Olivia Cahoon

Distinctive Cuts

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By Cassandra Balentine

As the direction of print continues to move towards shorter runs, traditional print providers adapt to remain competitive. This often means bringing work that was once outsourced in house, as well as offering stand-out products.

Depending on the application type, volume, and level of customization needed, a variety of cutting options are available through rotary die cutters and laser systems. While laser systems offer seamless cutting of variable, unique shapes, the initial cost may be prohibitive. Rotary die cutters provide a more cost-effective initial investment, but require some skill to operate as well as the need to purchase and maintain a library of dies. These systems are ideal for a range of volume requirements.

Cutting Technologies
Finishing functions like trimming, cutting, scoring, and binding are commonplace in nearly every print operation. However, rotary die cutting makes its way into new environments as equipment serves mid- to high-end production runs.

Die cutting equipment offers the ability to cut irregular shapes as opposed to only straight lines. “Die cutting fits into almost all digital print fields and produces all types of applications including cards, bookmarks, photos, labels, product tags, and small size packaging,” comments Kevin Chen, product manager, Duplo USA Corp.

Many print providers offer die cutting services, but the question is whether or not the technology is needed in house. “In many cases it is not a question of whether or not to add die cutting, but how to improve on existing die cutting options,” affirms Bob Flinn, director of business development, Standard Finishing Systems. “Many printers have offered some degree of die cutting service for many years, and although the print technology has changed considerably, die cutting is still being performed on legacy equipment like windmill and vertical letter presses or converted flatbeds. Although much of this equipment is still functional, it is slow, lacks in safety features, and can be difficult to find replacement parts, never mind a skilled craftsman to run it.”

Flinn says that the decision to invest in new equipment and bring die cutting or laser cutting technology in house is primarily a business decision, based on whether or not you can justify the investment with increased profit and control over current volumes, the ability to increase volumes, and to create new revenue opportunities.

“The question is how much of this finishing they have to currently outsource, or alternatively, how much of their customers’ spend goes elsewhere rather than to them,” agrees Ron Kukla, sales director, Americas, Highcon. He suggests any PSP having to cope with a growing number of short-run jobs is an ideal candidate for a die cutting solution.

Kevin Corwin, product manager, Rollem International, suggests run length is a critical factor because rotary die cutters feature a “tremendous production benefit if the desired output of the equipment is higher volumes.” He adds that if the work is very short run, highly customized products, a laser cutter lends itself better than a machine that requires a physical die be made. Ease of operation also plays into the purchasing decision based on the skill level of its employees.

Driving and Hindering Demand
Continued adoption of digital print technology and the need for a variety of shape options drives the demand for advanced cutting equipment, as well as the need for short-run printing and finishing.

“No longer ‘just’ printers, many shops are positioning themselves as a full-service solution provider for their customers. Modern die cutting solutions are extremely quick to set up, easy to learn, require minimal makeready and floor space, and are equally efficient on runs of all lengths,” points out Flinn. “Combining these efficiencies with the advances in high-speed inkjet and digital print technologies has opened up a whole new market in short run and specialty printing, packaging, and labeling,” he adds.

“Digital printing plants look to expand the range of marketable products they can produce, increase the value of the products they are producing, and to differentiate themselves from their competition. Adding die cutting capabilities is an excellent way to achieve these goals,” says Christ Van Pelt, president, THERM-O-TYPE Corporation.
Ryan Manieri, marketing manager, MBO America, says the “demand” part of short run, on demand conveys the urgency that brand owners feel, and pass on, to print providers. “Brand owners gathering data on supply, price, and other market variables have the opportunity to take advantage of market changes. Faster turnaround times are required to keep pace with time sensitive and targeted marketing strategies. One way to improve turnaround times is to keep all production in house.”

Like any disruptive technology, digital cutting and creasing requires a clear vision of what can be achieved and a readiness to understand that printing has transitioned from a manufacturing paradigm to a service one. “Giving the customer what he wants, when he needs it,” explains Kukla. Printers afraid of change or competing on price rather than on value—in other words looking at it with legacy metrics—will never understand the new value it brings. Adding value means you can charge premium pricing and improve margins.

Mike Bacon, VP, sales and marketing, Spartanics, says both laser and rotary die cutters serve quick turnaround label manufacturers. Semi-rotary die cutting systems use a single cylinder, giving users a variety of part step ups that are cut in register. “This decreases changeover times as a magnetic die can be placed on the magnetic cylinder to cover a two- to 19-inch part step up, for example. It eliminates the need for changing a 250 lb. cylinder with a different circumference for different job step up.”

For laser die cutters, systems serve quick turnaround manufacturers by instantaneous changeover, elimination of tooling, and the ability to cut virtually any shape, adds Bacon.

However, the cost of equipment as well as mechanical limitations present challenges to this practice.

Van Pelt says the need for dies causes objections since customers purchase them from an outside vendor for each design. “Customers using dies must also store and maintain their die inventory,” he explains. Also noteworthy, the skill set required for die cutter operators differs from that of digital printing.

Flinn adds that the learning curve may deter some print providers from investing in the technology, as it takes time to learn what the equipment can actually do. This includes understanding its capabilities and limitations, as well as getting a handle on who will make the dies.

Steve Leibin, EVP, business development, Matik, Inc., says lack of familiarity with laser technology and its benefits hindered laser acceptance in the past. As printers learn more about the capabilities of laser finishing and more printers adopt the technology, laser finishing is growing rapidly. “As more print providers learn how laser finishing can improve their profitability and differentiate them in the market, the adoption rate has increased greatly.”

Advantages of Die Cutters
Rotary die cutters present an opportunity for print providers to offer a unique service in house, and gain control over a previously outsourced process.

“The major advantages to rotary die cutting are relatively low acquisition cost, ease of operation, quick set up and changeover, and high productivity,” points out Flinn.
Manieri says rotary die cutters are particularly advantageous for printers because they have extremely fast makeready times—making them ideal for short-run jobs and speeds of up to 10,000 sheets per hour.

