Johannesburg, 09 Oct 2013
Ren-Form, one of the country's top lithographic, Web, continuous and digital print companies, is the first print business in Africa and the Middle East to buy a Xerox iGen 150 press from Bytes Document Solutions, the authorised Xerox distributor in 26 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
The company, a digital print and data marketing specialist, has grown exponentially in digital print, over the last few years, necessitating the purchase of the Xerox iGen150 digital printing press, which comes with technology and workflow that make it possible to get remarkable quality and outstanding productivity on every job. The press will be used for transaction data, variable data printing, brochures, annual reports, cross-media marketing campaigns, educational manuals and textbooks, and e-fulfilment campaigns.
"We have broken new ground with our variable data printing offering and digital application solution development," says Tommy du Sart, CEO of Ren-Form. "Combined with our bespoke online Web-to-print solutions, our digital print environment is growing rapidly. As one example, we recently landed City & Guilds as a client. It's one of the UK's most prestigious learning institutions and we needed a press that would enable us to deliver top quality printed material to the thousands of students across South Africa and Africa.
"At Ren-Form, we pride ourselves on having state-of-the-art equipment, and Xerox is the only choice for us when it comes to innovation and quality. Before we bought the new press, we were using the iGen3, the first-generation production colour printer from Xerox, so upgrading to the new press was a natural progression."
Du Sart says the iGen150 will change the way Ren-Form views its sheet-fed production, with the new 26-inch paper size and print options allowing the company to offer a wider range of jobs and do more cost-effective short runs for its customers with greater efficiency.
"With digital printing becoming increasingly popular, expected turnaround times have dropped from seven days to 24 hours, and clients want a variety of products in a short space of time," says Du Sart. "As a result, our business has become solutions oriented, with digital paving the way for ongoing growth and development."
Ren-Form expects to benefit from being in a position to offer clients litho-like quality in half the time and at a fraction of the cost of traditional printing. "The iGen 150 will also enable us to create new and exciting profit generating data applications that will be unique to our machine and system capabilities. Our digital development team will develop new and unique ways to optimise the traditional digital print services and combine it with customised Web-to-print portals, warehousing, fulfilment, distribution and mailing through unique bespoke customer portals that are created for the customer after a detailed consultation and evaluation period. This press will make the digital revolution and digital dreams come alive at Ren-Form."
Faster print speed means Ren-Form will be able to do more in a day, and increase its normal production capacity by 25%. The company's customers also stand to benefit from better colour management and finishes. "Coupled with our CGS software, the iGen 150 allows us to give customers true Fogra certified proofs and colours that are true to CI and industry standards quickly and at an affordable cost."
Johan Basson, CEO of Bytes Document Solutions, says the Xerox iGen 150 is a highly effective tool for business growth. "It eliminates the trade-off between quality and profit that printers have had to make in the past. The press brings together more easily attained and maintained image quality, more raw speed and more advanced automation. The result is delighted customers, and importantly, excellent business growth opportunities."
Commenting on the relationship with Bytes Document Solutions, Du Sart notes that the two companies have been partners for more than five years. "The service and support we get from Bytes Document Solutions is unsurpassed. The company has always accommodated our requirements, and we are grateful to have BDS as our print partner."
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