stylish partners for creative minds
TRANSCRIPT
HeidelbergNew sThe customer magazine
Since 1930 • Issue 260 • 2007
Stylish Partnersfor Creative MindsThree Brazilians on the Up
RECALCULATED
The Benefit of Workf low Solutions
A TREASURY OF PRINTING
UNESCO World Heritage Site: The Plantin-Moretus Museum in Antwerp, Belgium
2 • Issue 260 • 2007
Heidelberg News • Editorial
Profiles
4 Order and ProgressAt the print shop of Coan in Tubarão, in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, the motto of the Brazilian national flag, “ordem e progresso” – “Order and Progress” – is also the company motto.
11 Investment for the FutureIn an interview with Heidelberg News, Coan Managing Director Elídio Tadeu Bongiolo explains his strategic goal.
12 From Seed Trader to Successful PrinterThe Japanese company Shinnihon Printing Inc. got its start in the printing business with a product catalog for vegetable and flower seeds and has since then been blossoming.
18 The Masters of LabelsThe Portuguese husband and wife team, Elisabete and José Carrasco, adorn most of the country’s bottles with their labels.
Spectrum
24 News & Reports from the world of Heidelberg.
Dear readers,
While there’s still good money to be earned with standard
print media, it’s the high-end premium products that
promise greater margins.
In this issue, we will be showing you some of the ways
in which various print shops seek out these margins,
using the Brazilian Coan Gráfica Editora company, which
produces high-quality brochures and catalogues for the
fashion industry, as one example. For contrast, we will
take a look at the Gráfica Calipolense in Portugal, which
has been specializing in high-class labels and producing
up to twelve million of these in a single day. Though these
kinds of print runs are not emulated by K.P.R., the Czech
commercial print shop is now enhancing its print items
with embossed and punched elements – by means of a
Heidelberg Varimatrix 105 CS.
We will also illustrate how the Varimatrix works, in-
troduce you to the advantages of various Prinect screening
systems and show you by means of a checklist which of
our UV machines is best-suited for which type of finish-
ing. In addition, we will be looking at a concrete example
to demonstrate how much you can save with Prinect.
And, last but not least, we will whisk you off to one of
the finest printing museums in the world – the Plantin-
Moretus in Belgium.
We hope that you will once again find something of
interest to you in this issue!
Happy reading!
Bernhard Schreier
Chairman Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
The Masters of Labels
At the western extremity of Europe, in sunnyand picturesque Vila Viçosa, Portugal, up to 12 million labels a day are produced at GráficaCalipolense. �18
Profiles
Contents
Solutions
28 On the DotThe right choice of screens turns print products into real eye-catchers – and gives print shops acompetitive edge. The Prinect screening familyintroduces itself.
33 No More GamesThe new Varimatrix 105 die cutter is a flexible entry-level model. The Czech commercial print shopK.P.R. is already employing the machine on runs of 100 sheets or more.
Innovations
39 Simply Brilliant!Martin Kirchner, pioneer of UV offset printing in Germany, reports on the newest effects in UV printing.
42 Coating in SightHeidelberg offers the suitable UV press in all format classes to print shops on a quest for theperfect UV print.
43 What’s your UV-Type?Test which UV press or equipment is best for you.
Opportunities
48 A Risk Worth TakingHeidelberg News put the rule to the test and checked the value of workflowsolutions. We talked with Heidelberg Prinect expert Armin Hespeler.
50 Prinect Case StudiesExclusive for Heidelberg News: Three German Prinect customers take stock.druckpunkt Druckerei und Repro GmbH, Das Druckhaus BeinekeDickmanns and the Mediahaus Biering calculate their investments anddemonstrate their success.
Perspectives
56 Love Letter to the Printing CraftJoin us for a visit to the Museum Plantin-Moretus, a UNESCO WorldHeritage Site located in the Belgian metropolis of Antwerp. The museum is a true treasure chest of the printing craft.
Service
61 Tips & Tricks62 Spotlight62 Winner of the Reader’s Survey – HN 25963 HN Voices63 Imprint
Love Letter to the Printing Craft
During the 16th century Christoffel Plantin ran the first large-scale print shop world-wide and spread knowledge as far as North Africa. His work space is now the Museum Plantin-Moretus in Belgium. �56
Innovations
3
Contents
No More Games
There’s now a cost-efficient alternative for print shops,which up until now relied on external service providersor laborious platen presses for finishing: Cutting andembossing with the Varimatrix 105. �33
Opportunities
4 • Issue 260 • 2007
Heidelberg News • Profiles
COAN GRÁFICA EDITORA, BRAZIL
They say you’re at your best at 38 years old – which certainly seems to be the case for the Coan printing
company, founded in 1969 in Tubarão in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. But it’s in the last 15 years
that Coan has really expanded. True to the motto of the Brazilian national flag, “Ordem e Progresso,” or
“Order and Progress,” the next years should see the company experiencing no less success. This is why
the company is investing in new machines and expanding its production area.
Orderand Progress
5
Profiles
Management Trio: Leandro Coan, Maria Eduarda Coan and Elídio Tadeu Bongiolo. (from left)
Stylish surroundings: The architecture at Coan underscores the modern focus of
the entire company.
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Heidelberg News • Profiles
The company works with the most modern equipment, and staff members are competent as well asmotivated. The order acceptance and commercial administration department, the graphics depart-ment (middle picture: Rodrigo Aguiar dos Santos) and the prepress department (picture right: PauloVitor do Carmo) possess the most modern equipment. Coan international standards are a matter ofcourse – and not just in the printing room. (from left)
7
Profiles
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There’s no real need to be afraid of sharks in Tubarão –
whose name means “shark” and derives from the original
word of its indigenous inhabitants, the tupi guarani. They
called the river, on which this city of the same name lies,
“Tubá-Nharô,” which actually means something like “wild,”
“untamable” or “ferocious.” For the Portuguese, the first Europeans
who penetrated into these regions, this sounded like their own word
for shark, thus “Tubarão.” “And that’s how the river and the city got
their name,” explains Leandro Coan, son of the company’s founder
João Batista Coan, as he smiles benignly. The city lies in Brazil’s
south, a region settled predominantly by Italian and German immi-
grants during the great waves of European emigration. This is true
of Tubarão as well – the Coan family also has its roots in Italy.
It was in 1969 that João Batista Coan set up his print shop in
Tubarão. After João’s death, it was initially his wife, Eleine Cesconeto
Coan, who continued running the printing company until 1992.
Daughter Maria Eduarda Coan, who was studying law at the time,
and her husband Elídio Tadeu Bongiolo, as well as João’s son Leandro,
then took over control of the business. Here there was a clear distri-
bution of roles. Elídio Tadeu Bongiolo, a successful businessman
from Nova Veneza, managed the company jointly with his wife. and
Leandro was responsible for overall production – no small task, since
most of 280 employees work in production.
“In terms of the number of employees, Coan is the largest private
company in the city. It’s true that we’re located somewhat outside of
the county’s really big metropolises, such as Rio de Janeiro, but that
doesn’t mean we have to be afraid of competing with them,” says
Eduarda Coan, adding: “Tubarão, with its near 90,000 inhabitants, is
actually the core of the region, with a few smaller towns in the vicin-
ity; and because of its university and sea port, it acts as a magnet for
people from the surrounding area. In addition, there are many
medium-sized companies here, such as aluminum and ceramic
manufacturers, for instance. These companies served as our initial
base for the print shop’s success.”
8 • Issue 260 • 2007
Heidelberg News • Profiles
As colorful and diverse as Brazil, so too are the printproducts from the Coan print shop in the country’s south.
Quality control: With great patience and skill, the typicallyfemale hands, such as those of Maria AparecidaCelestrino and Suelen Giorgia de Souza Martins depictedhere, ensure perfect finishing. Paulo Sérgio dos Santosachieves perfection at the printing press. The printroom at Coan presents itself as neat and, thanks to modernHeidelberg technology, truly progressive. (from top)
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Profiles
It’s around 81 miles (130 km) to Florianópolis, 124 miles (200 km) to
Blumenau, 200 miles (320 km) to Porto Alegre, and 250 miles (400 km)
to Curitiba. By Brazilian standards, these are pretty “small” distances.
They also mark Coan’s business radius, since the company has its
own sales offices in these very places – and with some success, since
99 percent of customers are no longer in Tubarão. Even though
Coan doesn’t need to worry about competition from cities like São
Paulo, since the region is not targeted by the companies there, that’s
not to say that the print shop from the south can’t go chasing its
own orders in São Paulo via the sales network. Today the company
can thus even boast some customers in São Paulo, which is, after all,
500 miles (800 km) away. A separate logistical department ensures the
punctual delivery of the products and as many as 21 company sales
representatives are on-site to advise Coan’s customers. About 500
active and around 1,500 existing customers, who occasionally place
orders, are a considerable basis for a business – and the result of the
company’s development thus far, which has always included modern
machines and well trained staff. “This is the only way you can offer
customers high quality as well,” Leandro says convinced.
Technology and Success. “To compensate for the geographical
distance to customers further away, we have the option, for instance,
of sending proofs digitally via the Internet. Today we no longer need
to deliver the proofs by mail or by car to get the authorization to print.
This helps us to produce prints on-time and perfectly, and saves
both our customers and us a lot of time,” explains Leandro.
Beautiful views aren’t scarce in Tubarão. Animportant part of Coan’s business model is thecompany’s personal delivery of freshly printed
products. (from top)
10 • Issue 260 • 2007
Heidelberg News • Profiles
An average print run at Coan is around 5,000 sheets. “Typical print
products for us are catalogues for ceramic goods, fashions, and crystal
products, for instance, as well as brochures. Even books, for example
about our region, are produced occasionally. Another cornerstone of
our business is the “fulfillment” sector. We have a separate department
for this with hard working staff that manages to carry out difficult
manual work on its own in next to no time,” explains Leandro.
The Coan company is well-organized in every respect with access
to a well-integrated network. This is why the company can process
jobs quickly and smoothly. Flexible work times permit a 100 percent
deadline achievement even at peak order times. Coan is in every way
a future-oriented company and still wants to achieve a lot using its
understanding of order and progress. Leandro Coan goes even
further: “Without this sense of order and progress it would be im-
possible for us to achieve long-lasting success.” ■
Facts & Figures
Coan Gráfica Editora CTPAv. Tancredo Neves, 300Cep.: 88704.700Tubarão – SCBrazilTel.: +55-48-631-90 00Fax: +55-48-631-90 01www.coan.com.br
www.heidelberg.com/hd/SM52www.heidelberg.com/hd/CD102
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Profiles
What are your goals for Coan?BONGIOLO: We have chosen to place our focus on growth,
which is based on sizeable investments. In doing this we want to
send the signal to our customers that we are staying abreast of
developments in technology and are well equipped to face the
future. We will also continue to invest in our staff and provide
them with comprehensive training as we have up until now. In
order to be able to draw the most out of machines, employees have
to really know and understand what they’re working with. That’s
where a lot of printing companies in this country still fall short –
fortunately not us.
How do plan to realize these goals?BONGIOLO: By expanding (he says with a hearty laugh).
That’s why we’ve gone for new printing presses and will soon be
getting three new Heidelberg Speedmasters – an SM 52 four-color,
a Speedmaster CD 102 four-color, and a CD 102 six-color. All three
Investment for the FutureIn an interview with Heidelberg News, Managing Director Elídio Tadeu Bongiolo
explains his strategic goals and the Coan business model.
Speedmasters are equipped with a coating unit and the SM 52 and
CD 102 six-color even have a UV dryer. A Polar XT 137 cutter has been
added to these. Today, Coan has 118,413 square feet (11,000 sq. m.)
of total area in use, with around 70 percent of this being dedicated
to production. We’ve just acquired a new building and added on
just next to the old production hall, totaling around 43,056 square
feet (4,000 sq. m.). The new hall provides enough space for more
options. In the next three years, we want to decide whether this is
the right path for our print shop.
So what does a typical customer look like for you today? BONGIOLO: Our customers are generally creative agencies;
fewer are from industrial fields. We provide agencies with a
professional environment where they can feel comfortable. Part
of this means having a well-organized company as well as a “face”
– including the design of our entrance area and offices – which
clearly signals: We are THE competent partner for creative minds,
par excellence. But we’d like to compete for more customers using
more aggressive marketing.
Your printing room already has some impressive equipmentfrom Heidelberg. Why the new purchases at the present time?
BONGIOLO: For one, these new machines offer even higher
productivity. Secondly, I want them in order to be able to offer a
consistently high quality and be able to work with special coatings
like silver and gold. This new generation of machines also makes
us a lot more f lexible for customer requirements that are constantly
increasing. At the end of the day, what our customers are demanding
is continually on the rise, and we want to be able to keep up and
send them a clear message: We can do everything! After all, we
have the best technology in the world and the right staff. It’s not
for nothing that Brazilian agencies have chosen us as one of the
best print shops in the country. But this doesn’t make us want to
rest on our laurels – instead it’s the very stuff that spurs us on. ■
12 • Issue 260 • 2007
Heidelberg News • Profiles
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Profiles
SHINNIHON PRINTING INC., JAPAN
FROM SEED TRADER TOSUCCESSFULPRINTERWith clients from all over Japan, Shinnihon Printing Inc. is experiencing a growth boom. Significant company
expansions are planned for the Tokyo area and the home region of Takamatsu. A new print hall is currently being
constructed in Tokyo. For sheet offset, the printing house uses technology created by Heidelberg in Germany.
Shinnihon President Toshikazu Sano.
14 • Issue 260 • 2007
Heidelberg News • Profiles
�
ou almost think you’re at the airport, staring in anticipation at the
f light display monitor in order to see which f lights are departing
over the next hour. Regardless of the branch where the production
is carried out, the state of production for each of today’s jobs can be
followed on a large monitor facing a window allowing a view over the
printing hall. And when is which job expected to begin? No problem,
just check it on the monitor. This is no scene from a science fiction
film, just a daily routine in what is probably one of Japan’s most
modern printers, Shinnihon Printing Inc. in Takamatsu. The product
managers can monitor the data relating to pending and current pro-
duction jobs on the big screen in the central production control
department. PDAs, little data acquisition devices, are used in conjunc-
tion with the individual printing presses and production points in
order to continually update the product information and send it to the
company headquarters – and the system connection is maintained
even in other locations. A salesman in Tokyo can follow the progress
of his commission at all times, for example when it is going to print
or whether it is already in post press or on the truck to Tokyo. Further-
more, all rooms are permanently monitored with video cameras,
ensuring that any problems are registered straight away.
This was not always the case. The print shop is actually over 100
years old, yet the story begins in seed and seedling trading. The father
of Toshikazu Sano, 56, the current president of Shinnihon Printing,
founded a company specializing in the production and sale of seeds.
This still exists today with around 10 staff members. However, this
business required a product catalogue which naturally had to be
printed. It turned out to be quite lucky that the print shop that used
to print the catalogues was forced to declare bankruptcy and the
urgently needed catalogues could not be produced. Toshikazu, Sano’s
father, had no choice but to invest in this print shop – a good 46 years
ago. Son Toshikazu Sano was finally sent to work there 29 years ago
in order to make it profitable. At the beginning, they used a KOR and
three further A2 format printing machines made by Japanese manu-
facturers. When Toshikazu Sano began work, a GTO was added to the
collection – which is still in production today, something it has in
common with all the other Heidelberg machines which were pur-
chased over the course of the following years. They are all still stand-
ing in the print shop, performing their work as reliably as ever. The
collection also includes a five-color GTO, now technically converted
and used today in UV production. The average lifespan of the ma-
chinery is 10 to15 years.
