Speed, Sustainability and Special Finishes at Cal State Chico

When Print and Mail Services at California State University, Chico, was slated to replace both its black-and-white digital printer and envelope press, the in-plant decided instead to use the allotted funds to invest in a Ricoh Pro C7100SX digital color press.

Standing with the new Ricoh Pro C7100SX digital color press at California State University, Chico, are (from left) Ed Heeter, Kathleen Huber, Dale Wymore and Joe Hilsee.

Dale Wymore, director of business development for the Chico, Calif.-based operation, explains that the department had been seeing a decrease in the demand for black-and-white work. Not only that, the Ricoh would also meet the in-plant’s envelope printing needs.

“The thing that pushed us over the edge for this particular one is that our color work is increasing, and our customers are demanding high-quality color work and special finishes to help them stand out from the crowd,” she says. “When we found out that the machine had clear and white toner, we knew it would appeal to a certain set of customers on campus.”

Although the press was only installed at the end of December 2015, the team already has its first job in the works. Wymore approached the creative design group on campus to let them know the capabilities that the Ricoh press would bring to Print and Mail Services.

As it turns out, a group on campus was in the process of designing a black-and-white invitation for high-end donors to the university, a job that would have been outsourced in the past. The invitations make use of white toner for the lettering and use clear toner to create visually appealing highlights. An added plus is that, since the Ricoh C7100SX can also print envelopes, it can complete the job from start to finish.

“The plan is to get this [job] under our belts. This is our beta test,” Wymore remarks. “We will see how it goes and then we will start reaching out to other departments that have graphic artists.”

Not only was the addition of white and clear toner a big selling point for the Ricoh C7100SX, the device also offered the quality, registration and speed the in-plant needed. The press runs an impressive 80 ppm, versus the 60 ppm speed of the shop’s Canon digital press.

Another differentiating factor is that the new press can run oversized prints, including 8.5x11˝ three-fold brochures, something that previously would have been outsourced. The press can even print up to a 49˝-long poster, but Wymore explains that the challenge there is finding paper that’s the right size and is also suited for digital printing.

Adding to its allure is the fact that the press has a silver EPEAT rating, meaning that it has met all of the required criteria and at least 50% of the optional criteria in several categories that concern environmental standards for electronics. The press minimizes energy consumption, in turn reducing the total cost of ownership, which meets CSU, Chico’s strategic priorities to be a sustainable university.

Overall, the press has met the in-plant’s needs and is providing the competitive edge Wymore wanted.

“We’re really investing in the future,” she proclaims. “[We thought], what could we do that would help our ultimate client, the university, stand out from the crowd?”