Baltimore, MD - American Direct, a sister company to Tidewater Direct, announced today the acquisition of an 8 color Sanden 1500 web offset printing press to be installed in the Baltimore facility in early May. This acquisition is paramount for American Direct, as it now brings 8-color variable repeat printing ability to the Baltimore plant. The press, specifically acquired to produce direct mail printing – continuous forms printing in particular - will serve as the plants 4th and most capable press and with be the 13th press in the company's fleet.

American Direct's success is attributable to low overhead, quality equipment, and a staff of craftsmen and industry veterans. The acquisition represents several benchmarks for American Direct, which currently operates 3 Harris 920 printing presses with a maximum of 6 colors in its 45,000 square foot Baltimore facility. The Sanden press brings 8 color ability for 28" and 22" cylinder sizes, a full 28" repeat (the Harris 920s are currently limited to 14"), automatic registration, and more. Most importantly, this reinforces American Direct's commitment to being a top-notch direct mail component part supplier.

The Sanden 1500 is fully equipped to run high-end direct mail component parts including continuous forms, litho envelopes, and more. With one of the most robust ink trains in its class, it's built to put down heavy coverage while mitigating ghosting and mottling. This is fortified by the ability to dry using double lamps at the end of units 4 and 8 (10 UV lamps total on the press), and chilled vibrator rollers which keeps temperatures low as paper passes at up to 1500 feet per minute. A fully complementary 4-section bindery, including cross and magnetic perforation units, is included inline. Inking is handled remotely by a Paretta system, while video inspection and automatic registration use CC1 interfaces. The press can finish as sheets, rolls (continuous forms and litho envelopes) or fanfold.

Tom Becker, President of American Direct, showed optimism for the success of the press acquisition. "I've been in the industry for over 30 years and the Sanden 1500 is one of the finest presses I've operated. I'm confident that this press will deliver the quality our clients require." Ken Boone, CEO of the company, remarked "8 color capacity puts American Direct in a market it's currently not in; one it needs to be in to compete on the east coast. 28" cylinders allow our clients to print continuous forms and litho envelopes on the same press, ensuring the best match possible. I'm confident that this investment not only puts us in these markets, but allows us to be a primary player."

American Direct and its sister company, Tidewater Direct specialize in the efficient, quality web offset print production of high volume direct mail component parts and packaging inserts. With 3 locations in Maryland and Iowa and a production footprint of 200,000 square feet, the companies are equipped to meet the tightest deadlines and highest volume demands.