New geographical organization and economic success. When
Sano took up his post, the print shop was employing 50 staff mem-
bers and operations were focused on the city of Takamatsu. Sano
considered this an obstacle to further economic success, as Takamatsu
lies on one of Japan’s four largest islands, Shikoku. There is a mainland
connection to the main island Honshu via a monumental bridge, with
ultra-modern high-speed ferry boats or a large, modern airport or
the connection using the Shinkansen high-speed train. Takamatsu,
otherwise famous for noodles, one of the most famous Japanese gar-
dens and Takamatsu-jô, a castle dating back to 1588, lies relatively
far away from big cities like Tokyo. Toshikazu Sano was thus aware
that economic growth was only possible with geographical expan-
sion in the form of branches in other locations. This is why, today,
there are branches of the print shop in Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe and
Okayama. These are partially “only” sales and promotional offices.
However, a new printroom for paper reel slitting machines and oth-
er Heidelberg Speedmaster printing presses in the sheet-offset area
is currently being constructed in Tokyo. Tokyo is also already home
to a branch which includes a sales and design department and the
prepress subsidiary CCS with around 40 staff members.
A total of 230 staff members are employed, including 160 at the
company headquarters in Takamatsu. Several new employees will be
required for the new, earthquake-proof printroom in Tokyo. The
company turnover for the 2004 financial year was about 46 billion
US dollars (approx. 38 bn. euros). Today, Shinnihon Printing Inc. is a
private limited company, with 90 percent of shares owned by
Toshikazu Sano’s family. The shares are also traded privately.
YWith great foresight, the
businessman hopes to further expand and
invest beyond thebranches in their already-
existing locations.
Yuka NakajimaToshinori Miyazaki
Shigetoshi Odawara
Taketoshi Yasutomi
Ryo Yamamoto
Akira Nakai
Kazuko Sugaya
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Profiles
Heidelberg News • Profiles
16 • Issue 260 • 2007
Misuzu Nagayasu
Kenji Ohkaze
Shoji Okamoto
The company’s mainfocus is on jobs in therealm of 3,000 runs.These currently outweighothers and make uproughly 70 percent oftotal projects.
17
Profiles
Company model with a vision. At least 10,000 tons of paper are
“polished off ” each year. Each day, circa 400 printing plates are pro-
duced at the various company sites. At the Takamatsu headquarters,
approximately 300 printing plates are produced daily on eight plate
processors, including film processors and one for waterless offset
printing. Nevertheless, 90 percent are set using CtP. In addition to two
web machines (2 × 8 page web presses), a Heidelberg Speedmaster
SM 102-8-P, the jewel in the printer’s crown, is responsible for the
high paper and printing plate output. Every day, this machine prints
around 100,000 sheets in the course of 15 to 20 jobs in 2 × 12 hour
shifts. It has been in operation at Shinnihon Printing Inc. without any
noteworthy incidents since its introduction in September 2001.
Main clients including publishing houses and agencies place
their trust in Shinnihon Printing Inc. for their book and advertising
material production, in addition to government authorities and
retailers. Thanks to the managing director’s foresight, the company’s
name is well and widely known. The company has accumulated a
wide range of around 2,000 regular clients, this diversity ensuring that
it would be able to cope with a sudden loss of customers if necessary.
All clients are highly welcome, but Toshikazu Sano firmly believes
that none of these should generate more than 5 percent of the entire
turnover. And no product should take up more than a 20 percent
share of total production, regardless of whether it is a brochure,
card, magazine, advertising material, book or calendar. Companies
can, after all, be seriously endangered by clients who exercise too
great an inf luence over production and then suddenly withdraw
their commissions. So far, this strategy has successfully prevented
economic difficulties.
The prudent businessman also plans to add to the previous
branches and is thus making considerable investments in the Tokyo
site. Up to now, the majority of jobs from Tokyo were printed in Taka-
matsu. However, transporting the finished products to the clients is
extremely expensive on the one hand, and time-consuming on the
other. Time pressure in Japan is as urgent as anywhere else in the
world today, with jobs coming in with ever shorter deadlines, leaving
less and less time for production, yet with the inevitable increased
expectations in regards to print quality. Shrewd businessman
Toshikazu Sano plans to meet the challenges set in an appropriate
manner – by increasing his printing capacity in the immediate
vicinity of his clients. At present, the number of regional orders
in Takamatsu is around 30 percent. When the Tokyo orders are
processed in Tokyo in the future, a gap will naturally emerge in the
Takamatsu production which will subsequently be filled with the
aid of a more intensive regional canvassing policy. The company’s
main focus lies on jobs requiring around 3,000 copies. Jobs of this
type currently predominate at present, forming around 70 percent
of total orders. It is naturally possible that some orders require a
circulation of 500,000. Average catalogue circulation, for example,
amounts to approximately 50,000 copies.
Sano holds the Heidelberg printing presses in high esteem, partic-
ularly their durability and high quality, as downtimes are minimal,
and the machines have high productivity levels. Heidelberg is also
always on hand to help. There is even a Heidelberg service point near
the printrooms in Takamatsu and Tokyo. Sano is extremely satisfied
with the Heidelberg presses. Shinnihon Printing Inc. currently oper-
ates 43 machines, which will soon swell to 50, from which 22 of these
are Heidelberg machines, and this is on the rise.
Internal competition. All employees in the layout departments of the
various sites compete to design the current calendar each month.
The best design wins and is used for sales and promotional purposes.
Employee motivation is thereby naturally increased; this is evident
in their work for the clients, and the competition also presents
employees with a fun factor within the working environment.
Today, Shinnihon Printing Inc. is in a position to fulfill all its
customer requirements thanks to modern, economical technology.
Moreover, client proximity via the various branches ensures that
personal contact is established and maintained. The company is thus
on the up, optimistically anticipating a positive future. ■
Facts & Figures
Shinnihon Printing Inc. Toshikazu Sano, PresidentJunichi Kojima, Vice-PresidentTakamatsu4-2158 Kita-cho, Takamatsu-shi, Kagawa-kenJapanTel.: +81-(0)-87-8 31-81 61Fax: +81-(0)-87-8 62-69 01E-mail: [email protected]/
www.heidelberg.com/hd/SM102
18 • Issue 260 • 2007
Heidelberg News • Profiles
Together José and Elisabete Carrasco successfullymanage their Portuguese family business.
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Profiles
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Lines of hills are interspersed with endless plains and solitary, gnarled olive trees with
cork oak and pine forests. Medieval castles, picturesque villages and marble quarries
also line our route. Massive blocks of this noble stone can be found neatly piled on top
of each other wherever you go around here, or else just lying around at the edge of the road,
as if someone had forgotten to take them away. Although it is actually easily accessible,
thanks to modern roads, the route to the Carrasco family’s Vila Viçosa is a journey into
another world. From Lisbon it’s about three hours by car, cutting straight through the
Alentejo region, with the very last miles on a country road meandering gently through this
beautiful countryside of vineyards.
Vila Viçosa, once a royal residence, became rich and famous long ago due to its marble.
This little town of some 5,000 souls is in the Alentejo region, which stretches from the
Atlantic coast to the Spanish border. From the surrounding hills, if the weather is right, you
can see right across to Spain in the distance. In summer it is not unusual for the heat to
reach 104°F (40°C) or more here. The hinterland is not exactly one of the most densely
The Masters of LabelsGRÁFICA CALIPOLENSE, PORTUGAL
Situated at the western extremity of Europe, in the Alentejo region of Portugal, is the picturesque little town of Vila Viçosa.
From here, the two owners of Gráfica Calipolense, the husband and wife team Elisabete and José Carrasco, supply the
entire country with “their” labels – and for this they have chosen, among other things, a Speedmaster CD 74-6 with
coating unit and UV equipment.
View of a row of houses on the edge of the Vila Viçosamarket square.
20 • Issue 260 • 2007
Heidelberg News • Profiles
populated in Europe, but its full-bodied wines
are a closely guarded secret among wine
connoisseurs. Still completely spared the
inroads of mass tourism, this stretch of
country is an equally closely guarded secret
for those who have a predilection for good
food, historic buildings and fine weather.
But the Carrasco family is actually at home
everywhere in Portugal. Whether in a street
café in Lisbon’s old town, enjoying a refresh-
ing drink of water, or in a supermarket in
the seaport of Porto as you survey the many
enticing varieties of beer – their labels can
be found on many bottles throughout Portu-
gal. It may come as a surprise, but in spite of
the cheap price of wine and the good vintages
of the country, it is primarily beer sales that
are rising rapidly. Today the Portuguese drink
three times as much beer as they used to
only 20 years ago.
José Carrasco takes a satisfied sip of beer
at the café on the Praça da República in the
center of Vila Viçosa. It was not far from here
more than a hundred years ago that his
grandfather laid the foundation of his print
shop: Gráfica Calipolense. José enjoys the
Hugo Lobo operates the Polar Auto Cut 155 cutting system. The high number of labels requires an efficient finishing process. (from left)
21
Profiles
warmth of the sun’s rays, and the fine weath-
er adds to his good humor for another reason.
The weather is of overriding interest for the
Carrasco family. It is not, as one might expect,
that they watch longingly for rain in this
area that is otherwise so dry and parched in
summer. There are other reasons, unique to
them, and of a much more practical nature:
“The hotter the summer, the more people
drink. In the summer of 2004, for example,
it was very hot, even by our standards here
in Portugal. Sales of beer went right through
the roof. This was cause for celebration for
us as well! Our customer Sagres, which makes
the best known and most widely consumed
beer in Portugal, announced it was experienc-
ing the highest sales in the history of the com-
pany – and as Sagres’ main supplier, we pro-
duced all the bottle labels,” explains José as a
smile of satisfaction f lashes across his lips.
Heidelberg finishing technology. “With
our Speedmaster CD 74 UV six-color that we
have been using since the summer of 2004,
we can offer our customers a wide range of
finishes, special colors, and even metallic
colors, such as gold and silver. This f lexibility
and the fact that it is easy to use ensures high
productivity,” is how José Carrasco describes
the important competitive advantages of the
press. The machine has since produced 85
million prints. In the meantime, every second
order is provided “with coating” – a tendency
that is on the rise. Equally high is the rate of
five and six-color prints. “Four-color jobs plus
coating, also involving a special color, have
since become the norm,” reports Elisabeth
Carrasco.
Gráfica Calipolense achieves over 90 per-
cent of its turnover from the printing of drink
bottle labels. “We have more than 1,000 cus-
tomers,” says José, adding by way of qualifica-
tion: “The top 40 give us around 80 percent
of our turnover.” The customers, mainly drink
bottlers and producers, are distributed
throughout the whole country.
12 million labels in one day. “In summer
we print half of our annual production, since
people drink more when it gets hot, and the
demand from our customers rises,” explains
Elisabete. Gráfica Calipolense always supplies �
Ricardo Simões at the feeder of the five-color SM 74 with coating unit at Gráfica Calipolense.José Carrasco is a man with perspective. His office overlooks the printing room. (from left)
22 • Issue 260 • 2007
Heidelberg News • Profiles
the labels “just in time” to the drink manu-
facturers’ bottling machines. This is why top
priority is given to reliability. If there is down-
time on a bottling line, the financial losses
are massive, since the line output of bottling
plants for wet-glue labels is around 60,000
bottles per hour. For self-adhesive labels it is
still 7,000 bottles per hour. Behind this, there
are delivery obligations to the trade and
potential claims for compensation if cus-
tomers encounter empty shelves.
Peaks in the job orders, when there is a
sudden run on large quantities of labels, are
not, however, a problem for the Portuguese
label printer – and his customers fully appre-
ciate this. “Thanks to three-shift production
– we print around the clock – and state of the
art machines, we are always able to react ap-
propriately. And this means that even on
daily production runs, which may f luctuate
between 1.5 and 12 million labels per day, we
do not allow things to get hectic. At the same
time, we deliver part quantities no later than
a day after receipt of order or of the printing
data,” explains José Carrasco.
Easy-cut finishing. Rapid postpress process-
ing is ensured by three Polar cutters. A Polar
Auto Cut 155 cutting system is in use, for
example. The programmable multi-strip cut-
ter is integrated into the Polar Label System
and provides fully automated performance
of all operations – from feeding, holding
down the material and cutting, to waste re-
moval and aligning and unloading the cut
labels. A massive 1.6 million labels per hour
can be manufactured, ready for delivery.
Everyone in Portugal knows the drinks
with the Carrasco family labels – but the
efficient and cost-effective work of the print
shop is “hidden from view.” Financial and
business success is not just due to the hard
work required, but is also a result of the loca-
tion, which, in spite of its remoteness, has its
own advantages, since “with state of the art
machines and relatively cheap wage and
underlying costs, we can offer high value
products at a good price,” explains José, a
businessman who is inseparably tied to his
native region.
Meanwhile, the sun sinks low over Vila
Viçosa, slowly slipping behind São-Bar-
tolomeu church, its ref lection caught on
one of the cold Sagres beer bottles. Water
droplets run down over the label, with its
highly effective combination of white, red
and gold. It makes you want more and more
of these labels – and, of course, to have an-
other bottle of beer. And thus the label has
wholly fulfilled its purpose. ■
23
Profiles
Facts & Figures
Gráfica Calipolense, LdaLitografia – TipografiaParque Industrial, Lote 107160-999 Vila ViçosaPortugalTel.: +351-268-88-72 10Fax: +351-268-88-72 25E-mail: [email protected]/
www.heidelberg.com/hd/CD74
SpotlightWhen you think of Portuguese wine and
labels, you are reminded of the country’s most
famous product: port.
Portugal and Great Britain have had a special
trading relationship from time immemorial.
As part of the Anglo-Portuguese Trade Agree-
ment of 1703 – the first bilateral commercial
agreement anywhere in the world – England
levied a lower tax on Portuguese wines than
on French ones. This was an important com-
mercial advantage for Portugal. In return,
the country opened up its markets to English
textiles. It was at that time that the Portuguese
started to mix wine with brandy to preserve it
better for the long journey by ship to England.
Thus the famous drink of port was born. That,
as well as its many red and white wines, is still
the top export of the country.
24 • Issue 260 • 2007
Heidelberg News • Spectrum
News & Reports
Brazil. Heidelberg and its customers
scooped most of the prizes at the Fer-
nando Pini Awards, Brazil’s most presti-
gious competition for the print media
industry. Pancrom Indústria Gráfica was
awarded no less than twelve prizes in
various categories and Facform Gráfica
won a total of six. In the end, the two
customers of Heidelberg do Brasil Sis-
temas e Servicos Ltda. shared most of the
prizes between themselves. And Heidel-
berg Brazil did not leave empty handed
either – Fabio Mortara, President of the
Brazilian Technical Printing Association
ABTG, awarded Dieter Brandt, Head of
Heidelberg Brazil and South America
and Vitor Dragone, Manager of Post-
press, Press and Web Sectors in Brazil,
first prizes in the categories Sheetfed, Web and Finishing. The Fer-
nando Pini Award, which recognizes outstanding achievements in
the Brazilian print media industry, is awarded each year by the two
associations ABIGRAF and ABTG.
For further information see
www.abigraf.org.br or www.abtg.org.br
Prinect Axis Control: Inking up Much FasterA new measuring head in the Prinect Axis Control color measuring system speeds up
the spectrophotometer. Its measuring speed can be increased by 30 to 50 percent, de-
pending on the sheet format. In other words you can save an average of five seconds
per operation when measuring the color bar – over and over. The result: Thanks to the
new measuring head, which usually can also be retrofitted, printers can ink up much
faster than before. In addition the integrated wizard in the new version of the Prinect
CP 2000 Center control software (V44) noticeably facilitates presetting for Prinect Axis
Control. Thus, it is now also possible to preset parameters such as illuminant, observer
angle, filter standards and display tolerances to match customer desires. With the option-
al Prinect Axis Control Reporting module quality parameters as well as measuring
processes and results can be recorded for example as a proof of quality for the customer.A new measuring head for the Prinect Axis Control colormeasuring system ensures faster inking up.
