PASADENA, CA — March 16, 2018 — House of Printing is a family business, currently under the third generation of ownership. It began in 1942, and while it has seen some changes over the years, it has continued to be a shop that serves a variety of markets, with today’s equipment including both offset and digital presses, and a wide range of finishing options. However, both of their offset presses were aging — both were used when they purchased them, with the two-color purchased in 1985, and the four-color purchased in 1991. It was time for an upgrade.

“They were older technology,” said Andrew Pittroff, Vice President of Operations. “They were still in good condition, but they were slow, and makeready was especially slow. We could only get away with doing 2-3 jobs a day just because makeready took a long time. Hanging plates was close to an hour alone.”

The difference, he noted, is night and day. For example, he said, they had one morning where they had done five sets of plates already, and it wasn’t even noon yet. It’s a different world as far as that’s concerned,” Pittroff said. But it goes beyond faster makereadies, “Automation and color management is much easier,” he pointed out, "and we are also now able to get bigger runs. Where before we were limited by the slower machine and the smaller 4 up format, we are now able to run 8 up — so we can do twice as much on the sheet, and the press will run 50% faster.”

And that added speed and capacity have already paid off. In the few months House of Printing has had the RMGT 9 Series running, they are already doing jobs that previously they would not have been able to handle at all, said Pittroff. “One of our clients is a greeting card company, with probably 200 designs, we have been doing the foil stamping for their line for years, but they were doing the printing on an HP Indigo at another shop. Their quantities are high enough and the RMGT is efficient enough for us to now move the printing over to offset."

Pittroff went on to note that with the RMGT 9 Series press, as long as the runs are at least 250 sheets, which is around 4,000 cards, they are more cost effective for the customer, and more efficient for the shop to produce on offset. “The thing is on the digital press you are paying a click charge, and every sheet you’re getting a cost. On offset, you do have plates and a little more makeready, but once you get the plates hung — which is literally 3 minutes or less — and with faster makeready, we’re ready in less than 100 sheets. So it just opens the door to do shorter runs. You still have the costs of the plates, but everything else is faster.”

“We were overdue for some new equipment,” said Pittroff. “We had never been able to get a 40-inch press before because this is a smaller building and we had some electrical issues — it would have cost a lot to pull in bigger electrical capacity necessary for that size of press. But that’s the beauty of this press — we get the capacity without the hassle.”

“We talk to a lot of print shops like House of Printing, where they have older equipment that is still running, and they are hesitant to upgrade for a variety of reasons,” said Kian Hemmen, Director of Sales, Print & Finishing Solutions, a member of the Graphic Systems North America (GSNA) dealer alliance. “But House of Printing is very clearly illustrating why it is absolutely worth it for those shops who haven’t considered new equipment in a while. The added speed, capabilities and variety of jobs they can now produce is staggering. It will be exciting to see where they go next now that they have the equipment in place to allow them to reach for those new heights.”
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About RMGT 
RMGT is represented in the US and Canada by a group of six authorized sales and service centers that serve commercial printers, offset packaging converters and in-plant printers in North America. This network constitutes the single largest offset press sales and service team in North America. In 2008, RMGT introduced the first LED-UV printing system for sheet-fed offset printing. Today, RMGT continues to apply their technological expertise and creativity for constant innovation, providing the printing industry with meaningful products and services. Learn more about RMGT at www.ryobimhi.com
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SOLON, OH — March 1, 2018 — In the few months since VISOgraphic installed their RMGT 10 Series press, Bob Dahlke and his son, Bob Dahlke Jr. have already run over 8 million impressions on the press, and they are just getting started. They made the decision to invest in the press when it became clear the shop needed their offset litho operations to be as efficient and modern as their newer digital presses, and RMGT hit the sweet spot all around.

“This was just the best fit from a pricing and service standpoint for our business,” said Dahlke. “LED-UV was important to us as well — it is instant curing, more environmentally friendly, has increased throughput, and less VOCs. We liked forming a partnership with Graphco as well. It is an important investment for both our clients and employees as we expand into new markets.”

On three old presses combined, noted Dahlke, they could only push an average of 8,000 impressions per hour. On the single RMGT 10 Series press, they can do as many as 16,000 impressions per hour, doubling their productivity in a much smaller footprint. And they have already begun to bring some spot UV work in-house that they previously had to send to other shops as well. “This is really going to benefit our operations,” said Dahlke Jr. “And it will only continue to improve as we really learn the machine. We are still in the learning curve phase with this press, and on the cusp of what it can really do. We are excited and enthusiastic about the potential.”