Flinn points out that while the disadvantage to rotary die cutters is the requirement of an outside service to produce the dies, several advantages include a relatively low acquisition cost, ease of operation, quick set up and changeover, and high productivity. He points out that the cost of the dies can be passed along to the end user. “Any shop with a die cutting solution will quickly build a library of dies to expand their offerings,” he suggests.

Laser Alternatives
In addition to die cutting equipment, laser cutters are an option. However, the devices tend to be more expensive than rotary die cutters. They are well suited to larger volume digital shops or offset print providers.

Manieri says the drive for laser solutions is driven by luxury packaging markets as well as hyper personalized, ultra-short run commercial products such as intricate wedding invitations.

Flinn notes several hurdles of laser cutting, including the initial investment and the upkeep of the equipment. “Of course, digging deeper, there are places these costs can be offset by for lower material and waste costs, as well as premium pricing for high-end products.” He says the primary advantage of laser over die is its ability to produce a nearly unlimited number of patterns without the need for a die.

Investments for laser die cutting systems are typically higher than conventional, semi-rotary die cutting solutions. Basic die cutting systems are about $250,000 where a semi-rotary die cutting machine is about $120,000. “With laser die cutting systems, pricing is directly tied into speed requirements, thus the higher wattage laser, the faster the system will run, and the more expensive the system will be,” says Bacon, adding that semi-rotary die cutting system pricing is pretty consistent.

Laser die cutting eliminates tooling costs. “A mid-level label producer will spend $60,000 to $100,000 on tooling per year. This includes design time for the die, shipping of the die, inventory costs for the dies, and the die costs themselves. Short-run label producers need quick turnaround to serve their customers and laser die cutting uses the same print file that the digital printer uses to generate a cut file. Turnaround time is instant and there is no tooling cost. It also cuts a wider variety of intricate shapes than traditional magnetic dies, so label design offerings are expanded to pretty much anything imagined,” says Bacon.

“Semi-rotary die cutting systems are widely accepted as a finishing solution in the label market. Laser die cutting is a new technology that started out with a bad reputation for being slow and lacking quality cuts needed to serve the label and packaging markets. This all changed five to six years ago when new developments in laser control software started to enter the market,” says Bacon. The initial cost of a laser die cutting system appears to be a limiting factor. “When a customer spends $300,000 to $800,000 on a digital press and the laser finishing equipment is $350,000, it might make more sense to start out with a $150,000 semi-rotary die cutting solution. There are some companies that have recognized this and offer semi-rotary die cutting with the ability to upgrade to a laser die cutting system in the future. This way, a company can get into short-run label production knowing that it can add laser technology in the future.”

Advanced Cutting Solutions
Here we include a selection of die and laser options for digital environments.

Duplo offers the UD-300 rotary die cutter. According to Chen, it operates at an average production volume of 250,000 sheets per month. It processes between 200 and 400 gsm paper sheets. This device targets mid- to low-volume production environments, and is strictly a die cutting machine.

Highcon Euclid III and Highcon Beam devices offer cutting, perforation, etching, and creasing using a digitally driven mechanical crease produced by Highcon’s patented Digital Adhesive Rule Technology—or DART.

“The Highcon machines offer digital cutting and creasing—not just cutting— for a production environment, not only sample making,” offers Kukla. Highcon says its machines are faster than laser cutters and ideal for the folding carton market in terms of format—handling both B1 and B2—and range of substrates it can handle, from 8 all the way to 47 pt.

MBO’s BSR product line of rotary die cutters—the BSR 550 Servo—can be integrated with a range of other finishing processes, as well as the BSR Basic, which is a standalone die cutting system.

Die cutters offered by MBO include inline waste removal, which eliminates manual production stamps typically associated with flatbed die cutters.

MBO rotary die cutters are ideal for the 20-inch digital market and are capable of speeds up to 10,000 sheets per hour. These machines are well suited for large and short runs and have the capability to produce a variety of products including greeting cards, folding cartons, tag and label products, presentation folders, and business cards.

MBO rotary die cutters all have integrated waste removal and are capable of a range of functions within the realm of postpress. These include cutting, scoring, perforating, micro perforating, embossing, and kiss cuts. Most non-flexo labels can be produced on MBO’s rotary die cutters.

Rollem provides its Insignia die cutter, which runs at about 4,500 sheets per hour on stocks ranging up to 24 pt. in thickness. The device comes with a receding stacker for high-volume work or a waste stripping unit for waste removal. It is customizable with a non-barred system for stickers or other kiss cutting work.

“The ideal print environment for the Insignia machines produce a variety of products in quantities as low as a few hundred pieces and as high as a few hundred thousand pieces. It does not fit into a purely digital shop that produces nothing but one-off products or a high-volume commercial packaging house that is looking to output 20 million cartons per month. Insigna7 supports a half-size press sheet of 30×24 inches,” says Corwin.

SEI Laser offers its Labelmaster, Paperone 5000, Paperone 3500, and PACKMASTER Products.

The Labelmaster is a laser die cutting solution for pressure-sensitive labels on up to a 13-inch wide web, featuring speeds up to 330 feet per minute. It is a completely modular machine that includes flexo coating, hot foil stamping, and lamination units for additional finishing capabilities.

The Paperone 5000 is a laser die cutter with automatic feeding of paper, paperboard, and poly sheets up to 30×21 inches. The PRO CREASE module is available to deliver excellent inline creasing capabilities for folding carton applications. It is ideal for commercial printing and folding carton applications and is designed to complement B2 digital printing systems.

The Paperone 3500 is a laser die cutting machine with automatic feeding of paper, and poly sheets up to 15×41 inches, single or dual digital creasing available. It is ideal for commercial printing and greeting card applications.

Finally, the PACKMASTER is a laser cutting and perforating solution for web film applications.