Heidelberg and its Customersare the Big Winners
The two Heidelberg representa-tives Dieter Brandt (left) andVitor Dragone (right) had everyreason to be pleased as theyaccepted the Fernando PiniAwards from the President of theABTG, Fabio Mortara (middle).
Switzerland. To get their customers closer to the new A52/74,
Heidelberg Schweiz AG sent the compact CtP image setter on
tour. For 15 days, the thermal imaging technology entry model
traveled by bus and canvassed eleven stations throughout
Switzerland. At every “street parade” visitors were not only able
to experience the imagesetter that is particularly suitable for
small and medium sized print shops “live” in operation, but
were also able to learn about its integration in Prinect work-
f lows. Apparently the youngest member of the Suprasetter
family handled its job so convincingly in unusual work environ-
ments that it spontaneously won new friends: Many visitors
decided to buy on-site. Overall, two dozen Suprasetter A52/A74
machines will soon be in use in Switzerland.
“Street Parade” with the NewSuprasetter A52/A74
“Street parade” inSwitzerland: HeidelbergSchweiz AG used a bus to get its customerscloser to the compactSuprasetter A52/A74.
25
Spectrum
Italy. Until recently, the de Gennaro family has mainly been known
as a general contractor for the construction of airports, luxury
hotels and power plants. Now, with astute business sense, this
Italian family clan is also making its mark on the printing indus-
try in a big way. The de Gennaros have chosen the south-eastern
town of Ascoli Satriano – where Pyrrhus, Molossian king of Epirus,
scored a notable victory over the Romans in 279 B.C. (ultimately to
no avail) – for their new venture “Markart Italia.” With investments
totaling over 27 million US dollars (20 m. euros), the family has
built an ultramodern printshop which, in addition to prepress
equipment and Prinect solutions from Heidelberg, also boasts a
Speedmaster XL 105-6-LX, a CD 74-6-LX, several folders from the
Stahlfolder range, a Dymatrix die cutter and a Diana Pro folder
gluer. With the pharmaceutical and food packaging produced
there, its 60 staff trained by Heidelberg with the support of Heidel-
berg sales partner Macchingraf, Markart CEO Luciano Porcelluzzi
is looking to go several steps better than Pyrrhus and conquer the
whole of Italy.
For further information: www.markartitalia.com
Finland. The magazine printing company Scanweb is the first
ever in Scandinavia to invest in a Speedmaster CD 74 high-
speed dual-coating press. Scanweb’s most recent acquisition
from Heidelberg can process up to 18,000 sheets an hour
through five inking units, a coating unit, two drying units and
a UV coating unit extended with UV drying. Thanks to the new
inline coating unit, the machine is faster than ever before –
working 24 hours a day, seven days a week – producing covers
for magazines, 85 percent of which are exported to Russia,
Sweden and Denmark. However, it is not only rapid speed that
is important to Production Manager Seppo Turunen, and this
is the benefit of the CD 74. Despite its high speeds, it is every
bit as reliable as a standard machine. Turunen is aware of the
requirements: “In the first instance, our customers demand
on-time delivery and high quality.” He expects that the CD 74
will produce more than 250 million sheets in five years. And
his vision is realistic – results from the first quarter show that
the machine is actually producing more than expected!
For further information: www.scanweb.fi
Scanweb up to 18,000 with Double-coating Press
Scanweb Production Manager Seppo Turunen with the Speedmaster CD 74double-coating press, which is designed to process 18,000 sheets an hour.
Destination Italy: the brand new packaging print shop Markart in southeastItaly’s Ascoli Satriano.
Big Business in the Constructionand Printing Industries
Heidelberg News • Spectrum
26 • Issue 260 • 2007
USA. Heidelberg USA Inc. is now offering its customers
the Heidelberg Partner Program. With the new Heidel-
berg Partner Program, customers can build their own
customized service plan choosing from a suite of 20
standard and premium services for their aftermarket
or out-of-warranty equipment. The standard services
apply to most equipment; the premium services are for
individualized needs. Heidelberg equipment that is
covered includes prepress, press and postpress product
lines. The Heidelberg Partner Program offers customers
a number of advantages including: an increase in ma-
chine availability and uptime, full protection of invest-
ment, peace of mind through comprehensive service
coverage and life cycle cost savings in service and repair,
just to name a few. Another benefit is its f lexibility – a
customer may choose to build a package to cover preven-
tive maintenance and parts, and later may add services
such as remote diagnostics or print color management.
Further information:
Heidelberg LaunchesPartner Program
Heidelberg Unveils Star Generation 3000
With the new 3000 generation of its peripherals, Heidelberg assists the
user with even higher production speeds, shorter make-ready times,
and less waste. The improved networking of peripherals is unique with
the standardized CANopen databus system: What JDF and Prinect do
for an integrated workf low, CANopen does for press peripherals.
For the first time, the new CombiStar 3000 uses the CANopen network
to continuously query the status of the press and thus more precisely
regulate the inking unit temperature control. This reduces waste sheets
caused by stopping and restarting the machine. The high-end variant
of the CombiStar 3000 is supplemented with additional features includ-
ing fine-pore damping solution filtration and numerous energy saving
functions. Resource friendliness is also the trademark of the new AirStar
3000 air supply cabinet. It is only half the size of its predecessor but also
uses only half as much energy and only releases half as much heat. On
the other hand, the Drystar 3000 LYL dries the coating and the ink with
such precision that the press – depending on the job – can run up to 20
percent faster. The new DryStar 300 UV dryer even boosts performance
up to 25 percent – thanks to new reflector geometry and a new reflector
coating. The new Star modules are initially offered for the Speedmaster
XL 105 and, in some cases, for the Speedmaster SM / CD 102 from mid 2007.
They will be available for all cabinet-operated presses by drupa 2008.
For more information: www.heidelberg.com/hd/star-concept
Heidelberg Partner Program in the USA: Customers can build theirown customized service plan choosing from a suite of 20 standardand premium services.
Ensure low resource consumption and higher productivity: the new Star Generation3000 peripherals.
CANopen central press control link
27
Jordan. Maher Hammad was already aware of how quickly Heidelberg equipment gets on
with the job. After all, the Director General of Central Press in the Jordanian city of
Amman has been the proud owner for some time now of several Speedmasters: SM 102,
CD 74 and an SM 52. It had never occurred to Hammad, though, that some Heidelberg
employees are also worthy of the “Speedmaster” title. Staff from Heidelberg Jordan
Printing Development Co. and Heidelberg in Germany needed just nine days for the com-
plete installation of Hammad’s new Speedmaster XL 105 – a record-breaking achievement.
The Jordanian service engineers’ special training at Heidelberg in Germany prior to instal-
lation clearly paid off. Central Press has only the second Speedmaster XL 105 in the country
and this should contribute to rapidly expanding capacities at the printshop founded in
the early 1970’s. In addition to numerous magazines, catalogs and brochures, Central Press
will now also be able to print around 20 million school books each year.
For further information: www.centralpress.jo
Portugal. Over 20 years ago, José Carlos and Giselda Ferreira took
the massive step of turning their letterpress business into the
Ginocar printshop, starting out with a remarketed KORD from
Heidelberg. Just two years later, the couple added a GTO single-
color press and, a further two years down the line, an MOZP two-
color press. However, their increasing customer base placed more
and more jobs with ever tougher requirements. Consequently, the
Ferreiras soon ordered a Trendsetter 3230 (the first thermal image-
setter installed in Portugal by Heidelberg sales partner Grafopel),
an SM 74 four-color press and a Stahlfolder Ti 52. The printshop
expanded and had to move to a larger building a few years later.
A Suprasetter H74, a Speedmaster CD 74-5+LC-C and a Stahlfolder
TH 56 have now also been added, ensuring that the Ferreiras will
hand over the company to the next generation in the best of health.
Their son Nuno is soon to take over the reins. For his part, Nuno
is hoping to continue the success story of the printshop, which
now has a workforce of 14.
For further information: www.ginocar.pt
Central Press Impressed by Human“Speedmasters”
Next generation soon to takeover the reins (from right):Ginocar founders Carlos andGiselda Ferreira with theirson Nuno and the SuprasetterH74 with Single CassetteLoader, which has a similarlypromising future.
Ginocar Prepares to Hand Overto the Next Generation
Spectrum
Human “Speedmasters:” Stefan Grunert fromHeidelberg in Germany, Ibrahim Barkhouti ofCentral Press, Yayha Salahat from HeidelbergJordan, Zaid Ouda of Central Press and MauriceNasra from Heidelberg Jordan (from left).
Germany. Together with packaging specialist Papierwerk
Landshut Mittler GmbH & Co, based in the Bavarian town of
Wörth, Heidelberg has developed prototype packaging that
offers a total of ten security features. Among these features
for the first time is a plagiarism
protection process that Heidel-
berg has optimized jointly with
Sauressig Security International:
Special software is used in pre-
press to apply the so-called “Con-
cealed Image Technology” specif-
ic moiré effects on the cyan or
magenta plate. This moiré effect
cannot be detected on the print
product with the naked eye – the
concealed security attribute is
only visible when viewed through
an optical decoder that is adapted
to the appropriate grid. The “high-security carton” was printed
on a Speedmaster CD 102. In the future the concealed images
will also be coupled with special hot foil stamping to further
increase “copy protection.”
For more information: www.saueressig.de or www.plm.de
Ten Security Features onOne Folding Box
Moiré effects as a securityfeature: The concealed imagesare only visible when viewedthrough an especially adapteddecoder.
Heidelberg News • Solutions
28 • Issue 260 • 2007
�
Solutions
29
PRINECT SCREENING FAMILY
On the DotSharp or pin-sharp? If you begin to question your visual acuity when comparing two identical print motifs, you’re probably just
looking at two different screens, since only the perfect screen can turn a printed object into a real eye-catcher. Moreover,
selecting the ideal screen is one of the best ways to stand out from the competition. Now, the new hybrid screening, part of the
Prinect screening family, makes it even easier than before.
Many of us have experienced that optical “aha!” effect
after a visit to the eye doctor. As soon as you have the
right visual aid, you’re suddenly able to see the fine
details that were blurry or that you couldn’t see at all
before – such as leather pores or skin pigmentation. A
screen is similar: It helps to determine how we perceive subjects – the
sharpness of details and depth, or whether they have smooth contours
or soft gradients. After all, printing is the art of optical illusion. Our
eyes arrange many thousands of screen dots to form one complete
picture. It is their form, size and arrangement which determine how
that happens. They create the framework for the print color by defin-
ing how the inks are distributed on the printing stock in order to
produce a wide range of nuances. The idea here is to achieve a resolu-
tion that transfers the most perfect rendition of reality possible onto
the printing stock – without disruptive rosette patterns or moirés.
Generally, screening technologies include amplitude modulated
(AM) or conventional screening, frequency modulated (FM) screening
and, most recently, hybrid screening. With its Prinect AM Screen-
ing, Prinect Stochastic Screening and Prinect Hybrid Screening, Hei-
delberg offers all these three technologies. “Our screening solutions
achieve outstanding results because each solution package includes
a range of advanced technologies such as our Irrational Screening
(IS), which is a part of Prinect AM Screening. IS can eliminate the
screen related moirés that occur in conventional AM screens, for
example. Which screen type a print shop finally chooses depends on
the motif, the target group, and available expertise,” points out
Klaus-Detlef Freyer, Senior Manager in Prinect Product Management
at Heidelberg.
Screening expert: Klaus-Detlef Freyer, Senior Manager in Prinect Product Management at Heidelberg.
30 • Issue 260 • 2007
Heidelberg News • Solutions
1. AM ScreeningVarying the dot size. Usually know-how is the main reason why
the majority of print shops choose to use classic AM screening. In this
method, darker colors produce larger dots, whereas lighter, bright
areas feature smaller dots. Because of this screening method’s long
tradition and the wealth of experience with it, print shops have the
related dot gain well under control. “Most international norms and
recommendations for inking and dot gain pertain to AM screening,
and thus provide production reliability. These standards can be met
effortlessly with Prinect AM Screening and our measurement systems
Prinect Image Control and Prinect Axis Control,” Freyer says.
The Prinect package includes all the usual tried and true AM
screens as well as a great variety of dot shapes and angle positions,
which enable a smooth, uniform gradation in tonal value, even in
skin tones, which are often complicated. “To ensure optimum results
when overprinting CMYK with Prinect Irrational Screening (IS), we
have placed magenta at 45° instead of 165° and developed a slightly
higher screen ruling for yellow,” notes Freyer.
But here the possibilities offered by AM screening are already
exhausted. To produce even smoother gradients or even sharper
details, the dot size limit – or, more accurately, the dot-smallness limit
– must be addressed: “Above a certain screen ruling, the dots be-
come too small and thus instable: They drop out in the lightest high-
lights and taper off in the deepest shadows. Both lead to a loss of
accuracy in the image. Only FM or hybrid screening permit very fine
details,” asserts Freyer.
Prinect AM Screening: The schematic illustration shows the varyingsizes of the screen dots (1). The very even rosette structure of thescreen dots is particularly visible in the 1,000-percent enlargement (2).In the Irrational Screening, Magenta is at 45°, in order to ensure anoptimal reproduction of skin tones (3).
1
2
3
31
Solutions
�
2. FM ScreeningVarying the dot frequency. The “trick” in FM screening isn’t the
variation in dot size, but rather, in the number of dots, which are
mathematically randomly distributed. Of course, even with this
process, the smallest printed dot must still be large enough to remain
stable when transferred to the plate and later to the blanket and the
paper. It cannot be so small that it does not print cleanly. “To guaran-
tee consistent print results even with large runs, we recommend a
minimum dot-size of 20 μm when working with Prinect Stochastic
Screening. Choosing a smaller dot-size can quickly lead to an in-
stable workf low that once again puts the desired gains in quality at
risk,” says Freyer.
Because FM screening doesn’t require fixed screen angles, it isn’t
dependent on fixed angle positions. In addition, more than four colors
can be used to print the image without generating moirés. This makes
it possible to print with Hifi-Color (CMYK + RGB) or Hexachrome
(CMYK + orange + green) in an extended color space. This in turn
increases the quality of the color reproduction substantially, an
effort that’s worthwhile for fine motifs. Above all, for subjects that
require especially sharp detail with photorealistic quality and a degree
of plasticity – for example, metal or fine structures like wood grain,
skin or textiles – FM screening is unbeatable. “The second generation
of FM screening has moved beyond the ‘teething stage’ – such as noise
in the mid-tones or graininess in smooth surfaces and in technical
screens. Prinect Stochastic Screening works together with our RIP
system Prinect MetaDimension and our Suprasetter equipment to
ensure an optimal placement of the screen dots, such that even
gossamer fine gradients and contours as well as mid-tone areas are
reproduced with an unparalleled smoothness,” reports Freyer.
Working with FM screening requires a fundamental reorganiza-
tion in production, however. Printers cannot simply transfer over their
experience from working with AM screening when calculating the
dot gain, or in process calibration curves for making the plates or
print characteristic curves. Moreover, there are neither norms nor
standards for this process. “Print shops that decide to use FM screen-
ing report that they cannot build upon existing knowledge and exper-
tise. For some, the learning curve is insufferable. Prinect Hybrid
Screening is for those who want to avoid throwing themselves into
completely unknown territory, but still want to benefit from most
of the advantages that FM screening has to offer,” recommends
screening expert Freyer.
