CHICAGO, October 10, 2004 – During a special ceremony at Graph Expo/Converting Expo 2004 in Chicago, Heidelberg will hand over the 10,000th Printmaster QM 46 press to Linda and Paul Ramirez, owners of the PIP Printing & Document Services center in Paramus, N.J. Heidelberg Chief Executive Bernhard Schreier is scheduled to present the owners with the new press and a certificate documenting the purchase on Monday, Oct. 11, at 11 a.m. in the Heidelberg booth - #1000. Linda and Paul Ramirez are franchisees of PIP Printing & Document Services, a Franchise Services, Inc., company. Franchise Services is the largest printing franchisor in the United States operating worldwide under the Sir Speedy, PIP Printing & Document Services and MultiCopy brand names. Since 1996, the Ramirez’s PIP has been running a 2-color Quickmaster QM 46, which has already produced more than 25 million prints for high-quality jobs. The impressive performance of the Quickmaster led to the purchase of the Printmaster QM 46, which will replace the original press. Paul Ramirez said he is looking forward to reaping the benefits of the enhancements that have been added to the Printmaster. “The high level of productivity that our shop reached with the Quickmaster was a deciding factor in purchasing another Heidelberg press,” Paul Ramirez said. “Our original Quickmaster increased our capabilities and enabled us to deliver a high-quality product to our customers quickly. We expect our new Printmaster with its high levels of automation to provide even better results.” The Printmaster QM 46, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, has enjoyed unprecedented success in the marketplace due to its high levels of automation and productivity. In addition, the press offers first-class print quality and short delivery times. That is why the press has become so popular with quick and small commercial printers such as PIP, Sir Speedy and other franchises. To be sure, Franchise Services was one of the first companies to embrace the press when it entered the market. As a result, the company became instrumental in helping Heidelberg’s Printmaster QM 46 become the standard in quick printing. Heidelberg's smallest press was originally introduced to the market as the Quickmaster QM 46 in October of 1994. With the international launch at drupa in 1995, the QM 46 quickly became the most successful portrait press in the 13”x18” sheet size. Within its first three years on the market, more than 5,000 presses were sold worldwide. In 1998, the Quickmaster QM 46 was renamed Printmaster QM 46 and the press was redesigned to include new and enhanced capabilities. At drupa 2004, new software for the press was introduced, making the Printmaster QM 46 even more reliable. Key features that have driven the Printmaster QM 46’s success include: - Heidelberg Autoplate – Provides fast and true-to-register plate change and safe makeready processes, enabling the press to change plates in less than one minute - Micro Processor Control – Provides the operator with the possibility to monitor and control all functions and production steps from the central operation panel - Automatic Blanket Washup Device – Cleans the blanket in seconds at the push of a button from the control panel. The process is highly economical due to the multiple use of washup solution with one dampening felt - Single-Sheet Feeder – Saves time during every changeover. Features a new two-speed pile lifting drive with steel gears for fast or slow lifting or lowering of pile. The arrival time of the sheet is monitored and communicated to the operator for maximum paper run stability - High Quality Printing Unit - Laser slit ink fountain combined with the lever control allows for exact adjustment of the ink keys and fast set-up of repeat jobs. The high-performance roller-train, combined with the Heidelberg dampening system, enables one-, two- and four-color work - Chain Delivery – Creates accurate piles. Extremely convenient to use with a small foot print. Includes a new air blow-down bar for high speed production and improved piling. For fast format changes, the delivery adjusts to new formats at the same time as the feeder - 9-Step Production Process – Nine simple steps make production on the press more reliable, repeatable and faster than any other press in the class Opened in June of 1983, the Ramirez’s PIP in Paramus is a general commercial print shop that specializes in offset and digital printing. With 12 employees, the shop produces materials such as brochures, direct mail and other marketing materials and provides bindery services for all in-house work. The PIP services regional clients such as marketing firms, manufacturing companies, real estate offices and law firms. Maintaining long-term relationships with their clients has been a key factor to the center’s success. As a result, they are well-known within in the industry and have received awards for printing excellence throughout the years. Last year, the center’s revenue exceeded $1.5 million. “Our franchisees rely on Heidelberg for its advanced products and support network. I’m pleased to see one of our Top 25 centers continuing to build their business with the advanced technology offered by the Printmaster QM 46,” said Catherine Monson, president of PIP Printing & Document Services.