SEI Laser offers laser die cutting solution for all current digital printing environments, says Leibin. This includes B2 and B3 sheet sizes, as well as roll to roll and plotter applications up to 78×118 inches. SEI Laser dies and marks a variety of substrates including paper, paperboard, pressure-sensitive labels, many plastics, acrylics, foam core, and film.

Spartanics offers both semi-rotary and die cutting equipment. Systems range from 12 to 22 feet, depending on the number of additional finishing features. “We sell a lot of systems that have both laser and semi-rotary die cutting systems,” says Bacon. “We develop our own laser die cutting software so we are able to integrate in with many different workflows or custom develop software to integrate with a customer application. We are also the only laser company to offer soft marking, which allows us to control the laser cutting depth.”

The company targets label and packaging runs between zero and 20,000 and applications include labels and packaging including pharmaceutical, stickers, and carton packaging for laser systems.

Standard Finishing Systems offers the RD-4055 Rotary Die Cutter, which processes paper sizes up to 15.75×21.65 inches at up to 6,000 sheets per hour and at a maximum product thickness of .0196 inches. The unit is designed to run in multiple shift environments.
“Because the unit is very quick to set up, run lengths in the hundreds can be profitable. Its build quality/durability and speed makes the unit suited for long runs as well,” says Flinn.

The Standard RD-4055 rotary die cutter is utilized for a variety of applications, such as greeting cards, door hangers, and business cards. “Its accuracy also makes it ideal for perforating applications and kiss cutting of labels,” continues Flinn.

With the introduction of the RD-4055 Dual Magnetic Cylinder system, creasing and scoring of a range of applications—including packaging—is possible.

Therm-O-Type offers both a sheet-fed rotary die cutter using flexible die cutting dies and three different platen press die cutters using high steel rule dies.

Therm-O-Type rotary and platen press die cutting equipment is used for short-, medium-, and long-run work.

The Therm-O-Type rotary die cutter uses flexible dies and is used to die cut flat products, kiss cut labels, and to die cut and score folded products using a patented multi score system.

The Therm-O-Type platen presses use steel rule dies to die cut and score flat or folded products with standard scoring rule and matrix. A range of die cutting, scoring, and perforating rules are available.

Finishing Potential
Print providers seek new ways to offer stand-out products. Die and laser cutting solutions enable unique shapes ideal for a range of applications. Depending on the need and desired level of investment, options from rotary die cutters to laser cutting systems are on the market for digital print service providers.

Mar2017, DPS Magazine

Making a Statement

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By Elizabeth Quirk

Advancements in digital print technology, including the availability and lower costs of color, drive innovation in transactional print. Similarly, advancements in finishing and software evolve the production of bills, statements, checks, insurance policies, and other critical informational documents.

Digital Color
In response to growing demand for high-quality printed information, digital print production is quick and efficient with reduced errors. Offering the ability to print variable and personal data, digital print is the preferred method for printing transactional and TransPromo communications. The addition of cost-effective, full color is a game changer.

There’s no question that full color has greater impact. The latest digital print technologies enable marketers to utilize white space found on statements and fill them with colorful marketing messages.

“With effective data mining/customer profiling combined with document composition software and data handling capabilities, marketers find this use of transactional space as a means of capturing the reader’s attention with recipient-driven personal messages while encouraging a specified reader response. The end result is improved response rates and better customer relationships. In fact, using transactional applications to promote marketing-driven activities change what had been a cost factor into a revenue producing stream,” explains Neal Swanson, director, marketing communications, Standard Finishing Systems.

Mark Schlimme, director of marketing/product manager, Screen Americas, says the opportunity to offer fully variable content and add value to a static document with advertising or cross-promotional communications has never been greater. The cost of producing transactional print pieces is offset with several factors, like higher response rates and closed-loop engagement campaigns. “Data mining and tracking creates innovative tools for print providers to focus their unique skills and implement a call to action through transactional print,” he explains.

Digital print technologies provide enormous opportunities for transactional mailings, most notably around physical and digital message integration. Grant Miller, COO, Document Messaging Technologies, Pitney Bowes, says a digital component to a physical mail piece—such as mobile-, web-, or video-based communication—creates a greater opportunity for meaningful customer engagement.

Innovations in production print, mail finishing equipment, and data analytics make it easier and more affordable to produce dynamic, personalized, and omni-channel mail pieces.

Sheri Jammallo, segment marketing manager, Canon Solutions America, says customers demand shorter lead times with aggressive go-to-market strategies for increased competitiveness. They want last-minute changes to be implemented within quick time frames and minimal waste. Print providers often find that one inkjet press replaces multiple toner-based engines.

“With speeds about ten-times faster than a cutsheet toner machine as well as consumables as much as one tenth the cost, jobs are produced at higher profit margins. The ability to eliminate preprinted shells and move from a two-step production process to a single-step white-paper in and finished product out workflow adds cost savings, faster turnaround times, and additional revenue opportunities,” says Jammallo.

Digital print technologies are at the crux of producing transactional documents. Without digital printing, companies would be left with only manual/labor intensive processes to coordinate and produce invoices and statements. According to Ed Wong, product marketing, Production Printing Business Group, Ricoh, digital print empowers variable data, which makes the customization of transactional documents possible.

The Role of Inkjet
Whether it is changing customized marketing messages on invoice and billing statements from monochrome to color, offering highly personalized direct mail in small or large volumes, producing cost and time efficient high-volume jobs in color, or realizing an explosion in the demand for digital color coupled with increasing personalization and time-to-market demands, production inkjet helps reinvent transactional communications.
According to David Murphy, director of marketing and business development, HP Inc., continuous-feed production inkjet enables high-volume variable data to be produced at high speeds in a single pass. A decade ago, much of transactional print was comprised of a two-step imprinting process. The shells or templates of high-volume invoices and statements were typically printed on offset presses. These printed sheets were then generally fed through a monochrome toner or inkjet printer, which applied the variable data. Color-enabled continuous-feed inkjet printers made this imprinting process largely obsolete.

