Al Ryan, president of Blauvelt Printing, at the company’s new Heidelberg Speedmaster CX 102 offset press.

The installation of a five-color Heidelberg Speedmaster CX 102 press with Inpress Control, aqueous coater, and extended delivery earlier this month marked a watershed moment for Ryan Printing (Blauvelt, NY). The new press heralds the one-shift operation’s transition from a half- to a full-size shop with competitive firepower to spare.

“Before the installation, we were thinking of adding a second shift based on rising volume, but the speed (16,500 sph) and productivity of the CX 102 has made that unnecessary,” said Al Ryan, president. “We’ll be sticking with a five-day, single-shift operation with occasional weekend work. We’re confident we’ll be able to compete effectively by doing what we’ve always done: expanding our capabilities, extending our print market with the 40″ press, and providing great customer service.”

Ryan said that the new Speedmaster CX 102, which takes the place of a five-color, 29” Speedmaster CD 74, had its work cut out from the moment it went online. “We already had enough work for it, so keeping it busy isn’t a problem.”

At the same time, he said, “we’ve realized savings on the order of 50% to 70%, thanks to the Prinect Inpress Control inline closed-loop color management system which drives down our makeready time to 10 minutes, enables us to get to precise LAB matching color in under 200 sheets, and substantially reduces our consumption of ink and paper. Our bindery operations have been streamlined by being able to cut larger sheets of printed material and folding larger signatures.”

Thanks also to the cartridge-based InkStar ink supply, the company enjoys the benefits of fully automated ink feeding and reduced startup times by eliminating the need to skin ink cans prior to filling the fountain. The additional benefits of less wasted ink and continuous monitoring of ink levels through the Prinect Press Center Console ensure the highest quality without sacrificing the ability to change inks flexibly.

The addition of the Speedmaster CX 102 also will enable Ryan Printing to expand its packaging business. Not only will the company gain tremendous flexibility in handling substrates from lightweight paper to 40-pt. board stock, but Prinect Inpress Control will keep brand colors consistent and reduce waste to a minimum, advancing the company to a higher level of production capability.

“We’ve always manufactured some packaging materials like boxes, bottle-neckers, and window signage,” Ryan said, “but we are now into it seriously and consider folding cartons a strong growth area. The Speedmaster CX 102 is a robust, flexible press for the wide variety of high-quality commercial and packaging printing jobs our customers demand.”

In choosing the Speedmaster CX 102, Ryan Printing also has strengthened its commitment to environmental protection, based on the low energy usage, resource efficiency, and long service life that make the Speedmaster CX 102 the most environmentally friendly press in its class.

The CX 102 is ideal for reduced-alcohol and alcohol-free printing, while color measuring systems such as Prinect Inpress Control reduce paper waste on average by 200 up to 400 sheets per print job and lower the level of CO₂ emissions. In addition, environmentally friendly cloth blanket wash-up devices use water and solvent to reduce the overall amount of solvent used, yielding savings of up to 90%.

Citing double-digit revenue growth from year-to-year and $7.5 million in current annual sales, Al Ryan attributes his company’s 20-year record of industry-leading service and quality to a combination of smart investment and top-notch customer service. “We give our customers what they want, when they want it,” Ryan said. “People are happy with us, and that yields more work for us as we add capabilities.”

Sandy Alexander (Clifton, NJ) has become the first print company in the world to purchase and install three HP Indigo 10000 Digital Presses.

Sandy Alexander was one of the first companies to install the 29″ HP Indigo 10000 Digital Press as a beta customer in 2012. After a successful beta test, the company decided to purchase the press to transform its offerings and provide the capacity needed to support new programs for its clients in the automotive, pharmaceutical, financial, and travel industries.

In June 2013, Sandy Alexander added a second HP Indigo 10000 Digital Press to meet growing demand for the larger sheet size and support its expanding capabilities in one-to-one marketing. Now, Sandy Alexander has purchased a third HP Indigo Digital Press to increase marketing and variable data printing capabilities.

“The success of several of our ongoing loyalty and acquisition campaigns led to increased demand for personalized print output in the larger sheet size,” stated Rob Mayerson, general manager of Sandy Alexander’s Digital Solutions Division. “In a few cases, we found our agency clients designing communications specifically for the HP Indigo 10000, further leading to increased demand and a call for capacity.”

Sandy Alexander is a leading direct marketing and commercial print provider for companies across the U.S. Sandy Alexander has an unwavering focus on color consistency and quality, making the HP Indigo 10000 a perfect match. With three digital presses the company will increase its digital output, offering faster turnaround to customers, and providing more digital print with high-quality color matching and effects like white ink and raised print.

“In this competitive marketplace, we strive relentlessly to help our clients maximize the effectiveness of their marketing efforts,” said Mike Graff, CEO and president of Sandy Alexander. “The ability to leverage the larger sheet size in combination with superior quality and data driven personalization has been a true differentiator. It has opened the door to even deeper relationships with Fortune 500 clients in the automotive, retail, luxury goods and travel industries.”