Scary Introduction to OSU’s New iGen3

When Oregon State University Printing and Mailing Services hosted an open house on Halloween, the in-plant went all out. Staff dressed in costumes, Halloween candy abounded and the conference room received a haunted makeover, complete with scary music and skeletons. And behind a bale of hay and some pumpkins stood the centerpiece of the in-plant: its new Xerox iGen3.

During the event, which drew about 130 visitors to the Corvallis-based shop, the iGen3 was busy pumping out Halloween posters. They were handed out to visitors, who also heard from paper vendors about specialty substrates that can be run through the iGen3, such as magnetic materials and prefabricated boxes.

The 22-employee in-plant started thinking about a digital press as the lease on its Xerox 2060 approached its end. Page volumes weren’t quite where they needed to be, reports Cheryl Lyons, associate director, but she was confident they would rise.

“We figured we’d have six months to a year to build our volume,” she says.

The shop put out an RFP, and Xerox got the highest ratings for service, quality and price, Lyons says. So the iGen3 was installed in May.

“We’re happy with it so far,” Lyons says. “We’re able to keep more [work] in-house than we were before.”

Cost per page for color, she says, is the same as it was with the 2060—as low as 19 cents. Volume is now up to 100,000 impressions a month, she adds, and once it reaches 200,000 to 250,000, costs can drop as low as 14 cents. What’s more, the in-plant has found the iGen3 to be cost effective for black-and-white work, Lyons says.

Variable data printing (VDP) was a driving force behind the decision to get a digital press, Lyons says. When Admissions decided to produce a variable data search brochure, the in-plant wanted to be involved.

Since adding the iGen3, the shop has produced a 25,000-piece VDP job for Admissions. It was a two-sided, 12x18”, tri-fold brochure sent to high school juniors. Photos and text were personalized according to the students’ interests. The piece included a tear-out card partially filled out with each student’s information.

Another VDP piece for Housing and Dining was sent to new students with information on their dorms, pictures of their rooms and information about their roommates. The in-plant used XMPie VDP software to put these pieces together.

“One-to-one marketing is definitely the way of the future,” remarks Lyons. Having a machine capable of producing it is becoming crucial for in-plants. “I think it’s a critical piece for the future and helps ensure the longevity of your in-plant,” she says.