A fast-growing number of in-plants are expanding their scope of services beyond traditional paper products. Here are just a few of the new, eye-catching offerings.

 

Metal & Magnetic Signs, Framing, Indoor/Outdoor Banners

 

 

AEP Printing Services has eight locations serving eleven states. All locations provide standard print on paper products, however a few of our locations take on specialized products: indoor/outdoor banners, metal and magnetic signs, framing, CD/DVD burning, scanning to file, and providing executable forms on our intranet site. We will soon offer design templates for creating custom brochures, postcards, flyers, etc. with variable data. The next service we are looking at is adding QR codes to printed material. By utilizing QR codes with our Forms Operations in Fort Wayne, in partnership with one of our customers, we look to provide on-site plant confirmation that current versions of warning and hazard labels are in use.

In addition to standard printing and graphic design, our Roanoke, VA and Tulsa, OK, locations create posters, banners and signs. Allen Crowder, Support Specialist in Roanoke, explained, "We print on vinyl adhesive paper with UV protected inks and then encapsulate the printed item with UV laminate. Finally we adhere the completed item to metal or plastic material. Metal signs have been used outside at plant entrances and indoors as safety reminders and informational displays at public events." Heavier duty magnetic signs are created with the same process and can be utilized inside or outside. Our Fort Wayne operation produces the light duty indoor magnetic signs that are printed on our sheet-fed Ryobi 3302. 

Cindy L Hohman, CGCM

American Electric Power

Fort Wayne, IN

 

Waterproof Removable Vinyl Stickers, Bus Wraps, Signs, Back-lit Signs

  

 
We have seen an upsurge in vinyl and PVC products. Recently because they are waterproof, we  printed on removable vinyl stickers for short term bumper stickers, and Kenduskeag Canoe Race numbers. We have also printed on 14 mil. vinyl stock for street and interior bus signs; 5 mil. for runner race bibs and emergency books because they are waterproof and very resistant to tearing.

 

We have also designed and worked with an outside firm to print exterior signs for buses on two different substrates. We also have helped in designing or acting as a representative for the city on a few bus wraps. Back-lit signs were also designed for our auditorium. With so many different substrates, we are starting to work with our sign shop to help them get updated so that we can do more large items in house.
Walter Ryan
City of Bangor, ME

 

We have printed on polystyrene, magnetic, tyvek, synthetic pre-perfed ID card stock, vinyl, polyester, teslin, metallic, and heat transfer. These have been used for signage, window clings, t-shirts, magnets, luggage tags, door hangers, and id cards to name a few applications.

Justin Johnson

Regence BlueShield

Tacoma, WA

We print quite a bit on synthetic paper for items that need to be water resistant including menus, materials that go inside boats, or things that need to be tougher like the badges. When printing on synthetic paper, you really have to have your environment controlled -- temperature around 72 and humidity at least 40%. We have found it is better not to run a lot at one time.  If we have a big job,we usually split it up in smaller chunks and then print something else in between. This helps to get the static out of the machine and to clean out the fuser. We also print some with lo-tack adhesive for short-use marketing items that are used at boat shows and for outside of windows.

Mike Schrader
Brunswick Printing Solutions

Fon du Lac, WI

Banners, Posters, Full-Color Envelopes

We've offered wide format banners for years. What started out as a proofing device for the press room grew into a sideline business of posters and banners. We are also looking at a digital envelope printer for short runs and full color. Since we started looking, I've had two orders for 5,000 four-color envelopes. We primarily do short runs, 1,000 or less, not only #10, but A6 and A2 envelopes. 

Mark McCarty

Missouri State University

Springfield, MO

Retractable Banners, Pens, Pencils, Buttons

About two years ago we started doing banners and retractable banners. It is a great money maker! We now do $6-8000 a month and it keeps on growing. We also do pens, pencils, buttons, name tags and a lot of 24" x 36" foam board posters.

Rodney Brown

University of Delaware

Newark, DE

Vinyl Vehicle Signs

We letter and attach vinyl signs to vehicles. We "backed into" this business. We bought a Roland VersaCamm 64 that does cutting, as well as printing with the intention of offering cut vinyl products to the college. We found out pretty quickly that our customers also wanted us to mount the vinyl signs. So now we do that and charge for the service. We quote one price that includes the sign and mounting.

Recently our Facilities Services unit was outsourced, and as part of the deal the new company bought the trucks previously used by Facilities Services and owned by the college. We stripped off the old CPCC logos, then manufactured and replaced the logos of the new company. We are charging $90 per truck for 40 trucks.

Richard Griffin

Central Piedmont Community College

Charlotte, NC

Redirecting Bounce Back Emails

One new service we have added over the past year is taking on responsibility for bounce-back e-mails on documents that are delivered electronically. We determine the correct e-mail address and resend the documents.

Anonymous