Italian print service provider, Mediagraf SpA, has broadened its portfolio of print products and entered new markets after investing in the KODAK PROSPER S20 Imprinting System. The KODAK Solution is enabling the company to produce a wide variety of high-quality personalised print products, and establish itself as a valuable player in the marketing services chain.
Founded in 1988, Mediagraf SpA is owned by three entities: Paduan Province of Minor Conventual Friars (45%), Diocese of Padua (30%) and CEI (25%). In 2011 the company recorded a turnover of 70 million euro. Mediagraf employs 170 staff across two sites: Noventa Padovana (PD), which runs a number of offset presses while the Monterotondo (Rome) site runs digital printing systems and binding equipment.
The company’s production falls into three categories: commercial print for mass and food (45%), secular and Catholic publishing (30%), and publishing services (25%).
Mediagraf places the accent firmly on creativity: “Since 2011 the Mediagraf lab has been developing communication and marketing projects, including paper-based communication, digital publishing and websites,” says Fabio Fogarin, Director of Purchasing, Logistics and Information Systems.
Attention-grabbing customized flyers
For a number of years Mediagraf has been collaborating with Parma University to encourage businesses and organizations to use flyers and leaflets more effectively. They are distributed by the billions in Italy, and in December 2012 around 29% of supermarkets and 34% of hypermarkets were using them for sales promotions, with personalised versions on the increase.
In April 2013, Mediagraf sponsored a second conference on flyers. Staged in Parma, it explored the future of the flyer, its distribution, new objectives, and how its effectiveness in promotions can be improved.
“The flyer has evolved,” continues Fogarin. “Advances in printing technology have transformed it from a form of mass communication to a way of reaching people with personalized, relevant content. We wanted a solution that would allow us to deliver customized content and capitalize on this shift. The answer was the KODAK PROSPER S20 Imprinting System, which combines web offset printing with 100% variable data.”
Based on KODAK Stream Inkjet Technology, the KODAK PROSPER S20 Imprinting System has a printing width of 10.6cm, resolution of 600 x 300 dpi and operates at a print speed of up to 600 m/min. The print area can be placed horizontally or vertically, ensuring optimal integration between web offset printing with its speed and efficiency, and digital with its customized variable data. The system uses pigment-based inks that offer excellent consistency, deep blacks, and remarkable resistance to scratches and water on a wide range of substrates.
Davide Dei Rossi, director of Industrial Activities at Mediagraf, explains: “The KODAK PROSPER S20 Imprinting System went into production in January 2013 and was installed on a KBA Compacta 618. The impact has been very positive. We needed a solution that wouldn’t adversely affect the web machine – the velocity of the KODAK Printheads meets this requirement. We can print text, photos, bar codes and alphanumeric codes, QR codes, and more with excellent print quality on mass and food flyers, as well as self-covered magazines, editorial publications and a wide variety of print collateral using news, BC and LWC paper. Also, to monitor the printed variable data, we installed a camera that can certify EAN8 and EAN13 bar codes, Datamatrix, and QR codes.”
Impressing customers
Mediagraf has printed many jobs using the KODAK PROSPER S20 Imprinting System, and the results have convinced existing customers and helped them win new business.
“Being able to offer high-speed, high-quality variable data printing with the PROSPER S-Series Imprinting System is allowing us to capitalize on new opportunities,” says Giuliano Bianchet, Commercial Imaging Business Director, Mediterranean Cluster. “Combining the power of personalization with the reliability, productivity, cost-effectiveness and quality of offset and web offset, means print service providers can add real value and become marketing service providers."
Continuous innovation
Like many print houses, Mediagraf felt the impact of the economic downturn. However, this prompted Mediagraf to look at where it could generate additional revenue: “The climate may have been challenging but it was also an opportunity to step back and change the way we think and operate our business. In keeping with our philosophy, we decided that investing in new technology would allow us to meet the changing needs of the print market and win new business.”
Giuliano Bianchet concludes: “Mediagraf is an excellent example of a company that has weathered the economic storm by investing in cutting-edge technology. The PROSPER S-Series Imprinting System has had a very positive impact by enabling Mediagraf to tap into the lucrative personalised print market, which is growing all the time.”
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