by Cassandra Balentine
Print service providers (PSPs) are an essential aspect of every community. As businesses adapt to new needs brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, they rely on printed communications to share updated processes and feature new products or services.
Above: City Blue Imaging offers reprographics, on demand digital, wide format, and offset printing along with graphic design and mailing.
Founded in 1926, City Blue Imaging Services currently operates out of Rochester, NY with 16 employees. It primarily serves the Western NY area, with a worldwide reach.
The company was built on a solid reprographics background. Since its start, the family-owned business offers digital and offset print production with a strong focus on first-class service, its staff, and its community. Its service offerings consist of reprographics, on demand digital, wide format, and offset printing along with graphic design and full mailing services.
Approximately 70 percent of its output is digitally printed.
To produce its range of offerings, the company utilizes two Canon imagePRESS C8000VP digital presses. In addition, it has a diverse portfolio of wide format digital print engines, including the Canon PlotWave 900, Plotwave 700, and several HP Latex printers. Its offset presses include two and three color options. A range of finishing solutions support wide format and production printing, including two Duplo bookletmakers and multiple laminators from Drytac.
Shifting Business
Like all businesses in the U.S. and beyond, the COVID-19 crisis brought on a major disruption of operations. Remaining diligent in regards to both its business and employees, all City Blue team members receive regular updates regarding customer news, sales, and projections on direction of business climate.
Additionally, it offers curbside pickup and delivery, and has enacted numerous internal precautionary measures to help with the safety of its staff and customers.
“During these unprecedented times, we’ve shifted our business specifically to support our customers’ needs. We serve some of the larger hospitals in Rochester, NY and were producing the signage they needed during the initial emergency. As businesses have started to open we offer a range of print communications to help them, including producing synthetic and disposable menus for local restaurants, as well as printing signage and decals for local businesses to display on their storefronts to attract customers into their stores,” offers Mark Cleary, president, City Blue Imaging.
While its standard orders aren’t coming in at the regular pace, the shop sees an uptick in certain applications, which helps keep the presses running. Cleary says popular items include indoor and outdoor signage for schools, universities, major medical/healthcare providers—including a-frames, lawn signs, indoor wall and door clings, and floor graphics. It’s also seen an increased need for restaurants to produce menus and reopening signs. “We’ve adapted inventories of both small and wide format media and substrates to meet this demand.”
By utilizing Canon’s imagePRESS C8000VP digital color press, the PSP is is able to turnaround important, safety-focused orders, and deliver to facilities as little as two to three hours of the original order submission.
Remain Active
During these challenging times, it is important for all businesses, including PSPs stay innovative and alive.
City Blue Imaging utilized its standard approach to marketing, which is a combination of heavy social media presence, email marketing campaigns, and regular phone calls and emails from its sales representatives to customers and prospects alike.
Cleary advises his peers to stay active on the marketing front with a particular focus on the new opportunities in large format signage and small size signs that businesses, offices, and residence buildings need to help instruct on their guidelines. “Listen to customer and marketing needs, and shift your businesses when/if necessary to meet their demands in order to help both you and your customers stay efficient.”
The PSP continues to emphasize its expertise in providing essential services, including design and mail services. It remains committed to developing innovative signage solutions for many of our restaurant customers to support their communication of the importance of social distancing, use of face masks, and other important safety measures.
Crisis Calls
The importance of print for instructional, motivational, and educational purposes is evident during this time of uncertainty. Not only are businesses looking to print new policies, menus, and instructions, print is used to support the community. With a range of equipment from digital and offset to wide format, City Blue Imaging is able to keep its doors open and serve its base.
Sep2020, DPS Magazine