Prinect Stochastic Screening: The 1,000-percent enlargementshows the worm structure of the screen dots, which allowsfor a very high smoothness in the mid tones as well as a photo-realistic plasticity (1). Here the underlying principleis the mathematically random distribution of the screendots as typical of FM screening (2).
1
2
Heidelberg News • Solutions
32 • Issue 260 • 2007
3. Hybrid ScreeningScoring with hybrid screening. Prinect Hybrid Screening combines
the advantages of FM and AM screening: Just as with Prinect Stochas-
tic Screening, a minimum size is set for the smallest dot as well as
the smallest dot opening in the shadows. This ensures that a dot will
not become too small and drop out or taper off as a result. Still, fine
detailed pattern continues up to the highlights and to the shadows,
made possible by an FM-like screening activated in the most extreme
highlights and shadows, where the density of the dots controls how
the image is reproduced. In contrast to purebred FM screening, this
occurs only at about 7 to 5 percent upward in the highlights and 93
to 95 percent downward in the shadows. The process enables screen
rulings up to 400 lpi (160 l/cm) in a stable production process. “Prinect
Hybrid Screening combines the fineness of FM screening with the
proven management of AM screening used in many print shops.
Process parameters such as end densities, dot gain, and calibration,
as well as angle selection and dot shape, conform to the classic AM
guidelines. This makes it possible to move step-by-step toward finer
screens – from an 80 to 100, for example,” says Freyer.
Of course, a new process calibration is necessary for the additional
finer screen rulings that Prinect Hybrid Screening enables. Heidelberg
supports this calibration with its Print Color Management Service,
in which a team from Heidelberg system service calibrates and coor-
dinates the prepress, printing machines and proofing equipment on
site. In addition, ICC profiles for print standards and for the proofing
equipment are generated and imported. Customers can be assured
that their printing processes will be monitored and remain stable over
the long run and that the printing presses will reproduce subjects
exactly as they appear in prepress proofing.
“The Prinect Screening Family allows our customers to offer a
wider and finer spectrum of products, making it easier for them to
differentiate themselves from the competition and increase customer
loyalty. Many overlook the fact that selecting the wrong screen can
ruin the best finishing effects,” says Freyer, summing up. So the next
time your customers can’t believe their eyes, it might be due to the
perfect screen. ■
Facts & Figures
The handbook “Introduction to Screening Technology” from the series “Expert Guide” offers users a comprehensive overview of the differentscreening technologies and related Heidelberg products and serviceofferings as well as helpful tips and tricks regarding the Prinect ScreeningSystems. This edition is available at your local Heidelberg sales andservice company. You can find a multimedia presentation on screeningprocesses at www.heidelberg.com/hd/PrinectScreening
www.heidelberg.com/hd/PrinectMetaDimension
Prinect Hybrid Screening: The transition between AM and FM technology is particularlyeasy to recognize in the highlighted areas of the 1,000-percent enlargement (1) andthe shadows of the schematic illustration (2). If primarily the size of the dots varies(AM), instead of dropping below a defined smallest size from 7 to 5 percent upwards,the distribution of the screen dots is varied (FM).
1
2
Solutions
33
It’s the smaller print shops in particular which are often confronted with the challenge of customers expecting the full service –
including finishing processes, where cutting and embossing are seen as the norm. Up until now, print shops were generally
faced with only two options in this regard – either they outsourced, or they had to use a platen or a cylinder. But now there is a
cost-effective alternative: the Varimatrix 105. Prague-based K.P.R., a print shop in the Czech Republic, has been using it
for cutting and embossing since last summer.
No More GamesVARIMATRIX 105
34 • Issue 260 • 2007
Heidelberg News • Solutions
Who likes being dependent on the schedules and quality
of outsourced service providers? It is in the area of fin-
ishing in particular that many print shops find it diffi-
cult to compete with large or specialized companies, generally due
to the high outlay involved in purchasing the equipment. This is why
the relevant orders are passed on to third party providers, with the
hope that the result will turn out right – and if it doesn’t, that the
customer won’t notice. Still, this kind of “game” can quickly become
expensive, quite apart from the fact that dissatisfied customers are
prepared to change suppliers at the drop of a hat – if the finishing is
no good, it doesn’t matter how good the print job was. Using external
suppliers therefore involves all kinds of hidden risks. It’s important
to note that highly specialized cutting and embossing machines also
need to be run continuously at capacity for them to be profitable.
And the old Heidelberg cylinders or platens need a lot of time to
deliver quality products.
The Varimatrix 105 die cutter offers a way out of this dilemma, as
it is a true entry-level model. The machine was developed in Taiwan
and is also built there as a licensed product, but Heidelberg made many
technical revisions to the basic model, modifying it to such an extent
that it can now proudly boast the GS test mark (safety-tested to the
internationally acknowledged strict requirements of the German
standard). With this distinction, Varimatrix 105 has the potential to
become a real sales hit, even internationally. It is already fully inte-
grated in the Heidelberg global service parts logistics set-up – and this
without the machines which have so far been delivered being known
for unscheduled “pit stops.”
No scrap iron and high-speed. The Varimatrix can even be used
with the old tools from the platen, cylinder or other die cutters, mean-
ing that the user has absolutely no need to be anxious about “hidden”
costs. But whereas on a platen “only” 1,000 to 2,000 sheets per hour
are possible (depending on the application), the Varimatrix, running
at its peak, can process up to 7,500 sheets an hour – depending on
the type of material used and other factors, such as the type and dif-
ficulty of the cutting required. This means that instead of having to
turn down an order because the capacity of the old platens will be
exceeded, or else having to outsource it and thereby pass on some of
the profit to the finisher, the Varimatrix allows you to create a lot
more added value in-house. On a 15,000-sheet job, you can more or
less rely on the fact that what used to take almost two days at 1,000
sheets per hour on the platen, resulting in delayed delivery, can be
35
Solutions
managed on the Varimatrix 105 in around two hours. Additional jobs
can then be dealt with in the time saved. A great leap forward in
terms of productivity – and that at low cost – has now become reality.
So it’s goodbye to those finishing bottlenecks!
Varimatrix 105 CS. As its name already implies, the machine can
work with sheets in the maximum 3B format, in other words
29.53 × 41.34 inches (750 × 1050 mm). The cutting format itself is then
28.62 × 41.34 inches (727 × 1050 mm), and the size of the cutting die
can be up to 29.30 × 41.73 inches (740 × 1060 mm). In this way, the
machine’s great f lexibility makes it possible to process a wide range
of materials. Using the Varimatrix 105, many different types of paper
and board can be cut, including cardboard and corrugated cardboard
ranging from 80 to 1,400 gsm weight. At the same time, the thickness
of corrugated board for cutting can range up to 0.16 inches (4 mm).
The Varimatrix 105 CS consists of a few basic elements such as the
actual cutting and stripping station, but it is also equipped with a
manual non-stop feeder and delivery. Each of these units has its own
drive, whose operation is synchronized with a central control system,
thus making the feeder very f lexible. Its task is to align the individual
sheets so that they are accurately fed into the cutting unit for process-
ing. Feeding can take place both at the operator side and the drive
side. The non-stop operation of the machine ensures the constant fill-
ing of the Varimatrix feeder. This high level of precision is also one
of the main factors behind the very small amount of waste from the
print sheet when larger quantities are stripped. The waste is removed
in the stripping station of the Varimatrix 105 either using dedicated
tools or by means of universal tools with upper and lower pins.
Small details for experts. One option even allows for the processing
of small sheet formats of 11.81 × 13.78 inches (300 × 350 mm). A stan-
dard feature of the Varimatrix is a tape strip inserter, which makes it
possible to count out batches for easy subsequent removal on the fold-
ing carton gluer. In addition, the Varimatrix is standardly equipped
with a gripper edge removal. The die cutter works on the moving low-
er platen principle, thus ensuring good cutting quality. The variable
chase can be used for various cutting die sizes, and existing die-cutting
tools can thus continue to be used. These details explain the success
of the Varimatrix 105. Currently, a good 60 percent of the machines de-
livered so far have been installed in Europe, including one machine
in the Czech capital Prague, at K.P.R. This abbreviation stands for the
initials of the owners “Kuba” Suchy, Pavel Michálek and Roman Kincl. �
36 • Issue 260 • 2007
Heidelberg News • Solutions
Die cutter for packaging and commercial printers. Even though
the Varimatrix 105 is a die-cutter intended to appeal mainly to card-
board and packaging printers, it is also being used increasingly by
commercial printers. This is the very area in which the Prague print
shop K.P.R. is active. One of the reasons that they decided to purchase
a Varimatrix 105 die cutter was first and foremost the fact that the
wide variety of orders there requires relatively frequent die cutting.
“Lots of customers commission complete advertising campaigns from
us, involving not just many different kinds of f lyers or catalogues,
but also a whole range of polygraphic products more commonly
found in the field of packaging manufacture. For our print shop,
therefore, we have not just bought presses that can process these
kinds of orders, but also the technologies that link up with them,”
says Ji rí Tomek, director of the print shop.
Up until now in the K.P.R. print shop, this work was carried out
on older die cutters or outsourced to other service providers. This in
turn required a constant coordination effort resulting in massive
time loss. And this, at the end of the day, was another reason for buy-
ing their own, high-performance die cutting system. Experience with
this machine, which began to be used in Prague in the summer of
2006, shows that the print shop’s f lexibility in the field of cutting
and embossing has considerably improved. At the same time, cutting
in-house has also meant heightened expectations. At K.P.R., not only
have their own expectations for more rapid order processing in-
creased – after all, there is now, for instance, no need for transport
to their external partner for the job – but also their expectations
regarding the quality of the end product. It has therefore become
necessary, as early as the production workf low stage, to take into
account preparation of the cutting dies as well as technical consider-
ations such as proper location of the cutting patterns on the print
sheet layout. On top of that, additional know-how is now needed as
well: What are the materials that process well? What kind of char-
acteristics do they have? How do their various substrates behave
during processing? A lot of details previously dealt with by the coop-
erating partner now have to be worked out within the shop itself.
Luckily for the Prague print shop, they already had a fair amount of
know-how available in-house.
For Tomek, both the quick and problem-free installation, as well
as the training of the operating personnel, were a big plus. Once the
machine was up and running, a second training phase devoted to the
subtleties of the stripping process was undertaken. “We wanted to
explain this process to our colleagues using a concrete order and not
37
Solutions
some fictitious example, and that’s the reason why we have under-
taken this training phase on a real order that’s suited to stripping by
machine,” explains Jirí Tomek.
Productivity and shortened preparation times. Apart from the
greater f lexibility of the machine, the K.P.R. print shop is particular-
ly appreciative of the high productivity and shortened set-up times
that result from the Varimatrix 105. With it K.P.R. achieves production
speeds of 6,000 to 7,000 sheets per hour, depending on the complexity
of the job. At the same time, more blanks per sheet can be printed and
cut out on the Varimatrix – thanks to the large processing sheet size
of 29.52 × 41.34 inches (75 × 105 cm). The set-up times could be consid-
erably shortened in comparison to those of the old cutting machines,
because the Varimatrix offers a series of automation and control ele-
ments giving information on setting the individual machine compo-
nents. Moreover, K.P.R. is now able to archive tools once they have
been adjusted, by means of thin substitute metal sheets, resulting in
considerable reductions in preparation times for repeat orders.
Due to its high productivity, this machine is particularly suited
for processing medium and large print runs. But because of pres-
sure to meet deadlines, very small runs are also processed with it at
K.P.R. Currently the Prague print shop is using this machine on runs
upwards of around 100 sheets. But orders in excess of 300,000 sheets
also run through the Varimatrix 105. The big runs can now be eco-
nomically processed with the stripping station since manual removal
of the waste is no longer needed. Similarly, there are many different
possibilities in terms of the materials that can be processed. The best
results are obtained on paper board containers, with grammages
in excess of 200 gsm, but processing is just as good on coated papers
with a grammage of around 150 gsm.
“The machine is equipped with a stripping unit which does an
excellent job of separating out the cut product from the waste mate-
rial,” explains Tomek. In the Prague-based K.P.R. print shop this unit
is used primarily for processing medium and large print runs. In all
other cases, manual stripping is carried out away from the Varima-
trix 105. “Getting the right setting on the stripping unit is a relatively
time-consuming matter, especially in cases where it has to be set up
for a few tricky perforation types. Where a small order is involved,
the time spent on setting up the machine would be disproportion-
ately longer than its actual operation, and that would of course be
uneconomic. That’s why there isn’t stripping done on those orders,”
points out Jirí Tomek. �
Heidelberg News • Solutions
38 • Issue 260 • 2007
It is important for him to size up whether setting up the stripping
unit is advantageous for the perforation type and run size, or
whether it makes more sense to do this manually. On orders with
runs of several tens of thousands, making use of this unit goes with-
out saying. But it is just this freedom in the decision-making process
that offers the print shop a high degree of production and quality
assurance – resulting in satisfied customers and optimum capacity. ■
Facts & Figures
K.P.R. Pod Sancemi 4/196190 00, Prague 9Czech Republic Tel.: +420-266-311-818/822Fax: +420-266-311-819/820E-mail: [email protected]
www.heidelberg.com/hd/Varimatrix
Fast Facts on the Varimatrix
The Varimatrix 105 is available in two versions: the C model(C=Cutting) is a pure die cutter whereas the CS model (S=Stripping)includes an additional stripping station. All specifications apply toboth models:■ Sheet format (max.): 29.52 × 41.34 inches (750 × 1050 mm)■ Sheet format (min.): 14.57 × 15.75 inches (370 × 400 mm)
(optional 11.81 × 13.78 inches /300 × 350 mm)■ Cutting force (max.): 300 t /3.0 MN■ Machine speed (max.): 7,500 sheets/h
Technical Data
■ Cutting die size (max.): 29.53 × 41.34 inches (750 × 1050 mm)■ Net cutting area: 28.62 × 41.73 inches (727 × 1060 mm)■ Gripper edge, adjustable with 0.512 inches (13 mm) wood in
front of the 1st knife: 0.394 to 0.709 inches (10 -18 mm)
Materials that can be processed
(depending on material characteristics and sheet specification)■ Paper with a minimum weight of 80 gsm■ Carton or solid board up to a weight of 1,400 gsm■ Corrugated board up to 0.16 inches (4 mm) thickness
39
Innovations
�
Mr. Kirchner, about 25 years ago you adopted UV printing.What were you trying to achieve?
KIRCHNER: At that time our print shop “Druckhaus Kirchn-
er” expanded from classic offset printing to include UV offset. In
the 1980’s, the main focus was initially on its practical application:
The printing of films and non-absorptive materials was up to this
point predominantly reserved for those in silk-screen printing.
The associated restrictions on image quality and speed are known.
With the introduction of UV offset printing, it became possible for
the first time to print on these materials with a significantly higher
halftone resolution – and that with long runs and at high speed.
This was revolutionary! Twenty five years ago the focus was on
getting the basics of the business under control – today we’re
working with customers to develop new and extraordinary ideas.
How do you manage to create new and unusual eye-catcherswith special effects time and time again?
KIRCHNER: For us, it’s a bit of a sport, and our ambition
spurs us on: We want to demonstrate things, which normally aren’t
even possible – when that means that we sometimes push so far
that we border on the threshold of pain. This sportsmanlike ambi-
tion definitely comes from my time as youth player in the German
national table tennis team, when I fought hard to be successful.