Scott Peterson, product marketing manager, Tecnau, suggests finishing technologies, like dynamic perforating, further enable the move to full color inkjet. “These finishing technologies can even allow new capabilities, such as using a dynamic perforator to add a coupon page to a bill in a quintessential TransPromo application,” adds Peterson.

Advancements in inkjet technology include increased resolution, running speed, improved ink, and smaller drop sizes. These benefits lead to a wider use of stocks from plain paper to machine coated offset paper stocks. Swanson states that inkjet printing becomes more affordable with a broader range of products available, making them an ideal catalyst for producing high-volume transactional or TransPromo materials.

“Those who produce large monthly runs consider the operational efficiencies of inkjet printing—quality output, fast, and economical. Advancements eliminated the need for inventory of pre-printed rolls. Like toner-based digital presses, inkjet also offers an ideal solution for multiple messages via one vehicle. It can meet the customer needs with color and personalized data, stretching a customer’s marketing dollars and promotional effectiveness,” says Swanson.

Inkjet has come so far so fast in terms of output quality in recent years, that it’s really empowering transactional printers to more fully embrace TransPromo. Like all printing technologies, inkjet continues to evolve.

Modern inkjet produces transactional documents with eye-catching aspects that may have previously required a hybrid digital/offset workflow and a lot of extra work on the part of operators to produce. “These attractive TransPromo options help drive better audience engagement and customer relationships,” adds Wong.

Not only have inkjet solutions made significant strides in high-speed, low-cost and high-quality production, they have also increased productivity, throughput, and substrate performance. Gone is the old adage that inkjet is just a forms replacement opportunity.

Schlimme argues that today’s transactional printers implement a true white paper factory and enable bills, statements, and other documents to pay for themselves by introducing print recipients to new products, divisions of the featured company, and services specifically tailored to the recipient.

“In the coming year, the number of impressions produced on digital color printers will only increase,” says Miller.

“Over the next five years, digital production print shipments and services are projected to grow by over ten percent, especially within the transactional space as more digital printers come online and consumers continue to value the peace of mind associated with paper,” he continues.

Print Threats
Electronic mail delivery methods are continually pushed on consumers and will likely continue to erode the volume of commonplace statements or bills. Schlimme believes that ever-increasing volumes of transactional documents are moving online, and won’t likely return. The transactional print experience needs to be valuable, offer information, and reduce clutter for consumers.

As transactional print providers add new technology to meet the growing requirements of their customer, these new capabilities allow print providers to enter new markets.

“Because these providers already have the relationships with customers, as well as security and workflow processes in place to meet demanding SLAs, they are in a good position to help customers leverage data in new applications. So, while e-distribution channels threaten traditional printed statements, the requirement for print providers is to offer innovative solutions that ultimately open markets and provide new opportunities,” adds Schlimme.

As companies move towards smartphone applications and other digital delivery methods for invoicing and statement distribution, there will be some impact on the volume of printed transactional pages. However, paper transactional and TransPromo documents aren’t going away anytime soon. Wong says many customers prefer the simplicity of paper-based documents for both archival and retrieval purposes.

Miller believes the complementary multi-channel environment enhances the value of the physical distribution channel. Since the advent of digital models, mail volumes have not declined in the transactional market to the degree that many predicted. Surveys show that people still prefer to receive sensitive financial statements and invoices by mail in order to keep hard copies of their statements.

“However, as physical and digital communications continue to converge, bills, statements, and direct mailings must be part of an omni-channel customer engagement solution,” says Miller.

Jammallo adds that print emerged as an important part of the multi-channel mix. Digital color print presents opportunities to engage in new and exciting ways. Incorporating data-driven content and technologies like mobile barcodes into documents—often in full color—drives interaction in other channels.

“TransPromo has the ability to transform printed statements into an interactive medium with the addition of personalized URLs, augmented reality, or quick response codes, enabling consumers to quickly and easily connect to additional content. The ability to drive traffic across multiple channels makes TransPromo a vital component of integrated marketing campaigns,” explains Jammallo. This strategy is effective in its ability to bolster the bottom line, but also by eliminating the need for a separate promotional mailing and associated costs.

Murphy says printed transaction document volume is declining in the low single-digit range of negative growth rates. While many financial and investment portfolio statements must still legally be presentable in paper format, other transactional applications are in decline as more consumers opt out of paper receipts.

“Many banks today only offer electronic statements to new customers as a default with customers needing to opt in or request paper statements. Further aggravating this decline are ‘green’ initiatives that inaccurately promote the idea of paper reduction as environmentally responsible,” says Murphy

Changes from the USPS
Changes in the United States Postal Service (USPS) affect transactional mailers. According to Schlimme, following the 2006 postal legislation, which pegged rates to shape rather than weight, mailers have had to migrate to letter-size mail. In 2009 the volume of first class flats decreased over 15 percent. Outsourcing is also commonplace in an effort to cut costs. USPS sees more of the work they used to do being done in big, combined sorting houses, which further reduces the revenue streams the USPS once dominated.

“Starting January 22, 2017, first class mail affected a price increase of two cents for the price of one ounce Single-Piece Machinable Stamped Letter by two to 49 cents. The Postal Service is also decreasing the price for a Single-Piece Machinable Metered Letter by one-half cent, making that now 46 cents. For high-volume mailers these changes in postage cost can force a shift in applications and more effort in reworking their current workflow,” explains Schlimme.

Jammallo states that since 2011, the USPS has promoted awareness of innovative uses of mail by offering a two percent discount on mail pieces that encourage customers to adopt and invest in technologies that enhance how customers interact and engage with mail. Such promotions provide discounts for personalized color with TransPromo messages and use of emerging/advanced technologies such as NFC and video.

