House of Printing Relies on Canon varioPRINT iX Sheetfed Inkjet to Flourish
See why House of Printing credits the Canon varioPRINT iX3200 sheetfed inkjet press for delivering “unheard of” color consistency and more for its government and private-sector customers. After replacing two toner units with the iX, the DC-area printer runs it 24/7 for applications from variable-data postcards to high-end annual reports.
Transforming Commercial Print Operations: How House of Printing Excels with Canon Technology
In the demanding world of commercial printing, versatility and unwavering quality are essential for success. House of Printing, a prominent commercial print facility located in Burtonsville, Maryland, successfully navigates these industry demands by serving a highly diverse clientele.
Approximately 40 percent of the company's output is dedicated to government contracts, which require a steady stream of posters, book work, brochures, and direct mail fulfillment. Conversely, their private sector work focuses heavily on premium, high-end applications featuring foil stamping, lamination, and automated digital sleeking. To maintain their competitive edge across both specialized markets, the organization recognized the critical need to modernize its digital printing infrastructure.
Color Inconsistency and the Skilled Labor Shortage
Before upgrading their technological fleet, House of Printing faced significant operational hurdles that severely hampered their overall efficiency. The facility originally relied on two older toner-based digital presses, which required a frustrating struggle with constantly resetting and recalibrating the machines just to maintain acceptable color output. Furthermore, matching the color from these older digital presses to their traditional heavy-duty offset equipment was a relentless challenge, leading to stressful operational bottlenecks.
Beyond the mechanical struggles, the company also faced the widespread industry challenge of production staffing. Finding experienced operators to manage traditional offset presses is notoriously difficult because it is a highly specialized craft requiring the manual handling of inks, heavy chemicals, and large-scale paper feeding. The company needed an advanced digital printing solution that could help deliver ideal color consistency while offering a computer-based interface that would appeal to the incoming generation of younger print professionals.
A Powerful Hybrid Digital Fleet
To help resolve their production bottlenecks, House of Printing made the strategic decision to partner with Canon, initiating their very first foray into the world of production inkjet printing. Approximately three years ago, the facility completely replaced its two legacy toner machines with a highly advanced Canon varioPRINT iX3200 sheetfed inkjet press. Despite having a tight production space with less-than-ideal specifications, the Canon installation team successfully navigated the logistical challenges to ensure a completely smooth and highly supportive setup process.
Recognizing the need to maintain certain specialized print capabilities, the company further expanded its digital ecosystem six months later by installing an imagePRESS V1000. This advanced toner-based press was specifically chosen to perfectly complement the varioPRINT iX3200, allowing the facility to maintain a comprehensive suite of hardware that could handle an array of customer requests.
Excellent Consistency, Enhanced Capabilities, and Seamless Workforce Solutions
The integration of Canon production technology has helped deliver significant operational and financial benefits for the Maryland-based print shop. The varioPRINT iX3200 has proven to be an absolute workhorse, currently running ten-hour shifts five days a week with a remarkable uptime of approximately 95 percent.
The Canon inkjet press delivers outstanding color consistency from week to week and month to month, helping to eliminate the previous struggles with color variations. In fact, the color output is so accurate that the facility successfully transitioned all of its color proofing out of the pre-press department and directly onto the Canon inkjet press. This allows them to print proofs on the exact same stock the customer requested for the final offset run, ensuring perfect alignment.
Furthermore, the color calibration between the Canon inkjet press and their traditional offset press is so precise that the team can seamlessly print short-run book covers on the digital machine and the interior text pages on the offset press without any visible quality differences.
Simultaneously, the imagePRESS V1000 successfully handles the facility's highly specialized toner requirements. This secondary press is crucial for executing their popular digital sleeking and variable data foiling applications, which are highly requested by local colleges for customized diplomas. It also provides the necessary capacity to comfortably produce oversized six-page documents while maintaining outstanding solid colors and clean screen builds.
Crucially, these advanced Canon presses have helped to directly solve the facility's pressing labor challenges. The younger workforce is highly eager to operate the digital machines because the computer-based interfaces are easier to learn than traditional offset craftsmanship. This ease of use ensures the company can effectively staff its production floor and continue its legacy of exceptional printing for years to come.
By strategically implementing an integrated fleet of Canon digital printing technology, House of Printing has successfully eliminated workflow inefficiencies, enhanced color accuracy, and attracted a new generation of skilled operators. The highly reliable collaboration with Canon ensures that the facility remains a premier provider in the commercial printing sector, equipped to easily handle any future demands.
Interested in learning how Canon production printing technology can help your business grow? Contact us today.