February 2001 Issue
Co-op Color
The color management process hinges on consistency and the interoperability of print job components. By Jessica Millward, Associate Editor Call it the ultimate communicator. Your typical color management system (CMS) is charged with translating the appearance of color from origination source to monitor to proof. And this is no rough translation. Nuance means everything in the realm of color—the difference between sun-ripened yellow and burnt orange. The ongoing evolution of printing from art to science has initiated the systemization of color management. The challenge for CMS originators now is to keep the lines of communication open between themselves, their customers, and even their competitors.
In for the Long Haul
Today's near-necessity of value-added coatings persuades more converters to embark on the in-line path. By Jessica Millward, Associate Editor For those in the know, coating and laminating are quickly becoming part of the basics of package printing. Today's sophisticated packaging has given birth to a dizzying array of coating/laminating combinations and capabilities, and the in-line process continues to reap the benefits. Applications are increasing across the print process board, in flexo, in offset, even in gravure. Of course, in-line is still best-suited for longer-run work. Though Matt Tielkemeier, Dri-Tec's VP/GM, notes in-line's potential for short runs will grow with the development of robotic
No Boom Boxes (Carton Converter Profiles)
Though some negative factors are afoot, carton converters continue to eke out profits. by Susan Friedman, Editor The slowing economy, coupled with board price pressures and rising energy costs, have prompted many bigger players in the folding carton market--Caraustar, International Paper, and Mead among them--to issue decreased end-of-2000 earnings projections in recent months. In December, Mead revised its fourth quarter earnings estimates for its paper and containerboard businesses due in part to unfavorable pricing conditions, and announced its Packaging Division had been negatively affected by soft market conditions and weak foreign currency. International Paper's revised projections announcement cited energy costs, particularly natural gas
Paper Rests its Case
Suppliers report on the most sought-after paper materials, and the high-profile, high-demand label jobs they're landing. By Jessica Millward, Associate Editor Though it is the big daddy of label production substrates, paper's capacity for surprises is sometimes overlooked. Films and foils may generate more headlines, but, as the development of smart labels alone illustrates (see below), paper materials certainly have a few tricks up the sleeve. Case #1: Disappearing act Avery Dennison, through its Fasson Roll North America division, set out to construct a label specifically meant not to last. Business Manager, Specialty Division John Mehrige says the company recognized the virtue in
Reader's "Die"-gest
IADD members from the die manufacturing and converting camps see similar opportunities and challenges ahead. By Susan Friedman, Editor Talk about an industry with a bunch of one-track minds. A new diecutting/diemaking industry survey, jointly developed by the International Association of Diecutting and Diemaking (IADD) and packagePRINTING, reveals diemakers and converters hold largely unanimous opinions on the current business climate. Diemaker and converter respondents from the label, flexible packaging, folding carton, and corrugated market segments see bright spots on the immediate business horizon, punctuated with a relentless need for increased production efficiencies and a strong loyalty to existing diemaking arrangements and operations. An edge
