PRINT DIGITAL...or fall behind

Suppliers of digital-print systems admit they've done a less-than-perfect job of marketing the advantages of digital to stateside converters.

By Associate Editor Laura McCluskey -- Converting Magazine, 5/1/2001

To observers of the slow evolution of printing technology in the U.S., a number of questions arise. Now that digital cameras are more and more common, why hasn't the digital comfort level increased for converters? Do they understand the concept of digital printing and what it can do to improve their business and sales? Is the word "digital" overused or are converters just not ready for it? Converting asked current digital printing suppliers these questions. Their answers provide clues as to why digital printing is the way to go. But they also illustrate why the process is taking a while.

Is the concept of digital printing just too complex to understand? "So far I think the technology is very complex. I think that has really scared some people off," says Ken Daming, director of product management for Mark Andy.

Suppliers are concerned that converters are not fully grasping the technology involved. "I've had people walk up to me at a show and ask 'how are you changing the plates so fast?'," says Don Bence, vp/gm of packaging group at Xeikon. Perhaps suppliers should no longer take for granted that converters fully understand the technology. "I don't think a lot of people understand the concept of what really happens in the machines," says Bence.

Is the buzzword "digital" part of the problem? "People are starting to get tired of 'digital' everything. What we really need are "innovative printing solutions," says Dan Rosen, senior product manager for Digital Technology at MacDermid. According to Rosen, this could include anything in digital technology that helps provide better quality in less time and at lower costs.

Meet the demand

Installing the ability to satisfy the demand for short-run jobs is why most converters first consider buying a digital press. More and more customers are coming to converters for specialized, short-run jobs with consecutive numbering, bar coding and variable text needed, which can not easily be done on any other press.

"Any converter that chooses to ignore the growth of digital and the demand is either going to have to adjust their business model or go further and further into the high-end type of printing," says Sean Marske, president and CEO of VIPColor Technologies, developer of tabletop color label printers for in-house label printing.

Richard Small, president and CEO of IdentiGraphics, Inc., Portland, Ore., is one of many label converters to reach out and grab on to the future of digital printing. Small purchased an Indigo Omnius WebStream press back in January. His reasoning for purchasing this press was simple. "Where I really want to go with this is to have a web presence that allows us to sell to the world," says Small. Although quality is another reason Small emerged into the future, plateless and quick turnaround were part of his decision as well.

For label printer Veriad, Brea, Calif., buying a Xeikon digital press meant quicker setup and less waste. More importantly, its pressure-sensitive label paper didn't need to be pretreated before running on the press. As for how well the switchover went, director of operations, Dave Hanefeld says "We were able to move our internal people up into newer technology without having to go and hire new people." He went on to say, "We had over twelve people [flexo operators] apply for the job. We interviewed them, brought them in for training and found that there were a lot of flexo skills that were very helpful with the Xeikon."

What they offer

While a number of companies are said to be in development with digital printers, the top companies in digital still remain the same for now.

On the label printing side, Xeikon offers the DCP 320S press, and on the folding carton side the DCP 500SP is available. Along with paper, these presses are capable of printing on PET, (B)OPP and supported vinyl. "They can both be roll fed from large or small rolls. They can deliver into in-line finishing including UV coating and in-line diecutting or deliver into a sheet form to be processed as sheets," says Bence.

Heidelberg offers its new Digimastere 9110 black and white printer with new software capable of recognizing and processing most file formats. "Its short and straight paper path is extremely dependable, increasing data center productivity," says Wolfgang Pfizenmaier, CEO of Heidelberg Digital.

The Omnius WebStream is offered by Indigo. This is available for short-run label printing and is said to provide precise color matching. It is also capable of printing on substrates as well as various paper weights. "The Omnius has speed and quality - combined with no-make-ready makes it a very economical and productive solution," says Merrill Clark, Indigo's director of marketing.

As for digital data tools to go along with the printers, Barco has the VIPLane out in the market. This is a high-production variable suite of data tools used for printing variable data jobs. The jobs can be created on any of the variable data editors developed by Barco, which include VIPLayout or VIPDesigner.

VIPLane will automatically manage printing of small or larger variable data jobs. It processes the jobs entirely at the nominal speed of the digital printing engine. "We're one of the few companies offering a total workflow solution for high-production personalized digital printing," says Christian Verbrugghe, manager of digital printing at Barco.

From rubber to photopolymer to digital

With digital printing come digital plates. Following the introduction of the OptiSleeve at Drupa 2000, MacDermid Graphic Arts, Atlanta, is quickly gaining acceptance in the digital market. "OptiSleeve has been very well received by the folding carton and flexible packaging markets worldwide. The product is currently a concept machine being tested by one of our customers," says Rosen.

