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THOSE LITHOGRAPHIC printers walking the show floor earlier this month at Graph Expo in search of a bevy of heavy-iron, offset presses were sorely disappointed. With press manufacturers Heidelberg USA, Komori America and Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses opting to pass on this year's show, the South Hall at McCormick Place lacked the all-encompassing lineup of traditional press vendors that visitors in years past have come to expect.
And, despite the stimulus incentives for exhibitors created by the Graphic Arts Show Co. (GASC) to help defray the costs of installing heavy equipment at the exhibition - as well as new union work rules and cost reductions initiated by the Illinois legislature to make McCormick Place more competitive with trade show venues in other statess - the jury is still out on whether future Graph Expos will ever look the same from a traditional printing press standpoint.
There was plenty of equipment on the show floor this year, but it primarily consisted of digital presses, wide-format printers, mailing and bindery gear.
Only Gronhi Graphics had a Chinese-made, four-color sheetfed offset press on its stand; Epson featured a Ryobi press to help demonstrate its new Stylus Pro 7900CTP metal platesetting system geared toward small print shops; and Baum showcased a small-format, two-color model in its booth.
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