The end of a lease is always a good time for reassessment. So when it came time to replace the Xerox DocuTech 6180 at University of Arkansas PMC Solutions, the 45-employee print and mail operation also turned its eyes on its six-year-old iGen3.
Decreasing volumes had made the aging digital printer less appropriate for the in-plant’s workload. So to improve its technology, while lowering lease payments, the in-plant recently installed a Xerox Color 1000 digital press along with a Xerox D125 monochrome printer.
“We’re really, really happy with the color on the 1000,” enthuses Theresa Hatcher, head of customer relations for the Fayetteville, Ark., operation. “It’s got the clear ink option, which we’re just really excited about.”
This clear dry ink station applies spot or flood creative effects, and can be used to highlight images, making them pop off the page, or to create a watermark effect. The university relations department is already working on invitations that can take advantage of this feature, Hatcher says.
Another big advantage of the new equipment is that both machines have inline booklet making and stapling, which the old gear lacked due to space constraints.
“We were taking everything to bindery,” Hatcher says, which sometimes interfered with offset work being finished there. So by stitching booklets inline, there will be fewer bottlenecks in the bindery, she says.
The in-plant will use the Color 1000 to print posters, post cards, booklets and brochures, as well as some new applications like window clings, bumper stickers, name badges and magnets, thanks to the digital press’s ability to run a variety of stocks. The D125 will be used to print tests, course packs, text books and theses for grad students, among other items.
While conceding that the new machines are not as fast as the old equipment, Hatcher insists this will not be a problem for the in-plant.
“The finishing capabilities will probably offset what speed we’re going to lose,” she points out.
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Bob has served as editor of In-plant Impressions since October of 1994. Prior to that he served for three years as managing editor of Printing Impressions, a commercial printing publication. Mr. Neubauer is very active in the U.S. in-plant industry. He attends all the major in-plant conferences and has visited more than 180 in-plant operations around the world. He has given presentations to numerous in-plant groups in the U.S., Canada and Australia, including the Association of College and University Printers and the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association. He also coordinates the annual In-Print contest, co-sponsored by IPMA and In-plant Impressions.