Based in Huntsville, Texas, Sam Houston State University (SHSU) Print Services is a small operation with a big impact. With annual sales of $1.8 million, the in-plant is subsidized by the university, allowing it to price work to the community at a third of the market rate. A PRINTING United Alliance member, SHSU Print Services is run by just five full-time staff and two part-time students.

The team at Sam Houston State University Print Services stands between the in-plant’s Duplo System 3500 and Ricoh Pro C7500. From left: Lori Proctor, associate director, Michelle Clark, administrative assistant, Stuart King, manager, and Justin Simms, print specialist. Missing: Kevin Anderson, prepress technician.
“We are responsible for managing all print needs for our university,” notes Lori Proctor, associate director of Print Services. “This includes all marketing materials such as brochures, flyers, postcards, etc. We also produce all event signage, including A-frame boards and yard signs. Should a project need to be outsourced, we handle that as well.”
But when a difficult job comes its way, the shop is more than happy to take the challenge. Proctor remembers one project in particular, where a university event planner wanted to create a large film strip that would go around the ballroom. The strip, she says, had to be 2 ft. wide and 20 ft. long — without splicing.
“We ordered in a clear plastic material on a roll and printed it on our Mimaki UCJV printer,” Proctor remembers. “We didn’t have a way to cut it out on the machine, so we had to put tables together and trim it out by hand. It was a little nerve-racking to know you needed to cut it very carefully because one by cut could mean reprinting the entire strip again.”
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The in-plant also produced floor graphics for that same event, which had a “Hollywood Walk of Fame” theme. Proctor notes that after all her staff’s experience printing floor graphics during the COVID years, that part, at least, was fairly easy to create and install.
“It was fun to step away from the everyday run-of-the-mill type of work to produce specialty pieces,” says Proctor. “The event planner received an award for that entire event that year.”
Tickets on Plexiglass
Another out-of-the-ordinary project Proctor and her team worked on was for Athletics, which wanted to create a unique season ticket package. The tickets themselves were going to be in a digital format, but the team still wanted to give season ticket holders something tangible as a keepsake.
“We came up with a printed ticket sheet on plexiglass,” Proctor notes. “This gave the look of paper tickets, but gave them the ability to display on a stand or place in a frame. By the time we were able to troubleshoot the process and learn how to print them, we had a short time to produce about 400-500 pieces.”
Evolving and Growing
Though the in-plant’s biggest challenge is getting all the work done with its limited staff, Proctor says that hasn’t stopped the shop from evolving and growing. The in-plant recently invested in a Roland Versa OBJECT CO-640i-F3 and anticipates a summer delivery.
“It is the largest flatbed we can fit into our space and will allow us to produce our yard signs and A-frames more efficiently,” Proctor notes. “Since the Roland Versa Object CO-640i-F3 has an orange option, it will allow us to print our yard signs, A-frames, and any other specialty pieces with a better representation of our school color (PMS 021 Orange).”
Proctor has her eye on additional upgrades as well.
“We have been researching short-run foil options for years, but with the type of toner our Ricohs use, we have not been successful,” she says. “Adding a short-run foiling machine would allow us to keep costs down on the small-run orders. The other items we are hoping to get soon are a coater and maybe an envelope printer.”
Joining the Alliance
Proctor also made the decision to join PRINTING United Alliance, with an eye to expand the training and learning opportunities for her and her team. She also appreciates the opportunity that membership offers to network more with her peers. Though she wishes she had more time to fully engage with other membership benefits, Proctor still recommends other in-plants join the Alliance.
“It’s another avenue for continued learning,” she notes.
Beyond that, her best advice to other in-plant managers looking to be successful and thrive is to develop a great relationship with Marketing.
“We merged with our Marketing department about 10 years ago,” she says. “Prior to that, Print Services was housed as an auxiliary department. Joining with Marketing was by far the best move we made. We are able to work closely with our design team, and we support each other. When I was attending conferences in the past … I was shocked to find out how many in-plants did not have a relationship with their marketing team. I then realized how fortunate I was.”
SHSU Print Services has faced its share of challenges over the years: Converting from an offset operation to a digital print shop; navigating staffing difficulties; and an 18-month total gut and remodel of the in-plant’s building, which required staff to work out of a cramped, temporary space. But through it all, Proctor and her team have continued to prove their dedication and passion — not just for the university, but for the work they’re doing to support it. And the team’s commitment to learning, evolving, and growing means the in-plant will continue to serve the university’s needs — no matter where that might take it next.

Toni McQuilken is the senior editor for the printing and packaging group.