NILES, Ill. — Today, Johnson & Quin, Inc., a recognized name in full-service direct mail production and integrated marketing solutions, and Screen USA, a leading supplier of digital production printing systems, announced the installation of the Truepress Jet520ZZ at Johnson & Quin’s facility in Niles, Ill. 

Screen’s flagship high-speed inkjet web press will give Johnson & Quin a highly efficient variable printing workflow to enhance production flexibility and reduce the turnaround times and costs associated with targeted direct mail programs. Instead of laser imaging on preprinted rolls, Johnson & Quin will use full-color inkjet technology to combine both the offset printing and personalization steps into a single process.  

“Many of our large clients are extremely excited to hear that we are adopting high-speed color inkjet,” said David Henkel, president. “Full-color inkjet affords marketers a new level of flexibility formerly offered only with expensive color digital devices. The latest generation of high-speed inkjet equipment produces incredible quality, reduces time to market and has production costs comparable to traditional methods. Preprinted static forms will be almost entirely eliminated in the not-so-distant future.”

Optimism for the future is in Johnson & Quin’s blood. Few businesses possess a similar record of longevity. Founded in 1876, the company evolved into a national leader by deploying the latest technologies in the face of changing marketplace conditions. For instance, in 1979, Johnson & Quin pioneered the implementation of laser printing in the Midwest, paving the way for full-service direct mail production.

Production flexibility is critical to printing and mailing over 400 million direct mail packages a year. With the Truepress Jet520ZZ, a roll of plain white paper feeds into the press and personalized, full-color forms exit, ready for folding and inserting. Johnson & Quin can create unlimited versioning and incorporate more specific offers, copy and images in a single pass through the press. The time from data to mail will be significantly shorter, and managing and storing inventory will no longer be necessary, especially for ongoing programs.

“One of the key advantages for our clients is the potential for substantial postage savings,” said Bob Arkema, executive vice president. “All versions, including control and test versions, can be combined into a single size format with one mail sort and production run. This results in a higher concentration of mail going to each postal distribution facility and lower postage costs.”

The Johnson & Quin team had considered color inkjet web technology over the past couple of years, monitoring improvements in speed and quality to make sure high-speed color inkjet was a viable production method for direct mail. 

“The Truepress Jet520ZZ has the right mix of high speed, excellent quality and durability that we require to produce our clients’ high-volume direct mail programs,” Henkel said.

At 721 feet per minute, the Truepress Jet520ZZ is one of the fastest color inkjet devices in the direct mail industry. The machine handles paper rolls up to 20.4 inches wide. The paper width easily accommodates two-up 8.5 x 11-inch letters with bleeds. It also allows for larger self-mailers and other forms. 

“The Truepress Jet520ZZ prints at 720 x 360 dpi, but the perceived print quality is even higher at 1,440 dpi,” Henkel pointed out. “We will have the ability to produce approximately 2.2 million 8.5 x 11-inch personalized forms per day with exceptional quality. For most direct mail letters and self-mailers, the pricing and quality are comparable to conventional offset printing and laser personalization.” 

Johnson & Quin plans to outfit the Truepress Jet520ZZ with an inline perforation system. “Forms can be perfed inline, which is essential for direct mail pieces that have tear-off reply forms or coupons,” Arkema said. “Our goal is to make our customers’ communications more efficient and more effective.”