SAN LUIS OBISPO – Duplo USA Corp. has provided Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department with a DB-280 Desktop Perfect Binder to upgrade the department’s Binding and Finishing Laboratory with a state-of-the art finishing system to teach students about the latest trend in publishing – short run, on-demand printing. 

"With books and related publications moving to short-run, on-demand printing, the need for finishing systems to accommodate such production has grown," said Harvey Levenson, head of Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department, a leader of on-demand digital printing education and training.

"We realize that short-run book publishing has become standard, even with as low a run of just one, and the DB-280 serves this market," Levenson said. "We will use the system to educate students in our regular academic program and to train industry professionals in seminars and workshops." 

The Duplo USA DB-280 works in concert with a host of other finishing equipment, such as collators, stitchers, folders, and a JDF compliant cutter. It will be used to apply perfect binding to short-run publications produced on the department’s various digital presses that include HP Indigo, Konica Minolta, and Ricoh, as well as for short-run publications produced on the department’s Heidelberg four-color press. 

Duplo USA Corp. President Peter Tu said, "We are impressed with Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department’s initiatives to remain in the forefront of on-demand, digital printing technologies and are pleased to partner with them for their perfect binding needs. It’s exciting to see students engaged in the printing industry. Outstanding programs such as this will keep print alive."

The Duplo USA DB-280 will be used in the department’s experiential student-run, faculty-advised, printing, publishing and imaging company, University Graphic Systems (UGS). UGS helps teach students how to run a company, including marketing, sales, estimating, costing, and budgeting, customer service, production, quality control, and distribution.