XEROX AND PRESSTEK AT DRUPA 2000 ALLIANCE BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Today's business climate demands that offset printers begin to incorporate digital solutions into their range of services. Customers expect better service, more choices, and all at a lower cost. Digital technology offers the best path for meeting these demands, and in an effort to assist in this transition, Presstek and Xerox joined forces earlier this year to develop a powerful set of solutions for linking the offset printer to the digital age.
The Xerox and Presstek alliance breaks the barrier in front of the enormous digital corporate market opportunity for many traditional offset print shops. And most importantly, by linking Presstek and Xerox technologies, print shops for the first time will be able to customize the highest-quality offset documents with variable data. What you see here at Hall 18, DRUPA 2000 is the bridge between the traditional offset press and the advantages of the digital world. Many printers feel under pressure to scrap large previous investments for digital solutions. The Presstek and Xerox team provides a solution for linking traditional offset printers with the advantages of the digital age by integrating the new components with their existing workflows.
With this relationship, it is no longer an all-or-nothing proposition. One does not have to write off investments in traditional offset printing technologies. Rather one has merely to tap the digital capabilities of offset printers and provide customers with the increased range of services that comes with the Xerox/Presstek digital set of solutions.
The Xerox and Presstek Relationship
Capitalizing on the opportunity to deliver new and improved products for the printing, publishing and graphic arts industries, Presstek and Xerox have combined their respective areas of expertise to develop an answer for integrating digital technology into the everyday "ink-on-paper" needs of traditional offset printers.
Presstek's President and Chief Executive Officer, Robert Hallman, explains, "We believe the proposed Xerox/Presstek alliance will provide a full spectrum solution to customer needs by providing Presstek's direct imaging (DI) offset printing capability from a Xerox workflow platform."
Frank Steenburgh, senior vice president and general manager, Xerox Graphic Arts Industry Business Unit adds, "We believe that in the long term, our toner-based digital presses will be complimentary to digital offset presses for a variety of applications. Our alliance with Presstek will help us to fulfill this vision."
The Products & Joint Applications
Presstek uses Xerox's DigiPathTM systems with Presstek's DI enabled line of digital offset presses to deliver "ink-on-paper" solutions for the graphic arts and related markets. Presstek and Xerox are focused on creating a seamless digital workflow between traditional offset presses and digital design agencies and the proofs. The advantages of the digital workflow paradigm include flawless color and simplified proofing.
Specifically, the strategic partnership between Xerox and Presstek exploits the common workflow and synergy between Xerox's Digipath system and Presstek's offset equipment including,
PAX DI Press System
Presstek Dimension 400 A2 Platesetter,
Presstek/Imation PEARL/hdp A2 Proofer
Xerox Senior Vice President and General Manager, Document Production Systems Business Unit, Gerhard Moll, said, "Printers are looking for ways to add value for their customers and to simplify their customers' processes for doing business with them. Xerox has provided this added value with DigiPath. Now, with the integration of DigiPath and the Presstek DI© enabled line of digital output devices, Xerox is once again adding significant value for printers and for their customers."
This set of Presstek and Xerox technologies provides a digital solution that encompasses design, proofing and printing. It reduces downtime between jobs and makes short-run, high-quality, customized documents on demand a reality.
Cooperation between Presstek and Xerox will not end with the sale of these technologies. Both companies plan to enter into agreements to provide joint customer training, servicing, installation and support for the combined technologies.
The Advantages of Combining Xerox and Presstek Technologies
At the heart of the alliance, this powerful combination delivers traditional print shops the ability to produce the highest-quality digital offset documents with variable data, allowing for the customization of documents. It's about integrating the best of both worlds, the high resolutions that only comes with offset printing and the variable capabilities from a digital workflow environment. With the Xerox/Presstek alliance, print shops will be able to meet end users expectations for both quality and customization, at speeds never before possible.
Also central to the alliance, print providers and their clients will be able to access complementary technologies that were previously isolated such as computer-to-plate, web, and Xerox' line of toner based products, including DocuTech, DocuPrint, and DocuColor. Advantages include the ability to:
Eliminate steps through automation;
Allow for the redirection of documents into different mediums;
Reduce costs;
Increase quality;
Make short runs economically viable;
Do away with expensive films and chemical waste;
Set new standards for ease of use;
Decrease turnaround time on projects;
Combination provides no compromise short-run digital offset printing.
Conclusion
By combining their respective technologies into an integrated solution, Presstek and Xerox are helping the graphic arts community make the transition to the digital age. These solutions make shorter press runs, rapid turnaround times, high-quality and low-cost digital offset printing a reality. They combine the customization that comes from variable digital data with the high quality and high production of offset printing.
The market demand for printed materials is not going away; it is just changing. Xerox and Presstek have created a bridge for today's print shop to offer their customers the improved product that comes from a digital environment. This set of solutions opens the door for many print shops to the previously out-of-reach corporate market.
With this alliance, Xerox and Presstek, two trusted leaders in the digital printing world, have created an option that decreases the financial and competitive pressure on the traditional print shop for making the jump to the digital age. This alliance proves that making the transition to the digital age does not have to be an all or nothing proposition.
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