The Optisleeve is a concept for making smaller "piece" digital plates in-position, and it is able to save on wasted plate material, stickyback and solvent. "This is accomplished with a special RIP interface that draws templates for positioning digital plates on sleeves with a pen plotter," says Rosen.

As for why digital plates are the way to go, suppliers say they make the workflow easier. "A lot of our customers will only use digital plates now, unless the film is supplied," says Frank Wheeldon, technical manager at Imaginex Inc., a prepress platemaking company based in Canada.

Wheeldon sees a stronger future for digital plates, as well as digital printing. "I do see digital taking over within the next five to ten years [with digital plates]. It would be weird to find a trade shop that doesn't have a laser engraver. I think it's going to take over fast," says Wheeldon.

The evolution of plates has changed — starting out with rubber plates, and over the years, moving into photopolymer. Digital plates are not involved with the processing of film, magnesiums or moulds, so harmful processing chemicals are avoided. Polymer washout solvents are recycled distilled and reused.

Beat the rush

Suppliers repeatedly say that digital printing is a valuable addition to a converter's manufacturing tools—if not as a replacement for flexo or offset, then as a complementary technology for short-run, specialty jobs.

Hanover, Mass.-based I.T. Strategies states that more than half of print providers it's surveyed say they intend to buy a digital flatbed printer within the next year. Such presses have found applications for corrugated-packaging and point-of-purchase printing.

As Raymond Dickinson, product marketing manager of label and packaging for Indigo says, "Get your arms around what it can do for you today. Learn about it and stay current with it." It just may be the solution to boost sales and competition.

More information:

Mark Andy, Inc., 800/700-6275, fax: 636/532-1510, www.markandy.com

Enter 280

Xeikon America, Inc., 630/616-5610, fax: 630/616-9535, www.xeikon.com

Enter 281

Heidelberg USA, 716/512-8054, www.heidelbergusa.com

Enter 282

Indigo America, Inc., 781/937-8800, fax: 781/ 937-8810, www.indigonet.com

Enter 283

Barco Graphics, Inc., 860/291-7000, fax: 860/291-7041, www.barco.com/graphics

Enter 284

MacDermid Graphic Arts, 800/348-7201, fax: 404/699-3354, www.macdermid.com

Enter 285

VIP Color Technologies, 510/744-3770, fax: 510/744-3738.

Enter 286

Agfa Corp., 800/227-2780, fax: 201/440-8187, www.agfahome.com

Enter 287

If you found this article helpful, ENTER 288 or Inquire Online.

Sidebar

Agfa jumps on digital package-print market

A recent international press briefing and plant tour in Mortsel, Belgium is but the latest indication of Agfa's commitment to the digital package-printing and prepress markets.

An international packaging press contingent, of which Converting was the sole U.S. representative, learned more about the size and growth potential Agfa sees for the package-printing markets, specifically for folding cartons, labels, flexible packaging and corrugated. The company's own research indicates that, of the total worldwide market of $7.48 billion for prepress systems and consumables, packaging makes up 18 percent. Agfa also estimates the growth rate for package printing to be a little over 6 percent annually, compared with 4 percent for general commercial printing.

But perhaps an even more telling packaging trend in Agfa's view is the worldwide move toward shorter runs, more color, higher quality—and flexography. It has taken care to make its digital workflow systems suitable for both digital-offset and digital-flexo printing.

A major driver of Agfa's plan to dominate this market is its collaboration with Belgium neighbor Artwork Systems, whose ArtPro and Nexus digital workflow software modules allow the editability, interactivity, variety of file formats, and flexibility of printing processes that are helping attract new customers. Don't miss Converting's June 2001 issue. We will profile a showcase Dutch converter using this successful combination of digital-prepress technologies.

Not that Agfa's competitors are about to lay down and let it steamroller them into submission. Xeikon bought Agfa's digital print group, which included the Chromapress. The Chromapress is still being sold by Xeikon's worldwide OEM, MAN Roland. And the IntelliStream, another Agfa product, is now sold as the Xeikon IntelliStream, a front-end RIP with various color capabilities.

Last year, Mark Andy was working with Agfa to create a digital printing press, but shortly after Agfa's equipment was sold to Xeikon, Mark Andy pulled out of the collaboration. Mark Andy is now partnered up with Barco Graphics' Belgium location. Barco developed a UV-curable ink-jet, and Mark Andy will mount it on a standard label press. "The combination of a much more simple digital-printing technology and an in-line finishing solution will finally meet converters' needs," says Daming. Production is set for the second quarter of 2002.