“Inkjet production technology enables efficient and effective workflows to produce incentivized applications. By levering the technologies, print providers take advantage of these two percent discounted mail rates,” adds Jammallo.

Improved Production
The TransPromo space is experiencing a near industry-wide race to improve digit print quality. Those advancements include high-resolution printing and technological advancements in printheads, ink, and paper, allowing more content to be printed digitally with variable content.

“In addition,” says Wong, “productivity improvements and faster makereadies allowed for meeting tighter deadlines and responding to last-minute changes, which is often crucial for the kinds of business transactional customers do. The end result is a higher value statement, which should drive higher rates of engagement and responses.”
Ryan Manieri, marketing manager, MBO America, notes given that online systems are commonplace in the transactional/TransPromo world, especially when dealing with secure items; the fewer the better. “Features like automation, camera inspection, and print mark readers are key in improving job integrity.”

Many established features of production presses and finishing systems for transactional print have been in place in one form or another for 20 years or more. New developments are in the inkjet printing area, allowing for the production of visually appealing color documents. Peterson explains that dynamic perforators surged in popularity over the past several years. “Today’s dynamic perforators take it a step further, as they allow unique perforation patterns on each page of each statement throughout a job run,” he adds.

The Inkjet Effect
Transactional printing involves the printing and distribution of general financial documents like checks, invoices, statements, and privacy notices. Inkjet technology benefits transactional applications through the elimination of preprinted forms. Advancements in digital print technology, including the availability and lower costs of color, drive innovation in this marketing segment.

Mar2017, DPS Magazine

News from Poing

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By DPS Staff

The Océ ProStream prints uncoated, inkjet-optimized, gloss, and matte-coated papers at premium quality at a rate of 80 meters per minute. It targets a range of commercial applications including transactional, direct mail, books, collateral, catalogs, and magazines.

The new ProStream features the latest piezoelectric drop-on-demand inkjet printhead technology leveraged with Océ Multilevel technology for sharper details, smoother half tones, and economized ink usage. Additionally, the Océ-developed ColorGrip and polymer pigment inks creates vibrant colors. New printheads deliver 1,200 dpi. It also offers a new drying system.

Technology Positioning
The Océ ProStream technology is positioned to provide quality, media flexibility, variable content, and productivity. With this release, the company has three goals—first, to gain more share of existing segments and applications; second—to achieve new market/customer acquisitions; and three—to maintain its market share in the continuous feed inkjet market.

The Océ ProStream technology combines several core technologies for continuous feed inkjet and builds on a decade of experience in inkjet with the Océ JetStream, Océ ColorStream, and Océ VarioPrint i300. Within this product lineup, the Océ ProStream is suited to serve a range of applications from mid- to high-volume on coated and uncoated media. To put it into perspective against its existing portfolio, the Océ ColorStream and JetStream devices are focused on uncoated and inkjet media, primarily targeting books, direct mail, and transactional applications. The Océ ImageStream series offers efficient long runs for graphic arts applications including premium direct mail, collateral, and magazines and catalogs. Finally, the Océ VarioPrint i300 serves complex, mixed media jobs and short runs.

“We are confident that the Océ ProStream series will continue to drive our success in our competitive market,” concludes Christian Unterberger, EVP, production printing products and CMO, Océ, a Canon Group Company.

Raising Inkjet Expectations
Canon and Océ continue to invest in inkjet, offering a varied portfolio of solutions designed to serve the needs of every digital print environment. The newest addition aims to offer superior print quality and media choice to break the boundaries of traditional inkjet.

Mar2017, DPS Magazine

EFI Connect 2017

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By DPS Staff

EFI customers from around the world traveled to the Wynn Las Vegas in Las Vegas, NV, for the annual Connect user conference this January. The company says the event reached sell-out capacity, hosting attendees from 37 nations.

In its 17th year, the conference caters to customers’ evolving needs for information related to market and technology trends.

In his opening keynote speech, Guy Gecht, CEO, EFI, discussed artificial intelligence (AI) and the trends of the next wave of advanced technology. For example, he points out that some enterprise resource management and management information systems workflow products developed by the company learn to be more efficient as they track business operations. “As with the developments we have all seen with personal computers and mobile technology, AI promises to create more opportunities,” says Gecht. “In print, it can drive preventative diagnostics and predictive maintenance, which helps our customers improve their top and bottom lines.”

New Products
In addition to networking and education, Connect visitors learned of technology advancements from EFI, including the debut of the company’s largest soft signage wide format printer, and new LED roll-to-roll printers focused on productivity.

The VUTEk FabriVU 520 printer targets fast-growing soft signage opportunities. A 5.2-meter printer, it provides new capabilities for producing a broader range of soft signage products, including wall murals, theatre drapes, and other superwide seamless applications.

Also debuted, EFI’s VUTEk 5r and 3r LED roll-to-roll printers, offering speeds of up to 4,896 square feet per hour in resolutions up to 1,200 dpi. The 5r is five meters, while the 3r is three meters. Both offer high resolution with seven-picoliter EFI UltraDrop Technology.

In addition to hardware product offerings, the company unveiled version 5 of its Productivity Suite end-to-end workflow offerings. It also highlighted next-generation EFI Fiery digital front end (DFE) production technologies.

Connect 2017 presented ways for attendees to gain new insights into their digital production workflows with the range of new and updated EFI Fiery DFE products.

Connect 2017
EFI users look forward to Connect for education, networking, and demonstrations from leading vendors in the digital production space. From workflow to wide format, the event has something for every print professional that utilizes EFI products.

Mar2017, DPS Magazine

Print MIS Savings

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By Olivia Cahoon

Print service providers (PSPs) use print management information systems (MIS) to automate daily tasks and manage inventory, consumables, prepress, post press, graphics, and pricing from digital to large format and often include integration with CRM and scheduling, reporting, and payment functions.

