PrintPapa: From e-Commerce Software to Full-Service Online Print
In 2005, brothers Shawn and Paul Nag founded an e-commerce software company for the printing industry leveraging Shawn’s software engineering expertise. “Back then,” Shawn says, “not that many printing companies were online, and I saw a unique opportunity for us.” Over the years, the company has placed its focus on growing the amount of work it can deliver in the online print space.
Today, PrintPapa has a staff of 31 people, including seven people working in the bindery, as well as a software development team in India responsible for maintaining and updating its online interface. Located in Santa Clara, CA, about 80% of the company’s volume comes from Silicon Valley, with a growing national footprint. PrintPapa offers offset, digital, and wide-format printing, and has a wide range of products.
“We started out focused on short runs of marketing collateral, up to about 10,000 units,” Shawn explains. “But since then, we have upgraded our print and finishing equipment to be able to produce hundreds of thousands of units with no problem while still delivering fast turnaround and a high level of service at a decent price.”
When it comes to the bindery, PrintPapa has always placed a high importance on productivity and automation, a forward-thinking strategy considering the difficulties in finding and retaining talent in the bindery in today’s marketplace. To that end, PrintPapa began partnering with Standard Finishing (Booth N1943) and its local Horizon dealer Print & Finishing Solutions in 2018. They started with a range of solutions from Horizon including the CRF-362 Creaser/Folder, BQ-270V Perfect Binder, HT-30 Three-knife Trimmer, and Stitchliner 5500 Saddlestitcher, subsequently adding another creaser/folder.
In 2021, PrintPapa expanded its capabilities by adding Horizon’s BQ-500 PUR Perfect Binder, RD-4055DMC Rotary Diecutter, and AFC-566 Folder, rounding out a bindery configuration that is serving the company well. In fact, according to Shawn, the company’s volume has grown by 30% since 2019, and it has only needed to hire one additional person in the bindery.
“We are especially pleased with the Horizon BQ-500 PUR Perfect Binder,” he says. “With our previous perfect binder, we were able to bind 200 books in an hour. Now we can easily bind 500 in an hour, and it’s a much better bind with the PUR glue. Plus, we still have a great bind when we use coated stock.”
He also achieved greater throughput with the Horizon AFC-566 Folder, although he notes that his bindery team still likes using the CRF-362 Creaser/Folder for shorter runs. And the Horizon RD-4055DMC Rotary Diecutter has made a difference as well. “We had a traditional diecutter,” Shawn says, “but it was a hassle to operate. Also, we only had one operator trained, so if he was out, we had to outsource diecutting. With the new system, I can train an operator in 20 minutes or less.”
With its recent investments in print and finishing, PrintPapa is now poised to continue its growth without the need to significantly increase staffing levels. “And the Horizon equipment is a dream to operate,” Shawn concludes. “Our bindery team is happier and more productive, and that makes for happier customers as well!”
