Generating New Business

Thom Urban has been in the printing industry for more than 40 years, and he had never seen anything like it. "We bought the Roland LEC because it can do things no other digital printer can do," said Thom. "It's opened up new markets for us."

Thom's firm, Core Color Graphics, is located in Fallsington, Pennsylvania. Thom, his wife Mary, and right hand men Ray March and Bob Smith run a six-person shop providing a full range of printing and lithography services, from brochures and postcards to window clings and custom POP displays.

Thom considers himself a pressman by trade and over the years has worked on everything from a two-color press to the most complex print and production machines at a large lithography firm. Ray is an expert in printing and computing, and has extensive experience in corporate pre-press production.

Thom and Mary started Core Color Graphics in January, 2009, at the height of the recession. In its first 18 months, Core Color Graphics accumulated more than 200 clients.

To set up the production environment for Core Color Graphics, Thom purchased four machines: a two-color commercial press, a six-color press, a four-color digital press and a Roland LEC VersaUV 30" inkjet printer/cutter. He chose the VersaUV because of its unique capabilities. "With all the effects you can create, the LEC is in a league of its own," said Urban. "The white ink plus clear coat together with the contour cutting really sold me."

"I do this job because, for me, it's all about the printing," said Urban. "The LEC helps me do truly innovative things, and that's paying off with our clients."

Winner of DPI and EDP awards and, most recently, the 2010 Label Industry Global Award for New Innovation, VersaUV prints, die cuts, scores and creases graphics all in one automated workflow. In addition to CMYK and White inks, VersaUV offers Clear Coat which can be layered into unique textures and patterns for embossing and spot varnishing effects on flexible and rigid substrates. This technology makes it affordable for printing professionals to produce highly customized short-run labels, folding cartons and other packaging prototypes that are a virtual match to the final product. Both 54" and 30" models are available, and all come with Roland VersaWorks RIP software.

Thom has enjoyed creating luxurious effects on the LEC. "We've done beautiful prototypes and packging planograms, fantastic foil and embossed labels wedding invitations with beautiful appliqu_s, pop up displays custom turned-edge boxes with embossing," said Thom. "The designs we can create are exquisite and unique."

The LEC has led Core Color Graphics to new markets. "We create samples and prototypes with innovative textures and a look that gets clients excited about our capabilities," said Thom. "It's a real icebreaker in new client meetings. Especially if we are presenting to someone who understands printing and design, the samples knock their socks off."

With the creative techniques he is using, Thom has been able to attract the attention of some very high profile clients. "If you want something out of the ordinary, something 'really special,' Core Color Graphics is in a position to show off your designs the way no one else can," said Thom.