PM40010868 R10907 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to 4580 Dufferin St., Suite 404, Toronto ON M3H 5Y2

Simply more printing and less cleaning . . .Saphira Wash and Go for your Heidelberg!

1 800 363 4800

ZAC BOLAN

Inkjet and Commercial PrintingT

echnology has a funny way of mutat-ing while you are not looking andinkjet is a prime example of this. I last

wrote about inkjet technology over threeyears ago (PrintAction, October 2005)after spending a month working at theBurning Man Festival in a remote Nevadadesert. Today, the world is a much differ-ent place than it was back in ’05. For onething, Burning Man has grown into aprofessionally managed – brand-driven –entity with annual attendance topping50,000. Likewise, inkjet technology isstarting to veer from its path of special-ization in large-format display advertis-ing, outdoor signage and vehicle wraps(excluding mail marking, of course).

In three short years, inkjet somehow –perhaps pushed by marketing – has mor-phed into the Holy Grail of printingprocesses, taking over the ambiguous dig-ital press mantra from electrophoto-graphic, toner-based machines. Theseoriginal digital-press labeled devices, asmost manufacturers will attest to, have notyet have as large an impact on the com-mercial printing space as originally fore-told. And so the future of inkjet must alsobe held in perspective, but clearly thistechnology has a distinct advantage overdigital electrophotographic brethren.

While it theoretically shares the samethe variable-printing advantage of toner-based systems, inkjet can also be adaptedto suit the different format needs em-powering offset processes. The ability toreach into different formats is clearly re-stricted by the drum designs of most

toner-based systems. As a result, toner-based systems will continue to fill an im-portant short-run need, while inkjetcarries much greater potential to disruptthe traditional offset market.

I was first introduced to this seriouspotential of inkjet moving toward main-stream in Chicago at Print 05 while tour-ing Agfa’s booth and taking in theBelgium company’s Dotrix press. Theinkjet architecture of this svelte andshiny-red machine was running variableinformation labels and floor laminatesand my mind reeled with possibilities ofwhat high-speed inkjet could accomplishin a commercial print space… eithersheetfed or web. On the booth, I askedGuy Fransen, Agfa’s digital press productmanager, about the potential futures forDotrix, and well remember his forecast:“I see a much larger presence for inkjetprinting technology in the future. My ex-pectation is that speed and resolution willincrease, and it will become more andmore of a threat to sheetfed offset print-ing.” I then followed with the obviousquestion – does Agfa have plans for sucha press?

Within the context of Print 05,Fransen’s reply was predictable – “If youhave a lot of markets to concentrate on,you don’t do a good job at anything. Ouraim at the moment is to excel at the in-dustrial inkjet applications. But you cansee for yourself what the technology is ca-pable of and there is always the possibil-ity that we could go into VDP documentprinting at some point in the future.”

Well, true to its word, Agfa has chosento lock its Dotrix technology onto thepackaging, label and flexo markets. Thecompany’s newest offering, the DotrixModular system, builds on the success ofthe company’s SPICE (Single Pass InkjetColour Engine) experience gained with its.factory product line. Agfa decided to uti-lize single-pass, piezoelectric, drop-on-demand inkjet technology for its press –and when you look at the performancemetrics, the reason is obvious… it’s faster.The new Dotrix press is capable of a stag-gering throughput of 907 m2/minute atwidths of up to 63 centimetres, accompa-nied by a host of modules enabling coat-ing, varnish and online connection tofinishing and slitters. But, from Agfa – stillno inkjet press for the commercial printer.

So, what’s it going to take forinkjet to crack commercial offsetLet’s face facts. The commercial offsetprinting market is becoming increasinglycompetitive. Businesses are looking forways to get that edge, but are often hesi-tant to gamble on new and unproventechnologies just to get ink on paper.Meanwhile, the typical print customer isdiversifying and is demanding more fromtheir print providers. They want a rock-bottom price at the offset quality they areaccustomed to, no matter what deviceyou use. There are a number of digitalpress choices, but what is the best option?While conventional offset will continueto play a leading role in the commercialprinting world for some time to come,

much of the marketplace is clearly driv-ing toward digital printing technology.