Print MIS is an investment that requires time, effort, and startup costs that may deter PSPs from implementation. We spoke with print MIS vendors to determine indicators for investment and how the technology benefits digital printing environments.

From Stressful to Simple
Print MIS software works with a PSP’s existing digital or hybrid print workflows. In the commercial print space, this includes integration with leading prepress workflows. Packaging providers also achieve end-to-end integrations for analog, digital, and hybrid production environments.

“End-to-end workflow is about achieving an overall business objective of growth, diversification, and improved profitability, and while single or point solutions can help with these, they often only move the core issue further downstream,” according to Nick Benkovich, senior director, portfolio management, EFI Productivity Software.

MIS offers visibility, control, and efficiency. Stephen McWilliam, EVP, Avanti, explains that accessible information maintained by MIS creates better decisions. The software manages and tracks the cost of hundreds of jobs per day and eliminates required touchpoints to finish jobs.

MIS solutions reduce the time and effort needed to complete web to print (W2P) storefront orders through production—orders are shipped with minimal input. Joseph Lehn, product management director, PressWise by SmartSoft, says fully integrated systems are designed with the basic premise to keep touch points to a minimum.

Dorothy Asboth, North American sales manager, Label Traxx, says studies show the number of orders in a print environment can double with digital. “We see the biggest payback for those shops that see a large amount of reorders, like label converters.” Print MIS encourages job data to be consistent so job specifications are easily repeated on press for each product run.

Tulin Edev, VP, Printer’s Plan, says MIS software often includes features like print estimating, order management, inventory management, in-depth reporting, data exporting, and web solutions. Its features have the required tools to manage a digital hybrid printing business.

MIS Cautions
While MIS software offers control, some companies haven’t yet invested in MIS. The most apparent inhibitor for these companies is resistant to change. Organizations must be willing to move through change management and invest in an end-to-end workflow.

In addition to change, PSPs must also be willing to invest time. “With company margins as limited as they are, printers run with a minimal amount of staff, which makes the thought of taking the time to implement a new system difficult to contemplate,” says Lehn.

Lee Ward, global sales director, Tharstern, agrees and says small companies consider the implementation process as neither quick nor easy. “It isn’t a plug-and-play solution and companies have to invest time, effort, and capital to get it working,” he states.

Benkovich says many of these companies are smaller businesses that consider MIS to require too many resources in terms of IT infrastructure.

Startup costs also inhibit PSPs. Unsuccessful prior attempts to implement a system concern potential prospects. Morrie Brown, president, Printpoint, explains that lack of effort either within the PSP’s shop or poor support from the MIS vendor leads to frustration. A desire to match prior pricing may lead to irritation when the shop doesn’t understand the pricing system it was dependent on—resulting in an inability to articulate pricing and bring them to an automated computer system.

Besides the actual cost of software, PSPs must also consider operating costs. Peter Dhondt, business development manager, CERM, explains that PSPs need to invest in server hardware, software modules, software maintenance, and web hosting.

Jordan Melick, business development manager, Accura MIS, says MIS provides the ability to perform many functions from a single entry point, allowing users to be more efficient.

Observing Workflow
Certain indicators help PSPs determine if implementing a print MIS solution is viable. For PSPs handling large volumes of digital print jobs, print MIS helps optimize job distribution, throughput, scheduling, and asset utilization.

“Those types of extremely automated, streamlined workflows work with very few touch points but are also scalable to different print production needs,” explains Benkovich. Single-location offset and digital print shops experience similar efficiency and growth in the technology implementation of wide format inkjet signage and graphics businesses. Short-run printing indicates higher order volume that leads to more invoices, estimates, and job tickets. Benkovich adds that the increased need for these tasks on a higher frequency of short-run orders creates increased automation in digital print production and business management workflows.

McWilliam states that PSPs who have growing and difficult to manage shops, are moving into different segments, or have unfulfilled customer requests due to lack of processes, consider MIS solutions. “As more businesses add new lines of business, whether it be digital equipment or marketing services, a print MIS streamlines workflow, eliminates islands of automation, and ensures the tools to stay on top of the operation.”

Other indicators that suggest it’s time to implement a print MIS include lost orders, customers questioning inconsistent pricing, an irregular path of orders, and a lack of integration from the W2P storefront to job ticketing, production, shipping, and invoicing. “Re-keying of information from one system into another is a clear indication of time that could be better spent producing new work,” says Lehn.

Digital printing requires the organization and management of many digital assets and files. Lehn explains that MIS software provides an organizational system that allows more time—especially for short print runs that create less margin with less working time.

Nate Burns, sales manager, Virtual Systems, says PSPs considering an MIS solution should move if they have experienced redundant data entry, customer service issues, or mistakes regarding incorrect estimates, issues in production, or missed billing items.
“Everyone can benefit from a print MIS solution. Chances are most of your competitors already have it and as a result, their overall costs are lower as they are able to operate more efficiently,” states Usman Ali, principal, Ordant.

Justifying Costs
Investment in print MIS is justified by ROI. Some enterprise resource planning or MIS solutions calculate the advantages of improved profit per order and faster turnaround times.

Benkovich shares that additional benefits include increased customer satisfaction measured by improved, real-time feedback, and improved employee morale as a result of faster, simpler, and more fulfilling work.

McWilliam estimates a ROI of ten to 14 months, partly due to time saving features and software that handles multiple lines of business. “In shops without a system, we have found customer service representatives spend 20 to 25 percent of their time chasing information for their clients and sales teams.”

To establish ROI, Lehn says it is effective to evaluate the current workflow costs by identifying the steps needed to push a typical job through the shop. These include manually generating quotes, keying in orders, delivering proofs, making changes, scheduling jobs, creating shipping labels, entering job data into an accounting system, and prepress tasks like downloading files, preflighting, and impositioning. The information is used to determine and analyze the typical number of jobs run per day and the average time spent performing each step. The total average hourly cost for employees that perform these tasks is then calculated.

