Johannesburg, 10 Jun 2013
Gauteng-based print shop Print Allianz has upgraded its short-run printing facility with the purchase of a Xerox X1000 Digital Press from Bytes Document Solutions,Africa's leading document management technology and services company, and the largest Xerox distributor in the world.
Print Allianz is a well-established graphic arts business offering a "one-stop shop" solution through in-house digital, wide-format printing and managed litho and screen printing. It's also in the elite BEE Level 1 category of printers.
Founder Rafique Patel and his staff have a highly innovative and consultative approach to their customers, and are always looking to go beyond the brief to add value for them and their business.
"The business is not just a single source print shop, but more importantly, a creative print production house," says Patel "This business model means there is an eclectic range of products and services to include wide-format for retail POS, window, floor, hanging, and 3D display graphics, digital and litho print for FMCG, end-users, sales promotions, product launches, packaging and 3D counter and shelf displays."
The majority of customers are end-users though Print Allianz's reputation as a "can do" problem-solver, which attracts referrals from a wide range of vertical markets.
The new press replaces the Xerox X700, which Print Allianz bought in 2009 when it first entered the digital printing business, and follows a marked increase in short-run, light production orders for items such as brochures, business cards, letterheads and leaflets from customers who expect speedy delivery without compromising on quality.
In response to this growing income stream, Patel decided to expand production capacity by introducing a solution to meet demand and ensure service delivery. "We had a big spike in the demand for digital print jobs from new and existing clients," says Patel. "The purchase of the X1000 has enabled us to meet customer requirements and continue to win more business."
In the past, Print Allianz relied on complex lithograph, sheet-fed digital and large format machines to produce print jobs for customers. "Scheduling jobs on a litho machine means that clients have to wait up to two or three days, which they don't want to do," says Patel. "Following a comprehensive investigation of what we needed, Bytes Document Solutions recommended that we upgrade our existing digital colour press to the larger Xerox X1000, which prints jobs quickly, at a level of quality that distinguishes us in the market."
The X1000 delivers vibrant image quality at 2 400 x 2 400dpi for excellent sharpness and uniformity, and it enables print shops to produce more jobs with a set of colour management tools that automate time-consuming tasks. Colour jobs can be completed faster, while image quality remains consistent and accurate.
Patel says the press's capacity for increased production at a paper weight of 350gsm was particularly impressive. "I first encountered the X1000 at the Africa Print exhibition in early 2012. Although we did not yet need to upgrade at that time, I knew that in time it would be the right machine to help us meet the demands of our growing customer base."
During the course of the year, Print Allianz continued to expand, and the demand for short-run printing grew. That's when Patel contacted Bytes Document Solutions to discuss a possible alternative.
"The Xerox X1000 was a viable solution," he says. "We can work with heavier paper, which means increased flexibility to print a wider variety of jobs. We can now say yes to more jobs due to the X1000's improved capabilities and economically viable running costs."
Barry Hasleham, digital print specialist at Bytes Document Solutions, says Print Allianz's investment in the Xerox X1000 was both prudent and strategic.
"The Xerox X1000 is perhaps the finest short-run, high-volume digital colour press on the market today," says Hasleham. "Its capacity to produce thousands of premium quality prints at 350gsm is unrivalled. The company's decision to expand its production capacity by upgrading to yet another Xerox offering is a strategic move which will pay dividends in the future. Although the X700 is a highly capable press, the X1000 allows Print Allianz to drive more high quality jobs through its shop and reduce costs. The great thing about the Xerox range is that there is a solution for every need."
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