ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. -- After 20 years of providing a full range of prepress services and working with printing companies as a broker on different projects, GraphicSource Corp. figured the time was right to explore new business opportunities in print. The Skokie, Ill.-based company chose the Screen Truepress 344 direct imaging press as its engine for growth.

"We analyzed the print market and identified short-run, digital color printing as a market segment in which we could be quite successful," said Preston Berman, president.

The acquisition of the Truepress 344 eased GraphicSource's migration to short-run color printing. The company now has the capabilities to print four-color flyers, postcards, mailers and brochures two-up on a sheet.

"We ruled out toner-based color right away in favor of an ink-on-paper system," Berman said. "The quality of ink-based printing is superior to toner-based printing. We also felt toner was more suited to printing variable data, and variable data printing is not part of our product mix."

Established in 1989, GraphicSource originally catered to the creative and prepress needs of individual and corporate clients and print shops. Its services run the gamut, including design, high-resolution scanning, color correction, file imposition, digital proofing and plate output. The company built on its customer relationships to serve as the go-between on print projects.

GraphicSource had earlier established an association with Screen (USA) when the company purchased an eight-up PlateRite computer-to-plate recorder to service its customers.

"Our relationship with Screen has been very beneficial for us, and that influenced our decision to purchase the Truepress 344," Berman said. "We compared the Truepress 344 with other technology and felt the press offered benefits the other machines did not have. The cost of the plates and ink makes the Truepress 344 economical for us to run. We have better control over jobs. The Truepress 344 is a stable machine, and it holds color well."

Berman is especially impressed with TrueFit Advance, the automatic print quality management system that assists in controlling ink key and dampening solution levels throughout the print run.

"TrueFit Advance scans and analyzes printing data every six sheets," he said. "The ink-and-water balance is adjusted to ensure consistent quality from the beginning to the end of the print run."

Imaging at 2,400 dpi resolution and printing with the conventional offset process using standard inks and water, the Truepress 344 delivers an outstanding level of print quality.

"The quality is phenomenal," Berman said. "We ran the same piece through the press twice to see what it would look like. We printed the sheet, took it out and put it through the press again. The registration was unbelievable. The type and images laid down perfectly on top of the first printing. Apart from the images looking richer from the heavier coverage of ink, you couldn't tell the sheet was printed twice."

Berman said the Truepress 344 is ideal for prepress and printing companies moving to high-quality on-demand supply of printed materials.

"There is a lot of turmoil in our industry," Berman said. "When the economy recovers, short-run color printing is going to be the steady market. We are planning for that recovery. The work already exists to keep the Truepress 344 busy, but a good recovery will make the press really take off."