New World

RESTON, Va.—The forecast for print is digital, and the outlook is bright! Digital presses, digital workflows and other digital applications are being installed today at a record pace in commercial print shops, educational institutions and government offices nationwide. And, with an estimated 54,000 digital presses expected to be sold between 2006 and 2011, the market for digital promises to remain strong for the foreseeable future. However, far less certain for the future is the assurance of a knowledgeable workforce, as graphic communications industry employers struggle to fill jobs with employees who are competent in this new technology. Responding to this challenge, representatives from the

Will combination presses boldly go where relatively few have gone before? by Jessica Millward, Associate Editor THOUGH COMBINATION PROCESS is now and will continue to be a strong contender in the package print market, that strength, at present, is concentrated in narrow-web applications, and configurations most commonly involving flexo/screen pairings. While machines outside this perimeter have been built, they are relatively rare. Here, suppliers summarize combo print possibilities for not-so-fully explored worlds. New World: Wider webs/CI formats Today's platform combo presses afford printers a considerable luxury: choice. The combo press's ability to print using different methods, in whatever order necessary, means the printer can