Pennington, N.J. - October 10, 2007 - Direct Group has acquired two new Canon ImagePress C7000 digital presses. The equipment is designed to support just-in-time, short-term printing runs and fulfillment; highly targeted, variable print-on-demand campaigns; and Web-to-print solutions for Direct Group clients. The new equipment complements an existing HP Indigo digital infrastructure at the company's Robbinsville, N.J., facility.
The new Canon presses represent the latest in high-end, digital color printing technology. The equipment's ability to address smaller, four-color print runs is a key feature for highly regulated industries, such as pharmaceuticals, insurance and financial services. At companies in these sectors, marketing materials are subject to frequent compliance-related changes. The new Direct Group equipment enables clients to execute on-demand or print runs generating three- to four-week inventories, providing them with cost savings and eliminating oversupply of quickly outdated materials. 
Another key feature of the new equipment is the ability to more affordably and efficiently produce highly personalized, variable print-on-demand marketing pieces through a sophisticated digital asset management system. The equipment can produce a range of materials with a wide variety of papers, from precision-targeted self-mailers - where an image or message can be customized according to recipient demographics - to in-line booklets made possible by the saddle-stitch finishing feature.
Complementing the short-run and print-on-demand features, Direct Group also offers sophisticated Web-to-print marketing solutions. For example, a client company's sales agents can access pre-approved marketing materials online and customize them for the field using an integrated lead generation program and executing small, targeted mailings quickly and efficiently. Through this feature, Direct Group clients with centralized marketing functions can provide support to large sales forces in the field while maintaining brand integrity and compliance. This capability also draws from resources at Direct Group's Piscataway, N.J., database facility, which generates a variety of data, decision and delivery options for clients.
"Our ability to offer the latest in digital color printing technology reflects Direct Group's ongoing investment in - and commitment to - our clients' successes," said Matt Graham, Direct Group Senior Vice President, Fulfillment and Database Marketing Services. "These presses are key to our cross-channel marketing platform, which provides our clients with integrated, response-driven and ROI-focused solutions to their direct marketing challenges."
The Canon C7000 press provides advanced calibration technologies that ensure consistent color throughout each job. In addition, the latest technology enables the press to maintain speed on a wide variety of stocks including gloss finishes. The equipment is designed to meet the needs of a high-end production environment that requires powerful color server technology for graphic-intensive files and variable data projects.