This is the same attitude we take in UV offset printing, where we’re
also always consciously pushing the limits of what’s possible – for
example with our new Silver.Print by Kirchner Print.Media, which
is particularly well-suited for magazine covers, DVD covers, inserts
and mailings, for instance.
What makes Silver.Print so unique?KIRCHNER: In the case of an eight-pager with a gatefold, we
laminated the entire surface area of both sides of the printing
sheet with silver foil. Through close dialogue with the customer
we were able to tweak the image replication in order to optimize
it for the Silver.Print process. For example, at particular spots
within an image, the necessary white parts were either completely
KIRCHNER PRINT.MEDIA, GERMANY
or partially highlighted. In this technique we are playing with metallic
backgrounds, which can appear silver, gold, copper or even a pearly
luster. These kinds of eye-catchers on non-absorptive materials
are only possible using UV.
Why don’t you use Iriodin in this case? KIRCHNER: You can produce a metallic effect with Iriodin
as well, but it doesn’t have the same brilliance. We achieve the
most varied reproduction effects with halftone gradations. This
creates unusual metallic effects on materials that have been silver
foil laminated or embossed with hot foil. These kinds of projects
require a lot of know-how and experience of course.
Such elaborate projects are more expensive than the conven-tional. How do your customers react?
KIRCHNER: We’re of course happy when we exceed expec-
tations and customers say, ‘Wow! I didn’t imagine it would look
this good!’. Most customers also know that eye-catchers such as
these are worth the money, and particularly when they’re able to
measure its success. To style a unique invitation, for example, we
printed a silver metallic card and a lenticular image with UV offset,
chose a Leporello (zig-zag) fold, and completed it with a personalized
business card. The company’s rate of return was gargantuan. For a
company report, we finished the title using a 3-D lenticular image
as well. Eye-catchers such as these draw attention and improve the
image, instead of being thrown into the garbage bin.
What economic advantages does UV printing offer? KIRCHNER: First of all a high level of reliability in printing.
Both non-absorptive and absorptive materials are able to be printed
with UV and then finished immediately equally well. Because of
short production times, we were able to noticeably increase our
productivity. In certain branches, such as in the cosmetic industry
where they try to increase sales through high quality packaging
with metallic printing substrates, UV printing is therefore an absolute
must. The photo-initiators make the inks set without using any
powder. When printing with conventional high oxidative inks on
Simply Brilliant!Martin Kirchner, owner of Kirchner Print.Media GmbH & Co. KG in Kirchlengern, Germany, is considered to be
one of the pioneers in the country for UV offset printing. For the past 25 years he has been providing furore
with unusual print products. It’s therefore no wonder that he and his team often like to push the limits of what
is possible. Heidelberg News spoke with Martin Kirchner about chances, demands and brilliant effects.
40 • Issue 260 • 2007
Heidelberg News • Innovations
41
Innovations
Facts & Figures
The family-owned business was founded in 1939 by Martin Kirchner’s father, Artur Kirchner. Their business partners include well-known nationaland international customers from the most diverse branches: furniture andaccessories, nutrition, liqueur and tobacco as well as health insurancecompanies, agencies and publishing houses. The group of family-runbusinesses regularly invests in the newest technologies – last year theyinstalled 39 new printing units with 3B format. Some 130 staff membersproduced annual sales of 29 million US dollars (22 m. euros) in 2006.
Kirchner Print.Media GmbH & Co. KGSpradower Weg 10032278 KirchlengernGermanyTel.: +49-(0)-52 23-75 74-0Fax: +49-(0)-52 23-75 74-28E-mail: [email protected]
www.heidelberg.com/hd/XL105
the other hand, there’s always the risk that the inks won’t dry fast
enough and that even with heavy powdering and small piles printing
sheets get discarded.
In May 2006 we started running a Heidelberg Speedmaster
XL 105-6+LX UV as test customer. With this six-color press with
UV and IR drying we are able to print up to 18,000 sheets per hour
depending on the printing stock. This meant a productivity increase
of roughly 30 percent for us.
UV offset printing shines in the realm of surface finishingabove all else. But does it always have to be UV?
KIRCHNER: There are of course production processes other
than UV offset printing, but UV offset printing offers possibilities,
which can’t be realized using conventional or other processes. Just
think about the diversity of surface finishings – and that in an
inline printing production. Using the most varied types of coatings
we can produce a special surface feel, for example. UV printing
provides a lot of advantages in the optic presentation of matt-gloss
contrasts as well. What all processes definitely have in common is
that they require sufficient experience and know-how.
Is there anything you dream of when using UV offset printing?KIRCHNER: Yes, to print in such a way that you don’t see
any fingerprints on ref lective surfaces with high gloss UV coatings.
This is something I absolutely want to solve! ■
42 • Issue 260 • 2007
Heidelberg News • Innovations
Printing with gold? What sounds like a fairy tale from One
Thousand and One Nights is reality in the printing room:
“Many of our customers experiment with UV inks and coat-
ings by combining them with unusual materials like gold
leaf, for example. Others also work with unusual printing stocks such
as foam. UV printing allows you to realize countless applications
where almost the only boundary is your fantasy,” explains Jens Arne
Knöbl, Head of Product Management Applications at Heidelberg.
In addition to differentiating themselves by using such unusual
print creations, customers are naturally interested in economic
production processes as well. This is why Heidelberg is continuously
developing its range of UV products, “For many customers, inline
production is the key to cutting costs and in this case in particular, it’s
therefore an unbeatable advantage when the applied inks and coatings
harden immediately and products can be sent to finishing without
a big time lag. What’s more, products are protected from damage,”
emphasizes the UV expert Jens Arne Knöbl.
Just how important the customer’s benefit is to Heidelberg is
shown by their most recent initiative for the standardization of UV
and hybrid applications, in cooperation with KBA. Motivation for this
action was the manufacturers’ large degree of variation in the pro-
duction of various batches of operating or aid materials such as ink
and cleaning agents. This not only hinders the achievement of higher
process reliability and quality but can also cause damage to the
machines. “Heidelberg’s overall goal in product certification is to
limit the degree of variation and increase reliability in processing,
thereby improving the entry situation – especially for UV beginners
– for example, by providing clear recommendations,” states Jens
Arne Knöbl.
In the future Heidelberg wants to offers its customers in various
UV business segments a complete workf low from the preliminary
stages through printing and up to finishing. “Our customer should
be able to focus their attention on making money right from the
start. That’s why when it comes to more complex areas like lenticular
UV PRINTING WITH HEIDELBERG
UV technology opens up a nearly boundless world of finishing possibilities that allow you to magically
conjure up seductive eye-catchers on both absorptive and non-absorptive printing stocks. This is not to
mention the economic advantages it holds, including fast throughput and drying times. For many graphic
companies on a quest for the perfect UV print, Heidelberg offers the right UV press in all format classes
– and therefore also the ideal secret weapon in the fight for high margins in this market segment.
applications, in-mould labels and packaging, they don’t just receive
the UV press with the appropriate equipment but also consultation
services on special uses and technologies such as screens and CtP-
imaging, as well as the equipment for postpress finishing – and all
from the same source,” points out Jens Arne Knöbl.
Heidelberg is already providing all newly developed presses (CD 74
and XL 105) factory-ready as a complete UV package. “We want to make
the installation and operation as simple as possible for our customers.
That’s why they will now receive with every UV press a set of periph-
erals perfectly matched to work together, such as dryers from the
DryStar family (see HN 255, p. 28) or Instant-Start – the software option
for reducing wait time in washing. This secures an economic and
user-friendly operation. Furthermore, customers only need to address
one contact person on any issue,” explains Jens Arne Knöbl.
The Speedmaster XL 105, for example, is as of April 2007 available
as a UV version and double-coating press. As a UV dryer, the new
DryStar 3000 UV has been deployed. Its drying performance even
easily competes with the high speed production of the Speedmaster
XL 105’s up to 18,000 sheets per hour. Heidelberg completes its line
of UV products with the XL 105. In addition to the standard series
(SM and CD) are also special models such as the Speedmaster CD Duo,
double-coating presses or special configurations. “There is hardly
anything we can’t deliver! Our customers can contact us any time with
ideas, no matter how unusual. The main thing is that the printing
stock fits in the press and is able to be printed. After that we can test
things out and discuss with customers which configuration would
be best-suited for them and most economic for their desired use. After
all, as the saying goes, customers shouldn’t have to use a sledge-
hammer to crack a nut. That’s why we offer the suitable UV press for
every job. Then there’s really nothing standing in your way of
profitable UV projects,” says a convinced Jens Arne Knöbl. ■
For more information on the benefits of UV printing,
see page 30 to 49 of HN 251 or www.heidelberg-news.de
Coating in Sight
Jens Arne Knöbl, Head of Product
Management Applications at Heidelberg.
What’s your UV-Type?As boundless as the coating possibilities, so multifaceted is the line of UV products by Heidelberg. But in
all honesty, do you really know which machine or configuration is best-suited to you? Our test is meant to
give you a hint at which direction you should go – the exact machine you choose is of course dependent on
your specific print jobs and the formats you need. Please choose only one answer for every question.
43
3. Which market segment do you work in? a) Commercial
b) Packaging and labels
c) Mixed
4. Why do you want to get into UV printing? a) I want to distinguish myself from the masses,
achieve greater margins and win new customers
through high-quality applications.
b) I want to increase productivity. My customers
would prefer to have their orders before they’ve
even ordered them and would be willing to pay
more for faster processing.
c) I want to process temperature sensitive
printing stock reliably and fast.
5. What is your typical printing stock?a) Paper and card
b) Aluminum coated paper and card as well
as plastics
c) Very thin plastics such as in-mould labels
6. What is your main focus?a) Speed
b) Innovative eye-catchers
c) Avoiding register problems with temperature
sensitive materials
7. What special effects do you want to impresscustomers with?
a) Special effects? That’s something for action
films. For me and my customers, better protection
and faster delivery times are most important
when it comes to print products.
b) Special applications with all the trimmings
and in all combinations: Matt-Gloss, iriodin,
scratch and scented coating on metallized or
film laminated paper and card.
c) In addition to my specially finished and coated
labels, I also want to offer thin, transparent
plastic labels (Non Label Look).
1. Assume you were to receive an order from a carmanufacturer that also produces convertibles toprint a high-quality brochure for their approachingsummer business: They request a two-pager on metal-lized paper. The depicted vehicle should be coatedwith a high-gloss effect and stand out even moreagainst the matt effect background. The wheels andbumpers should be embossed in order to achieve a 3-D effect – as if the car is driving directly out of the picture and into the viewers hands. How wouldyou proceed?
a) Your heart bleeds: You don’t possess any
machines with sufficient equipment and are
forced to decline the order.
b) You begin printing the metallized paper with
UV opaque white on a screen printer, then take
the order to your five-color UV press and run it
through using UV inks and matt coating and
then add a glossy coating to the bumpers on the
coating unit.
c) You confidently carry out the order entirely
inline on your Duo UV printing press, partially
highlight the metallized paper with screened
opaque white and finish it off with a coating of
iriodin on the high-gloss bumpers and aluminum
wheel rims. The customer is so pleased that they
immediately ensure you more orders.
2. How many UV assignments are you expecting?a) We have already received inquiries, and I
therefore expect a workload of more than 10
percent UV jobs on the new UV machine.
b) From now on I will only be carrying out
UV print jobs.
c) I’m expecting a very high workload, since I
can combine conventional as well as hybrid UV
inks and coatings inline with the new press.
44 • Issue 260 • 2007
Heidelberg News • Innovations
A: The PioneerYou first like to cautiously explore new terrain
before moving in.
If you only want to use UV coating and
scratch protection on some of your commer-
cial print jobs, the Printmaster GTO 52, for
example, would be an economic entry-level
UV press. With the Laco coating facility you
can produce print products such as brochures
or leaf lets in one-color to five-color prints
and then apply UV, dispersion and blister coat-
ing – all in one pass.
UV coating alone isn’t enough for you?
With our highly automated Speedmaster
models such as the SM 52/ 74 UV you can
print both conventionally as well as with UV
inks, thus expanding your know-how in the
lucrative UV market step by step. The key to
conquering this market is in inline printing
and coating of paper as well as unusual print-
ing stock of up to 0.0157 in (0.6 mm) thick-
ness (such as plastics or paper and thin cards
metallized with aluminum) – and this at low
cost, since you don’t have to fit any coating
plates. A further competitive edge for expe-
rienced pioneers: In combination with the
inline die-cutting unit, you can also use the
press to cut print products immediately after
applying the coating.
Answer
a
b
c
Question 1
----
A
B/C/D
Question 2
A/B/C
C/E/F
F (5x)
Question 3
A/B/C
D (5x)
A/B/C/F
Question 4
A/B/C/D
A/B/C/D
E (3x)
Question 5
A/B/C/D/F
A/B/C/D/F
A/B/C/E/F
Question 6
A/B/D/E/F
C (5x)
E (3x)
Question 7
B/D
C/F
E (3x)
Score:Take a look at the table below. Mark the fields according to your answers and then count the number of each capital letter (A, B, C, D, E or F).
Don’t forget to take into account the multipliers in parentheses! The capital letters indicate your “UV-type.” Of course it’s possible to be a
mix of types. If you get almost the same end sum for two letters, check out both types.
45
Innovations
�
B: The Cross-Country RunnerYou’re the cross-country runner of UV printers: You are constantly
jumping from format to format, printing stock to printing stock.
Now you want to take the next step as fast as possible so that you
can once again pick up the speed.
It’s full speed ahead with machines such as the Speedmaster
CD 74 UV. Compelling with its f lexible and highly automated
equipment, the Speedmaster can produce multiple shorter and
longer runs on a printing stock thickness of up to 0.031 inches
(0.8 mm). The inking unit temperature control secures a constant
high quality throughout the entire run. The CD 74 UV, equipped
with up to 15 units, is available as a duel model (f lexographic and
offset printing) as well as with a perfecting device. The UV revers-
ing drum dryer also increases speed and reliability in production.
This allows you to benefit from the reliable “One Pass Productiv-
ity,” in which you can run the perfecting mode in one pass and
therefore print more economically.
C: The VirtuosoWith your unusual and eccentric ideas, you induce fear in the
competition – but sometimes also in your staff. For the latter this
is especially true when you risk destroying the entire project with
your love of experimenting. Should you fall into this category,
please contact your local Heidelberg office.
The Speedmaster CD 102 UV, for instance, is the ideal ma-
chine for creative types like you, regardless of whether you make
your living with UV printing and inline coating or solely as a fin-
isher (off line). The optional combination of two to four coating
and drying units opens up a world of design possibilities – allow-
ing you to stand out with options like the classic matt-gloss effect,
iriodin or unusual applications of dispersion or UV coating. Even
the breadth of possible printing stock satisfies (almost) every
wish: It ranges from thin print paper to plastics and up to foil-clad
card with 0.039 in (1 mm) thickness. The CD 102 UV is available
with up to 16 units and with an extended delivery of course so
that the UV coating can be optimally distributed.
46 • Issue 260 • 2007
Heidelberg News • Innovations
D: The SpeedsterFor you, fast is not fast enough. Day after day you break record
time in the printing room.
With the Speedmaster XL 105 and printing speeds of up
to 18,000 sheets per hour, you can even crank up the speed on
complex projects – and that with reliable XL 105 high quality.
The inking unit temperature control, in combination with the
separate ink fountain roller control, ensures a precise ink
metering, even with long runs. The doctor chamber blade
system in the coating unit works together with the three exten-
sion modules in the delivery to produce the highest luminosity.