Evidence that digital print technology isa many splendored thing abounds withthe plethora of OEMs achieving varyingdegrees of market success with their digi-tal presses. Arguably, HP is the leader atthis point with its maturing Indigo tech-nology, while Fuji Xerox might counterthat its iGen behemoth is the leader of thedigital press pack. Meanwhile, back at theranch, Punch Graphics‘ Xeikon press con-tinues to quietly build market. All thesepresses are loosely based on electrophoto-graphic technology which simplifies nicelyto one word – toner, not inkjet!

Before I start expounding the potentialvirtues of inkjet for the offset world, a lit-tle clarification of the various digitalprinting technologies is in order. Forcommercial offset printers to understandthe direction of digital printing, it is im-portant to demystify the buzzwords.Some argue that digital printing itself isthe ultimate marketing gem, but we willuse this term here to differentiate theseprocesses from traditional offset printing.From my experience, I have found thatdigital printing can be broken down intofour principle groups, each with distinctbenefits and disadvantages.

16 • PRINTACTION • APRIL 2009

Above: Four potentially disruptive 30-inchinkjet presses will reach the printing marketby 2010, aimed at colour applications likenewspapers and book signature printing, including (clockwise from top left): Fujifilm’s720, HP’s Inkjet Web Press, Océ’s JetStream2800, and Kodak’s Stream.

www.gossinternational.com

We approach each project from a unique perspective. Yours.

The route to success is different for every printer and publisher. Choose the supplier

that values collaboration and the uniqueness of each project. And the one that can

customize precisely the right press, finishing and Lifetime Support solutions.

Find out more at www.gossinternational.com/MoreChoice

APRIL 2009 • PRINTACTION • 17

Laser printing (electrophotography)– from 1938 The favoured technology of sesquipedalians(look it up), electrophotographic is bestsimplified as the process used by laserprinters. At the risk of oversimplifying,the process involves fusing dry toner topaper with heat and perhaps pressure toform images. Laser printers are capable offairly good quality output at modest res-olutions that naturally scale with the priceof the output device, be it a small-formatprinter or heavy-duty digital press. Sup-plies and maintenance can be costly forthese machines, with most OEMs makingmore money from service and consum-ables than from the initial press sale – thegood ol’ click charge and seemingly bot-tomless contracts that revive every cou-ple of years to ensure your company hasthe latest upgrade. The generous applica-tion of pressure and heat during the im-aging process greatly narrows thesubstrate options, limiting such productsas adhesive-backed papers.

Thermal transfer – from the late 1940sInstead of toner, thermal transfer print-ing reproduces text and images by trans-ferring molten wax or resin to thesubstrate. While thermal transfer printersthemselves are quite inexpensive, theprinting process can be very expensivebecause the ribbons must be replacedafter each use. This seldom-used digitalprocess also can only be applied with alimited number of substrates. In my littleworld, dye sublimation printers fall underthis category.

Impact printers – from the dawn of time?Perhaps the broadest category of digitalprinting technology, impact printers spanthe gamut of low-end print devices liketypewriters, daisy-wheel printers anddot-matrix printers. Each is an exampleof an impact printer that forms charac-ters and images by striking a ribbon thatpresses against the print medium. Themost common digital application of thistechnology is the noisy little dot-matrixprinter still used by Buddy to print yourrental receipt at the video store for VHStapes. Thus, the reason for the enduringpopularity of this ancient technology –it’s cheap!

Inkjet printers – from 1867On the other hand, the ubiquitous inkjetprinter operates quietly using sophisti-cated printheads capable of intricate inkplacement without touching the medium.In additional to being a reliable and re-peatable method of achieving high-qual-ity output, inkjet printing is also versatileand cost-effective for short-run and spe-cialty applications. Inkjet printers may bethe drop-on-demand type, deflecting inkfrom nozzles as needed, or the continu-ous type, using a steady flow of ink.

Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) was the firstinkjet technology to take root, initiallyused in a medical recorder introduced bySeimens in 1951. For the print trivia buff:CIJ was first patented back in 1867 byLord Kelvin (the same engineer who cre-ated the Kelvin Scale of measuring ab-solute temperature). Acting like aminiature garden hose, pressurized CIJprintheads produce a steady stream of ink

droplets that are then electrostatically de-flected to produce shapes on the receiv-ing medium. CIJ technology is most oftenused in high-speed production to printon product surfaces or other media. Be-cause the ink is always flowing, the imageresolution can be challenging to control,which can limit the achievable quality.

