Synopsis of
an Interview with Teddy Baluyut
President, Nikoprint LLC.
July 17, 2005
Q – What made you decide to switch your operations from traditional
commercial printing to gang run printing?
TB – In a nutshell, I just got tired of seeing the frustration
in my clients’ faces when they asked me to quote a full-color job.
No matter how competitive I tried to make my prices, they always seemed
to be beyond the reach of the average client. It was almost like full
color printing was only meant for big companies with the big advertising
budgets. For the small business owner, full color printing was a budget
buster.
Q - How did gang run printing change all that? Did you have to resort
to less expensive equipment and materials or take shortcuts in the production
process?
TB - We didn’t have to make too many changes. We use the same
materials, we still print with the same high quality Heidelberg presses
that we use for our annual reports and high end catalogs. The big difference
is that in the past, every job had to be set up and printed by itself.
The set-up costs were enormous – file preparation, plate burning,
press set-up, press wash up, you name it. With gang run printing, we’re
able to impose 15-25 jobs on a large sheet. Since these jobs share the
same set-up overhead, the cost of producing each job was reduced tremendously,
resulting in major savings. We pass these savings on to our clients.
Q – What about quality? Were there any sacrifices made when you
switched to gang runs?
TB – Very little. Because you have these multiple jobs on one
sheet, we have to find an “average” color balance through
the entire sheet. I would say that the variance of color on each piece
from its optimum color is no more than 10%. For most users, this is totally
acceptable when they consider that they are now paying 1/3 to 1/2 of
what they would have paid in the past. As for sharpness and clarity, there’s
no difference in quality. Remember, we’re still using the same Heidelberg
presses. Now, I wouldn’t recommend the process to a textile
manufacturer producing a full color catalog where the prints need to match
the product’s true colors. But for the average user, gang run has
been a godsend.
Q – Any advice for other printers wanting to do gang runs?
TB – Just one: don’t rely solely on the low price to attract
and keep clients. The process may be new, but the fundamentals haven’t
changed: outstanding customer service, attention to detail, and a passion
to exceed customer expectations. These really are the factors that will
make you succeed.
Q- Thank you for your time.
TB – You bet. |