You receive the Speedmaster XL 105 factory-ready as a complete
UV kit. It is a pleasure operating the interdeck dryers, which
you can easily reposition from printing press to printing press
without any tools. The XL 105 is of course available as a double-
coating model as well.
E: The Cool TypeTemperature sensitive printing stock such as thin
plastic films or in-mould labels don’t make you break
out in a sweat: Coolly and easily you carry out printing
jobs as difficult as this with top quality results.
Only with low drying temperatures, as found in the
CoolCure UV on CD 102, can you pull this off without
register problems. In this case, atmospheric oxygen is
eliminated with nitrogen (neutralization), in order to
minimize the heating of the printing stock during dry-
ing. In this way, inks harden much better without the
dryer having to be run at full capacity. Thanks to Cool-
Cure UV, both reliability in production and printing
speed are significantly increased. Printing stock heats
only minimally, allowing plastics and other printing
stocks to be processed with almost or no lag time and
even without an unpleasant UV smell. Because the pile
temperature is hardly more than that of the printing
room, immediate finishing is possible even on thin
plastics, without storage for cooling.
47
Innovations
F: The Five-Star ChefAs a five-star chef among printers, you want to serve your customers
especially elaborate meals. It doesn’t bother you that these exquisite
delicacies have to be served punctually on the dot: What others can
only manage with extra kitchen help, you simply take care of your-
self – and trust in the finest techniques in doing so. You thereby pull
off spectacular four-course meals in one pass.
With the Speedmaster CD 74/102 or XL 105 double-coating
unit, you can combine the price advantages of conventional inks
and special colors with the freedom of design and shortened drying
times of UV technology. This Speedmaster model possesses two coat-
ing units with a drying rack between them. This allows you to print
water-based protective coating as a barrier in one pass and in the
other use gold and silver coatings (Primer/Gold) or combine matt
and high-gloss inks or sensory effects with iriodin, scratch, blister or
scented coating in the second coating unit, for example. Or you can
take printed labels and commercial print jobs with conventional inks
and coat them inline with UV coating (Primer/UV). In this case a water-
based primer would be applied in the first coating unit, which pre-
vents the conventional fresh printing inks from reacting with the
UV coating, thus reducing the undesired loss of luster (draw-back
effect). A doctor chamber blade used as a coating metering system,
ensures complete precision, even in the case of razor-thin coating
applications. Double-coating units are available in the sizes 20 × 27
inches (50 × 70 cm) as well as 27 × 39 inches (70 × 100 cm).
Do you mainly produce packaging and labels which need to display
a highly metallic gloss and high ink film thickness? Are you looking
for an economic printing process to be able to carry out the most
diverse order sizes at the drop of a coin? This is a clear case for the
Speedmaster Duo CD 74 or the Duo CD 102. Thanks to the f lexo-
graphic unit both in front of the offset printing unit as well as behind,
in addition to the optional coating and drying units which can be
combined, these machines open up a world of new inline coating
possibilities to you. You can process conventional inks and water-
based coatings or UV inks and UV coatings together, and with just
one run, achieve matt-gloss combinations with opaque white, pearly
luster or metallic effects, for example. With the Flexokit, a specially
developed doctor chamber blade system, Metalures (water- or UV-
based gold and silver coatings) can be processed. The Speedmaster
Duo CD 74 and Duo CD 102, fitted with up to 16 printing units are
available with equipment such as double-coating units, sheeter and
logistics for non-stop operation und much more. ■
48 • Issue 260 • 2007
Heidelberg News • Opportunities
PRINECT WORKFLOW – RETURN ON INVESTMENT
A RiskWorth Taking
Armin Hespeler, ProductLine Management Prinect.
49
Opportunities
Investments must give a good return. It is fairly easy to calculate the return for a press, but it is difficult to set a figure for the
actual benefit gained for integrated workflow solutions. Heidelberg News has recalculated investments in three cases in relation
to the benefits they bring – what is known as return on investment (ROI). Heidelberg expert, Armin Hespeler, Product Manager
for Prinect, was there to field our questions.
Mr. Hespeler, you have been measuring the financial successof three print shops that have integrated their processes with PrinectWorkflow. What did you find out?
HESPELER: Alongside qualitative improvements, such as
faster throughput times or error-free print data, we were primarily
interested in the way in which these improvements affected the
balance sheets of the three companies. And the results here were
impressive. Over a period of, on average, five years, the savings of
all three printing firms amounts to several million US dollars.
Total investments in Prinect solutions of an average of 264,000 US
dollars (200,000 euros) must be set against this. Given the specific
general conditions relating to Mediahaus Biering in Munich,
for instance, once you calculate in growth in productivity and
increased efficiencies, this company saves around 11 million US
dollars (8.3 m. euros) with the help of our seamless color workf low
system Prinect Color Solutions. For a total investment of 330,151
US dollars (250,000 euros) this gives a return on investment of
3,295 percent. Admittedly, to achieve this level, everything from
the order structure to the training competence of the employees
has to be right; but the excellent manner in which Mediahaus
Biering has implemented this clearly shows what there is still to
be found in the production processes.
What do the figures from the other firms look like? HESPELER: With the introduction of the Prinect Printready
prepress workf low system and the Prinect Prinance industry soft-
ware, the Berlin firm of druckpunkt Druckerei und Repro GmbH
has achieved potential savings of 4.4 million US dollars (3.3 m. euros)
for the period 2004 to 2008. In particular, this company wanted to
find out which of its areas were actually making a profit and what
would be better outsourced. Thanks to Prinect, not only was it
possible to find this out, but via new “process transparency” any
employee can now access all the information he or she needs at
any time. This has allowed druckpunkt to achieve turnaround in
profitability, as there are no longer any unprofitable orders being
handled. Again, Druckhaus Beineke Dickmanns, which has also
introduced Prinect Printready and Prinect Prinance, is profiting
from savings to the tune of an average of 792,500 US dollars
(600,000 euros) per year. Among other things, this sum is the result
of enhanced data quality in prepress – in particular when it comes
to the pref lighting of PDF files on the part of the customers.
Thanks to automated and standardized processing of orders,
productivity, based on order throughput with the same number
of employees, is exactly twice what it was before. In addition,
the overall procedure of order processing has been optimized at
the same time as achieving closer contact with the printing
company’s customers.
What are the decisive criteria for such a high ROI? HESPELER: All three companies have exactly those Prinect
modules that they need – and in each individual case these modules
complement each other perfectly. Even if you cannot install a
Prinect configuration using the “plug and play” principle, the
rapid and successful introduction of the system is always the result
of close cooperation between Heidelberg and our customers. In
addition, the three companies have basically all made a great leap
forward by taking a relatively small step, as, once installed, the
solution can be adapted to new conditions without any problems.
And that’s the real trump card when it comes to investment relia-
bility – a card that has in fact since been played by more than one
of them. Moreover, the printing firms clearly profit from the fact
that we are a one-stop shop for them. This does not just ensure
that there is perfect configuration of the software and hardware
more or less from order acceptance to final finishing; it also means
that the customers have just one point of contact for any issue that
arises throughout the entirety of this chain. And that point of
contact is Heidelberg. Apart from that, most Prinect users have
been very quickly able to come to terms with using the workf low
software, as they already knew the user interface from other
Heidelberg solutions. In the final analysis, all these aspects result
in productivity increases of such an order that the company is able
to achieve additional orders and therefore growth with the same
levels of equipment and staffing.
Are these results typical of other Prinect customers?HESPELER: Absolutely. The three companies are very differ-
ent in regards to size, business model and equipment, and as a
result are representative of around 90 percent of all printing firms.
Obviously the ROI level differs from company to company, but the
three case studies clearly show that it is worth integrating depart-
ments and processes with the help of a seamless workf low system.
And since your competitors never sleep, it will presumably become
even more important in the future to manage to identify the
weaknesses of your own company on a permanent basis and to adapt
the workf low to more exacting requirements as they arise. ■
Facts & Figures
www.heidelberg.com/hd/Prinect
50 • Issue 260 • 2007
Heidelberg News • Opportunities
ROIOne-off investment sum:
US $237,400 (180,820 €)Printready, Remote Access, Direct Access, Prinance,Stratos I-Point, internal expenditure (training)
Cumulative annual costs (2004–2008):
US $631,300 (480,820 €)IT-management, updates
Cumulative annual savings (2004–2008):
US $6,019,735 (4,573,816 €)Improved order production management, reduced order and labor costs
Net value of the workflow investments for the period2004 to 2008 (adjusted to the recovery period):
US $4,348,310 (3,303,402 €)
1,826.90%Cost/benefit ratio
Thanks to Prinect, managerHarry Haker is now chasingthe right orders.
druckpunkt Druckerei und Repro GmbHWranglstraße 100, 10997 Berlin, Germany Tel.: +49-(0)-30-25 42 17-0, Fax: +49-(0)-30-25 42 17-99E-mail: [email protected], www.druckpunkt-berlin.de
51
Opportunities
Declining margins and irregular capacity-utilization for the
presses caused druckpunkt Druckerei und Repro GmbH to
network processes throughout the company. On the one
hand, the company was following a clear strategic objective
– to acquire transparency in how the business functioned. “It quickly
became apparent that we were outsourcing too many services and that
setting up our own finishing department would be a profitable un-
dertaking,” says Managing Director Harry Haker. Sober analysis of
the order structure also indicated that the existing production plant
no longer matched the requirements of the current customer base.
This was why the Speedmaster SM 74 six-color with coating unit was
replaced by a CD 74-5+L, which had become a better idea in terms of
the new druckpunkt order mix.
On the other hand, there was a need to automate processes to be
able to produce at greater speed and more economically. For this, the
Speedmaster CD 102-5+L was linked to prepress via the Prinect Pre-
press Interface; the Prinect Image Control quality measurement and
regulation system was introduced and the industry software Prinance
was directly integrated with the Prinect CP2000 Center press control
system. “For us this was a significant milestone, as now for the first
time we can send job-specific data and presets directly to the press,”
points out Stephan Austilat, with some satisfaction. He is Harry
Haker’s partner in the business.
By introducing the Prinect Printready System in prepress and
FCS 100 in finishing, the entire printing process is now completely
integrated. Customers, for instance, approve their PDF proofs by
e-mail via the “Remote Access” Printready function, and these then
enter the JDF workf low directly. Prepress generates optimum cali-
brated plates for the printer, who also receives precise preset data for
his/her press. The result? On a five-color job the set-up times have
been halved. Simultaneously, there has been a considerable reduction
in materials consumption right down to the OK sheet. In addition,
by means of Prinect Image Control, production is standardized and
quality is enhanced. The printing firm can also document compliance
with the color standard for each job.
Reliable information for business decisions. “Unlike previously
where we often felt as though we were stumbling around in the dark,
we now have reliable management information at our disposal within
a considerably shorter time and can keep accurately recalculating all
orders on an ongoing basis. Loss-making orders are more or less a
thing of the past, because we can control our resources based on our
orders,” says Haker. In addition, the print shop saves around 20
minutes per order thanks to better structuring of the workf lows.
Also, the manager no longer needs to go to various departments in
DRUCKPUNKT DRUCKEREI UND REPRO GMBH, GERMANY
CHASING THE WRONG ORDERS FOR YEARS AT A TIME
druckpunkt Druckerei und Repro GmbH in Berlin, Germany, has made a name for itself as a full-service provider primarily inthe execution of complex orders. In 2005, it made a turnover of 4.6 million US dollars (3.5 m. euros). Using the Prinect workflowsystem, the company of 35 employees has systematically eliminated idle time on its presses as well as unprofitable orders, atthe same time as building up a profitable finishing side.
Advantages and annual savings:
■ Cost savings of US $835,000 (636,000 €) due to systematic
introduction of automated workflow, faster order processing and
conversion from half sheet film output to full sheet CtP imaging;
and with this a reduction in employee numbers from 13 to three
in prepress.
■ Cost savings of US $92,000 (70,000 €) due to order processing staff
being able to manage transfer to production 15 minutes faster.
■ Cost savings of US $239,000 (182,000 €) due to automatic
recalculation and documentation of additional services which can
then be calculated in.
■ Reduced material costs due to optimum presetting.
■ Systematic elimination of idle times on the presses due to greater
speed and flexibility in prepress.
■ Cost savings of US $374,200 (285,000 €) due to reduced
set-up times.
■ Cost savings of US $80,100 (61,000 €) due to information always
being available at the push of a button, for example, for manage-
ment decisions.
Machinery equipment and Prinect integration solution
at the time the analysis was conducted:
MIS: Prinance
Prepress: Prinect Printready System, Prinect Remote Access and
Prosetter 102
Printroom: Prinect Prepress Interface, Prinect Image Control, Prinect
Press Reporting, Speedmaster CD 102-5 LX and Speedmaster CD 74-5 LX
(both with Prinect CP2000 Center)
Finishing: Prinect FCS 100, Polar Mohr, Polar 115 XT, Stahlfolder
KH-78 and Stitchmaster ST 350
the company to find things out, nor does he need to draft reports by
hand. These are automatically available now on a daily basis based
on cost analyses – an important instrument for further honing of the
processes. “Total production data acquisition from all areas of the
business means that I now have much better information on which
to base company decisions – and this is an advantage that it is difficult
to put any specific figure to. To my own surprise I found out that for
years I had been taking on orders that I thought were very profitable,
and now I find that they were in reality loss-making. Now I carefully
target order acquisition and know exactly which order is the right
one for us,” emphasizes Haker. ■
In the last four years at Beineke Dickmanns the number of jobs
accepted per year has doubled, and the amount of quotations has
risen by a factor of four. In this growth environment, incomplete-
ly prepared or, indeed, incorrect data used to result in a large
number of revision loops and proofing stages. As a result, prepress
became the bottleneck for production in general, and this then would
lead to insufficient capacity utilization of the presses.
DRUCKHAUS BEINEKE DICKMANNS GMBH, GERMANY
SIMPLE WORKFLOW, TWICE THE THROUGHPUT
As a complete service provider, Druckhaus Beineke Dickmanns GmbH covers the full range of services from prepress through to stockholding of finished products for its customers. Even in times that have proved difficult throughout the world, the signs at Beineke Dickmanns have pointed to expansion. The Heidelberg Internet portal for the purchase of print items, as well as the acquisition of another print shop initiated a veritable flood of orders. With the help of the Prinect Workflow system, the company has reduced its resourcing requirements for generating quotations, order acceptance and pre-production by around 50 percent. The printing company in Korschenbroich, Germany, employs 35 people, and in 2005 it achieved a turnoverof 6.9 million US dollars (5.2 m. euros).
“We wanted realtime information on all processes and system-
supported integration of our customers, leading to their accepting
responsibility for prompt supply of information and data of the
required quality. In addition, errors need to be discovered before
plate imaging, and there was a need for minimum effort and good
reliability in pref lighting of the PDF files from our customers. More-
over, automatic recalculation must be possible for each order, set-up
times minimized and, above all, there should be the capacity to make
quick adjustment to changes in the production schedule,” is how
Managing Director Uli Beineke formulates his objectives for the
investment in the Prinect Workf low system. These objective were
then implemented with the help of the Heidelberg experts.
Automated prepress workflow. Today every job is created in the
Prinect Prinance industry software and is therefore automatically
available in the media database and in the Prinect Printready System
prepress workf low. The print data is transmitted by the customer
online via the “Remote Access” Printready option. Printready stan-
dardizes and checks the data and creates a so-called “preflight report,”
where the customer can find the revised print data. The data for the
revision or approval are available to the customer either in PDF form
or as a ripped bitmap. Communication with the customer for approval
on the basis of a true-color digital proof is by email and is largely au-
tomated. Many manual stages such as the creation and distribution
of hard copy are done away with. Via the linking of the prepress and
the printroom to the industry software, all data for repeat orders
or recalculation is available once the order is completed.
