Digital printing more cost effective

Digital printing more cost effective

By Rangga Ivananda
Contributor
Jakarta

Digital printing technology is a continuation of digital
imaging. Once digital imaging is completed on a computer, its
result can be then printed on digital printers.

Various printed materials, such as company profiles,
presentation sheets, calendars, posters and the like for certain
businesses are printed only in limited quantities, which would be
costly if printed by conventional printing companies. For these
items, when the quantity is relatively small, the specific
services of digital printing companies, such as Innograph and
Subur Mitra Grafistama, for instance, can be very useful.

Established in 1994, Innograph started out as a pre-printing
desktop publishing and digital proofing company and later
expanded its services with digital printing that utilizes thermal
inkjet technology. Since the middle of 1995, it has also been
serving orders for large size prints using the Electrostatic
Color Printer and Laminating as well as Image Processor
technology, which consists of software that is capable of
enlarging and digitally printing small-sized graphics to huge
prints on various media while retaining the original fine
resolution and colors.

Another company in the digital printing business is Subur
Mitra Grafistama. In its early days in 1977, the company founded
by its owner, Soesono Boenarso, soon became established as an
integrated printing company with a network of dozens of printing
shops spread all over Jakarta. Due to the rising demand from its
customers for various communications materials in small
quantities -- between 50 and 200 sets -- its management decided
on the use of digital printers.

"This way we have been able to cater to any size of order and
still maintain high quality," said Denny Murniadi, the manager of
its digital printing division.

Subur bought its first digital printer -- an Indigo
Turbostream -- in 1996. This equipment has the capability of full
color printing at the speed of 1,000 copies per hour. The
management's commitment to enhancing its digital business was
next manifested by the purchase of newer printers, one of which
was a Heidelberg Quickmaster DI 46-4, a high speed color printer
capable of producing up to 5,000 copies per hour. Soon other
equipment followed, such as the Xerox Docutech and Xerox
DocuColor 2060.

"With these Xerox machines, we could serve customers who
required only one or two posters, leaflets and so forth. The days
of minimum orders were over," said Denny, adding that 60 percent
of his clients were advertising agencies. The company also caters
to those wishing to have their own personal or family calendars
or personalized calendars with photos of office staff or special
dates of birthdays marked in red. Subur also has another special
division that prints greeting cards that can be further
personalized with photos or inserted with photo prints.

Today, most clients do their own digital imaging prior to
ordering companies like Innograph and Subur to carry out the
final digital printing. However, for those requiring creative
work like designing from zero up to finish or just revision on
their existing graphics, these companies have the necessary
equipment and personnel to provide the solutions.

Among the numerous benefits of digital printing is, obviously,
its cost. It becomes very cost effective as one can order just
the exact quantity one needs at any one time, with further
reprints being possible anytime later. Besides cost, speed is
another asset of digital printing.

"Most of our customers are often under time pressures, but
thanks to our latest digital equipment, we can always meet the
deadlines," Denny said.

The entire process has become much easier and quicker. As with
the client's diskettes, CD-Roms and the like, which can be
conveniently e-mailed, the printing is meticulously executed in
almost no time with high quality.

With the existence of digital printing companies such as
Innograph and Subur, their clients have benefited from massive
cost savings as they do not have to invest huge funds in digital
printers and the related manpower.