O/D set to seize opportunities in market for ‘programmatic printing’ with new SCREEN Truepress 520HD+
German printing company O/D has acquired a second SCREEN True press 520HD+ machine, enabling it to double its digital inkjet printing capacity and tap into the fast-growing market for ‘programmatic printing’.
Dominique Paul, O/D’s co-CEO, says: “We chose the Truepress 520HD+ for its high print quality, flexibility to print on almost any substrate without requiring primer, and because we can now couple and decouple our two Truepress 520HD machines. SCREEN is the only provider giving us this option.”
Fast coupling and decoupling of its inkjet printers allows O/D to increase its overall printing capacity. This was a necessary step as its first SCREEN Truepress 520HD, acquired in 2019, was running 24 hours a day, in three shifts, to meet exploding demand.
“Adding a second printer means we can go back to two shifts a day. And with the two 520HDs in-line, we finish double-sided print jobs faster and for one-sided print jobs, we can run the two 520HDs simultaneously, so doubling production speed,” Paul explains.
O/D has a varied client base, working for big online retail platforms in the German market and for clients in the tourism, automotive and fashion industries. Located close to the German-French border, O/D provides services to French customers too.
Demand for programmatic printing picks up
O/D sees opportunities for gaining market share in the fast-expanding domain of programmatic printing, the practice of printing tailored direct-mail materials, such as brochures, directed by data provided by marketing automation tools.
Says Paul: “Increasingly, our customers want us to produce and mail printed materials containing information and pictures of exactly those products their end-clients are interested in. Real-time, automated analysis of end-clients’ online behaviour enables this technique, which is proven to enhance sales."
“This means we must print brochures, fact sheets, etc., fast and in extremely small print runs of just a few copies, or even just one. We can only do this with digital inkjet. Demand for programmatic printing has been speeding up since last year. We want to be one of the leading print companies in the programmatic printing domain.”
As it helps to reduce waste, requiring fewer materials, programmatic printing is also environmentally sound. “It helps fulfil our clients’ ambition to become more sustainable and help fight climate change,” Paul points out. Reducing waste has become even more important since supply chain disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic have caused paper shortages in the German market, he adds.
Long-term view
O/D says SCREEN’s long-term view and high service level are good reasons to choose its equipment over other digital inkjet providers. “Like so many Japanese companies, SCREEN is interested in building a long-term relationship,” says Paul. “It is willing to invest in a partnership based on trust, which is reflected in its high level of service and our close relationship with SCREEN’s contact person for Germany.” He expects more investments in digital printing in coming years.