Direct Access. Via Direct Access (in Germany and Austria –
“Web.Connect”) customers can look at the stocks of their print prod-
ucts via the Internet and initiate execution of them. The platform
structures customer enquiries in such a manner that, for instance,
all information for a costing is available. – “This has allowed us to
reduce the time and effort spent on creating a quotation by around
50 percent. This efficient procedure has meant that we have increas-
ingly played the role of the consultant to our customers. Instead of
asking us how much a given job will cost, customers today come to
us with a specific budget and ask ‘What do I get for this amount?’”
concludes Managing Director Beineke. ■
Heidelberg News • Opportunities
52 • Issue 260 • 2007
Advantages and annual savings:
■ Reduction in costs for the approval process of US $90,860
(69,000 €).
■ Halving of the time required for the creation of a job by down to
five minutes using the industry software.
■ Increase in throughput by 100 % with the same number of employees.
■ Cost saving of US $144,870 (110,000 €) by involving the customers
via Remote Access and Direct Access; this results from reduced use
of resources in sales and job processing – for instance, in calculation
and order follow-up.
■ Automated recalculation allowed for additional services of
US $98,783 (75,000 €) to be provided.
■ Increase in company turnover of 3,687,209 US $ (2,800,000 €)
achieved, at the same time as keeping the same staffing levels
in prepress.
■ Considerable reduction in set-up times.
■ Transparency: A printer can have a print plate re-imaged on the
CtP from the press controller.
■ 90 percent of all jobs are produced exactly as calculated in Prinect
Prinance due to improved quality of the job tickets.
Machinery equipment and Prinect integration solution
at the time the analysis was conducted:
MIS: Prinance and Direct Access
Prepress: Heidelberg Prinect Printready System including Prinect
Remote Access, Heidelberg Prinect Signa Station, Heidelberg Prinect
MetaDimension
Printroom: Heidelberg Prinect Prepress Interface, Heidelberg
Speedmaster 102-5, Heidelberg Speedmaster 52-5, Heidelberg
Speedmaster SM 52-2
Finishing: Cutters, small equipment
ROIOne-off investment sum:
US $276,082 (209,550 €)Printready, Remote Access, Direct Access, Prinance,internal expenditure (training)
Cumulative annual costs (2005–2009):
US $1,922,977 (1,459,550 €)IT management, updates and higher labor costsdue to increase in orders
Cumulative annual savings (2005–2009):
US $4,173,616 (3,167,395 €)reduced order and labor costs, improved job trackingand order and production management
Net value of the workflow investments for the periodunder consideration – 2005 to 2009 – (adjusted tothe recovery period):
US $1,865,701 (1,415,895 €)
675.68%Cost/benefit ratio
53
Opportunities
Druckhaus Beineke Dickmanns GmbHIm Hasseldamm 6, 41352 Korschenbroich, GermanyTel.: +49-(0)-21 31-94 17-0, Fax: +49-(0)-21 31-94 17-31E-mail: [email protected], www.das-druckhaus.de
Managing Director Uli Beineke achievestwice the throughput with Prinect.
54 • Issue 260 • 2007
Managing Director Ralf Bieringproduces in color much fasterwith Prinect Color Solutions.
ROIOne-off investment sum:
US $332,231 (251,560 €)Prinect Image Control and Update, Calibration andProfile Toolbox (including of installation and training),Prinect Color Management Services, Color Assistant(including of installation and training on fourmachines), other in-house investments
Cumulative annual costs (2003–2007):
US $453,502 (343,160 €)process calibration, reduction in make ready timesand color management
Cumulative annual savings (2003–2007):
US $13,917,584 (10,531,323 €)calibration, reduction in make ready times and color management
Net value of the workflow investments for the period2003 to 2007 (adjusted to the recovery period):
US $10,954,363 (8,289,218 €)
3,295.13%Cost/benefit ratio
Mediahaus Biering GmbHFreisinger Landstraße 21, 80939 Munich, GermanyTel.: +49-(0)-89-3 23 52-0, Fax: +49-(0)-89-3 23 52-126www.biering.de
Heidelberg News • Opportunities
Before printing starts, a lot of our customers require a test
chart, where the spot colors must correspond to ISO Standard
12647-2 as well as the offset process standard – and this for
different screen values and screen designs,” explains Man-
aging Director Ralf Biering. Before the introduction of Prinect Color
Solutions, the test chart had to be available to the customer along with
the most important print data as an extract from an Excel file. The
measurement and settings needed for that used to be performed
exclusively by hand – and were correspondingly time-intensive.
Automatic test chart & tailored color standards. To achieve the
high quality targets in a cost-effective manner, Mediahaus Biering
set up color management throughout. First there was consolidation
around a single ink manufacturer and ink type. Today, the ink is
obtained centrally from the ink store for all printing presses, and the
same additives are used throughout the company. In addition, parame-
ters such as dampening agents, blankets, printing plates and the tem-
perature of dampening agents and inking system were standardized.
On top of that, workflow components from Prinect Color Solutions
were integrated from prepress and printing into a bi-directional regu-
lating circuit. Intercommunication between these components leads
to a true-color match of proof and print – an important factor in
standardization. So-called MiniSpots, color checking elements that
are printed on the print sheet at the same time, as well as the Image
Control quality measurement and regulation system, supply infor-
mation about the color space and the increase in tonal value on the
print sheet. A click of the mouse is enough to access the results of this
measurement. The time needed to create a test chart has thus been
reduced by around 50 percent. Using the measurement data, the
Heidelberg computer-to-plate systems can be automatically recalibrat-
ed and long-term analyses can be generated via quality parameters.
“For some customers we have been able to define considerably more
stringent quality standards than those provided by the ISO standard.
Access to these parameters and checking compliance with them is
quick and reliable,” explains Biering.
“The data from the prepress area has been adapted in such a way
that it can be used for optimum color presetting of the press, and
this shortens the set-up times,” says Ralf Biering. A special database
in the Prinect CP2000 Center machine control system allows charac-
teristic curves to be saved, which are adapted to a very wide range of
MEDIAHAUS BIERING GMBH, MUNICH, GERMANY
INKING UP MUCH FASTER
Concentrating on high-quality products is the basis for the business success of the Mediahaus Biering GmbH in Munich,Germany. As a result, the family business, with around 140 employees and an annual turnover of 26.9 million US dollars(20.4 m. euros) in 2005, has introduced the full range of Prinect Color Solutions. This puts it in a position to deal withexclusive print products that meet the very highest quality standards considerably faster than its competitors.
production parameters. This means that even challenging jobs such
as fine art catalogs quickly enter production. “Often we reach 95
percent color specification by simply powering up the press. Even
for specialists like ourselves, from a visual angle there are next to no
differences that are noticeable any more. On catalog orders, for
instance, we only proof a very few pages. The rest are perfect, as later
checks always reveal,” explains Biering with satisfaction.
Overall, set-up times, proofs and paper waste have been reduced
on average by half at the Munich company. “Today we can print an
order on several presses at once without any differences in quality.
The printing results and set-up times that we can achieve today
would have been inconceivable even just four years ago,” concludes
Managing Director Ralf Biering. ■
Advantages and annual savings:
■ Annual US $2.9 million (2.2 m. €) of cost savings due
to reduction in paper waste and reduced set-up times.
■ Additional turnover of US $713,000 (540,000 €) due to further
enhancement of reputation as top quality provider.
■ Clear increase in production reliability in all areas and for all
employees.
■ 50 percent less time needed when setting up tailored customer
standards (instead of a whole day, a half a day is enough).
■ No proofing any more thanks to agreed upon customer standards.
Machinery equipment and Prinect integration solution
at the time the analysis was conducted:
Prinect Color Solutions (Prinect Prepress Interface, Prinect Image
Control, Prinect Calibration Toolbox, Prinect Profile Toolbox with
Quality Monitor)
Prepress: Prinect Printready System, Prinect Signa Station, Prinect
Meta Dimension, Heidelberg Topsetter
Printroom: Prinect Prepress Interface, Prinect Image Control,
Speedmaster SM 102-10P, Speedmaster SM 102-8P, Speedmaster
XL 105-5+L and Speedmaster SM 52-5 (all Speedmasters equipped
with Prinect CP2000 Center)
Finishing: Polar Mohr cutters, Heidelberg Stahlfolder, Heidelberg
Stitchmaster, Kolbus adhesive binder
Opportunities
55
56 • Issue 260 • 2007
Heidelberg News • Perspectives
MUSEUM PLANTIN-MORETUS/PRENTENKABINETANTWERP, BELGIUM
Love Letter to the Printing Craft
The view from the fourth f loor of the Crown Plaza Hotel
in Antwerp is symbolic of this city’s call to fame: Day
after day, almost without break, heavy trucks stream
through the city over a six-lane freeway, coming from the
waterfront and heading north. Belgium’s second largest city is home
to one of the biggest container harbors on the European continent.
Seven million steel boxes are handled here yearly and the city’s streets
are witnessing a correspondingly high volume of traffic. Just a 15
minute taxi ride away from the hectic bustle of the container terminal,
one enters a time in which the term “globalization” wasn’t even an
idea – in which only scholars were familiar with the concept of a
“globe,” and when print material was as rare and precious as spices
from far away lands. Hidden behind the unimpressive facade at the
historical Vrijdagmarkt square awaits a gem – the jewel of printing
museums: The Museum Plantin-Moretus is without a doubt one of
the most beautiful and exciting of its kind worldwide.
Antwerp, then part of the southern Netherlands, was an important
trade center already 450 years ago during Christoffel Plantin’s times.
Roughly 31 miles (50 km) north of Brussels, the city was the largest
metropolis north of the Alps – even bigger than Paris – and served
as an important meeting point for artists and scholars, poets,
thinkers, scientists and theologians. Furthermore, Antwerp was an
economic center well-suited to offering immigrants their daily
bread and work already back then.
The born Frenchman from the Tours region, Christophe Plantin,
wasn’t the only one magically drawn by the city’s unique mix. “No
other city in the world offers more advantages to carrying out the
profession of my dreams,” the soon to be called “Christoffel” Plantin
wrote of his new home in a letter to Pope Gregory VIII. Plantin is by
trade a tanner – a profession without a trace of the academic or
intellectual. When he arrives in Antwerp with his wife (who’s also
French) in 1546 at roughly 26 years of age, he begins work initially
57
Perspectives
as a bookbinder, and a very successful one at that. But Plantin wants
more – much more. Early on he begins looking for contacts in the
intellectual circles and keeping company with humanists and scien-
tists. Historians attribute Plantin’s fast social ascent to his unique
mix of intelligence and ambition. The founding of his own small
publishing house with a connected print shop is most likely aided by
his environment: The time is ripe for someone like Plantin, who is
needed to print books and spread the ideas developing. The Antwerp
intelligentsia has the money and the craftsman Plantin the know-how
– or at least he can quickly acquire it.
After all, Christoffel Plantin is a man of many talents. In 1555, a
hundred years after Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of movable type,
Plantin founds his own publishing house and print shop. That same
year, one of the first books printed by him is released, “La Institutione
di una fanciulla nata nobilmente” – on the upbringing of young girls
from noble homes. Rapidly he expands the shop until it reaches
imperial proportions for the times, producing roughly 2,450 different
publications until his death in 1589. He thus averaged 72 prints per
year – a massive number for the time. A normal run consisted of ap-
proximately 1,000 to 1,250 copies, and works high in demand even
reached runs of up to 2,500 pieces. Plantin achieved the highest num-
ber of runs with his multipart Hebraic bible in 1566 – between 7,000
and 8,000 copies of the Pentateuch and 6,700 of Psalms and Proverbs.
Now Plantin’s customers have spread to include intellectu-
als and scholars across Europe, North Africa and the Near
East. Plantin will soon become the exclusive printer for
the Spanish King Philipp II, who at this time is reigning
over the Netherlands and therefore also Antwerp (which belongs
today to Belgium). Plantin’s ambitious productions with multiple
excellent works in the fields of humanism and science make him to
one of the main disseminators of western culture in the second half �
He was a tanner, bookbinder, printer, publisher and humanist. And he was interested in the sciences.
Christoffel Plantin.Thanks to his craftsmanship in printing, which he practiced from his workshop in Antwerp,
considered the first large-scale printing press worldwide, knowledge and philosophical ideas were spread across
the entire European continent and all the way into North Africa during the 16th century. His legacy was preserved to the
greatest extent possible and his former work and living space is today considered to be one of the world’s finest
printing museums: The Museum Plantin-Moretus/Prentenkabinet (“art cabinet”) was
named a UNESCO World Heritage Site two years ago.
58 • Issue 260 • 2007
Heidelberg News • Perspectives
of the 16th century. His main work is the Biblia Regia, a bible in five
languages, including Greek, Latin, and Aramaic, and is published in
eight monumental volumes.
On June 24, 1576 the Spanish merchant Martin Lopéz’s former
estate on Vrijdagmarkt square is added to Plantin’s business, which
is now internationally recognized under the name of “The Golden
Circle.” The print shop becomes the largest in Europe and is consid-
ered to be the first industrial print shop in history. In what is now
the museum complex, Plantin was running up to 20 printing presses,
as well as employing many typesetters, more than 30 printers, three
proof-readers and a number of salesclerks in the on-site bookshop.
During this time the print shop is more than just a manufacturing
site for books: Christoffel Plantin has made his publishing house to
a meeting place for important scientists and humanists, such as Justus
Lipsius, who was also living and working there on occasion.
Plantin hands over his business to his son-in-law, Jan Moretus,
while still alive; leading to the name of the museum “Plantin-
Moretus.” After Plantin’s death, the print shop becomes
important for the counter-reformation and later establishes
close ties to the famous painter Peter Paul Rubens, who also illustrates
books for them. The print shop remains in the family for 300 years.
The heirs care for and preserve the complex in keeping with Plantin’s
motto “Labore et Constantia,” “labor and constant effort,” and as a
result the complex becomes stunning over the course of the centuries.
Unperturbed by the developments taking place at the time, the
Moretus family clings to their traditions – and thus steers the unpar-
alleled establishment, as unwillingly as inescapably, towards its end.
The demand for hand-set prints is disappearing with the appearance
of the industrial revolution, and so Vrijdagmarkt square sees its last
book printed using the old technique in 1866. What remains is a trea-
sure chest of technical print artwork. Edward Moretus, the last owner,
sells the property to the city of Antwerp in 1876. Already soon there-
after, the building, which served simultaneously as both work and
living area for the Plantin and Moretus families, and which had
remained more or less the same since the 16th century, was opened
as a museum. From that time on, the museum has been lovingly
cared for by the museum’s curators and the city of Antwerp.
The Plantin-Moretus at the heart of Antwerp is the only pre-
served print shop from the Renaissance and Baroque era
and therefore a well-preserved witness to the city’s “Golden
Age.” The business and family archives are of particular
historical value and were added to the UNESCO “Memory of the
World” list already back in 2001. As of two years ago, the building
itself is also a World Heritage Site – and the only museum worldwide
with this distinction. The completely maintained publishing house,
including the living unit, officially ranks among the canons of world
culture, alongside the Palace of Versailles, the pyramids of Giza and
the Great Wall of China.
Whoever has an interest in printing will be thoroughly enchanted
by a visit to the Plantin-Moretus. The inner courtyard with its well-
aligned f lower beds, which seems to radiate the seclusion and calm
of the inner sanctum of a Cistercian monastery, leads to 34 different-
sized exhibition rooms spread out over two f loors. A number of these
rooms were once tiny homes, one of which was reserved for the
humanist Justus Lipsius for some time. The stunning patrician resi-
dence on the ground f loor displays artful furniture and carvings,
paintings, gold leather tapestries, sculptures and porcelain pieces.