“I have been very surprised how fast we have been able to migrate from our conventional 40” press environment,” states John Dahlke. “We jumped from two older presses with no automation, to a completely new press manufacturer in RMGT. Heavy ink coverage jobs and substrates sensitive to offsetting now run at rated speeds without issues thanks to LED-UV curing. In the past, our make-readies also took much longer – this is not the case anymore. It’s also great not to “fight” jobs on press anymore – you dial it in and the press simply runs and runs. Between the efficiencies of the RMGT and the instant LED-UV curing Baldwin system, some of our most problematic jobs have become hang and bang jobs.”

The shop has also invested heavily in digital equipment, and does a large amount of hybrid work, with shells printed offset on the RMGT 10 Series press, then going through the digital presses for personalization. LED-UV curing technology makes this type of operation much more streamlined. Since the offset press does not use spray powder, offset printed sheets can go directly to the digital press without excess powder clogging the digital presses. LED-UV curing technology not only enables a seamless hybrid print workflow between offset and digital, it also allows VISOgraphic to send printed sheets direct to the bindery without any delays or waiting, speeding up processing across the board.

“One of the big advantages with LED-UV is the accelerated throughput through our plant,” noted Dahlke. “With immediate LED-UV curing, once off press, press sheets can go right to our bindery for conversion.  Even uncoated jobs that normally had to sit overnight to dry can now be immediately worked on --- with no fear of marking or offset. We have not had to rerun one job due to scuffing, offsetting or picking since installing the RMGT 10 Series with LED-UV curing system.”

Dahlke did note that the UV inks are more expensive than what they were using before, but, he said, the savings they are seeing from the increased efficiency and productivity are more than making up the difference. “As more people install these presses, the price on the inks will continue to go down,” noted Dahlke Jr. “That ship is turning, and more people are starting to figure out that LED-UV is the next generation of litho printing. It is really starting to take hold.”
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“The entire Graphco team (the exclusive RMGT distributor for the Midwest USA) is incredibly pleased that VISOgraphic continues to be happy with this investment,” said Chris Manley, President. “We believed the RMGT 10 Series would be a turning point for the shop, and it is gratifying to see that playing out in real time. We look forward to continuing this partnership with them for many years to come.”
 
About RMGT
RMGT is represented in the US and Canada by a group of six authorized sales and service centers that serve commercial printers, offset packaging converters and in-plant printers in North America. This network constitutes the single largest offset press sales and service team in North America. In 2008, RMGT introduced the first LED-UV printing system for sheet-fed offset printing. Today, RMGT continues to apply their technological expertise and creativity for constant innovation, providing the printing industry with meaningful products and services. Learn more about RMGT at www.ryobimhi.com

BRAINERD, MN — February 22, 2018 — Bang Printing, part of the CJK Group, recently acquired an RMGT 9 Series press for their headquarters' book production facility. The new press replaced an older, 29-inch UV machine, bringing with it not only a larger 8-up printing format, but also a wide range of upgrades in technology and improvements in print quality including LED-UV curing, Simultaneous Plate Changing and Insta.Color makeready technology.
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“Book printing has been the focus of the company since the early 1980s,” noted Tom Campion, Senior Vice President of Operations, Bang Printing. “We have evolved through more than 100 years of service to what we are today; a premier book printer and market leader.”

The RMGT 9 Series press was purchased to solve not one major problem, but a series of smaller ones, said Campion. “Our prior press was mechanically in tough shape and getting long in the tooth,” he noted. “It was a UV press, so we already knew the benefits of that technology, but getting the environmental and utility savings from adding an LED-UV press was also a major consideration. Finally, we upgraded to the larger sheet size, which has made a big difference in our operations.”

The previous press shared the load with another sheetfed press to produce the covers and labels for soft and hard bound books. With the RMGT 9 Series, however, they have brought all the work onto the single press, freeing up their other sheetfed press to focus on just the text. The larger size has also allowed the shop to go from four-up to six-up on many of their projects, with Campion estimating that on over 70% of their jobs they’ve been able to add an extra cover or two to the sheet.

