ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA (May 9, 2001) – The internal workings of graphic arts companies that are so vital to business success are detailed in the 2001 version of the Productivity Benchmarks: Sheetfed Printers' Production Characteristics report, issued by the Printing Industries of America (PIA), Incorporated. Compiled annually since 1996, the report "is a tool to facilitate the measuring and understanding of sheetfed printers’ productivity and benchmarking against peers," writes Steve Kodey of the PIA Economics and Research Department. By purchasing the report, graphic arts company executives are able to "compare their company's productivity to printers of similar size and equipment based on survey data covering run speeds, run lengths, waste and spoilage ratios, and other job characteristics." The report is organized into four distinct categories specific to sheetfed production: job profiles; run speed; make-ready and drying; waste and spoilage; and downtime. Findings in the most recent report indicate that color jobs virtually dominate very short press runs, taking up 50 percent of all jobs. For longer runs, color jobs occupy below a quarter percent of the time. Kodey writes in the report, "The most notable change from 1999 to 2000 is the percentage of jobs that are using process color. The number increased for each run-length category by an average of 5.7 percent. Both one color and spot color jobs bore the brunt of this change—printers reported lower percentages of one color jobs and sport color jobs for each run length." More detailed information is available by ordering the report, which was compiled through surveying sheetfed printers throughout the U.S. The survey questionnaire asked sheetfed printers to profile the typical printing jobs performed by their firms. Information collected included length of run, colors, job characteristics, impressions, and time allocations. Printers were also asked to provide information on their pressroom waste, spoilage, and chargeable and nonchargeable times. The 50-page softcover report is available to PIA/GATF members for $59, and $129 to non-members. Orders can be placed by contacting: PIA/GATF Orders PO Box 1020 Sewickley, PA 15143-1020 Phone (U.S. and Canada only): 800/662-3916 Phone (all other countries): 412/741-5733 Fax: 412/741-0609 Web Site: GAIN Bookstore ISBN: 0-88362-352-8