US-based commercial printer State Graphics has expanded its digital print operation with the installation of two Heidelberg Versafire presses, bringing its total fleet to five machines in four years.

The company, which operates from facilities in Lake Barrington and Northbrook, Illinois, has also been using Heidelberg’s Prinect Production workflow system since 2022 to help standardise production across its sites.

State Graphics, which offers offset and digital printing, mailing and fulfilment, wide-format graphics, apparel and embroidery, and short-run packaging, said Prinect has enabled greater consistency in file preparation, colour management and production workflows.

“With Prinect, we have a consistent workflow,” said Bob Schroeder, owner, State Graphics. “The whole company can ‘speak the same language,’ allowing everyone to work from the same standards for file transfer, prepress preparation, and color management.”

The company has also used Prinect alongside Heidelberg’s Print Color Management services to standardise colour across its digital, offset and wide-format production processes. Recent investments include an Epson proofer supplied by Heidelberg, while the company is also transitioning to Heidelberg Saphira inks and plates for its offset presses.

According to State Graphics, workflow automation within Prinect has reduced manual intervention in file preparation, imposition, proofing and cutting schemes for its Polar cutters.

“I could go on at length about the impact Prinect has had on streamlining our production,” said Patrick Managan, vice president at State Graphics. “We’re now exploring how it can better our efficiencies in other areas of bindery and even wide format.”

The company installed its first Versafire press alongside the Prinect implementation after experiencing uptime and service support challenges with its previous digital print equipment.

“It was clear we needed to make a change,” said Mr Schroeder. “We were impressed not only by the print quality of the Versafire, but also by the seamless integration with the Prinect workflow through the digital front end. We started with one Versafire to make sure it was the right fit for our operation and haven’t looked back.”

State Graphics now operates a Versafire EP, a Versafire EM monochrome press with a Plockmatic booklet maker, and three Versafire LV presses. One of the Versafire LV machines is configured for five-colour printing with white, silver, gold and clear toner capabilities.

“It’s really allowed us to separate ourselves from our competition because not everybody has that capability,” said Mr Managan.