“The opportunity to place one of our RMGT presses in Bang Printing’s best in class operation has been a real privilege and we are pleased at how quickly the benefits of their 9 Series are being realized.  Tom’s team of professionals made our installation a real pleasure,” said Chris Manley, President of Graphco, the factory authorized distributor for RMGT presses in the Midwest. “As the CJK Group continues to grow and expand, we are looking forward to serving them as a trusted partner for many years to come.”

About RMGT                                                                                             
RMGT is represented in the US and Canada by a group of six authorized sales and service centers that serve commercial printers, offset packaging converters and in-plant printers in North America. This network constitutes the single largest offset press sales and service team in North America. In 2008, RMGT introduced the first LED-UV printing system for sheet-fed offset printing. Today, RMGT continues to apply their technological expertise and creativity for constant innovation, providing the printing industry with meaningful products and services. Learn more about RMGT at www.ryobimhi.com
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About Graphco
Graphco is the industry’s leading provider of offset, digital and print finishing solutions. We proudly import the RMGT line of new offset printing presses featuring LED-UV curing technology, Insta-Color automated make-ready, and Perfecting & Packaging presses. RMGT presses offer best-in-class reliability and durability. These brands are only as good as the technical support team that stands behind them, with 12+ factory-trained technicians based in the Midwest. Graphco’s reputation for top-notch service is second to none. Since 1976, Graphco has thrived in an ever-changing market place by loyally adhering to the firm’s original model for success: providing best-in-class print production equipment along with reliable and assured technical service. Learn more about Graphco at www.graphco.com, 800-458-2769.

Attendees are invited to visit a local shop running the presses and see the difference for themselves.

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL — February 6, 2018 — RMGT will be hosting an Open House event with their southeast distributor, Paper Handling Solutions, immediately following Graphics of the Americas (GOA) which is being held February 22-24, 2018. The Open House will take place in Fort Lauderdale, FL at Gosselin Graphics on Monday, February 26, from 10am – 2pm. 

Gosselin Graphics is a long-term RMGT customer, with one press running for nearly a decade, and a newer 7 Series up and running for the past two years. The Open House will be an opportunity for customers and potential customers to experience and evaluate the press for themselves, seeing it running live demos. The press operators and owner will be on hand to discuss the equipment and their experiences with it over the years.

“We are excited for everyone to come to this Open House and experience these presses first hand for themselves,” said Scot Gilbert, President, Paper Handling Solutions, the RMGT distributor and authorized sales and service centers for the Southeast Region. “We will also have booth #312 at Graphics of the Americas, but there is nothing like seeing a working press in action, and getting the opportunity to hear real-world testimonials from operators who have been running the presses for years. Gosselin has run nearly 200 million impressions between these two RMGT presses, and it’s a testament to just how well they perform that he keeps returning to RMGT. Their presses are proven workhorses for a wide scope of printing applications, and we want everyone to experience that for themselves.”

Gosselin Graphics is located at 6500 NW 15th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL. Those interested in attending the Open House should RSVP to April Smith at asmith@PHSG2.com.

About RMGT
RMGT is represented in the US and Canada by a group of six authorized sales and service centers that serve commercial printers, offset packaging converters and in-plant printers in North America. This network constitutes the single largest offset press sales and service team in North America. In 2008, RMGT introduced the first LED-UV printing system for sheet-fed offset printing. Today, RMGT continues to apply their technological expertise and creativity for constant innovation, providing the printing industry with meaningful products and services. Learn more about RMGT at www.ryobimhi.com

SOLON, OH — January 24, 2018 — 2017 was a fantastic year for RMGT in the North American market. More presses were sold and installed in more locations across the US and Canada. In particular, RMGT is proud to note that the 47th 9 Series press in North America was installed in the fall of 2017, joining more than 700 other 9 Series presses installed worldwide. 2017 also saw rapid growth in long perfecting presses, demonstrating the growing strength and popularity of one-pass printing and LED UV technology across the offset print space.
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One testament to the strength of 2017 was the resounding success of RMGT at PRINT 17. “Demonstrating our 920PF-8+LED-UV long perfector at PRINT 17 allowed us to share our lowest cost of manufacturing message every hour on the hour,” said Chris Manley, President of Graphco, the Midwest Distributor for RMGT. “We were gratified at how many of the more than 20,000 attendees at the show took time to stop by our booth and see the long perfector in action. It’s really simple math; offset printing still accounts for over 70% of most commercial printers revenue and with RMGT’s perfect blend of automation, reliability and print quality these companies are keen to improve their cost of manufacturing to enjoy bigger profits.”

