Presentation Folder Upgrades Scodix Ultra Pro With Digital Foil Station

Folders produced by Presentation Folder using technology from Scodix

ORANGE, Calif. — February 21, 2017 — Presentation Folder, Inc. (PFI) of Orange, California, recently upgraded their Scodix Ultra Pro — purchased two years ago — with a brand new digital Scodix Foil Station as an add-on to their Scodix Ultra Pro. The company originally purchased the press as a digital alternative to conventional spot UV work, and have been using their Scodix Ultra Pro for flat spot UV and raised/3D UV work ever since.

The Scodix Ultra Pro has allowed Presentation Folder to cut their setup costs and time by a significant amount. Tardie noted that prior to installing the machine, they had a hard cost of $150-$200 to set up every job they ran, including the film, burning the screen, and other setup costs. Not only did that cost them money, but setup took a significant time as well.

“The Scodix press eliminated our setup time and cost, allowing us to offer small quantities for a lower cost, as well as doing them more efficiently,” notes Aaron Tardie, Marketing Director, Presentation Folder. “It also gave us the ability to try samples and 1-offs to show customers what they could do with Scodix enhancements if they added it to their job. And the many capabilities of the system often plants seeds for customers to consider for future projects.”

Scodix Ultra Pro is also ideal for Presentation Folder because the B2 sheet size fits perfectly with the sizes that are coming off of the company’s digital presses. This enables them to foil sheets with multiple-up finished pieces on one large press sheet, instead of either buying multiple dies, or being forced to cut the sheets down to smaller sizes to run with 1-up dies. The new addition is going to allow Presentation Folder to expand their product offerings to products such as high-end business cards and packaging applications and other marketing collateral.

A "Huge Boost" Over Competitors
According to Tardie, Scodix Ultra Pro has given them a huge boost over their competitors in the market, and the new foil enhancement is only going to widen their lead. “We use it two ways,” he said. “First, we use it as a lower cost alternative to add to the core product we produce and sell — presentation folders — to replace spot UV. We upgraded customers to raised/3D spot UV from conventional/flat spot gloss, sometimes as an upsell and sometimes as a special offer, hoping they would love it and demand it in the future, which has worked out well.

“Second, we use it for trade finishing for local printers, which helped us get experience with trying a variety of products, stocks, and substrates, many of which we may produce and sell in the future. We also accumulate many designers and printers with what we can do with the Scodix enhancement, and we believe this will ultimately drive even more demand.”

Aside from their Scodix Ultra Pro, the company is running a variety of other enhancement machines. They still have their conventional spot UV coater, along with many conventional foil stamping and embossing presses, most of which, Tardie noted, they can now also do on their Scodix equipment. They also have several laminating machines, and, Tardie said, “We’ve found with specialty films we can create even more unique effects when combining the films and Scodix.” Other equipment includes die-cutting and converting presses.

A Business Partner, Not Just a Vendor
For Presentation Folder, the relationship with Scodix has been just as good as the press itself. Tardie noted that they were surprised by that in the beginning. “Working with Scodix has been like nothing else we’ve experienced with a press manufacturer,” he said. “We’re in contact with them frequently with questions about how to try a new technique, ideas for improvements in the software, hardware, and consumables, sharing knowledge about substrates and special effects, and much more.”

Another surprise for the company was that Scodix didn’t just sell them a machine and walk away. “Our Scodix sales rep is always bringing sales to us, which is something we definitely didn’t expect,” Tardie said. “We are fortunate that we’re one of the few in our area that has the press, but the more inquiries Scodix gets through their own website, marketing, etc., the more we seem to get as they refer interested printers and designers to work with us. It’s been an incredibly mutually beneficial relationship; we couldn’t have anticipated it would develop into what it has and it’s been amazing to grow and innovate with Scodix as our partner.”

Choosing Wisely ... Not Making the Same Mistake Others Have
Their path to Scodix wasn’t necessarily the usual one, either. Tardie pointed out that they originally chose to do business with the company because someone who owned a similar press from one of Scodix’s competitors told Presentation Folder to not make the same mistake and get a Scodix instead from the start. The benefits, he noted, include the fact that Scodix is always on the cutting edge of this technology. “Their commitment to innovation has always been there, and now have even more resources to grow exponentially on a global scale,” he said. “We can’t wait to see what else we can do with their equipment.”

At the end of the day, Presentation Folder believes their Scodix equipment is going to be a huge factor in their continued and future success. Tardie noted, “In a world where informational printing seems to be less prevalent and profitable, Scodix establishes a great foundation for our future with an emphasis on the unique, high-end print market that we see as our focus for sustained growth. With information at everyone’s fingertips with the internet, print needs to stand out and make a statement to be valuable. 

“The tangible qualities of print are going to be increasingly important, and Scodix is on the same page with us in that regard, as we put a stronger emphasis on what print feels like, and how it makes people feel. There has been enough said about digital printing becoming an ever-growing part of our industry, and while many printers have digital printing presses, the Scodix press gives us similar benefits but on a whole new level, beyond what can be done with just ink on paper. Being on the forefront makes us excited for the future, far removed from just worrying about keeping up with the competition.”

Source: Scodix.