph Expo® 2007, held at Chicago's McCormick Place South last month, was a standout for several reasons. With 654 exhibitors filling 460,296 sq ft of display space, it was the largest such event since 2000 and the second biggest Graph Expo ever, according to organizer GASC (www.graphexpo.com). But the show was also for the first time a true venue for package printing with significant exhibits by pressmakers, prepress suppliers, inks and materials vendors and finishing-equipment providers.

Most notable was the generous space given to package printing and converting by the show's largest exhibitor Heidelberg Druckmaschinen AG and its HEI Tech theme (www.us.heidelberg.com). Some examples: the 40-in. Speedmaster XL 105 sheetfed-offset press with speeds of up to 18,000 sph; the FoilStar in-line cold-foiling system making its North American debut; the Varimatrix 105 CS diecutter for small- to medium-sized packaging operations; and the ECO 105 carton folder/gluer with the new servo-driven Diana feeder.

In a further indication of Heidelberg's commitment to package printing, the company opened its new mammoth Wiesloch, Germany, manufacturing facility and said that it has sold all of its 2008 production of 56- and 64-in. VLF large-format offset presses now being built there. Hall 2 at drupa 2008 will be dedicated to Heidelberg packaging equipment, including a VLF press, the company says.

A few of the numerous package-printing and converting developments at Graph Expo include:

Prepress:HumanEyes Technologies (www.humaneyes.com) introduced new software that allows designers to easily covert 2D images into eye-grabbing 3D or lenticular images. HumanEyes PrintPro 2.0 is a lenticular and 3D technology that lets printers modify and print files in the Idoc (lenticular document) format for effects used in commercial and package converting. HumanEyes also announced partnerships with HP, Fujifilm Graphic Systems, Gandinnovations and Océ for printing lenticular and 3D effects on digital presses.

The InterTech™ award-winning EskoArtwork DeskPack 3-dX (www.eskoartwork.com), a new plug-in for Adobe® Illustrator®, supports virtual 3D views and navigation for packaging design. DeskPack 3-dX assists graphic designers by intuitively navigating complex structural designs while creating the graphic design, literally as if designers were holding the actual package in their hands.

The Kodak Flexcel NX digital-flexo system (www.graphics.kodak.com) reportedly offers quality to rival offset print on paper, film, foil and label stock. The integrated Flexcel NX can reproduce dots as small as 10 microns, subtle gradations in highlights and use all levels of gray, with imaging on digital plates at speeds to 9.5 sq meters/hr.

Package mockups can be more predictable of the final printed piece with Kodak digital cutting and creasing tables and the Kodak Approval® Digital Color Imaging System. Producing a scored, cut carton in as little as 60 seconds, the tables use tangential knives and 2- or 3-pt creasing wheels.

Gerber Scientific Products (www.gerberscientific.com) added the M Series digital graphic cutting and finishing system to its package manufacturing solutions. The M3000 features cutting, routing and creasing tools.

Presses: Komori (www.komori-america.com) announced that Texas carton converter ABOX Packaging has installed a 6-color Lithrone S40 press with coater and UV capabilities. ABOX is taking full advantage of the press's extensive built-in automation, consistent color and high run speeds, resulting in faster turnaround times.

MAN Roland (www.manroland.com) debuted the Roland 700 DirectDrive press which lets all plates be changed simultaneously as wash-up takes place, effectively resulting in zero plate-changing time. Said to be ideal for short-run packaging printers, the 700 DirectDrive can cut makeready time by as much as 60 percent.

Represented by Matik North America (www.matik.com), Edelmann Graphics offered its servo-driven Color Print V narrow-web press, capable of running substrates from 0.7 to 26 mils, for labels, film, cartons and packaging. Also new is the 19-in. print width EVO Print for label and film applications.

Materials: Flint (www.flintgrp.com) now offers Novavit® F 918 Supreme Bio, an environmentally friendly ink formulated for sheetfed printing. Made with naturally replenishable vegetable oils to reduce release of volatile organic compounds, Novavit prints on board, coated and uncoated papers. It is said to remain duct fresh and offers fast-setting and intense colors with excellent print sharpness and ink/water balance.

For an expanded version of this report, go to www.convertingmagazine.com