In the early 1990s, the printing industry faced a major transformation. Print runs became shorter, deadlines became tighter, and quality standards began to tighten. It became clear that the industry could no longer rely on the same work processes as in the 1980s — with analogue plates and numerous manual steps to prepare intermediate images...
For decades, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG has been a trendsetter in printing technology. However, like any dynamic company, Heidelberg has had to adapt to changing market realities. In the early 1990s, the decision was made to discontinue production of the T-Offset sheetfed offset press and replace it with a more modern and versatile model, the Quickmaster...
Our story today is about a sheetfed offset printing machine that was not destined to live a long and happy life. It was produced for a very short period of time – from 1984 to 1994, but it is notable for the fact that it was an attempt by Heidelberg to gain a foothold in...
With the advent of relatively inexpensive plate exposure devices in the mid-2000s, the popularity of Computer-to-Print machines, where each print unit was equipped with a separate laser head, began to decline. It should be recalled that such machines had been developed by both Heidelberg and a number of other equipment manufacturers since the late 80s...
The vast majority of people involved with offset printing are well aware of how the image is formed. We have talked about it in our articles too. However, the main problem with offset printing has always been the difficult-to-control application of the dampening solution to the plate. That’s why manufacturers of printing machines have always...
Few people today remember who produced the first industrial printing machine that could do away with the long manual process of making printing plates. In the meantime, it was also the good old Heidelberger Druckmaschinen with its legendary model GTO. Today we will look back at this curious configuration, which became the forefather of today’s...
In some remote printing houses, you can still find silver-blue-coloured gatherers and folding machines with the logo of the manufacturing plant – LBW Polygraph. What kind of manufacturer is this? Many young printers no longer know what this company is. But only a third of a century ago, both large printing plants and small reprographic...
By now you’ve probably thought that we’ve been praising Heidelberg developments too much. Well, today we’re going to talk about the most unsuccessful machine of all time. We’ll tell you about a printing press from Heidelberg that you’ve probably never heard of. Maybe it’s for the best, as this machine has earned the title of...
This article is dedicated to a legendary press that has no doubt become such during 35 years on the assembly line. Many printers love them for their unpretentiousness, high-capacity inking unit and relatively low price of a used machine.
This printing machine can undoubtedly be called one of the most modern developments of the 1980s. The design solutions remain relevant even now, at the beginning of the 21st century. Among its options were state-of-the-art solutions, which even today are not found in all printing machine manufacturers. It is said that after the company’s merger...
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