“Armed with this data, it is possible to streamline the workflow with an automated print management solution that identifies where the savings can be made,” says Lehn. The process determines projected ROI before purchasing and implementing an MIS system and determines ROI after implementation.

Print MIS systems have monthly service maintenance fees and startup costs. ROI justifies how savings will outpace costs. “There is investment in the software and in the training, but the time savings more than makes up for that,” adds Lehn.

High- and low-volume shops benefit from different print MIS features. A high-volume shop benefits from features like data collection, inventory tracking, W2P, and scheduling. “Typically, a low-volume shop benefits from estimating, basic job tracking, and invoicing,” says Brown.

According to Rich Giles, president, AACRO Computer System, the greatest benefit to a small printer is the ability to quickly produce and transmit quotes. “This means that multiple quantity quotes take the same amount of time to generate as a single quantity quote,” he adds.

High-volume shops profit from the ability to run a job through all of its processes without constantly pulling it out to accommodate changes, says Carol Andersen, chairman, EPMS. Electronic job monitoring and data collection alerts the shop of the job’s status at any given time. Change order functionalities allow instant changes on electronic job tickets.

Optimized Print
The size and scope of a print provider, as well as customer demands, dictate the level and importance of print MIS within a digital print environment.

Founded in 1981, Quality Press is a print shop in Seattle, WA, that offers 24/7 cloud-based online ordering, proofing, and order history access as well as prepress services, one- to five-color offset, digital, and letterpress printing; four-color and white printing on glass, ceramics, and metals; and finishing, mailing, kitting, fulfillment, and distribution.

John DePasquale, owner, Quality Press, purchased the shop in 2008 with 12 employees. Quality Press now has 25 employees in a work area of 11,777 square feet—providing services internationally. The company’s mission is to work with clients for the best results with a mutual understanding and a shared purpose. If it is unable to create a solution in house, the shop will find a way to get the job done.

Quality Press produces general commercial printing, corporate identity, folding carton, variable data, and assembly. The shop uses the HP Indigo 5600, which prints at 90 pages per minute for more than two million color pages per month.

For two and a half years, Quality Press has used PressWise workflow software. PressWise is an end-to-end Software as a Service-based MIS and print workflow automation solution complete with unlimited web storefronts, estimating, quoting, order processing, workflow management, complete shipping integration, fulfillment, and an ability to integrate with most third-party storefronts and existing backend accounting systems.

PressWise dedicates its MIS solution to helping customers decide the most appropriate solution for business—whether creating a single unified workflow or keeping digital and offset workflows separate.

“It’s fast, seamless, lean, and available to all employees wherever they are as long as they have an internet connection,” says DePasquale. PressWise’s MIS solution is intended for an target audience of commercial printers with a reported revenue between $1 to $10 million annually.

The PressWise workflow solution offers a variety of core functions, including print estimating tools to help users save both time and money, order management to control business flow, production management for a top-down view of orders by job status, inventory management to automate materials and finished goods and stock, and mail processing to capture incremental revenue. These capabilities help users become one-stop shops.

“It’s faster to estimate, enter orders, and communicate with customers than ever before,” says DePasquale. He adds that his customers love the automatic proof, invoice, delivery, and shipping notifications that the solution provides. Additionally, estimating, access to customer data, and storefront capabilities are faster than ever before.

Print MIS
Low- and high-volume print companies are both candidates for MIS. Today’s solutions are targeted to save time and produce high ROI for PSPs. However, print providers who have not yet integrated MIS are wary of the effort and costs needed to implement these solutions. Despite this, PSPs may determine if a MIS solution is a fit by comparing the options. From modular to complete end-to-end solutions, print MIS software is on the market to serve every print environment.

Mar2017, DPS Magazine

Dscoop Phoenix

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By DPS Staff

The digital solutions cooperative (Dscoop) is an independent community of HP Graphics technology owners and technical professionals who use HP Indigo, Scitex, high-end latex, and PageWide Web Press equipment. Founded in 2005, Dscoop membership now supports users throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, and Japan.

To fuel the group’s goal of growing the digital print industry, it hosts conferences enabling members to interact with peers, learn and elevate business practices, and build partnerships, alliances, and relationships that positively impact their businesses.

This year, Dscoop members and partners convened in Phoenix, AZ for the annual HP Graphic Solutions community event. The conference took place from March 1 to 4, 2017 and followed the theme, Imagine. Every year, it promises to educate attendees on how to achieve business results through educational sessions, networking opportunities, and partner showcases.

New this year, Dscoop offered the Imagine WonderLab, which consists of hotspots for conversation and idea flows.

Additionally, it offered a series of re-energized education sessions that spotlight the spirit of communications and business growth. Examples of sessions include, The Magic of Imagine: Unleashing Creativity presented by Doug Lipp, former head of Disney Training Institute; Leveraging Digital Marketing Strategies to Sell More Print, presented by Jacob Walker, CEO, PrintCPG; 3D Printing —Reinventing the Way the World Designs and Manufactures, presented by Stephen Nigro, president of 3D Printing, HP; The Steps to a Successful Collaboration with Creatives and Brand Owners, presented by Sabine Lenz, PaperSpecs; Managing Risk, Juggling Multiple Businesses and Swimming with Sharks, presented by Charlie Williams – DigiWrap and Brad Boskovic – Lingraph Services Co.; and HP PageWide Industrial Business: The Progress and Future of Production Inkjet Technology, presented by Eric Wiesner, GM, HP PageWide Industrial and Marco Boer, VP, I.T. Strategies.

Partner Power
An important part of Dscoop focuses on partner companies that help HP users maximize printer investments. Software, media, and finishing vendors highlighted products and services at Dscoop Phoenix. Here we highlight partner exhibits from the event.

