For Buchanan Visual Communications, the Future Of Print Lies in Perfecting
November 2006
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DALLAS—11/06/06—While the demand for six-color sheetfed presses remains strong, many commercial printers that strive for differentiation in a commodity-driven market find presses with unique attributes of 10 or more printing, coating and drying units increasingly more attractive. Buchanan Visual Communications went further—and longer—than that.
The Dallas-based firm installed a 12-color Mitsubishi Diamond 3000R convertible perfector with twin coaters. Known as the Double Diamond perfector, this 40-inch press incorporates 17 total units, the largest number of units of any commercial sheetfed press currently in operation.
“This is truly a one-of-a-kind press,” remarked David Johnson, president. “The ability of the Double Diamond perfector to print six colors and coat both sides of the sheet at one time gives us a definite advantage in the marketplace. We can up-sell existing accounts on value-added services, such as spot ultraviolet coatings, ultraviolet inks or hybrid UV inks instead of conventional inks and aqueous coatings. The majority of jobs we do entail press checks by our customers, and being able to cut that time in half with a two-sided press check helps save clients money.”
Founded in 1956 as a garage-based shop emphasizing letterpress printing and related die-cutting services, Buchanan today fulfills the gamut of visual communications. The company occupies a 75,000-square-foot facility built in 1997 and staffed by 122 employees.
Buchanan provides commercial printing, typically from 5,000 pieces to 200,000 pieces, supported by digital printing and strong database management. High-quality, branded collateral for business-to-business and business-to-consumer communications benefit from Buchanan’s unique solutions. The printer has seen relatively brisk growth in digital printing and direct mail, with sales volume increasing annually. Total revenues for 2006 are projected at $22 million.
Buchanan, a veteran of perfecting, already had two Diamond 3000R models (a four-color and an eight-color with single coaters) and a 10-color, 40-inch Heidelberg Speedmaster in the pressroom when the company decided to upgrade its production capacity to include a 12-color machine.
“The 12-color press pushes about the same amount of work out the door per hour as two six-color straight presses with half the labor cost,” Johnson observed. “The Dallas market is made up predominantly of printers that have the capabilities to perform standard four-over-four work. A lot of printers have upgraded to five-color and six-color presses. But unfortunately, the five- and six-color market has become commodity driven. To fight the battle with decreasing margins, especially on the commodity work, you need to generate more revenue for every hour of production. The only way to do that is with perfecting presses. Three years ago, we began converting all of our sheetfed equipment to perfecting.”
The Dallas-based firm installed a 12-color Mitsubishi Diamond 3000R convertible perfector with twin coaters. Known as the Double Diamond perfector, this 40-inch press incorporates 17 total units, the largest number of units of any commercial sheetfed press currently in operation.
“This is truly a one-of-a-kind press,” remarked David Johnson, president. “The ability of the Double Diamond perfector to print six colors and coat both sides of the sheet at one time gives us a definite advantage in the marketplace. We can up-sell existing accounts on value-added services, such as spot ultraviolet coatings, ultraviolet inks or hybrid UV inks instead of conventional inks and aqueous coatings. The majority of jobs we do entail press checks by our customers, and being able to cut that time in half with a two-sided press check helps save clients money.”
Founded in 1956 as a garage-based shop emphasizing letterpress printing and related die-cutting services, Buchanan today fulfills the gamut of visual communications. The company occupies a 75,000-square-foot facility built in 1997 and staffed by 122 employees.
Buchanan provides commercial printing, typically from 5,000 pieces to 200,000 pieces, supported by digital printing and strong database management. High-quality, branded collateral for business-to-business and business-to-consumer communications benefit from Buchanan’s unique solutions. The printer has seen relatively brisk growth in digital printing and direct mail, with sales volume increasing annually. Total revenues for 2006 are projected at $22 million.
Buchanan, a veteran of perfecting, already had two Diamond 3000R models (a four-color and an eight-color with single coaters) and a 10-color, 40-inch Heidelberg Speedmaster in the pressroom when the company decided to upgrade its production capacity to include a 12-color machine.
“The 12-color press pushes about the same amount of work out the door per hour as two six-color straight presses with half the labor cost,” Johnson observed. “The Dallas market is made up predominantly of printers that have the capabilities to perform standard four-over-four work. A lot of printers have upgraded to five-color and six-color presses. But unfortunately, the five- and six-color market has become commodity driven. To fight the battle with decreasing margins, especially on the commodity work, you need to generate more revenue for every hour of production. The only way to do that is with perfecting presses. Three years ago, we began converting all of our sheetfed equipment to perfecting.”
Companies Mentioned:
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