Pennsylvania College of Technology installed a Kodak NexPress 2100 for its in-plant and for classroom use.

By Bob Neubauer

When the lease on his in-plant’s Xerox DocuColor 2045 was nearing its end, Joe Geffre started shopping around. Not only did he want the quality printing (and variable data capabilities) that a more modern device would provide, he knew that the students in his school’s graphic arts program would benefit from using state-of-the-art technology—and his shop’s 13-year-old Xeikon digital press was becoming more antiquated by the day.

“We wanted to make sure that the kids are trained on the latest and greatest,” says Geffre, director of Mail and Document Services at Pennsylvania College of Technology, in Williamsport, Pa. His 10-employee print and mail operation doubles as a student lab, with undergrads sharing the shop’s Heidelberg, Ryobi and A.B.Dick presses, as well as its bindery gear, to produce school projects.

Seeking a replacement machine, Geffre researched Xerox, Kodak, HP and Xeikon equipment. The Kodak NexPress 2100 plus stood out.

“To me, the Kodak was the beefier machine,” he says. “I liked having the fifth station [and] being able to coat on the fly.” He also liked that the press has a blanket cylinder, which will allow the use of true laid paper.

He sent his production manager to Rochester, home of both Xerox and Kodak, and to trade shows; he came back with the same opinion.

So the in-plant installed a NexPress 2100 plus in July, along with a Kodak Digimaster 125 EX for black-and-white work.

Geffre is excited about the print-on-demand opportunities the new gear will open up; marketing campaigns can be tested with small initial runs, and individual schools can tailor recruitment brochures with their own curriculum information. The move to shorter runs will allow the in-plant to bring work back in-house that was being printed in large runs by outside printers. The printing of personalized recruitment materials is not far off.

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Bob Neubauer Author's page

Bob has served as editor of In-plant Impressions since October of 1994. Prior to that he served for three years as managing editor of Printing Impressions, a commercial printing publication. Mr. Neubauer is very active in the U.S. in-plant industry. He attends all the major in-plant conferences and has visited more than 170 in-plant operations around the world. He has given presentations to numerous in-plant groups in the U.S., Canada and Australia, including the Association of College and University Printers and the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association. He also coordinates the annual In-Print contest, co-sponsored by IPMA and In-plant Impressions.

NexPress to Double as Educational Tool