John Thome

Web inspection's ultimate aim is to eliminate waste. How can printers maximize a system's reject reduction potential? by Kate Tomlinson, Assistant Editor Given the chance, what package printer would not be interested in running its presses up to 50 percent faster, while reducing waste by up to 11 percent? According to a recent research survey of BST PRO MARK customers, the right video inspection systems make this possible, says John Thome, VP, marketing. "Sixty-five percent of the respondents said these systems allow them to significantly increase their press speeds," he says. "While the average customer said they were running about 20 percent faster, many

Are electronics the major factor in keeping webs in line? Or are other, more conventional options the answer? By Chris Bauer THE WORLD HAS gone digital. That statement has been beat to death, pushed down your throat, and probably gone in one ear and out the other countless numbers of times in the past few years, especially when it comes to printing equipment. Isn't there anything left that can be done without bits, bytes, or megs? Makes you wonder how we ever got anything accomplished before the "digital revolution." Simpler equipment designs still have a strong appeal. Many printing companies report experiencing difficulty in

Can the printing disciplines be ranked in order of UV usage? by Susan Friedman How easy is it to separate the UV leaders from the UV followers? On the surface, UV flexo has executed a clean swipe of the No.1 spot, right? Maybe so. But don't forget the longevity of UV screen and UV letterpress...two processes that confronted the unknowns of UV years ago and have been using it to their advantage ever since. And don't count out offset, which may be leaning on UV a bit more now to meet soaring quality goals, and gravure, which stands ready to employ UV if the

Sophistication across all levels of web inspection technology make it a manageable investment for package printers. By Susan Friedman Why buy a Mercedes when you can reliably, stylishly get from Point A to Point B in a Honda? The infusion of sophistication across all levels of web inspection technology makes this analogy ring true for many package printers' purchasing decisions. "The largest base for video web inspection technology will continue to be simple, inexpensive video systems for general web viewing, while new image-based technology is being developed to bring value-added features to more sophisticated web printing processes," observes Paul Burrows, product application engineer at