Villanova Brings Work In-house With Two New Digital Presses

Until recently, Villanova University Central Services used to outsource its four-color letterhead shells, store them as inventory, and then imprint them with variable data when the shop received an order. That all changed in May 2016 when the 13-employee in-plant installed two Ricoh Pro C7110 digital color presses with white and clear toner. Today, the suburban Philadelphia operation prints the letterhead and variable data all in one pass, with the option to print variable color within the body of the letter.

Bryan Stidham (left) and Barbara Joyce stand with Villanova University Central Services’ two new Ricoh Pro C7110 digital color presses.

“It’s been a big windfall for us,” says Director Michael George. “It eliminates inventory, helps keep our machines running and our people busy.”

And with limited space, as so many in-plants have to contend with, every inch counts.

Adding the Ricoh Pro C7110 presses has allowed Central Services to produce short-run jobs in color at near offset quality, with upgraded paper options for customers.

“We can have departments spend less on some jobs and get better quality paper but still get the offset look and feel,” George says.

Michael George

The in-plant has brought more work in-house thanks to the new digital presses, including self-mailers, booklets, programs for university football and basketball games. This, he says, has added some workflow advantages.

Prior to the Ricoh presses, George explains, addressing printed pieces was a three- to four-step process when all was said and done, since the work was outsourced to an offset printer and then finished in-house. Now the same job can be printed and addressed in-house, passed through binding and then sent to the post office. The new process has eliminated at least two steps in the shop’s bulk mail operation, as well as the need to outsource.

Although George says the in-plant hasn’t used the white toner capabilities yet, it is using the clear toner for high-end programs and on cards and brochures when customers want to highlight a specific image.