At Graph Expo, digital press vendors highlighted their workflow and digital front end capabilities, enabling everything from transpromotional and variable data printing to ganging of smaller jobs into longer production runs. The emphasis was on automation, personalization and run-length optimization.
McCormick Place
John Parsons (john@intuideas.com), former Editorial Director of The Seybold Report, is an independent writer, ghostwriter, and editor. He is the co-author of the interactive printed textbook, Introduction to Graphic Communication, on the art, science and business of print, which has been adopted by Ryerson, Arizona State, the University of Houston, and many other schools and vocational training centers. Custom editions of the book are under consideration by major printing companies and franchises for internal training purposes.
When Graph Expo 2011 kicks off in Chicago on September 11, in-plant managers who walk the floor at McCormick Place will notice one big difference from last year: the resurgence of offset printing. True, there were presses at last year's show, most notably in Presstek's booth. But three offset giants—Heidelberg USA, Komori America and Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses—all chose to sit that show out.
TO BE FAIR, the sorry state of the economy made it almost impossible for PRINT 09 to be a rousing success. Show floor traffic was so slow on the opening day (Friday), it was speculated that someone forgot to flip the sign in the front window at McCormick Place from "closed" to "open for business." And one had to question the logic of conducting a long, weekend-wraparound show on the first week of pro football season, when no one (it was presumed) would be coming to Chicago, let alone spending.
As a bonus for in-plants planning to attend Print 09 in Chicago, In-Plant Graphics and the In-Plant Printing and Mailing Association (IPMA) are each presenting a separate educational session, exclusively for in-plants. The first of the two sessions will be a breakfast roundtable on Monday, September 14, from 8:30-10:00
Roughly 50 trade journalists, consultants and analysts converged on Chicago's Sheraton Hotel & Towers Tuesday and Wednesday for PRINT 09 Media Days, a preshow glimpse of the technologies that will be on exhibit at PRINT 09. The Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC), which manages the event, was among 14 exhibitors that provided presentations in advance of PRINT 09, which kicks off Sept. 11 at McCormick Place and runs through Sept. 16.
With AIIM/On Demand now just a memory, the industry is starting to think about the next major graphic arts show, Print 09, taking place September 11- 16 in Chicago's McCormick Place. This year, for the first time, Print 09 will devote a section of the show floor to green-sustainability issues.
A one-stop destination for 'green' information, GREENspace will feature continuous free education on sustainability issues, complimentary one-on-one consulting with sustainability experts, plus more than 4,500 square feet of exhibit space dedicated solely to exhibitors who will display eco-friendly products and services.
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