Simple Math – Printers explain why they chose RMGT presses
Azar Printing replaced two sheetfed presses with one perfecting press from RMGT. “We had great offset presses, but they needed to be replaced,” said Mark Azar, owner of the company. “We considered purchasing a 40-inch press, but I don’t have the power, and I don’t have the pad — I just don’t have room for a 40-inch. This 8-up press fits on the same pad as our older 4-up press, and uses less electricity. Also, I can get a 16-page signature, so this press doubles capacity. This is a big deal for us and now over four months in we could not be happier that we invested in RMGT technology”

​VISOgraphic, a commercial printer in Chicago decided to replace 3 legacy presses and move that work to their new RMGT 10 Series press. “Our client list includes Fortune 500s and also very talented design and advertising firms,” cites Bob Dahlke Sr., President of VISOgraphic. “Bringing the latest in high end coatings to our customers will allow VISOgraphic to enhance the impact their projects make for their customers.  Our investment in this new press is really a customer-centric decision based on suggestions we’ve gotten from our sales team to better meet their customer’s needs.”

“2017 was an amazing year across the board,” said Kian Hemmen, Director of Sales, Print & Finishing Solutions, an Authorized Sales and Service Center for RMGT in the Western US. “We welcomed a great number of new customers to the RMGT family this year, and it is gratifying when we hear repeated stories of double-digit growth in their businesses. We are grateful for each and every one of them, and we are incredibly excited to see what 2018 will have in store for us and our customers as well.”

About RMGT  
RMGT is represented in the US and Canada by a group of six authorized sales and service centers that serve commercial printers, offset packaging converters and in-plant printers in North America. This network constitutes the single largest offset press sales and service team in North America. In 2008, RMGT introduced the first LED-UV printing system for sheet-fed offset printing. Today, RMGT continues to apply their technological expertise and creativity for constant innovation, providing the printing industry with meaningful products and services. Learn more about RMGT at www.ryobimhi.com ​

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA — November 22, 2017 — Daniel Salazar, Owner/President, PSA Print Group, wasn’t looking for a new press — his original goal was to find a used press that was newer than the one he was currently running. But once he saw the RMGT 9 Series press in action, he realized there was no other path he could take.
“I had a 6-up press, and was just looking for a bit more automation,” Salazar said. “But then I was introduced to the RMGT 9 Series. And there was no going back to a 6-up press when I had an 8-up right in front of me. I demoed the press in a showroom, and I was blown away with how easy it was to run.”

Salazar estimates that business has increased by about 50% since installing the new press, all while still running a single shift. In fact, the press is productive enough that he’s now looking at opening an online business that will specialize in short-run catalogs, which will be produced in a second shift on the same press. “We’re going to focus this business on quantities of under 5,000, for booklets for trade shows, events, etc.,” said Salazar. “We are going to create a new niche, and we’re creating a dedicated shift on the RMGT 9 Series just for this purpose.”

Salazar noted that, in the beginning, he couldn’t justify the cost of a new press, even with all the upgrades it would bring, and ultimately took nearly 10 months to make the decision. What it came down to, he said, was that he looked at all the jobs he was losing, and priced them out, and realized that between the ability to win that work, as well as being able to take his plant from a shift and a half to one shift per day, it was a “no brainer” investment.

“Now I don’t worry about what comes through the door,” he said. “I’m not concerned about what kind of artwork we get, or the ability to produce quality work no matter what it is or what file type we get. It used to be a really big thing — I would request to see the artwork before I would bid on jobs. Now I don’t need to; it is really easy to sell print on this machine.”

