VALHALLA, N.Y. (June 26, 2007) -- With an increased interest in protecting the planet, consumers feel more compelled to take actions in preserving the environment. When Integrity Printing in Des Moines, Iowa, demonstrates to print buyers that it uses Fujifilm's Brillia HD processless thermal plates, customers are impressed.

"Everybody wants to be green so we point out that no chemistry is involved and they like that," says Dave Hollingsworth, co-owner and prepress supervisor. "The plates print as well as traditional plates, yet they have no chemistry."

Integrity Printing is gaining a reputation around the Des Moines area for its high-quality prepress, retouching and printing work—and the company only took launch in November 2006. The small to mid-size commercial sheetfed printer is owned and operated by five people, four of whom have worked together for more than 15 years.

"We started with five people and have added several employees. We're growing fast enough to hire new people," says Hollingsworth. "We're getting things turned around very quickly with good quality. And, we can offer a good price because of such low overhead. We're a lean and mean company right now."

The company produces everything from business cards to brochures and posters An average print run is from 2,000 to 20,000, and the company prints on a five-color 4-up Shinohara sheetfed press with an inline aqueous coater.

Recently, Integrity printed 400,000 8.5x11-inch flyers with versioning. A large automotive parts retail chain was looking for flyers that would be sent to different regions, so the company produced about seven different varieties. "Versioning is getting really popular," says Hollingsworth. "For instance, if someone wants 5,000 of something printed, they might send us a list and have us print and send out only 500 at a time. What's nice is that there isn't any waste. It's print on-demand, so there's no storage."

When customers request copies from 1 to 1,000 with a fast turnaround, Integrity places the job on its Xerox DocuColor 5000 digital press.

"A good portion of our product is turned around within 24 hours," says Hollingsworth. "Traditional printing still requires drying time. But, when you have somebody that comes in and they need 10,000 and they give you the file at noon and say it has to be out via overnight delivery by 5 o'clock, we do it"

Many ad agencies, designers and other printers turn to Integrity for its high-end color work. Using a color management system—CGS Publishing Technologies' ORIS proofing software purchased from FUJIFILM Graphic Systems U.S.A., Inc.—Integrity produces proofs with color quality and consistency.

"The software works very well," says Hollingsworth. "It allows us to create different types of proofs for different purposes. We can proof for commercial printers or publication printers. We can make SWOP proofs, GRACoL proofs, publication proofs. We work for a number of ad agencies, creating ads that will appear in publications. The customer sends us their files and we'll prep them for the publications, and the colors in the proofs are very close to what a newspaper or magazine could achieve."

The workflow also includes a Fujifilm Dart T-6000 E platesetter, a 4-up thermal device that outputs up to 10 plates an hour, offers three resolution levels from 2400 to 2540 dpi and supports a maximum plate size of approximately 32 21/32 inches x 26 inches. It also supports two-page presses with a minimum plate size of just larger than 12 25/32 inches x 14 19/32 inches. Fujifilm's Brillia HD processless thermal plates handle run lengths up to 100,000 impressions and, in addition to the plates providing an environmentally friendly process, says Hollingsworth, it takes a large footprint to have a processor in the building. "No chemistry, no footprint," he enthuses.

With a Fujifilm Celsis 6250 drum scanner, Integrity has also developed a niche service that enables the printer to accept jobs from a wide variety of clients, including other printers. After employees scan imagery, they can then do extensive color retouching and image manipulation and proof the files on its Epson 7800. "We do all the prepress, scanning, retouching, image manipulation and final page prep for a large national magazine seen on newsstands, for example," says Hollingsworth. "For that job, we then send the files out for printing."

Integrity also prints jobs 44 inches wide with unlimited length and on a variety of materials on its Epson 9500 device. Recently, the printer produced a job of 200 posters.

"We feel that we stand apart from our competition by not investing in very large and expensive printing presses and equipment," concludes co-owner and sales manager John Dalbey. "The printing industry has changed over the past few years, and clients are not printing large volumes as they have in the past."

About 90 percent of Integrity's business is local, yet much of that work is distributed nationally.  The company also grows by partnering with other printers for its specialty printing, such as envelopes or excessive print runs. "It's a one-stop shop from scanning, prepress, producing plates, printing and bindery," says Hollingsworth. "We guarantee a fast turnaround."