Additionally, a complex ink-circulationsystem is necessary to maintain through-put. Most CIJ systems are based on 1- or2-colour architecture and target the prod-uct labeling, variable-data transactionalprinting (credit-card statements) andother high-duty-cycle applications. Think

of CIJ as industrial-strength inkjet. Somewell-known CIJ inkjet presses in thisgroup include Kodak’s Versamark systemsand the recently announced KodakStream wide format production digitalpress currently in beta and due to hit themarket sometime in 2010.

These days Drop-on-Demand (DOD)is shaping up to be the leading inkjettechnology with the vast majority ofinkjet press manufacturers. DOD print-heads only eject a single droplet of inkwhen activated. There are two distinctmethods of creating this single droplet:thermal inkjet DOD and piezoelectric

DOD. While the DOD principle ofsqueezing out an ink droplet is the same,each of these technologies takes a differ-ent approach to producing this droplet.Each technology has its proponents, andeach is especially suited to specific appli-cations and markets.

Thermal inkjet is the predominanttechnology used in desktop and proofinginkjet printers. This method utilizes asmall resistor within the printhead to cre-ate heat, then a vapour bubble formswhich pushes a controlled droplet of inkonto the substrate. Thermal’s small drop

Continued on page 30

30 • PRINTACTION • APRIL 2009

size and the high printhead operating fre-quency translates into tightly controlleddrop placement. This technology iswidely used in photo and proofing inkjetprinters from the desktop up to thegraphic-arts level. Leading adopters (in-cluding HP and Canon) have achievedsignificant financial success with thermalinkjet mainly because these printers areinexpensive to produce as well as beingeasy to use and maintain. However, theheat generated during printing generallymeans a short printhead life and limitsthermal printers to aqueous inks.

In contrast, piezoelectric DOD createsthe necessary pressure to produce the inkdroplet by passing an electric currentthrough a piezo-sensitive material, caus-ing it to change shape or size and force adroplet of ink out from the nozzle andonto the media. Because physical pressureis used instead of vapour to create thedroplet, piezoelectric inkjets are capableof working with a much wider variety ofinks (including UV curable ink) and re-ceiving substrates. Additionally, theseprintheads enable the use of inks with awider viscosity range and have the abilityto precisely control the droplet size andplacement making them well-suited forhigh quality at high-speed production ap-plications such as a digital press. Epsonutilizes piezo across its entire inkjet lineand many digital press manufacturers areadopting this technology.

Making a stink over inkThe next major inkjet variable is ink type,although usually this variable is typicallydependant on the printhead technology.Aqueous ink is probably best known by

the average inkjet consumer. HP built itsinkjet business on aqueous inks due totheir ability to produce very good imagequality. However, these inks tend to dryvery slowly and, depending on yourchoice of paper, can have problems pro-ducing sharp edges. Additionally, aqueousinks are not durable enough for outdoordisplay signage.

Oil-based ink is primarily used in in-dustrial applications such as packaging,labeling and boxes where the ink is fullyabsorbed into the substrate. Oil-based inkdroplets can be very small in size allow-ing for relatively high-resolution printing.However, care needs to be taken in dry-ing these inks and printheads are proneto clogging if not rigorously maintained.

Inexpensive solvent-based inks were allthe rage back in 2005 in the midst of thelarge-format inkjet boom and the push toproduce display advertising and vehicle-wrap printing. Not only were the inkscheaper but they could also be used onvirtually any substrate and did not re-quire any special treatment or laminationwhen used for outdoor display purposes.

However, the solvent-based inks‘ short-lived rise in popularly was soon coun-tered by environmental concerns createdby their high Volatile Organic Com-pounds (VOCs) content and the ensuingworkplace safety restrictions.

UV-curable ink, the up-and-comer atPrint 05, has since become the dominantplayer in the production inkjet world.These inks have the advantages of havingno VOCs and being significantly envi-ronmentally friendlier than oil-based orsolvent inks. In addition, these inks areeasy to use, exceptionally durable and canbe sprayed onto the widest variety of sub-strates, including rigid materials such asplastics, metal or wood. Overall, servicestatistics indicate the UV curable inkleads to reduced printhead maintenanceand lower cost of operation.

