August 28, 2002 -- For the first time ever, Octobers GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO 2002 will feature a special pavilion devoted to displaying wide format inkjet printing systems in operation. Designed to be a total experience for anyone exploring wide format inkjet technology, the pavilion not only provides the opportunity to see all elements of the production process operating together live, but also gives visitors the unique ability to meet actual equipment users, ask questions, and get candid answers about the ins and outs of wide format. This is the only place on the floor where attendees will be able to view this equipment live, linked together producing output. The pavilion is part of our continuing effort as Americas premier printing, publishing and converting trade show to provide a key resource for graphic communications professionals seeking to understand and capitalize on the projected growth in wide format imaging, said Regis J. Delmontagne, president of Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC), the shows producer. We have always been proactive in finding and showcasing new opportunities for the industry, and this is certainly a promising one, he noted. In a special Customer Care area sponsored by wide-format industry publication The Big Picture, attendees will be able to talk one-on-one with successful users about their experiences. We are pleased to be able to provide this face-to-face experience. Helping people make careful, informed buying decisions is what we are all about, said Susan Patton, Associate Publisher of The Big Picture. GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO 2002, held at McCormick Place South, in Chicago, IL, on October 6-9 will include over 450 exhibiting companies occupying nearly 370,000 square feet of display space. The added focus on large-format inkjet imaging this year reflects the industrys growing realization of the growing opportunities in this market segment. A recent market research study funded by NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies (NPES) revealed that the wide format inkjet market could be worth more than $11 billion in the U.S. by 2005. The study illustrates that in general, commercial printers are handling only a very small portion of this work. Theres a big market opportunity out there that printers are missing. As we move forward, if printers dont put a stake in the ground in this area, they run the risk of a technological lockout. Their customers will never think of them as a source for this sort of work, warned Patti Williams of IT Strategies, one of the studys authors. To show printers exactly what investments are necessary to cash in on this market opportunity, GASC is bringing together a wide variety of equipment and software solution providers in the new Wide Format Opportunities Pavilion. MacDermid ColorSpan will be featuring their award-winning DisplayMaker Series XII printer, a 12-color, 72 wide inkjet printer designed for short-run print production at speeds from 60 to 240 square feet per hour. ColorSpan will be using their own ColorMark Pro RIP to process images captured on the spot by a Sinar Bron digital camera. Sinar Bron Imaging will be demonstrating their latest model Sinarback digital camera system by capturing images live for immediate output. A Sinar representative will be on hand to explain how some graphic producer clients have turned a camera purchase into a completely new profit center. Océ Display Graphics Systems will be demonstrating the Océ Arizona 500 with solvent-based UV durable inks, using Onyx PosterShop to process the output. The 500 printer uses piezo print heads to print onto a variety of media up to 75 inches wide. Also, running live in the pavilion will be a 60 HP Designjet 5500 coupled with a Best PhotoXposure RIP. In a workflow solution designed by Big Systems, Butler, WI, Encad will feature their 42 NovaJet 850 with a BigJet Pro Server X2 software RIP powered by Onyx using Encads 8-color Octachrome Ink set. GBC Films Group, the leading manufacturer of laminating films and equipment for more than 35 years, will literally wrap up the process by finishing output from all devices on their versatile Falcon 60+ laminator. The ideal finishing system for 60 inkjet prints, it laminates, encapsulates or mounts, operates from either direction, and uses thermal or pressure-sensitive films. In addition, several sessions in the shows seminar program will address the subject. Wide Format Printing 1 and Wide Format Printing 2 will explore the types of products being produced by wide-format inkjets, the hottest market segments, potential size of the market, how to break in, and diverse technological challenges associated with the process. A Vendor Panel on wide-format printing will bring together company experts to discuss applications and product trends in what the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation calls the fastest growing area of print output. Altogether, GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO will provide attendees the most comprehensive look at this emerging market available anywhere. Additional details about wide format inkjet activities at GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO are available at the special wide format website, www.graphexpo.com/wideformat , where updated information will be posted frequently in the months leading up to the show. Site visitors can also obtain information about other GASC-managed events, including PRINT, GUTENBERG FESTIVAL, GRAPHIC ARTS THE CHARLOTTE SHOW and the VUE/POINT Conference, at www.gasc.org. GASC is owned by the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL), NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies (NPES), and the Printing Industries of America (PIA). GASC is located at 1899 Preston White Drive, Reston, VA 20191-4367 USA, telephone: 703/264-7200, fax: 703/620-9187, e-mail: [email protected]. www.gasc.org.