Business News

CCI and PartnerPrinting.com Expanding Print Volume and Product Portfolio with Mitsubishi Tandem Perfector

Friday 13. August 2010 - CCI (DBA: PartnerPrinting.com) is gearing up for its latest technology release. The Riverside, Calif.-based printing company is inaugurating two new manufacturing facilities: a 126,000-square-foot facility in Riverside and a 101,000-square-foot facility in the Chicago suburb of Elk Grove, Ill.

At the heart of the Riverside location is the highly automated Mitsubishi Diamond 3000TP. Equipped with dual coating units, the eight-color, 40-inch press can print and coat both sides of the sheet in one pass.

“We wanted a durable, reliable perfecting press that could provide exceptional print quality and fast plate-loading capability,” said Sales Manager Shannon Smith. “We needed a press manufacturer with a long history and proven record within the industry. Mitsubishi’s excellent support system and sincere commitment to new and innovative product development have always impressed us.”

Established in 1989, CCI is quickly becoming the nation’s largest full-service, direct-to-trade wholesale printing organization and the leader in Internet web-to-print technology. It introduced the web-to-print business model PartnerPrinting.com in 2002. Trade-only customers can access more than $30 million worth of printing equipment direct from their computer via the PartnerPrinting.com website.

“We help companies get the exposure they need at the nation’s lowest overall trade-only pricing,” Smith said.

With more than 200 employees, the firm offers high-definition commercial, digital and very-large-format (VLF) printing. The printer also provides mailing services and brand-building website technologies to more than 25,000 trade-only customers and dealers nationwide.

PartnerPrinting.com prides itself on its wide assortment of commercial offset printed products. Its digital and VLF imaging boast more ink color options, product sizes, substrates and finishing techniques than any other trade-only online print company. The digital presses can print everything from postcards to full-blown catalogs. High-definition VUTEk large-format printers are capable of producing gorgeous images with resolutions up to 1,080 dpi.

Adding the Diamond 3000TP (known as the Tandem Perfector) to its stable of 40-inch and 28-inch perfecting and straight presses will allow PartnerPrinting.com to expand its print volume significantly.

“The Tandem Perfector, in conjunction with our proprietary algorithms, excels at producing gang-run commercial printing with the quality of high-end custom jobs,” Smith said. “It can deliver high-definition custom projects, including medium to large periodicals, magazines, brochures, catalogs and other color-critical, retail-orientated products at gang-run speeds.”

Unlike a convertible perfector that reverses the sheet for backside printing, the Tandem Perfector maintains the same gripper edge throughout the run. A three-cylinder transfer system, called the Translink unit, passes backside printed sheets to the front-side printing units, without flipping the sheets. Tower coaters, located before and after the Translink unit, are used to apply aqueous or ultraviolet (UV) coatings to one or both sides of the sheet in a single pass through the press.

“We apply aqueous coatings to give a gloss, silk or matte finish, depending upon the paper our customers choose,” Smith noted. “We also use UV coating on most of our print projects. Spot PMS colors are mainly required by those customers purchasing from our offline custom department. Having the flexibility to meet the needs of our customers, we are able to provide solutions for their standalone custom projects.”

In addition to the perfector, PartnerPrinting.com added a completely new digital bindery, which will offer perfect binding with PUR capabilities, Wire-O, plastic coil and saddle stitching, with aqueous and UV options.

“Our ability to go from the press to bindery greatly reduces turnaround times,” Smith said. “When the latest technology is united with our mastery of printing, expert staff, proven track record and quick turnarounds, the results are impressive.”

The company also has announced the launch of its new V3 proprietary software.

“This update is packed with incredible new features that will change the print industry forever,” Smith said.

One of the most powerful features is Self Routing, which will enable companies that sell their own products to have millions of dollars of printing equipment at their fingertips.

“Dealers can offer a wide array of new products and services, be competitive, sell their own products and become the one-stop-shop solution customers look for,” Smith said. “Not only will dealers be able to add all of our products and services to their existing lineup, but with Vendor Routing, dealers have the option to sell any product or service from their vendor of choice. This unmatched freedom of control provides a competitive advantage that is light years ahead of the pack. With the advent of V3, nothing will ever be the same.”

PartnerPrinting.com added a Call Center with a dedicated customer service staff as well.

“Our sales representatives are professional, courteous and highly focused on customer satisfaction,” Smith said. “They will answer e-mails and phone calls on behalf of the dealers, as well as follow up with new registrants to thank them for registering. Any questions customers may have, our staff can answer.”

The full-service approach is the ultimate solution for dealers looking to automate and expand their operations, according to Smith.

“Versatility is key to staying up to date with the latest print technologies and trends,” he said. “Being able to adapt to change is essential to longevity and growth.”

PartnerPrinting.com is truly setting itself apart from the rest with the new Mitsubishi Tandem Perfector.

“It’s critical, when making a significant capital investment, to compare features and benefits, service, support, reputation and price to achieve an overall ‘best print value’ quotient,” Smith said. “We feel we made the best choice based on these criteria. The Tandem Perfector helps us to be more time consistent and more profitable when margins are already thin for our customers. Printing has been and always will be about quality, speed and efficiency. All the bells and whistles mean nothing if we cannot turn them into value-added reasons to rely on PartnerPrinting.com versus our competitors. We look forward to a long and rewarding relationship with Mitsubishi.”