Making passes…The last key factor in this blossoming ma-trix of inkjet variables is the imagingmethod employed to produce the print.The choice is quite simple – either theprinthead moves or the paper moves. The

inkjet printing method most people arefamiliar with is multi-pass technology(the head moves). To see multi-pass atwork, simply watch your office inkjetprinter next time you print out a report.The paper remains stationary while theinkjet printhead moves back and forthacross the page laying down ink as itstitches the image together. The paperthen advances and the process repeats.This method is slow, but can produce ex-tremely high-quality, photo-grade out-put, making it the predominanttechnology for high-end proofing print-ers. On the other hand, the major con-cern of multi-pass, particularly incommercial print settings, is an ongoingbattle with banding.

Single-pass printing describes theprocess where the media moves under agroup of printheads that are fixed in a sta-tionary position. Very good image qual-ity can be produced with the single-passmethod at much higher speeds thanmulti-pass technology. A single station-ary printhead can be used for barcodes,numbering or variable information im-

printing on offset products, such as ad-dresses on newsletters. Wider areas areimaged with arrays of multiple print-heads working in unison. This is the onlymethod that will even come close tomatching the production throughput ofconventional printing presses, and there-fore the basis for most digital inkjetpresses.

Ladies and gentlemen, start your digital presses!If the pastiche of comic book futures hadcome to pass… 2009 would be a time offlying cars and 2-way wrist radios. In-stead, we are stuck with Segways,iPhones and something no futurist cor-rectly acknowledged the impact of – theInternet. As print struggles to redefine it-self in a challenging world, a handful ofOEM digital printing stalwarts are stub-bornly pushing ahead with their inkjetdigital press concepts.

Kodak, the champion of CIJ, is cur-rently in beta on its Stream digital inkjetpress, launched in concept form last Mayat drupa. The continous inkjet Stream

Zac Bolancontinued from page 17

Offset Printing – Analog

Digital Printing Electrophotographic

Impact

Thermal Transfer

Inkjet Continuous

Drop-On-Demand Thermal D.O.D.

Piezo Electric D.O.D.

Printing Technology

6-Colour Mitsubishi 40” w/AQ5-Colour Mitsubishi 40” w/Perfector4-Colour Heidelberg 25” w/AQCTP & Film OutputOver 25,000 sq ft facility 24/7 ProductionFull In-house Bindery and FinishingColour Posters, Brochures, Flyers, Books, Catalogues, Etc

Best deal on time on budget

T: 416-299-8568F: 416-299-3977

Prompt estimates

When you have deadlines to meet…

Trade Printing

1-866-719-3339

Fast turnaround & competitive trade pricing

E: bestdeal@on.aibn.com

www.bestdealgraphicsprinting.com

BROKER / ACCOUNT PROTECTED

Toll Free

20 Production Dr. Scarborough, Ontario M1H 2X8

NEW

ACCOUNT PROTECTEDBROKER /

D

TRADE PRINTING

SUPPLIES

APRIL 2009 • PRINTACTION • 31

specifications boast an impressive 2,500A4 pages per minute, utilizing a 66.0-cmwide web travelling at speeds rangingfrom 150 to 200 m2/minute. If thesespecifications make it to the final pro-duction model next year, then it is clearKodak has HP’s Inkjet Web Press and itsintended markets in their sights. Mean-while, Kodak is not playing down itsNexPress and Digimaster digital pressproduct lines, instead choosing to enterinto a distribution partnership withRicoh in the greater European region.

Similarly, HP’s big drupa announce-ment centred on the the first beta instal-lation of its digital inkjet press in O’NeilData Systems production facility. HP’sInkjet Web Press (not the snappiestmoniker) is squarely targeting the short-run newspaper and book publishingmarket. Compared to the Kodak Stream,this press differs with a 76.2-cm web ca-pability running at up to 122 m2/minute.The company’s Website claims this pressis capable of running up to 2,600 full-colour impressions per minute (I am as-suming A4), meaning this press is meantfor high-volume printing environmentsand is looking to gain market from tra-ditional offset bastions. Also at drupa,Fujifilm introduced its 720 inkjet webpress which will compete in this large-format sheet market. These machinesmight be the first real inkjet players totruly start eating into traditional offsetprocess markets.