Alongside the upgrade to his offset press, Salazar also invested in new digital equipment, including two color and one black-and-white machine. “It has been really good, and my sales have increased on both sides,” he noted. “There is a break where I move the jobs to the RMGT, absolutely, but I’ve done jobs as small as 350 booklets on the press and still been competitive.” Part of the reason he can do increasingly shorter runs on the 9 Series, even with upgraded digital equipment, is that it is easier to finish offset-printed work than digital — “there’s less cracking,” said Salazar. He has gone back to using his digital equipment for the truly variable and extremely short-run work, leaving his RMGT to pick up everything else.
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“PSA Print Group is a perfect example of why offset most certainly isn’t dead,” said Kian Hemmen, Western Regional Sales Manager for Print & Finishing Solutions, part of the Graphic Systems North America (GSNA) national RMGT distributor network. “They are seeing huge gains already, with enough added potential capacity that they can add a whole new business line without needing to invest in any more equipment. That is success personified, and we could not be more thrilled to be their partner as they continue to grow.”​

About Graphic Systems North America (GSNA) 
GSNA is a group of eight authorized sales and service centers for RMGT that serve commercial printers, offset packaging converters and in-plant printers in the U.S. and Canada. Formed in July 2013 with regional offices across the United States and in Canada, the GSNA group has more than $60 million in revenue and constitutes the single largest offset press sales and service team in North America. Learn more about GSNA at www.ryobimhi.com

PLACENTIA, CA — October 26, 2017 — Print & Finishing Solutions (PFS), part of the national Graphic Systems North America (GSNA) group of authorized RMGT dealers and distributors in North America, will be hosting their Annual Technology Expo event on November 16-18. The event is a chance for customers to tour the facilities, as well as interact with a wide range of vendors who will have their own equipment and supplies on display as well.
PFS began hosting the technology expo ten years ago, when the Guttenberg Festival ceased to be held, leaving a vacuum for west-coast printers to come together to learn and experience new technologies first hand. This year, the company has expanded their showroom space, opening it up to a larger number of vendors and attendees, as the popularity of the event has continued to grow.

“We are incredibly pleased to continue to host this event for our west-coast customers,” said Robert Ordway, President, PFS. “As the event has grown, we have more than doubled our showroom space to be able to accommodate everyone. This year, we are expecting more than 300 attendees, and we welcome each and every one to enjoy the wide range of equipment we’ll have this year.”

So far this year, more than 15 vendors have been confirmed for the expo, with the latest RMGT 9 Series, 5 Color with LED UV Technology taking center stage. The press features all of the latest RMGT enhancements and accessories, and INX International has partnered with PFS to provide G7-certified inks for the press. Other highlights at the event include the Horizon Rotary Die Cutter and Smart Slitter and the MGI JetVarnish 3D with iFoil for digital embellishing, plus much more.

“It is exciting to be demonstrating the power of the RGMT 9 Series with LED UV in our own building this year.  PFS is proud to continue the Commit to Print theme that has proven to be so successful in North America,” said Kian Hemmen, Western Regional Sales Manager, PFS.  “I strongly believe that it is one of the motivating factors in over 50 on these new machine installations over the past 3 years , with seven of them in California alone.  Now we are able to bring the RMGT 9 Series closer to our friends in the Western US in a technology center, so that they can really experience what the machine will be able to do for them.”

The event is catered, and there will be presentations starting every 30 minutes throughout the course of the event, walking attendees through each piece of technology on display, and giving hands-on demonstrations of what the equipment is capable of.   

 “The annual technology expo is a great way to come and see a lot of our technology and partners at the same time, with the opportunity to get hands-on with a much wider range of equipment at the same time,” said Ordway. “But the expanded center wasn’t designed to just open its doors once a year. It’s a state-of-the-art technology center, where customers and prospects alike are always invited to come in and experience the breadth and depth of what PFS has to offer. Taking care of your business is our business — and this expanded showroom space and annual event are two ways we continue to serve.”
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About Print & Finishing Solutions (PFS)
Print & Finishing Solutions (PFS) is the largest graphic arts service and supplies company west of the Mississippi. It services California, the country, and the world with quality new and used machinery, installation and training, and post-sale support. Specializing in new and refurbished machinery, parts, supplies, and service for the print and graphics industry, PFS supports commercial printers and binderies of all sizes as well as digital printers and corporate and public in-plants. Within its facility, PFS offers two demonstration centers catering to both commercial offset / bindery and digital solutions. The Commercial Showroom features the latest machinery from RYOBI, Horizon, Challenge, Perfecta, and Preferred Pack. The Digital / On-Demand Showroom features the latest products from MGI, PSI, Rhin-O-Tuff, MBM, James Burn, DRYLAM, ExactBind, and others.

​The press has opened up capacity and costs savings far beyond what the shop originally anticipated.