Rochester Institute of Technology, world-renowned as a leader in print and graphic media education, takes a major step toward adding the very latest technology in the printing industry. On Tuesday, Dec. 4, RIT breaks ground for an 11,000 square-foot facility that will house a new Sunday 2000 commercial web press, made possible through the university’s partnership with Heidelberg. A ceremony marking the occasion begins at 2:30 p.m. along the northern side of the Louise M. Slaughter Building on RIT’s Henrietta campus. This September, Heidelberg announced its initiative to make their latest web press available to faculty and students in RIT’s print and graphic media program. The Sunday 2000 will replace an M-1000 web press donated in 1986. The new press, valued on the market at between $7 and $10 million, will join a long list of advanced Heidelberg technology already in use at RIT. In addition to educational opportunities for students and the industry, RIT conducts extensive applied research on campus for web offset printers and suppliers. The university’s Printing Applications Laboratory (PAL) will be a primary beneficiary of the new press. PAL offers crucial guidance to industry managers seeking more efficient methods of operation, including the integration of electronic with traditional printing.