(The following report was prepared by Toronto 500M school director Jorge Galveias from his visit to the Drupa 2000 printing show in Dusseldorf, Germany.)

Drupa 2000 photo

Photos provided by Drupa 2000 illustrate the many facets of the huge exhibit that showed the wares of 1,900 vendors. More than 400,000 persons visited the huge two-week show in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Profound changes are occurring in the printing industry with the proliferation of electronic data processing in the production process.

Drupa (which took place between May 18 and 31) was a two-week extravaganza of flash, dazzle, and new technologies on a global scale, with 1,900 vendors, 2.5 million square feet, and 400,000 plus visitors.

One could best describe this Drupa as a packaging, printing, and on-demand digital printing show.

It has been predicted that by the year 2005, the share of paper documents will diminish to as little as 30 percent, which increases the potential of packaging as a promotional vehicle. This is evident in the number of flexo presses displayed and the fact that offset press manufacturers are developing and manufacturing flexo presses for the packaging industry.

They have also, of course, developed the latest DI (direct imaging) presses of all sizes and configurations to meet the on-demand printing market and the direct marketing campaigns with personalized material which is best carried out with digital printing technologies.

Electronic paper that looks and feels almost like conventional sheets will soon be available. By moving an electrically charged device over its surface refreshes the information that can be seen on it. It all started with e-information to e-commerce and now, e-production.

The digital electronic pre-press systems and applications, color management, workflow, computer-to-plate (CTP) that were introduced at previous Drupa shows, have come of age at Drupa 2000. The addition of violet imaging laser from DVD technology to CTP edges this process toward CTP while using conventional UV plates.

Integration of technologies and processes both to press and finishing was evident at every turn. In all 18 (exhibition) halls, someone, somewhere had a machine/device or integrated method that streamlines production, reduces steps, increases productivity and reduces costs in the pre-press, press and finishing areas.

Digitally integrated sheetfed presses image directly on aluminum plates and are digitally color corrected. Color adjustments are made from the file itself; the operator has no fountain keys on the press for making zonal adjustments. Furthermore, registration and print lengths are adjusted by stretching the digital data itself, to compensate for paper stretch.

Presses as we know them are no longer just for printing. They have been transformed to die-cut, coat, laminate, hot foil, and emboss. Anything that can be pile fed and pile delivered has now been done on these new presses. Sheetfed perfecting press units are now stacked, as opposed to in line.

On the web offset side, MAN Roland's DICOweb (Digital Change Over) pathless short run press, consists of three steps: de-imaging the previous job, imaging directly onto the steel surface of the upper and lower plate cylinders, and blanket-to-blanket printing. (This was most definitely one of the highlights of the show.)

Web/roll fed press integration was demonstrated where presses were no longer "offset" or "flexo" or even "gravure." Instead, these processes have been blended, offset with flexo, offset with silk screen, flexo with silk screen. Any combination is attainable due to the new technologies in "sleeve" insertion. It started with the now common blanket sleeve. Today flexo plates are mounted with precise digital accuracy on a sleeve and inserted on the printing cylinder. And the same is true with gravure sleeves, while silk screen plates are available in cylindrical form with the squeegee in the center of the cylinder.

Web press manufacturers have raised speeds to a new high newspaper presses to 80,000 copies per hour and commercial presses to 55,000 copies per hour. One newspaper press manufacturer even displayed its ability of replacing two plates on one printing unit while the press ran at full tilt, 70,000 copies per hour.

Flexographic printing press manufacturers have adopted the CIC, now referred to as a central impression cylinder, which improves registration and allows for infinite variable repeat lengths.

How do you handle the products being delivered from these presses at these speeds? Introduce automated stackers, gathering drums and conveyer systems that deliver, collate, stack and deliver the printed signatures to bindery stitch-trimmer. Inserting, addressing and film wrapping is then done in one operation.

The high level of digital automation adopted in pre-press and press in now being introduced into the bindery. CIP3 (Consortium for the integration of pre-press, press and post-press workflow) allows for automatic format preset operation of folding machines, bulk stitchers, thread seal machines, adhesive binders, and other finishing devices. Computerized cutters are now high speed, with peripheral units such as loading, jogging, conveying/transporting, take-off. Labels can be cut, die-cut and banded all in line and automated.

As I have described above, the printing world is changing dramatically. Printing is being defined anew every day. Innovative technologies are revolutionizing the production process. We as individuals must take responsibility for our career development, knowing that it enables us as individuals to develop professionally. And in some cases, it may be the tool that enables us to stay employed. It is important that we work together to continue to produce craftsmen, to grow and to be competitive.