On the walls one can even still find 19 paintings by Peter Paul
Rubens, which were hung and enjoyed already then by his friend
Balthasar Moretus, Christoffel Plantin’s grandson.
Located in the historic printing room, a particular gem in this rich-
ly significant brick complex, is the oldest preserved printing press
in the world – dating back to around 1600. It is possible, though not
proven, that the presses stem from Christoffel Plantin’s times or his
son-in-law Jan Moretus. Today, the machines, incomplete and long
out of order, can no longer be used for printing, but five printing
presses from the 17th and 18th centuries also contained within the
museum are still fully functional. To refresh your memory: While
modern printing presses are almost entirely automatic and can print
up to 18,000 multi-colored sheets per hour, at that time each sheet had
to be inserted into the printing frame by hand and even then could
only be printed in one color. Presses such as those on display in the
Plantin-Moretus today, were able to print around 1,250 double-sided
sheets for normal-sized books per day. This meant that a printer had
to carry out roughly 2,500 printing actions per day!
Also belonging to the museum is a typographical treasure
chest with countless metal letter types, 3,000 copper
plates, nearly 14,000 wood blocks used to illustrate the
books, as well as ten tons of unused lead letters in their
original packaging. The tools and pieces of equipment from the
world’s first large-scale print shop, as well as the residence, are but
a small part of the cultural jewels held in the Plantin-Moretus. To
properly view them takes hours, but to discover the rest you need
days, weeks, even months! The museum’s collection of almost 80,000
copper engravings from the 16th and 17th centuries (thus “Prenten-
kabinet” as part of its name) is also considered to be one of the most
distinguished in the world. The library, with its roughly 25,000 old
volumes, offers an almost complete overview of the print shop’s pro-
duction of books between the 16th and 19th centuries, not to mention
the valuable collection of manuscripts from seven centuries before.
The Biblia Polyglotta (1567-1572) in five languages, Abraham
Ortelius’ atlas Theatrum Orbis Terrarum from 1579, the Thesaurus
Teutoniae Linguae, the “Dictionary of Synonyms in the German Lan-
guages,” as well as the book of herbs by Rembert Dodoens, are among
the most important works. A slow stroll through the high-ceilinged
rooms, stacked from f loor to ceiling with old and valuable books,
books, and more books, quickly bestows a sense of awe and reverence. �
59
Perspectives
1 2 3
4 5
6 7 8
1. Rubens portrait of Jan Moretus I, Plantin’s son in law.2. Rubens’ drawings, copper plate and bookillustration print.3 & 6: The museum is host to roughly 80,000visitors per year – and the trend is rising.4 & 5: Guy Hutsebaut, curator of the typographiccollection, demonstrates how letters are produced.7. Quiet oasis in lively Antwerp: the museum’sinner courtyard.8. Francine de Nave, museum curator.
Picture on page 56: Christoffel Plantin madeAntwerp to a center of erudition known world-wide. The portrait stemming from sometimebetween 1613 and 1616 is one of the paintings by Peter Paul Rubens, who also illustrated booksfor Plantin and from whom a further 18 paintingsare on display in the museum.
60 • Issue 260 • 2007
Heidelberg News • Perspectives
Enclosed behind glass and exposed to a set constant temperature
and humidity is an original three-part Gutenberg bible, worthy of
the room to itself.
The Plantin-Moretus recorded some 84,342 visitors in 2006. “It
could be a bit more,” says the museum’s educator Odette Peterink,
“but we’re clearly not known well enough for that.” Since becoming
a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the summer of 2005, the museum’s
number of visitors increased by a fifth. The museum’s director,
Dr. Francine de Nave, comments happily, “We have more interna-
tional guests, including from Asia, and in particular from Japan and
China.” According to de Nave, tourists like to orient themselves on
distinctions and titles when planning their trips, “and the museum
is now included on the UNESCO website.” For the historian, who has
been working at the museum since 1976 and directing it since 1982,
UNESCO’s recognition was the icing on the cake. The bestowal of the
certificate made her very happy she confesses, smiling. “The build-
ing, the museum and its collection are now secured for the future,”
she explains – and it’s easy to see her relief, “The exhibition items
now have a long-term home here at Vrijdagmarkt square.”
Alife’s dream was realized for the 63-year-old Antwerp
native when the museum was awarded its UNESCO certifi-
cate in summer 2005. For nine long years she had fought
for its inclusion. The criteria are strict, very strict even,
and to this day no other museum has managed to make it onto the
list, for the building and the work of art which is the Plantin-Moretus.
Francine de Nave seems to be a piece of the museum’s artwork herself
– an amicable penetrating older lady with done-up silver hair, she
happily conceals the fact that she’s actually a baroness, saying it is
irrelevant and has nothing to do with the museum. Her stately,
medieval-looking desk stands in an equally stately and just as me-
dieval-looking room on the first f loor of the museum. By its impres-
sion, it could also be the “boss office” of Christoffel Plantin, aside from
the computer and f lat-screen monitor which are to be found there.
Outside on the room’s door stands in large letters “Conservator,” which
is exactly how she sees herself: as curator for the museum, its guard
and preserver, and spirit of the family Plantin-Moretus itself.
The day and age of a particular Johannes Gutenberg and
Christoffel Plantin are long gone and fully industrialized
processes have long replaced the classic handicraft of book
printing. Plantin’s largest run was 8,000 copies, while
today’s bestsellers a la Harry Potter are printed, bound, sold and read
by the millions. Nevertheless the printing branch hasn’t lost its fas-
cination for Francine de Nave. “Many people think computers are the
sole producers of books these days,” she says, “but they’re wrong.
Making good books is like music – you need a good balance of various
things. That is, and remains, an art. And as long as you can hold, open
and leaf through a book, this art will not die off.” Christoffel Plantin
would certainly be happy to hear that. ■
Facts & Figures
Museum Plantin-Moretus/PrentenkabinetVrijdagmarkt 22–232000 Antwerp BelgiumTel.: +32-(0)-3-221-14 50/51Fax: +32-(0)-3 221-14 71/83 E-mail: [email protected] www.museumplantinmoretus.be
Aesthetic highlights: the exquisite Renaissance facade and the geometric garden. Two printing presses, probably from the 16th century.Museum educator Odette Peterink with one of the museum’s 25,000 books. (from left)
Applying Linearization Curves Correctly
Tips & Tricks
AVOIDING GRADIENT FLAWS, PART II:
During imaging of printing plates there are two main causes of
gradient f laws. These are, on the one hand, loss of adjustment and
dirt in the imaging unit (see Part I, HN 259), and, on the other,
poorly calibrated linearization and color tone correction curves.
This data, stored in the RIP of a CtP system, is needed to achieve
the tone values in the print sheet that correspond to the standard
specifications for the relevant printing condition.
The problem with “linearization curves”
The purpose of linearization curves is often to reproduce a desired
tone value on a CtP plate, for instance to generate a 40 percent
swatch of the data set with exactly 40 percent on the plate.
Depending on the system configuration, what is needed first is to
enter a correction of up to ±7 percent. As a result of this correction,
it is not just on the plate that there is a shift in tone value, but in
printing as well. Next, a color tone correction is stored in the
RIP to compensate for the incorrect increase in tone value. In math-
ematical terms, the application of linearization and color tone
correction curves represents an addition or subtraction in relation
to the tone value (linearization) followed immediately by subtraction
or addition in the RIP (color tone correction). Since there could
easily be two different arithmetical operations performed in the RIP
for these two steps, in unfavorable but frequently occurring cases
this leads to rounding errors, resulting in gradient f laws. These
f laws are not detected during technical measurement evaluations
of the tone value swatches, as they rarely occur in step swatches
(for instance a progress wedge in 5 percent steps).
Investigations by Fogra indicate that linearization curves are
only useful in exceptional cases. This means that in an ideal case
the measurement results which reproduce the tone values on
the developed printing plate should be based on a mean value which
is derived from a statistically reliable number of measurements
(around ten measurement swatches on at least four printing
plates). In addition, the measurement results may only serve as a
basis for a “linearization curve” if a compensating function
“smoothes” the curve gradient of the measurement result as well.
Basic recommendations
■ Before applying linearization curves, check whether stable
production cannot be achieved by another route as well –
possibly via an adjustment.
■ Carry out a test with the Fogra CtP test chart and the two-
dimensional gradient swatches contained in that.
■ Always perform visual comparative checks of the two-dimen-
sional gradients on plates with and without linearization curve.
■ If the gradients in the two imaged plates are perfect, then there
should at least be a four-color check plot performed on initial
application, prior to the linearization curve being used for
production orders. ■
Facts & Figures
Ordering the Fogra CtP test chart
The Fogra CtP test chart can be ordered direct from Fogra (Magdalene Glatz, Tel. +49-(0)-89-4 31 82-160 or E-mail [email protected]) or via the online shop (www.fogra.org).
In collaboration with:
FOGRA Forschungsgesellschaft Druck e.V.Ulrich Schmitt, Quality Assurance ManagerStreitfeldstraße 1981673 MunichGermanyTel.: +49-(0)-89-431 82-0Fax: +49-(0)-89-431 82-100E-mail: [email protected]
61
Service
Two-dimensional fields are particularly important for linearization curves (see area outlined in red).
1st Prize: Trip to Heidelberg
Mahmoud Chagra, Imprimerie El Manara, Gabes, Tunisia2nd to 5th Prize: iPod
Ray Gilliland, Charisma Design & Print Ltd., Birmingham, Great BritainErico Moyzno Magnagi, Inca Editoriar Coop. T. Ltdo., Mendoza, ArgentinaMohammad Yassin, Basmann Service, Zarga, JordanMartin Manuel Campoverde Ramirez,Tarea Asoc. Grafica Educativa,Lima, Peru
Inline FinishingHave you recently taken a careful walk along the shelves of a supermarket and had a close look at how the products are
presented? There is an increasing tendency to use metallic and gloss effects, as well as full or spot coatings, to help to sell the
packaged product. Scented coatings are also being increasingly used – particularly in the production of calendars. But
it is not just visual appearance that is important. Their feel to the touch, as well as their protective effect and resistance to
abrasion – these are all additional advantages of coatings, which may be glossy or matte depending on the motif.
The modern generation of Heidelberg
presses offers a wide range of options
in terms of inline finishing. Printing
may be performed exclusively with conven-
tional inks and coatings, or by combining con-
ventional inks with primers and UV coatings,
or there may be straight UV printing, or using
a combination of hybrid inks and a UV coat-
ing. A popular solution in practice are double
coating units, for instance on the f lagship
Speedmaster CD 102 which in many compa-
nies has a f lexographic unit operating with
it upstream of the offset printing units.
The use of conventional inks and coatings
does offer quite a few advantages, particular-
ly in regard to costs. Inks and the machinery
equipment are relatively cost-effective and
process stability is high. Nevertheless, this
type of production has the disadvantage that
there is an extremely long drying time before
the print sheets can be finished. In addition,
high gloss effects cannot be achieved with
water-based coatings.
Heidelberg News • Service
For this reason, print shops are increas-
ingly turning to UV technology, where the
monomers and polymers contained in the
inks and coatings only take fractions of sec-
onds to harden due to irradiation with ultra-
violet light. In addition, UV coatings are su-
perior to all other types of coatings in terms
of their sheen and are therefore particularly
suited for printing products that require high
gloss effects. A UV coating can be applied
directly to UV inks and protects the product
with its high resistance to abrasion. In inline
production, however, special dryers with UV
lamps are needed. This is why Heidelberg
offers the relevant inline components for just
about all press models. These include units
and products specifically tested for UV print-
ing, such as a UV coating supply unit based
on a chamber doctor blade, UV resistant
washup devices, UV rollers or mixing rollers,
UV-adapted ink fountains and many others.
In addition, the option of drip-off coating,
available since drupa 2004, has been enjoying
Spotlight
62 • Issue 260 • 2007
6th to 10th Prize: XL 105 model
Alfred Mühlegg, Gewerbliche Schule Ravensburg, Ravensburg,GermanyBernice Neale, Neale Printers Ltd., Wellington, New ZealandAlain Geneston, Imprimerie des Deux-Ponts, Eybens, FranceNestor Romero López, Centro Industria Gráfica y Afines – Sena,Bogotá, ColombiaWahid Said Mohamed, Mukono Bookshop Printing & Publishing,Kampala, Uganda
Winners of the Reader’s Survey – HN 259
increasing popularity. Here, a special oil print
matte finish is applied to the required matte
surfaces of the print template. In the down-
stream coating unit, dispersion coating of the
entire area is applied using a high gloss ther-
mal coating. The effect is that the high gloss
thermal coating drips off at just those places
where there is matte coating (this is the “drip-
off ” effect) and the matte effect is retained.
This makes drip-off an ideal application for
commercial printers in particular, as well as
in packaging and label production, where ac-
centuation of the print items by means of
matte and glossy effects is required.
Heidelberg has thus responded to the in-
creasing popularity of inline finishing in
printing and as a result offers the right solu-
tion for each requirement. And it has man-
aged this from the smallest format class up
to the largest, and from traditional four-color
presses to the long perfecting presses with
six, eight or even more colors, with or with-
out perfecting. ■
63
Cyprien Dossou, Abidjan, Ivory Coast: I have fallen in love
with the articles because they help me in my position as head
of a print shop. My biggest wish: The Heidelberg News should
be issued monthly!
Benjamin Stotte, Hanover, Germany: A round of applause!
I would be interested in hearing more about the careers of
today’s executives as well as former printing technicians.
Wahid Said Mohamed, Kampala, Uganda: Heidelberg News
is a perfect magazine for the people of Africa. It shows that
most successful printers start with humble beginnings,
determination and hard work. We can do it also.
Svend Andersen, Auckland, New Zealand: It is very inter-
esting to see the whole world of printing as opposed to one’s
own little business. The articles are fascinating.
Roberto Aníbal Boagado Britez, Asuncion, Paraguay: An
excellent magazine. Please include more articles about security
printing and small family businesses.
Steven Pawlik, Country Club Hills (IL), USA: I’d like to see
the “Tips and Tricks” section expanded. Very informative!
Michel Aris Tavitian, Sanary-sur-Mer, France: Both the
high quality of the articles and layout, as well as the technical
suggestions, inspires us to aim for excellence. The Heidelberg
News helps us in this endeavour.
Anil Aggarwal, Punjab, India: Excellent, but more information
on innovation is needed.
Maria J. Laborda, Barcelona, Spain: The impeccable design
and well-balanced assortment of topics make the Heidelberg
News an utterly attractive and interesting magazine that’s not
just informative but awakens curiosity as well.
Luciano Palhares, Goiânia, Brazil: The Heidelberg News offers
easy to understand reports on all aspects of the equipment
we use. For me, the magazine is the most important source of
information on the technical innovations from Heidelberg.
Prachak Chinsin, Bangkok, Thailand: I enjoy reading the
interesting stories and articles. Yes, I read every sentence.
Mohamed Mazen Kahwaji, Damascus, Syria: The Heidelberg
News is a wonderful magazine.
HN Voices
IMPRINT
© Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AGIssue 260, 2007
Internet: www.Heidelberg-News.comE-mail: [email protected]
Publisher
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AGKurfürsten-Anlage 52–6069115 HeidelbergGermanywww.heidelberg.comAdriana Nuneva, Senior Vice President – Global Marketing
Project Management
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Design and Production
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