PALO ALTO, Calif. — HP today announced that Rochester-based Cohber Press installed an HP Indigo 7600 Digital Press to increase production capacity and expand its printing capabilities to create thicker, customized photo and commercial applications without sacrificing turnaround time or quality. 

Cohber presold a large percentage of the HP Indigo 7600’s printing capacity before the installation was complete, confirming customers' demand for the press’s new features. The addition of the press allows Cohber to print up to four million more color pages per month, increasing both production volumes and profitability. Using the press’s Enhanced Productivity Mode, the company can produce up to 160 color pages per minute to achieve the fastest sheet-fed print speed on the market today.

“To remain competitive, it is important for us to sell our company’s services, not just the presses we run. The HP Indigo 7600 gives us a wider range of capabilities than other digital presses on the market, allowing us to better meet our customers’ needs,” said Paul Galligan, chief marketing officer and senior vice president, Cohber. “With HP digital presses, we can run unique substrates like metallic, plastic or latex. In addition, the ability to print on substrates up to 18 points thick creates new opportunities for specialty direct mail and photo books.”

HP Indigo boasts having the industry's widest array of media, compatible with more than 2500 substrates including thicker paperboard. The HP Indigo 7600 Digital Press also enables new special effects such as raised print, textured effects and digital watermarks. With these features, the HP Indigo 7600 outfits Cohber with the ability to add higher value to its photo and direct mail applications.

Picture perfect

Most of the applications set to be produced on Cohber’s new press will be unique photo specialty pieces highlight interesting substrates such as foil, plastic and transparencies. Cohber has extensive background in this area, with forty percent of the company’s overall business dedicated to printing international and national design books, photo books and cards.

“The softer tone of the HP Indigo ElectroInk was a look that a key client liked, and we want to satisfy the client,” said Galligan.

With HP Indigo ElectroInk White, light black, light cyan and light magenta, the HP Indigo 7600 equips Cohber to print professional photos with realistic skin and sky tones. This gives Cohber a competitive advantage in the professional album and photo specialty markets.

Growing as a family business

Cohber was founded in 1931 by Samuel Cohen and Howard Webber, Sr. In1997, the company began to incorporate digital services and in 2005, Cohber rebranded itself as a marketing solutions company.

Today, the company provides email distribution, data modeling, online portals and storefronts as well as variable data printing and customized marketing materials. To integrate electronic and physical content, the HP Indigo 7600 allows the company to print cross media direct mail pieces with personalized URLs and QR codes, providing clients with a comprehensive marketing approach.

“We are now not only offering traditional printed material, but also incorporating existing data sets to customize content and increase ROI for our clients. By using data profiling and modeling, we have a clearer view of our marketing strategies and can create high impact communications,” said Galligan.

Investing in the future

The employees at Cohber have a deeper understanding of the digital world with backgrounds in comp-uter science and computer engineering. A new concentration on digital knowledge combined with print expertise gives the company a unique perspective that Galligan is hopeful will help the company excel in the coming decades.

Passion for new technology is another trait the company is optimistic will propel them forward. After installing the HP Indigo 7600, the company intends to add the new HP Indigo 10000 Digital Press, as they are impressed with the B2-format. It is important for Cohber to broaden its applications for clients, and the wider format opens up new, larger print projects to the company.

“At Cohber, we strive to be on the bleeding edge, not just the cutting edge of technology,” said Galligan. “We want to invest in the tools that are being developed for the next generation. That’s why we chose HP.”

Additional information about HP Indigo digital printing solutions is available at www.hp.com/go/gsb, on the HP Graphic Arts YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/hpgraphicarts, or through the HP Graphic Arts Twitter Feed, www.twitter.com/hpgraphicarts.