CHICAGO, IL -- CHICAGO, IL - World events have certainly affected printers since September 11. With business anything but normal, the one constant since the Print '01 show is the continued dominance by A.B.Dick in the traditional offset press market. Having the ability to offer a top gun solution for the growing, short-run two-color market is why small and mid-sized printers are buying the new A.B.Dick QP25II press. Outstanding features are the rule with the QP25II. A unique "Constant Contact Register System" combines the advantages of direct feed with an impressive tight register system. This allows any operator full control over image position. There is also a newly designed second color head, a revolutionary micro-set ink fountain with increased capacities, a Varn Kompac II continuous dampener and a quick-set dual feeder system. These features are helping printers achieve greater success in their shops by improving productivity, cutting make-ready time, and reducing waste which directly impacts the bottom line. Two such examples are Thomas Lee Printing & Mailing in Erie, PA, and at LazerQuick in Albany, OR. These companies may do business on opposite ends of the country but their reasons for purchasing the QP25II were simple. When Scott Lee attended a local dealer showing in Erie hosted by the James B. Schwab Company, he knew he had found what he needed. "We are practically a whole A.B.Dick shop, but the QP25II was exactly what we needed in our goal to get to the next level," said Lee, whose namesake father started the printing and mailing operation in 1974. "The majority of our work is two-color, 14-inch by 20-inch or smaller," said Lee. "We were looking to replace our A.B.Dick 9850, which did an outstanding job since we bought it six years ago. We looked at Toko and some used equipment but A.B.Dick has improved its quality. After spending a couple of hours with the QP25II, we liked being able to adjust the image area. Improvements to the second head water system made a huge difference, too." Lee and his 17 employees rely on an A.B.Dick DPM2340 digital platemaker using 8 mil thick MegaPro polyester plates, and an A.B.Dick 9995 offset press to get the work done. They produce everything from direct mail brochures for national department stores, to newsletters, cards and envelopes for local companies and manufacturing groups. On the advice of Schwab sales representative Steve O'Dana, Lee is now realizing increased productivity from the 9995 press he bought in 1999. A true, two-color press with a two-tower system, it has performed exceptionally well. The QP25II is yielding similar productivity increases, reduced set-up times and less waste. "One of the reasons why we bought it is the respect we have for Steve. His company is right around the corner and they have always given us outstanding service," said Lee. "With our customer base, the type of work we do matches well with A.B.Dick equipment. But we did want to reduce our make-ready time and Steve said the QP25II would do it. We do a lot of spot two-color work. Making adjustments 'on the fly' dramatically cuts waste and make-ready time is sliced in half, so it makes us more productive and more profitable." Lee appreciates the easy operation of the Varn Kompac II continuous dampener system, and says the ink clean-up attachment with its 90-second ink roller clean up makes a big difference to the bottom line. "Cutting waste is everyone's goal. With this attachment, you wash up, go to make-ready and get one or two more jobs on press a day. There's your money." Michael O'Rourke's decision to buy the A.B.Dick QP25II was bottom line based, but a different feature caught his eye. He bought into LazerQuick, a national franchise, 10 years ago after working the previous five years at one of the organization's print shops in Portland. Quick turnaround is his specialty so when he got wind of the Constant Contact Register System, it wasn't long before the QP25II was installed. "We were fast to begin with, but now we're faster with the QP25II," said O'Rourke. "We do turnaround in 48 hours or less and the improvements in the register system really do make a difference. Having control over image positioning was important since we switch color and paper stock so often. The ink clean-up attachment is also much faster. All of these elements let us be more productive but the equipment is only as good as your service technicians. Chris Jensen and Tom Burley at A.B.Dick do a great job for us." O'Rourke has four employees to handle the one and two-color "basic business stuff" he gets from small and medium size companies in Albany, located south of Portland on Interstate 5. Stationery, letterhead, brochures and business cards dominate his run length workload of 250-2,000 pieces. He uses the QP25II with other A.B.Dick equipment such as a DPM2000 digital platemaker, a Century 3500 two-tower press, and one of the first 9850 offset presses ever made. "The DPM2000 works very well with the QP25II. I like the print quality of the screens. Since adding the QP25II, we went from adequate to very good in one day," said O'Rourke. A.B.Dick Company is a leading worldwide supplier to the graphic arts and printing industry, manufacturing and marketing equipment and supplies for all stages of document creation -- prepress, press and post-press -- as well as continuing service and support. For more information contact Scott MacKenzie, Vice President, Marketing, 7400 Caldwell Ave., Niles, IL. 60714. Telephone (847) 779-1900, fax (847) 647-6940, Web: www.abdick.com.