Paul Hudson, CEO of Hudson, pictured with the Scodix Ultra 6000, powered by SHD Digital Enhancement Press

Scodix, Israel—Scodix, the leading provider of digital print solutions for the graphic arts industry, announces the sale of the Scodix Ultra 6000, powered by SHD Digital Enhancement Press to Hudson Printing, a leading and innovative print company – also known as North America’s first certified carbon balanced printer. This acquisition marks the integration of Scodix's cutting-edge B1 press with Smart High Definition technology into Hudson’s highly sophisticated digital strategy.

Renowned for its wide array of printed products, including catalogues, high-end magazines, books, and direct mail, it’s particularly the latter two products that are identified as high-growth markets for Hudson. The addition of Scodix technology will enable striking foil elements to be added to direct mail, which has been shown to boost the impact of direct mail pieces and increase response rates. With printed book sales consistently beating digital now as the world suffers from digital overload, the addition of tactile and decorated books enhances the physical connection between readers and content, offering an engaging reading experience.

Scodix' seamless integration into Hudson's production workflow is supported by the highly productive B1 format of the digital enhancement press, handling jobs from Hudson’s digital and offset presses alike, before proceeding to the downstream process. Scodix's support for personalization, variable data workflows, and multiple effects on a single press further enhances the efficiency of Hudson's printing processes.

Paul Hudson, CEO of Hudson, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, "We’ve been watching this technology for years, and we knew that it’d be in the future of Hudson Printing. We believed this was an incredibly important capability to add for our customers.

“There are other industries, even within our current markets, that are great candidates for Scodix through efficiency, automation, and personalization. Magazine covers and direct mailers, for example, are projects we would have had to send out for finishing before that can now be kept in-house.”

Alongside product differentiation, productivity and cost-efficiency, sustainability is a core principle for Scodix. A standard essential to Hudson Printing, which states on its website that “sustainable printing business is savvy business”. Scodix is committed to helping clients such as Hudson reduce waste, conserve energy, and minimize environmental impact through independently verified standards. A recent Lifecycle Assessment study revealed significant environmental benefits, with Scodix reducing water consumption by 80% and cutting emissions and energy usage by 85% during the embellishment process compared to traditional hot-foil stamping methods. Furthermore, Scodix enhanced print holds certification as recyclable, allowing brands and manufacturers using Scodix embellishment under the WMU SBS-E control protocol to display the FTC recycling symbol, as long as the substrate used is also certified as recyclable.

Mark Nixon, Scodix EVP Global Sales & Marketing, concludes, "Scodix provides a logical step for increasing the value of printed products and thereby generating increased revenue. For businesses evolving and expanding their offerings, whilst maintaining the highest production efficiency levels, is precisely where Scodix fits into the business model.”