Printers discussed metrics and transition costs when considering a change in plates

Lexington, Kentucky USA -- WhatTheyThink reported that interested industry professionals attended a free printing industry educational webinar. Productivity & Profitability: How Choosing the Right Printing Plates Can Make a Difference. The session was led by WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne and held on February 23rd, 2011.

Free access to the webinar archive is available at the webinar archive page.

“Our panelists were very thorough in reviewing all aspects of the effect cost and performance of printing plates have on their operations,” said Sherburne. “There are many other metrics to consider other than run lengths and cost per plate.  These experienced printing executives shared their experiences with the transition costs of making a change versus the impact of a change on prepress and pressroom productivity, giving an end-to-end view of the impact of plates on overall productivity and profitability.”

Sherburne was joined by:

• Dean Mills, Plant Operations Director, Allen Press. Headquartered in Lawrence KS, Allen Press provides integrated services for scholarly journal and special-interest publication production.
• Jeff Hernandez, Vice President, Classic Color. Located in suburban Chicago, Classic Color began as a prepress company but has evolved into a visual communications company with significant investments in digital workflows and printing equipment.
• Todd Smith, Quality Director, Rose City Printing & Packaging. With operations in Vancouver WA and Gresham OR, RCPP is a mid-sized printer and converter with annual sales in excess of $37 million.

“Even though we are beginning to see signs of economic recovery,” said Randy Davidson, President, WhatTheyThink, “printing firms must still ensure that every dollar they spend ultimately results in either revenue generation or a positive bottom line impact. Sessions such as these highlight areas of focus that can help printers better manage financial performance.  We are pleased the Fujifilm is sponsoring this event, allowing us to offer this important educational session to attendees at no cost.”

About Fujifilm

FUJIFILM North America Corporation, a marketing subsidiary of FUJIFILM Corporation, consists of five operating divisions and one subsidiary company. The Imaging Division sells consumer and commercial photographic products and services including film, one-time-use cameras, online photo services and fulfillment, digital printing equipment and service. The Electronic Imaging Division markets consumer digital cameras. The Motion Picture Division provides motion picture film, and the Graphic Systems Division supplies products and services to the printing industry. The Optical Devices Division provides binoculars, and optical lenses for closed circuit television, videography, cinematography, broadcast and industrial markets. FUJIFILM Canada Inc. markets a range of Fujifilm products and services. For more information, please visit www.fujifilm.com/northamerica, or go to www.twitter.com/fujifilmus to follow Fujifilm on Twitter. To receive news and information direct from Fujifilm via RSS, subscribe at www.fujifilmusa.com/rss.

FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, brings continuous innovation and leading-edge products to a broad spectrum of industries, including electronic imaging, digital printing equipment, medical systems, life sciences, graphic arts, flat panel display materials, and office products, based on a vast portfolio of digital, optical, fine chemical and thin film coating technologies. The company was among the top 20 companies around the world granted U.S. patents in 2009, and in the year ended March 31, 2010, had global revenues of $23.5 billion. Fujifilm is committed to environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship. For more information, please visit www.fujifilmholdings.com.

About WhatTheyThink

WhatTheyThink is the printing and publishing industry's leading media organization; offering a wide range of publications delivering unbiased, real-time market intelligence, industry news, economic and trend analysis, peer-to-peer communication, and special reports on emerging technology and critical events. WhatTheyThink also hosts webinars and live events as well as providing content through a syndication program, which delivers content directly to related websites.