July 2, 2003 -- While more and more printers and publishers may be looking "beyond ink on paper" for growth opportunities, paper still occupies a central place in the industry, and new developments in paper and other printing substrates will be prominently on display at this fall's GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO 2003. The show, the largest in the Americas, will be held September 28 - October 1 at McCormick Place South in Chicago. More than 500 companies are expected to exhibit, filling about 360,000 square feet of display space. Leading vendors of paper stock will be prominent on the show floor, with displays by companies like Blue Ridge Paper Products, Fox River Paper Company, Mohawk Paper Mills, and e.paper.company. The GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO exhibit roster also includes many of the leading national and regional dealers of graphic arts equipment and supplies, who are ften prime sources of paper and other materials for printers. In addition, the major press manufacturers will be running live demo jobs on a wide variety of paper stocks, providing a practical laboratory in which show visitors can measure the effect of paper selection on finished jobs. Paper handling equipment, from web splicers to automated systems for delivering paper to the press, will also be a major component of the show. GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO will also showcase the many alternate printing substrates that are bringing such variety and impact to today's printing and packaging industries, from plastic films to textiles. The seminar program will also pay special attention to paper and its profound effect on job quality with a session on "Troubleshooting Paper Problems." "Paper has always accounted for a large portion of the cost of producing a print job, and in recent years it has also come to even greater prominence as a vehicle for creativity in print design and production," notes Regis J. Delmontagne, president of the Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC), the show's producer. "GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO offers industry professionals a prime opportunity to explore new products, find new sources, and expand their knowledge of this basic necessity." Additional details about GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO are available at www.graphexpo.com