Avanti helps shops deliver more jobs in less time with the confidence in knowing that every aspect of the business is integrated into one platform. Avanti Slingshot is a print MIS application that is fully integrated with HP’s PrintOS. Connect islands of automation, eliminate breakpoints in workflow, and get the information you want—when you want it, and where you want it, with Avanti Slingshot. From order entry through to production and billing, Avanti Slingshot enables its users to work more efficiently, control costs, and move jobs through the shop without delays.

AveryPRO offers 12×18-inch pressure-sensitive materials in a variety of specialty substrates such as Soft Touch, Silver Matte, and a Durable PET. Materials are engineered for liquid and dry toner presses, and are suited for short-run, print on demand applications. These substrates are available in a variety of full-sheet and pre die-cut shapes and sizes.

Duplo USA Corporation pre-launched its new DDC-810 Digital Spot UV Coater, offering attendees exclusive demonstrations and pre-order opportunities. Utilizing inkjet technology, the DDC-810 applies a gloss finish to defined areas of the substrate, giving images a raised effect with texture and depth. The DDC-810 is designed for short-run applications and processes up to 21 A3 sheets per minute, handles UV thickness from 20 to 80 microns, and paper weights from 157 to 450 gsm.

GPA exhibited with Arconvert, a sister company and manufacturer of roll-fed labeling products for luxury and consumer packaged goods. GPA introduced its latest substrates for HP sheet-fed presses, including PaperTyger Durable Papers for HP Indigo and Digital Presses, Folex Pressure Sensitive and Non-Adhesive Synthetics, and other distinctive additions. New banner and signage substrates for wide format presses round out the new products.

Imaging Solutions AG (ISAG), in cooperation with the Felix Schoeller Group and HP, produced XXL photobooks in 18×18-inches on the fastBook Professional bookbinding system by ISAG.

locr GmbH demonstrated how location-based services, such as geographical segmentation and personalized maps can improve direct marketing campaigns. The company showcases solutions that enable providers of all kinds to add value to the printed communications they produce for their clients. These solutions include personalized maps, locr GEOanalytics, and locr GEOservices. Used together or separately, these services enable print and marketing service providers to improve customer engagement with printed communications.

Michelman featured its line of DigiGuard brand energy curable and water-based OPVs. DigiGuard solutions meet a range of market needs, from general purpose to high-performance applications on both paper and synthetic substrates. The versatile OPVs are tested and certified by RIT’s HP Indigo Over Print Varnish Performance Program in combination with the company’s proven DigiPrime primers for optimum performance.

Nobelus provides thermal films, foils, laminates, and equipment, working with HP Indigo on many fronts. Designed for brand enhancement and special effects across many HP platforms, it serves the general print market, photo production, folding cartons and packaging, and label/flexible packaging segments.

Rollem previewed the Insignia6 sheetfed flexo-magnetic die cutter featuring a 20×20-inch sheet capacity. Demonstrations included folded cosmetic cartons as they were die cut and scored at speeds up to 5,000 sheets per hour. One of its unique features is the ability to feed the sheet from both landscape or portrait directions providing maximum space for image impositions. The Rollem Jetstream, featuring a 30-inch sheet capacity, processes a 20×28-inch sheet of eight-up postcards. Sheets of cards are trimmed, slit, and perforated delivering promotional postcards with tear-off business cards. Folder/gluer units are available for either of these systems for one-step finishing production.

Spiral showcased its James Burn punching and binding equipment. The Alpha-Doc MK4 Automatic Punch offers a top speed of 90 cycles per minute, reaching outputs up to 94,200 sheets per hour. The BB50 High Speed Semi-Automatic Binder outputs up to 600 to 1,200 books per hour. Combined with its SnakeSkin Wire-O, the BB50 automatically finishes hand fed pre-punched documents with Wire-O sizes from one-fourth-of-an-inch to one-inch. Finally, its Koilmatic Automatic Tabletop Coil Inserter and Crimper binds up to 450 books per hour without required tools.

Standard Finishing Systems presented automated post press solutions. Taking center stage was the North American debut of the Standard Horizon BQ-480 Perfect Binder, which features the quickest set-up and changeover for variable book production in its class, especially for book-of-one. With interchangeable PUR and EVA glue tanks, the binder also offers advanced automation through a movable, color touchscreen including adjustments for roller height, nipping height, and amount of side glue. The SmartSlitter, an all-in-one smart sheet processing system that can slit, gutter cut, edge trim, cross-cut, perforate, and crease in a single pass was also shown. The RD-4055 Rotary Die Cutter produced a variety of unique applications including door hangers, pop-up business cards, stickers, labels, and pocket folders. The CRF-362 Creaser/Folder demonstrated its ability to crease and fold digital color output in one pass, withoutcracking.

Taopix educated attendees on mobile commerce and how to leverage it to sell personalized photo products.

Tekra showcased new products as an inaugural member of Dscoop. Its digital portfolio contains films for Indigo, UV, latex, and solvent inkjet presses and constantly works to improve its lines with a variety of sizes and specialty items.

XMPie showcased integration between HP’s PrintOS Site Flow and XMPie’s web to print (W2P) solution, StoreFlow. Applicable to many industries and markets, XMPie’s W2P solution integrates with PrintOS, which was highlighted for labels and packaging.
Zünd featured the Zünd S3 cutter with QR-code capture for automatic file retrieval, automatic sheet feeder, and collaborative robot for automatic material loading and sorting/stacking of cut parts. By increasing net throughput, this automated, non-stop cutting system helps customers become more productive and profitable. All Zünd cutting systems are modular and tailored and adapted to meet specific cutting and workflow requirements even as these change. With a full gamut of tooling and automation options for processing every type of graphics and point of purchase substrate, they offer versatility, adaptability, and productivity.

Peer Presence
User groups and conferences enable peers to leverage each other’s knowledge as well as industry experts. Each year, HP graphic arts users attend Dscoop to imagine new possibilities to encourage success.

Mar2017, DPS Magazine