Not content to sit quietly on the side-lines, Océ has just raised the bar with therecent announcement of its digital inkjetweb press, the Océ JetStream 2800printer – oddly, they do not call it a dig-ital press, but rather a “printer”. The 2800runs a little bit wider and faster than thecompetition (130 m2/minute) andpromises 2,632 A4 or 2,792 letter size perminute at 600 x 600 dpi, ranging frommonochrome up to full colour. Océ re-lies on single-pass piezoelectric DODtechnology utilizing aqueous inks toachieve this production plateau. Thecompany’s claim to fame is that thisprinter is seven percent faster than thecompetition, and Océ appears to beshooting for the same markets as Kodak,Fujifilm and HP in addition to the high-volume sheetfed market.

Newspaper business Building a digital inkjet press is a big job– the R&D resources required are sub-stantial and the development cycle islong. The four major inkjet web players(Kodak, HP, Fujifilm and Océ) have var-ied market experience, but all of their sys-tems are set to hit the stage by 2010. Theyspecify short-run newspapers and bookpublishing as potential target users oftheir technology. However, whether ornot this market even exists when thesepresses debut is a matter of great debate.Newspapers have been dropping like fliesin recent months – the last print editionof the venerable Seattle Post Intelligencerrolled off the presses recently to be re-placed with www.seattlepi.com, an onlinenewspaper produced by a fraction of theformer staff. Even the stalwart The NewYork Times, burdened by a billion-dollar-plus debt, is valiantly fending off Chapter11 proceedings as it seeks to reinvent it-self and perhaps the entire sector.

SIGNS

CEYCANPRINT SERVICES LTD.

SPECIALIZING IN NUMBERINGAND PERFORATION

NCR Crash Numbering, Ticket Numberingwith Blind Perf, Coupon Numbering

TEL: (416) 291-5915FAX: (416) 291-9014

WE ALSO DO: DIE CUTTING, FOIL STAMPING,EMBOSSING AND LETTERPRESS PRINTING

NUMBERING MACHINES

Business Forms Laser Cut Sheets

Continuous Forms & SnapsetsCheques & Security Documents

BrochuresPromotional Printing

Graphic Design & Prepress

992 Dillingham Road, Pickering, ON

Tel: 905-839-46571-888-257-2570

Fax: 905-839-7598

Ontario’s Business Forms Printerfor over 50 years

printing@sterlinglitho.com

Sterling ValueSterling Results

We are proud to be FSC Certified and an ISO 9001:2000 Company

Cert no. SGS-COC-005843

CA09/55188

BUSINESS FORMS

U.S.A.: MPO Box 793, Niagara Falls, NY 14302

110 Clara Street, Thorold, ON L2V 1K1incarepair@yahoo.comFax: (905) 227-6284

Numbering Machines & Letterpress Supplies

Free Estimates & Trouble Shooting

Contact Canada’s numbering and repair specialistRandy Yarwood877-387-0292Canada / U.S.A.

Continued on page 32

32 • PRINTACTION • APRIL 2009

Tel: 416.740.3388Toll-Free: 1.888.388.5538

CANADIANPRINTINGRESOURCESINC.

CANADIANPRINTINGRESOURCESINC.

CANADIANPRINTINGRESOURCESINC.

See our ad on page 30

sales@canadianprintingresources.com

TRADE PRINTING

BINDERY & FINISHING

• Cutting • Folding • Stitching • ShrinkWrapping • Mechanical Binding, Wire-O,Plastic-Coil • Automatic Round Corners

Call now for Free Quotation!

We also do Loop Stitching, Double Gate Folding,Padding, D-Tapping, Collating and Much More

City Graphic is dedicated to offer the lowestprice, 24/7 service with fast turnaround

Fax: 416.665.2223 • Email: cityGF@gmail.com400 Canarctic Drive, Toronto, ON M3J 2V3

416.665.2211 • 1.866.255.3015

City Graphic Finishers Inc.

Call Us Today!Tel 905-949-1428 Fax 905-949-87321951 Mattawa Avenue, Mississauga, Ontario L4X 1K8

www.envelopesunlimited.comsales@envelopesunlimited.com

• TRADE ONLYBrokers and printers protected

• 1-4 colour process • 500 to 5 million

• Overnight and weekend serviceNO EXTRA CHARGE

ENVELOPES

ZOOM BINDERYWhen You Need It Fast

For All Bindery Needs Call:

Tel: 905.477.1220Fax: 905.477.1227

3400 14th Ave., Unit 6, Markham, ON L3R 0H8

Now in our 18th year

Fast, Free Pick-Up & Delivery(Truck shipping, with a minimum $150 order)

