By Olivia Cahoon
Part two of two
Multi-functional products (MFPs) feature graphic-specific features that give low to medium production environments enough quality to satisfy customers. Entry-level production MFPs are found in small print shops or corporate environments. They are capable of handling volume sizes up to 125K and create a variety of applications including booklets, brochures, business cards, and postcards. In this article, we look at a print service provider (PSP) who utilizes an MFP to create a successful business.
From Print Shop to Ad Agency
Source3Media, formerly Hudson Printing, provides a marketing approach that spans all industry needs through a single point of contact. The company specializes in web services, digital print, and social media and video production services out of Macedonia, OH.
Hudson Printing began with just four employees in a small office space, producing business cards and forms. Later, they grew into a full spectrum manufacturing facility for offset, binder, and other print services. In 2009 the company added new offset presses and digital and design equipment to match industry standards for print quality and color. They received a brand and marketing department with web development and film production capabilities in 2013 to create Hudson Collective.
Recently the brands have come together as Source3Media, a full-service advertising agency and print shop, in a 50,000-square foot facility with 48 employees in addition to contractors and part-time workers to service local, regional, national, and global clients.
Source3Media offers large format printing for backlit displays, banners, floor graphics, point of purchase displays, posters, retail signs, trade shows, and window graphics up to 60 inches wide. They have a list of media materials that include coated, uncoated, glossy, satin, scrim vinyl, backlit, and cling. The company offers full bindery services as well.
Finishing with Power
Source3Media is a G7 qualified plant and utilizes Canon technology. The company operates the Canon imagePRESS C10000VP, C6010VP, and a C7011VP. The imagePRESS C10000VP offers print speeds up to 100 impressions per minute and resolutions of 2,400×2,400 dpi. The C6010VP handles jobs like saddle-stitched booklets, hard-copy reproductions, direct mail pieces, and marketing collateral. The C7011VP is designed for commercial printers and in-house departments, and has inline finishing capabilities like booklet stitching, stapling, punching, and trimming.
“Source3Media’s decision to move entirely into Canon’s product suite has been two-fold—Canon has offered the opportunity to improve services inline, while improve both uptime and throughput,” says Al Carrero, owner, Source3Media. The G7 qualification enables Source3Media to process products across multiple platforms and maintain quality standards.
The PSP’s digital department is managed using PRISMAsync and PRISMA remote, which allows for operation during a lights-out situation, explains Carrero. PRISMAsync is a front-end RIP for Canon production printers. It has a G7 calibration and an advanced color management module. The PRISMAsync controller predicts production times and includes operator intervention to keep the job running smoothly and quickly.
“The utilization of this software has allowed the company to better level-load volume while maximizing all of its equipment,” says Carrero. Source3Media also takes advantage of Canon’s Oce B&W devices that handle document printing, plotting, scanning, copying, and document management solutions.
To reduce touches and redundancy, Social3Media uses post-press functionality tools. The company also practices inline finishing and offers coil punching, three-hole punching, folding, engineer folding, and stapling. “Adding these processes inline has drastically improved throughput while illuminating touches,” says Carrero.
Booklets
Source3Media’s repeat customer, the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, regularly orders multiple versions of full-color 8.5×11 inch booklets. Carrero says that the customer requests 25K booklets in two versions. One version consists of 1,500 booklets and is made in the digital department while the remaining booklets are created by offset printing.
“We produce the larger version on the offset and the smaller version on the digital to reduce costs and improve efficiency,” says Carrero. The booklets take four to six hours to complete including the offset and digital time. They are generally between 16 and 24 pages.
Booklets that are digitally printed are either bound or saddle stitched. Perfectly bound books are generally reserved for thicker books over 40 pages like magazines, brochures, and reports while saddle stitched books are ideal for books up to 48 pages. Saddle stitching is the process of binding pages together with staples along the spine. Pages that generally have more than 24 pages have the spine squared off to keep booklets compressed. Papers are available in a variety of options including silk, uncoated, gloss, and are laminated.
The shop uses the imagePRESS C1000 VP on the 1,500 digitally finished booklets. If they didn’t use the imagePRESS and opted for offset, Carrero explains that the small version would create an unreasonable price. “This customer is always happy with the finished product. We continue to hear positive feedback,” says Carrero.
Source3Media matches offset versions of customers’ booklets and finishes different inline versions of the product to make smaller versions that are cost-effective. “As the print industry continues to evolve, the company believes it will continue to see a greater need for reduced touches and a continued demand for post-press solutions,” says Carrero.
Meeting Demands
Print shops like Source3Media take advantage of MFPs to provide customers with features they demand. low to medium level production presses offer advanced finishing features, color management support, and advanced media handling. Using these devices, booklets, brochures, and flyers are created and customized. Dps
Feb2017, DPS Magazine
