Seattle, WA, March 23, 2001-Rainier Color, a renowned prepress house in Seattle and one of the Puget Sound's last independently owned printers, has formed a strategic alliance with Graphic Press in Los Angeles, one of the leading high-end commercial printers in Southern California, the companies announced jointly. "In an era of mergers and acquisitions throughout the printing industry, this alliance provides our companies with the ability to stay independent and greatly enhance the services we offer our customers," said John Castaldi, co-owner of Rainier Color. "What makes this relationship possible is the commitment both our companies share to bringing together the best and brightest people with the highest quality technology." Rainier Color recently completed a $4.2 million equipment upgrade and move to larger facilities, becoming one of the first printers in the country to fully integrate its digital prepress and printing capabilities. Graphic Press also has just moved to a 110,000-square-foot building in Southern California and installed high-end web, sheet-fed and prepress equipment. "The lineup of new Heidelberg equipment at Graphic Press includes our gapless technology Sunday 2000, considered by many to be the most advanced web press system available today," according to Heidelberg Web Systems vice president Mark Levin. "Printers that install the Sunday 2000 are clearly positioning themselves to provide their customers with the highest level of print quality, productivity and efficiency." Graphic Press recently installed two Heidelberg Sunday 2000s. With this strategic alliance, Rainier Color and Graphic Press are creating color standards and calibrating their presses so that the companies are able to work together and deliver equally high quality print products. "Our companies are technologically married," explained Castaldi. "Customers who have very large print jobs or require a fast turnaround-or who have special requirements such as UV coating-can feel confident that their projects will meet the high standards Rainier Color has always been known for. They also have the opportunity to work with one rep for virtually all their print jobs, which means a great deal to many of our customers."