ROCHESTER, N.Y., July 9 -- Arti Grafiche Editoriali (A.G.E.), a leading Italian book printer, has added second generation digital printing capability to its business by investing in a KODAK VERSAMARK VT3000 Printing System. This installation marks the first KODAK VERSAMARK system to be in operation for book production in Italy.
Founded in 1973, Arti Grafiche Editoriali specializes in printing high quality books and art publications, offering a complete service from file to finished book. Its primary clients are book publishers and universities. With 40 employees and yearly revenues of approximately 5 million euros, A.G.E. is a small but ambitious company that is well established in its niche market. The firm is well equipped for offset production with five two color presses and one process color press that are used to manage high volume print runs. A few years ago, A.G.E. acquired a black and white digital printing system—the KODAK DIGIMASTER 9110 Digital Production System—for short print runs.
Over the past year, A.G.E. experienced strong price competition and found that offset was not a profitable choice for certain job orders. Silvia Argalìa, Arti Grafiche Editoriali’s co-owner and chief executive, explains what prompted her firm to become a pioneer in using the VERSAMARK VT3000 system for publishing applications. “We received a large order from a book publisher, but our margins would have suffered with offset production. We searched for an alternative solution and were very impressed when Federico Martella from Kodak proposed the VT3000, a printing system that is capable of achieving the exceptional speed of 107 meters per minute for black and white printing with one spot color,” says Argalìa.
The KODAK VERSAMARK VT3000 Printing System was installed at A.G.E. in March 2006 and immediately delivered excellent results. “Right from the start, the machine has enabled us to produce 100 different titles of university books in print runs from 200 to 800 copies,” notes Argalìa. “We’ve quickly gained a profitable and competitive edge.”
Arti Grafiche Editoriali’s digital print capabilities enable jobs to go from the computer directly to the VT3000 system, configured with four 9 inch printheads and roll to roll processing. This setup is an ideal choice for book production. Two printheads handle printing on one side and two printheads print on the reverse side, producing 16 page signatures in two colors. Rolls are then unrolled, cut, folded and trimmed by a finishing system that delivers books ready for shipping.
Silvia Argalìa states that the KODAK VERSAMARK VT3000 Printing System has satisfied her customers’ demands for fast production and at an exceptional quality/price ratio: “The quality is comparable to offset printing, with sharp definition of characters, and that is exactly what book publishers want.”
Federico Martella, Sales Manager North Italy for Kodak, comments: “Over the years, Kodak has worked closely with Arti Grafiche Editoriali to support its investment in digital printing. We’re proud of the company’s success as Italy’s first installation of a KODAK VERSAMARK Printing System for publishing applications. Our printing system is helping this valued customer to effectively achieve an increasing number of applications.”
 The VERSAMARK VT3000 system’s capability to manage variable data printing has delivered increased profitability to A.G.E.’s book production and also encouraged the company to explore promising new applications, such as coupons and lottery tickets. “We are very satisfied with our investment in this versatile machine. It’s an invaluable asset that will help us to grow our business,” concludes Silvia Argalìa.
KODAK products are backed by KODAK Service and Support. KODAK Service and Support is made up of more than 3,000 professionals reaching more than 120 countries. It is a leading multi-vendor integrated services provider, delivering consulting, installation, maintenance and support services for the commercial printing, graphic communications, document imaging and data storage industries. KODAK Service and Support professionals are uniquely qualified to provide services that control costs, maximize productivity, and minimize business risk.