In an interview with PrintWeek, Tidewater Operations VP Geoff Eisenberg noted much of the Centreville plant had previously been focused on direct mail component parts, including the single color terms and conditions that accompanies many mailed offers and promotions.

"What this Sunday press allows us to do is now also add in the high-quality color components of direct mail," Eisenberg explained. "It's a six-color press, so we can basically print six colors on each side on a web press - we achieve sheetfed color quality on a web press, which is fairly unique and will allow us to achieve speed and efficiency savings."

The new Sunday 2000 is the seventh web press at Tidewater's Centreville plant - the company also has five additional web presses at its Baltimore, MD-facility and three more at its West Branch, Iowa plant.

But as Eisenberg noted: "The Sunday press has much better technology so there's zero waste - it allows you to basically print on the entire circumference of the cylinder." He explained that noting traditional presses usually have a blanket gap of about 3/16".  "Not having that gap actually gives us about a 3% savings," Eisenberg continued.

The Sunday 2000 offset printing press can  print to a 38? wide by 22.25? into a sheeter and with six units, it’s ideally suited for self-mailers and postcards that require four colors plus a spot color and varnish.

The new press is also equipped with WPC and GMI auxiliary equipment to maintain register, web position and color - and features an extended web dryer that makes it well suited to print heavy coverage on coated stocks.

"We have a pretty well-established client base but certainly this level of quality will enable us to appeal to a wider array of customers," Eisenberg said, adding Tidewater's investment in a new press also can be seen as a reflection of the the company's cautious optimism about its future.

"We realize that the print market is never going to be what it once was, but operators who keep their costs in line, reinvest their profits back into the company and run their business well have a great chance to succeed."