
Hybrid Printer On Steroids
This month’s issue of ‘Printing News‘ magazine (October 2011) features ‘hybrid’ printing companies… print shops which utilize both offset printing and digital printing systems to advantage for their customer’s needs. Under this definition, Multicolor Printing would have to be considered a ‘Super Hybrid’ printing company because, it not only services its customer’s with top-tier offset and digital color presses, it offers in-house, wide-format inkjet, hot foil stamping, embossing and die cutting as well!
Multicolor Printing’s long history has not been unlike many printing companies which have survived the vast technological changes occurring during the past two decades. Offset presses ruled the floorspace of all commercial printing plants until desktop printing and commercial copiers began taking hold in the mid-1980s. It was during this period that most of today’s ‘copy-exclusive’ printing company’s with national footprints began to proliferate, mostly because of the low entry costs associated with commercial copiers relative to offset presses.
Today, the vast majority of these ‘copy-companies’ remain totally in the digital-copy realm. Rarely do they delve into offset printing because they do not have financial resources available to justify offset’s up-front costs or a customer base which demands critical color and large print runs. It is much easier for traditional, offset printing companies to offer multiple printing options to their customers because they view the entry costs related to digital/copy printing and wide-format printing as relatively ‘minor’ compared to the hundreds of thousands of dollars (or more) they invest in offset presses.
It’s no mystery then, why hybrid print shops like Multicolor Printing have a big advantage over copy-exclusive shops. It’s also no wonder why Multicolor Printing’s customers are so loyal… we can service ALL their printing needs under one roof!