Waterless Event Heralds CTP Future

	WPA president and keynote speaker Mike Clark delivers his address on the new waterless computer-to-plate work flow

The Waterless Printing Association's NEW World of Waterless demonstrated the next iteration of the process during live demonstrations at the Westin O'Hare Hotel and Heidelberg USA's nearby demonstration center.

Response to the demonstrations was almost immediate. As this review is written, three WPA members have already put the combination of Presstek PearlDry waterless plates and thermal platesetters to work. First to install a Creo Trendsetter 3244 platesetter was WPA member and board president Michael Clark of Cedar Graphics in Ronkonkoma, New York.

Toray's new CTX plate also made its 300 lpi print debut at the event having been imaged on a Presstek Pearlsetter and printed on a 26" waterless press by WPA member Bill Rellar of RPI Graphic Solutions.

Graphic Art Monthly editor and guest speaker Roger Ynostroza opened the keynote session by outlining the monthly magazine's editorial coverage of waterless printing. In an editorial article in the January, 1997 issue of the magazine Ynostroza summarized the event saying, "After high early expectations and a few false starts for this innovative imaging process, it's great to see vast possibilities open up."

	Toray's John Zenner demonstrates waterless plate repair techniques during a NEW World of Waterless tutorial session.

Attendees took advantage of nine different tutorial sessions ranging from high screen ruling techniques to waterless presswork and trouble shooting. Internationally acclaimed motivational speaker Sergio Carlo Maresca provided inspirational marketing and sales guidance for the attendees.

Gold sponsors for the event included Creo Products, Heidelberg USA, Kohl & Madden Printing Ink, Presstek, Inc. and Toray Marketing and Sales North America. Silver sponsor PhaseOne provided real time digital image capture for the demonstration via its high resolution 4 x 5 camera back. Union Camp Fine Paper Division was also a Silver sponsor.

A Ratings Success

According to a quality improvement survey conducted at the NEW World of Waterless, nearly 58 percent of the event's attendees rated the program as exceptional or exceeding expectations. This was due, in part, to the fact that for the first time in the brief history waterless printing, printers from around the world shared their experiences under one roof.

Attendance From Around the World

	Phil Delaney of Graphics Plus Printing in Redfern, New South Wales Australia vistis John Lovaghy of temperature control manufacturer MasterFlo Technologies. The event was the first ever exhibit featuring waterless products and services.

Of the 165 total attendees, 41 members and non-members traveled to the NEW World of Waterless from other countries. The greatest distance traveled award surely must be given to Gerald Viergever who came all the way from Nuriootpa, South Australia.

From Europe, Switzerland's Kurt Zuckschwerdt of AVD Goldach presented us with book of photographs featuring beautiful Swiss landscapes, towns and villages. The book magnificently exemplifies the kind of reproduction that can be obtained using 300 line per inch screen rulings and waterless printing. It amazes us that publishers of this type of book have not yet caught on to this incredible quality.

Also from Australia, S.N.P. Cambec's Warren Brown brought along samples of their Camcolor 6 technique. The system combines Pantone Hexachrome ink set and waterless printing on the company's Heidelberg Speedmaster CD.

New Zealand was represented by Glen Bustard and Dave Wilcox of Times Colour Print in Warkworth. Times is eager to implement waterless printing into its print production.

Phil Delaney of Graphics Plus Printing in Redfern, New South Wales brought some interesting samples of intricately printed plastic products, including some fabulous lenticular samples.

New Zealand was represented by Glen Bustard and Dave Wilcox of Times Colour Print in Warkworth. Times is eager to implement waterless printing into its print production.

Jack Spalter of Equipage in Assendelft, Holland brought some of his waterless samples and, after the conference, set off on a pilgrimage to the Harley Davidson factory in nearby Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

	Vendors exchange ideas and answer questions from an audience of printers during the NEW World of Waterless Town Meeting session.

Although no printers from England showed up at the conference, David Grey of Classic Colours in Reading, Berkshire brought along waterless samples from among his European waterless ink customers. American waterless ink companies in attendance were amazed to learn that 75 percent of Classic Colour's ink production is of the waterless variety. We were also delighted to have print consultant Frank Ball of Bristol, England. Frank was one of the very first printers in the UK to exploit the potential of waterless printing.

Roberto Levi-Acobas and Luigi Casella of Printgraph Waterless made their journey all the way from Milan, Italy. France's Elisabeth Guerre and Jean-Jacques Valy of Grognard International were also present.

Norway's most energetic waterless printer, Tom Norland of Ålgård Offset kindly left us with a memento of his town's rich fishing tradition. Sweden's Schneidler Grafiska's team was headed by long-time International Sponsor Member Jan Skantze and included Kristian Ekvall and Roland Eriksson.

From Canada, UV waterless label superstar Jay Tapp of Technologies brought along even more samples of his company's work in wine and food labels. Toronto's Larry and Glen Warren of Warren's Imaging and Dryography were also in attendance and were responsible for the waterless printing for the WPA's mouse pads that were given to all event participants.