Bridge Publications, in Commerce, California, utilizes a full-scale digital printing operation that fosters a near-clean-room environment with no alcohol and ink fumes, no deafening noises requiring earplugs on the press floor, and no piles of discarded press proofs. Originally, they had outsourced their printing and encountered shipments delayed during peak seasons and logistical issues ruining marketing efforts. Digital printing technology became a viable alternative at a time when the company decided to bring printing in-house in order to prove flexibility and control over quality, scheduling and inventory.

Their staff had no hands-on printing or postpress experience. They ended up acquiring state-of-the-art digital presses that included one HP Indigo 1000, four HP Indigo 5000s, six Xerox DocuPrint 52/1050s, two Xerox iGen3 100s with a full postpress machinery lineup for long-run printing of hardcovers, trade paperbacks, concealed coil-bound notebooks, and marketing collaterals. Their longest average run is 20,000 copies and the shortest is 100 copies.

By the end of February 2006, a total of 2.962 million units had been produced including 1.66 million hardcovers and 602,600 paperbacks. Total production is expected to hit 3.669 million copies by June. The learning process on the prepress started before any files from their sister organization for premedia services hit the digital presses. The bulk of the paper used is acid-free and they use approximately 90% recyclable and biodegradable materials.

Tags: digital printing, environment

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