Digital Printing-Liquid Toner

For this issue, we decided to take a look at four digital print shops targeting the high-end market, and how they meet and exceed their customers' expectations. There are a few common threads, but it is interesting how each company tailors its approach to its own personality, its target market and even its geographic location.

Facing flat or declining revenues, more than a few commercial printers are on the lookout for new opportunities to expand their offerings, drive growth and add new revenue. One compelling move can be a segue into packaging, especially labels and folding cartons, where printing expertise is required and the margins—often 9 percent or more—offer an attractive way to increase profitability while also adding value to one's business.

HP is showcasing the HP Indigo 7800 and 30000 digital presses, as well as new services for the first time in the United States, demonstrating continued graphics industry innovation and customer success at GRAPH EXPO 14 in Chicago.

Warren, NJ-based AJS Business Imaging Solutions (AJS BIS), a digital solutions and service provider, has experienced positive results in the first customer testing of the Canon imagePRESS C800 digital press, the newest addition to Canon’s color cut-sheet production portfolio.

Expanding its digital print capacity, Quad/Graphics became one of the first to purchase an HP Indigo WS6800 digital press. Quad/Graphics executives signed the agreement at Labelexpo 2014, where the HP Indigo WS6800 digital press made its U.S. debut.

Southern California Graphics in Culver City, CA, has installed the HP Indigo10000 press to boost productivity and offer a wide array of applications to its customers. "With the HP Indigo 10000 press we are showing our customers that we can predict their needs before they come to us with them," said Tim Toomey, president.

Coca-Cola's "Share a Coke" campaign would not have been possible without digital printing, said Scott Biondich, group director for Sparkling Packaging and R&D Equipment Development at Coca-Cola North America. Launched in the United States this summer, the personalized labels were printed on HP Indigo WS6000 series digital presses.

With a new 30" format HP Indigo 20000 digital press, Innovative Labeling Solutions (ILS) of Hamilton, OH, expects to produce up to 80 percent of its customers' flexible packaging applications, including those not previously addressable with digital printing technology because of former size limitations.

The Dscoop9 conference guide received a gold award in the Digital Printing – Variable Data and Personalization category, and a bronze award in the Magazines – Event Programs category, in the Printing Impressions magazine 2014 Gold Ink Awards printing contest.

The HP Indigo 10000 Digital Press enables Regal Press of Norwood, MA, to bring more work in-house, develop new high-end applications and consistently meet strict brand guidelines. This is the company's fifth HP Indigo installation. "The HP Indigo 10000 will help us make our clients' creative visions a reality, and unlike with offset, we can make prototypes to test new applications and explore new marketing approaches together."