ACUP+ 2023: Inkjet Success at Iowa State
![](https://www.inplantimpressions.com/thumb/?src=/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2021/03/Bob-2019.png&w=51&h=51&c=true)
University in-plants have been slow to incorporate production inkjet presses, but Iowa State University Printing Services is not among them. Last year it installed a Canon varioPRINT iX3200 and hasn’t looked back.
At ACUP+ 2023, ISU Director Nathan Thole detailed the 22-employee in-plant’s path to inkjet, from his first inkjet press demo in 2016, to his ill-fated 2020 RFQ, to his revised 2021 RFQ and bid evaluation. His five-page proposal for the $1 million investment was approved in days.
The press is three times faster than the shop’s previous equipment, and costs less to run, Thole said. He estimates it will bring $1 million in savings over the next decade.
![](https://www.inplantimpressions.com/thumb/?src=/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/04/2ACUP_Jeff-Nathan-Gary-e1681316970543.jpg&w=265&h=177)
From left: Jeff Todd (Oregon State University) talks with Nathan Thole (Iowa State University) and Gary Warren (Fayetteville State University) after the session.
Though installation was smooth, some things the in-plant would do differently next time include having all media profiled in advance; clarifying digital front-end software better to avoid later confusion; and factoring in more cost for installation and environmental preparations.
Besides the press, the shop needed a new air compressor, a reverse-osmosis water supply, and an exhaust system.
Since firing up the press, the in-plant has enjoyed a more efficient workflow, extra capacity, and a greater ability to provide VDP. Quality is rarely a concern anymore, Thole said.
Related story: ACUP+ 2023: Networking in Nebraska
![](https://www.inplantimpressions.com/thumb/?src=/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2021/03/Bob-2019.png&w=51&h=51&c=true)