Combo Printing's Final Frontiers

Such flexibility has historically been limited to under-24˝ webs, says Gallus Sales Manager Bob Yates, because of run speed concerns. For example, he says, "Combination process printing is not for wide-web flexible packaging, which a printer would want to run at higher speeds."

Another major factor in the development of wide-web combo presses is waste control. As Dick Chesnut, president of W.R. Chesnut Engineering points out, "Combination presses have a tendency to produce more start-up waste and running waste than conventional presses, particularly with offset and letterpress, where ink keys need to be individually adjusted for each color station." Because narrow-web presses are typically better at conserving waste, he concludes, combination applications have flourished there.