FoldingSet up charge (10,000 and under) $10.008.5 x 11 – 14 fold (letter/half) $5.00 per M8.5 x 11 – 14 fold (2 up) $4.00 per M/Each Side11 x 17 fold (letter/half) $5.00 per M11 x 17 (2 up) $4.00 per M

Set up charge (10,000 and under) $15.008.5 x 11 – 14 angle fold (letter/half) $8.00 per M11 x 17 angle fold (letter/half) $8.00 per M

CuttingBusiness Cards $4.00 per M (Min. $4.00)Straight Cuts $1.00 per cut (Min. $5.00)

Padding1-100 Pads $0.50 per pad (Min. $5.00)101-200 Pads $0.20 per pad 201-500 Pads $0.18 per pad 501-1,000 Pads $0.15 per pad 1,001 and up $0.13 per pad

DrillingSet up charge $10.00 $1.00 per hole/per 1,000

Perf/ScoreSet up charge $10.00 $10.00 per 1,000 (Min. $10.00)

Booklet Maker8-16 pgs (set up-$125.00) $25.00 per 1,00020-28 pgs (set up-$135.00) $30.00 per 1,00032-36 pgs (set up-$150.00) $35.00 per 1,000

TRADE BINDERIES

CIT Bindery & Finishing

Fast EstimationOpen 7 Days a Week

Tel: 416.850.0055Fax: 416.850.0057info@citbindery.com1050 McNicoll Ave., Unit 8

Toronto, ON, M1W 2L8

Die-cuttingHigh Speed Müller

Martini StitcherCutting • Folding

Drilling • Rotary ScoringShrink Wrapping

LaminatingPresentation Folders

Die-cutting andHigh Speed Stitching

is Our Specialty!

$100OFF*

When you place your firstorder of $500 or more.

*Offer expires June 30, 2009

Other newspapers are bound to followsuit as the traditional model of advertis-ing-based print news withers. One mightwant to point the finger at the currenteconomic situation as the impetus forthis decline, but the real culprit is theirpublishers’ inability to recognize andadapt to new digital and online businessmodels. In various marketing materials,HP suggests that its digital inkjet webpress could enable a newspaper to targetpremium advertising to specific readersand grow a publisher’s revenues with thevariable capability that inkjet offers. Inorder for that to happen, newspapersneed to take a good, hard look at theirbusiness models and make significantchanges to adapt to this remarkable dig-ital capability.

And, as for short-run book publishing,I have heard that Amazon’s Kindle e-bookreader is selling quite well! In response tothese challenges, Kodak, Fujifilm, HP andOcé will have to scour the high-volumemarket for other opportunities to fill thevoid left by the vaporization of the west-ern print media. Perhaps they will traintheir gaze on India where the print news-paper business is still growing at double-digit rates and many publishers are stillusing antiquated workflows andprocesses.

Back down on earthSo where does that leave the average com-mercial sheetfed printer as they wonderabout getting into a digital inkjet press?Well, if the volumes required for a web-offset press do not exist, these printers stillhave some interesting options. While thebig boys and girls have been courting thewide-format web world, Riso has been fo-cusing its attention on up-selling the high-end copier market to a digital inkjet press.Besides its well known toner-based print-ers, Riso also offers a high-speed digitalinkjet printer targeting the short-runcolour A4 market. Riso stops short of call-ing its HC5500 a digital press, but theycompany does lay claim to producing theworld’s fastest inkjet printer. The HC5500produces 120 pages per minute in fullcolour utilizing trademarked FORCEJETtechnology, which is just another way ofsaying a fixed array of 24 single-pass,piezoelectric DOD printheads. The Risoprinter also enjoys the advantages of asmall footprint, no special environmentalor power requirements and very lowpower consumption, all adding up toequal a low cost of ownership.

Instead of competing around periodi-cal printing with the four emerginginkjet giants, Riso has introduced a prac-tical, marketable digital inkjet press – inthe guise of a high-speed printer – thatcould fit the ROI of an offset shop look-ing to go digital for short-run and vari-able colour work. I expect other inkjetOEMs to follow as this business modelmatures. At this young stage of digitalpress evolution, moving into the digitalprint business in baby steps might makea lot of sense.

In the meantime, do your bit to keepperiodicals alive – go out and buy a news-paper!

Zac Bolan’s blog: blog.softcircus.com

Zac Bolancontinued from page 31