Rochester, N.Y. — Italian prepress and digital print company Fotlito73 has created new commercial opportunities after adding KODAK Dimensional Printing to its KODAK NEXPRESS Digital Production Color Press. The Borghetto Lodigiano-based company installed the revolutionary solution when it upgraded from the NEXPRESS 2100 Plus to the NEXPRESS S2500 and purchased a second KODAK DIGIMASTER Printing System.

“As soon as we installed Dimensional Printing, we produced some samples and sent them to existing clients and prospects,” says Juri Ferrario, co-owner and marketing manager of Fotlito73. “The response was astonishing—some clients immediately postponed jobs so they could take advantage of the striking effects that can be achieved with Dimensional Printing.”

Fotlito73 uses digital presses to produce high-quality materials, direct mail, books, magazines, catalogues and transactional documents, and is always looking for new technologies that can set the company apart from its competitors. Fotlito73 was immediately won over by the potential of KODAK Dimensional Printing, and quickly added another fifth imaging unit solution to its NEXPRESS Press for gloss applications.

Production based on Kodak solutions

Fotlito73 has more than 35 years’ print experience and has established itself as one of the major prepress and digital printing service centers in Italy, and last year added offset printing to its offering. Its customer base mainly comprises large publishing groups, tour operators, mail order companies and large retailers.

The production cycle is predominantly managed using KODAK Equipment. The prepress department works with a KODAK PRINERGY CONNECT Workflow, a KODAK MAGNUS VLF Platesetter with KODAK ELECTRA HRL Thermal Plates, and the KODAK APPROVAL Digital  Color Proofing Software. The digital printing department has two black and white KODAK DIGIMASTER Systems and one KODAK NEXPRESS S2500 Digital Production Color Press.

“Upgrading from the NEXPRESS 2100 Plus Press to the NEXPRESS S2500 Press meant we could increase print speed and benefit from the KODAK NEXPRESS Intelligent Calibration System (ICS), which improves quality. By using ICS we can capture the colors of a printed document, introduce them to the production process and reproduce them exactly,” adds Ferrario.

Dimensional Printing proved a unique selling point. “Our press operators found Dimensional Printing very easy to use, and it adds significant value to the print process. Clients have been very impressed with the results and increasingly want to incorporate it into their work—in the next few months we anticipate it will be used in around 60 percent of our output.”

High-impact results for multiple applications

Available as a KODAK NEXPRESS Fifth Imaging Unit solution, Dimensional Printing produces texts and images with a raised 3D effect, helping clients’ products stand out in a highly competitive market.

Fotlito73 had already installed a number of value-adding options on its NEXPRESS Press, such as KODAK Intelligent Coating Solutions to protect the print using a matte finish, as well as a Glossing Unit. With the in-line finishing offered by Dimensional Printing, Fotlito73 has created opportunities for photographic work, postcards, catalogues and high-impact, personalized marketing campaigns.

Book-on-demand applications

Book covers are another application of Dimensional Printing and represent a new revenue opportunity for Fotlito73. A large proportion of the company’s digital production is in the book industry, which is currently on the increase after the creation of a web-based book-on-demand printing service. Using the www.librosulibro.it portal, private users or publishers can upload files of books to be printed and choose from a number of typographic options. The KODAK DIGIMASTER System prints the text while the KODAK NEXPRESS Press handles the cover, with the finished professional-looking books delivered in just a few days.

Soon after installing Dimensional Printing, Fotlito73 created a dimensional cover for a book of ancient codes, and produced 1,000 personalized copies. The client wanted a finish that would make the product special and desirable. “The result simulated embossing, and special paper was used inside,” explains Ferrario. “The book looked old and authentic, and went down very well with the client. We’ve built on this success, and have since produced numerous dimensional covers for other clients. We believe that this application may result in other interesting developments in the book-on-demand market,” says Ferrario.

Riccardo Passerini, DPS Sales Manager & Category Product Manager at Kodak, comments: “In the economic climate print service providers need to identify opportunities to generate additional revenue, and KODAK Dimensional Printing allows them to do just this. Printers that have installed this revolutionary technology have created new applications and are reaping the commercial rewards.”