Inkjet & Digital Printing
DPI relies on HP Indigo digital technology to build brand loyalty with customized T-shirts
Thursday 02. August 2012 - When Digital Printing and Imaging (DPI) opened its doors in 1992, it set out to be an innovator in digital printing. That's the reason why, when the Kennesaw, Georgia- based print communications company bought its first press, it chose Indigo. "We knew the Indigo press would be a game changer in the industry," says Susan Moore, president of DPI.
Today, with the help of its HP Indigo 7000, 5500, and 5000 Digital Presses, DPI has developed a track record of delivering highly complex, high-value printing, including innovative business-to-consumer offerings.
Technology that fosters growth
HP Indigo digital presses allow DPI to produce applicationsincluding packaging, direct mail, and specialty-marketing materialson a wide range of coated, uncoated, or plastic substrates for clients in various industries. In addition, HP SmartStream workflow solutions and partners program enable DPI to deploy an automated and efficient workflow that fits its dynamic business needs.
HP Indigo digital presses also keep DPI competitive in growing markets. Currently, variable data printing is 50% of DPI’s business. As computing power continues to improve, Moore expects to see continued growth not only in variable data, but also in cross-media campaigns that integrate print and online marketing tools.
“Putting ink on paper is the easiest part of our business, because we have HP Indigo digital technology,” says Moore. “Now we are selling electronic products generating good revenues to develop and manage custom portals for campaigns where print is part of the overall offering. For us, it’s about using technology to provide greater value to our customers.”
Creating new opportunities
When a Fortune 500 company came to DPI in 2011, DPI relied on its HP Indigo digital presses to print its latest customer appreciation reward: T-shirts customers could personalize online. DPI knew that to help its client create a fun experience for its customers and build brand loyalty, it would have to provide high-quality prints on demand.
“Most people like creating things themselves, and our client wanted a feel-good item customers would associate with its brand, without inserting a logo,” says Moore.
DPI designed the T-shirt production process to move quickly from creation to shipment. Customers spent less than 10 minutes designing their T-shirts on a web portal created by Pixfizz, an HP SmartStream partner solution. Pixfizz then transferred designs to DPI’s HP SmartStream Production Pro Print Server. Backed by the speed and productivity of its HP Indigo 5000 and 7000 Digital Presses, DPI printed the designs on HP Indigo-certified Techni-Print 4.0 by Neenah, a T-shirt transfer material.
With the help of another HP SmartStream partner, SmartSoft’s PressWise production workflow solution, DPI only needed 1 hour of press time each day to automatically process and print 3,000 orders. By the end of the 3-month campaign, DPI had produced more than 60,000 T-shirt transfers. Although this was its first T-shirt application, the process went so smoothly, DPI expects to do similar campaigns in the future. According to Moore, DPI’s client considered the customer loyalty campaign a great success.
Breakthrough ink technology
One of the biggest reasons DPI chose to build its company with HP Indigo digital technology is HP ElectroInk’s liquid ink technology. In Moore’s experience, HP Indigo print quality doesn’t just match offsetit often exceeds it. She has noticed HP Indigo offers a wider color gamut than offset and no dot gain, which Moore says can make prints look “muddy.”
“When you look at HP Indigo inks, the quality far exceeds anything else out there.” When DPI pitches new business, Moore says HP Indigo quality is so good that its salespeople don’t have to spend much time convincing customers that digital is a better choice than offset for certain projects. The proof is right there on the page.
In addition to the seven HP ElectroInk colors on its HP Indigo 5000 Digital Press and six colors on its HP Indigo 7000 Digital Press, DPI has also made specialty inks and HP ElectroInk White an important part of its product offering.
A future with HP
DPI has seen HP Indigo technology revolutionize the print service industry. The technology has also helped DPI grow with the industry. “We’re printing more efficiently than ever. Our uptime is great. The technology keeps getting better.” With average month-to-month uptime at 96%, DPI can be ready for new business that requires quick turnarounds.
As computing power improves, DPI trusts that its HP digital presses will enable it to push further into high-margin print and electronic services.
According to Moore, “HP Indigo technology is better today than it was 5 years ago, and is only going to continue growing in sophistication.”