Big Prints, Big Benefits

Wide-format ink-jet printers are bringing a lot of new business into in-plants. Find out how you can profit from "supersizing" your prints.

WIDE FORMAT printing can be a tricky business.

On the one hand, you have a terrific opportunity to provide a new service to your customers. But on the other, how many of your customers know the benefits of printing bigger?

To generate enough business to keep a wide-format color ink-jet printer busy you've got to market your capabilities—and that's exactly what in-plants who have bought the devices are doing.

For example, at Eastman Chemical Creative Services, in Kingsport, Tenn., the in-plant has not only produced a promotional brochure, but it has used its video department—also part of Creative Services—to make a six-minute video detailing the department's capabilities. These capabilities include wide-format printing using a Hewlett-Packard DesignJet CP2500.

"But probably the most effective method of marketing posters is word of mouth, and the fact that this group is so well known in the company," reveals Larry Sutherland, manager.

Business Taking Off

Indeed, managers say that once customers see the quality of the posters and banners that they print, business suddenly seems to take off. Sales and marketing departments are usually at the front of the line. They even begin developing projects exclusively for the printer. So in a sense, a wide-format printer creates its own business.

At least that's what happened to Theresa Schrader, supervisor of Reprographic Services at Solar Turbines, a San Diego-based manufacturer of gas turbine engines. Schrader's 16-employee shop has been busy, busy, busy since it bought its Hewlett-Packard 2000 a year ago.

"I remember thinking we wouldn't get much use out of it," reveals Schrader. She soon discovered how wrong her sentiment was.

Word-of-mouth advertising turned out to be the most successful marketing tool. In fact, it has changed the way the sales and marketing department thinks about the in-house print shop.

"When we first got the equipment, sales and marketing wasn't sure we could handle their requirements," recalls Schrader. "They didn't think [our work] would be as professional as the outside printers they were using before."

But they quickly changed their minds when they saw the 600-dpi quality of the in-plant's printer. It was far better than the 300-dpi products the departments were used to getting when they sent materials out.

"They were surprised at the quality, and it was a morale boost for our department," she says. "In the past, they had been unsure of our technical capabilities, so we're very happy."

Not only is having a wide-format printer a good way to generate more internal business, it's a great way to bring in business from the outside. At Eastman Chemical, Creative Services has found that selling posters to outside customers is a profitable endeavor.

"We began insourcing outside commercial work last June so that we could generate enough income to offset our prices internally," discloses Sutherland, who says insourcing has strengthened his shop for its internal customers

"As in-plants, we tend to get isolated from the standards people have," he contends, "and when we do commercial work, it is understood that if we make a mistake it leaves a lasting mark—an expensive one."

So far, the 35-employee in-plant has brought in $300,000, Sutherland says. Part of that profit was from 12,000 to 15,000 posters, some of which were distributed worldwide. Not bad, considering the in-plant only purchased the new printer last April.

There are a number of areas for which in-plants can provide wide-format prints. Trade show displays and conference presentation graphics have proven profitable for Schrader's shop. A recent conference for Solar Turbines' customers put the in-plant to the test. It passed with flying colors, completing the enormous task and receiving kudos for a job well done and for saving the company money.

Though the business opportunities and savings may be there, managers note that wide-format printers do require a little bit of know-how to operate.

"We only put experienced operators on the printer," says Schrader. "One little mistake and the poster could be ruined."

Sutherland notes that his HP CP2500 is easy to operate after minimal training.

Slow...But Good

One thing wide-format ink-jet printers are not is fast. Good quality prints can take about 15 minutes. Still, this is quicker than sending the job outside.

Sutherland says that his shop's printer is capable of producing at three speeds, "fast, normal and best."

"Our folks zeroed in on this one because of its speed," he notes. "A typical 30x40˝ print will image in approximately eight minutes at normal mode [300 dpi], and 12 to 15 minutes at best mode [600 dpi]."

To help speed the process, some in-plants have networked their printers. At Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, part of the Department of Energy, the in-plant's 36˝ ColorSpan DisplayMaker is networked with the rest of his facility.

"It makes your work so much easier," praises Jerry Alfaro, printing officer at the Livermore, Calif.-based laboratory. "Customers also send us files, and with the front-end RIP and the speed at 12˝ per minute, it's fairly easy to operate—given that you have a good operator."

The in-plant got into wide-format printing out of necessity. As a printer for a government facility, the in-plant must produce classified and sensitive documents. Therefore, nothing can be sent out, so the 19-employee in-plant gets all jobs—large or small. Even so, the in-plant has tried to get the word out about its DisplayMaker by printing promotional posters, complete with phone numbers, and hanging them in the cafeteria. Also, an intranet site has been set up.

Wide-format prints are not cheap. A customer's grandiose plans might fizzle once they see the price tag. At Solar Turbines, in-plant employees make sure the end-user knows the cost right off the bat.

"We talk to the customer to make sure this is what they need," says Stephanie Schorey, publication specialist. "We suggest other economical alternatives to get what they want."

Despite the minor problems and mishaps, the managers agree that wide-format printing is a profitable service to offer.

Sutherland breaks the benefits down into three C's:

"Convenience, confidentiality and low cost, when compared with outside producers," he says. "The ability to turn jobs around quickly is also an advantage—and any available capacity can be used to do commercial work."

Now Protect It

Max Behling has encountered some strange requests in the four years since his in-plant bought its Seal Image 3600 wide-format laminator. Normally, Brigham Young University Print Services laminates the usual: maps, posters and high-profile presentations.

But Behling says he's received requests to laminate gravel, sand and other odd materials. It seems that everyone—even the art students who requested those outlandish jobs—is aware of the major benefit of lamination: To protect the material it covers.

Protection is especially important for wide-format ink-jet prints. Lamination preserves them from scratching, and also from moisture and UV rays. In addition, it can bring out colors, giving a piece a glossy, more attractive look.

Running a laminator, though, is an art, Behling says. He offers the following tips for getting the maximum benefit out of your laminator:

• Operate at a low-temperature and use a low-melt film. "Operating the machine at a higher temperature puts bubbles in the lamination."

• Maintain good pressure between rollers to ensure the lamination is adhering properly.

• Maintain proper tension. "We actually have to lay our hands on the poster to make sure the machine can pull it and resist, so it can go in smoothly"