Technology & Research

Printing Industries of America is at the forefront of research and development for the printing industry, helping the industry with day-to-day operations and long-term product development. We provide unbiased, respected, scientific, trustworthy, third-party results. Our expert’s help printers achieve consistent quality and manufacturers test and benchmark products.

Product testing has successfully been used recently to help companies with their marketing programs, technical product development, proof of concept and problem solving.

• Marketing: You will understand how your product performs in the marketplace, what its unique features are, its strengths, weaknesses and overall performance. By having great knowledge of the product performance and strengths the marketing can be focused on those areas. Our staff can also help you with what the implications of the results are, why it matters to your customer - a printer.
• Product development and problem solving: You will understand the impact of improved formulation and composition, and be able to evaluate the effect different combinations on the performance. You can identify areas of weakness in your product, allowing it to be improved, and then document those improvements. Utilize root cause analysis on the problems to identify what was causing an issue and how to resolve it.

Printing Industries of America’s research department helps companies like yours solve everyday problems using scientific, systematic approaches. We also work with several suppliers, including manufacturers of the following products to take their products from good to GREAT!

• Ink mileage and performance
• Plates
• Fountain solutions
• Blankets
• Paper
• Press consumables
• Auxiliary equipment

Printing Industries of America’s laboratory and press testing capabilities complement each other by helping answer many of the industry’s questions everyday. Some of the questions we answer are:

• What are the ink mileage differences between two inks?
• Which consumables produce the highest quality?
• How is the performance of my consumable to the industry standard?
• What is the level of piling and ink feedback?
• Why do I have to carry a press clean so often?
• What are the ink mileage differences between two papers?
• Why did this defect appear in my print?

At Printing Industries of America, we recreate your everyday challenges so that you can produce the best possible products. Your test is handled efficiently by staff with years of experience. Every challenge that comes our way is solved with the help of the entire facility and by the use of problem-solving techniques such as design of experiment. Our staff will work closely with yours to gain a full understanding of the problem and/or process. Printing Industries of America not only wants to solve your problems, but we also want to forge a relationship. Your membership to Printing Industries of America is taken as a partnership in growing your business and profits.

Our state-of-the-art facility is equipped with the latest laboratory equipment for testing many of the materials used in the printing process. We also house several of the world’s best pieces of printing and bindery equipment in our 22,000-square-foot press room which is complemented by its strict temperature and humidity controls.

• Conventional sheetfed offset: The Heidelberg SM102 press is equipped with four printing units and is capable of printing two-over-two, as the press is equipped to perfect. This press is a 40-in. press and can reach impression counts up to 15,000 impressions per hour. Color control on this press is done with the ImageControl system. Image control not only measures the color control bar but the entire sheet. The ImageControl advantage includes over 100 spectral heads that measure approximately 5,000 points per ink key zone.
• Conventional and H-UV sheetfed offset: This is achieved through the use of a Komori six-color 29-inch sheetfed offset Lithrone press. This unique press is capable of printing conventional and H-UV inks thanks to the addition of UV drying lap stations and rollers from Bottcher. Impression count on this press is capable of reaching 16,000 impressions per hour while color remains stable thanks to the color control bar scanner.
• Digital printing: The digital print technologies at Printing Industries of America include the Xerox iGen3 and Konica Minolta bizhub PRESS C8000. Color printing is quickly reaching the quality aspects of offset with these devices.

Questions? Contact Mark Bohan at Printing Industries of America by phone at 412-259-1782 or email research@printing.org.