PERSPECTIVE
The Iron Index
The most obvious finding from the 2009 edition of The Iron Index is that Heidelberg
continues to dominate Canada’s offset printing landscape. The company represents 54
percent of all 937 offset presses on The Iron Index. Illustrating this point further, 36 percent of all plants on The Index run nothing but Heidelberg presses for offset production,
while seven percent can be considered complete Heidelberg shops, meaning this brand represents both the offset and primary prepress – plates, CTP, front-end software and MIS –
technologies within a single plant.
Seven percent might not seem like such a dominating number, but moving forward no
other competitor to Heidelberg has the ability to provide the same level of single-brand prepress and offset press integration. This is clearly a unique advantage for Heidelberg as it drives
deeper into its modern-day annuity business model, as discussed this month in Andrew Tribute’s article, A View From the Top. Tribute analyzes a recent interview with Heidelberg’s Dr.
Jürgen Rautert, who speaks about “Prinected Printers” as holding the key to the future of
printing. Tribute also discusses Heidelberg’s kryptonite: a lack of electrophotography or inkjet
output technology in the marketplace.
As most pundits and certainly interested vendors describe these two processes as the future
of printing, The Iron Index indicates that offset production still dominates present-day printing in Canada. One of the most-telling statistical columns on The Index is devoted to the
production ratio Offset versus Electro versus Inkjet. Only 20 percent of plants on The Index are
producing 15 percent or more of their work with a toner-based, electro press, while inkjet remains a negligible number (1.2 percent). Inkjet production, of course, is very relevant in
today’s printing marketplace, but clearly traditional offset printers, at least those represented
on The Index, have not significantly moved into large-format inkjet production.
As much as Heidelberg dominates in offset, Xerox reigns in electro (also referred to as digital presses, not meaning inkjet). Of those plants running electro machines, 55 percent are of
Xerox make. The number two electro brand – for the first time on The Iron Index – is provided by Konica-Minolta, which represents 12 percent of all toner-based machines.
Only 29 percent of the plants on The Index report to be operating a brand-name Management Information System (MIS). It is highly likely, however, more companies are in fact
operating key MIS modules, particularly those with full Heidelberg prepress, that are seamless within newer prepress software, making it more difficult to distinguish an MIS as performing separate functions from day-to-day operator activities. This of course is the ultimate
goal of prepress software: When the acronym JDF becomes as invisible as any other computing code. Currently, the most prevalent MIS on The Index is EFI at 41 percent, while Agfa
continues to lead the most full prepress – plates, CTP, workflow, but excluding MIS – installations at 16 percent, topping Kodak by just one percentage point. For those interested in the
great paper certification debate, 53 percent of Iron Index printers go with FSC.
PrintAction thanks all of this year’s participating printers, and congratulates companies
with the following anniversaries: McAra (100 years), Rinella Printers (90), Holmes Printing
(80), Mills Printing (60), Flash Reproductions ( 40), Impressions Printing ( 40), Kromar Printing ( 40), Spectracolour ( 40), Teldon ( 40), Compuset ( 30), Elite Lithographers ( 30), Fraser
Valley Printers ( 30), Kayjon ( 30), Alter Ego ( 20), Acadie Press ( 20), Acuity ( 20), Century
Printing ( 20), Sterling Press ( 20), Pub Cité ( 10), Digital Propaganda ( 10), KT Web ( 10) and
Print Preview ( 10).
Jon Robinson, Editor
Canada’s Graphic Communications Magazine. Proudly published for two generations.
Editor Jon Robinson • 416.665.7333 ext. 30 • jon@printaction.com
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Contributing Writers Zac Bolan, Bob Dale, Peter Ebner, Marie Eveline, Chris Fraser,
Martin Habekost, James Harvey, Peter Hedgecock, Joanna Liu,
Thad McIlroy, Nicole Rycroft, Abhay Sharma, Andrew Tribute
Publisher Sara Young • 416.665.7333 ext. 31 • sara@printaction.com
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