CPI London is a communications business with a difference. The family-owned business was established 30 years ago and has its roots in the quickprint market, but has always placed a high degree of emphasis on innovation and has constantly adapted its business model as market dynamics have changed. For the past five years CPI has focused on helping its clients do business with an integrated range of marketing services from print to internet and e-commerce. Marketing Director Tony Kenton explains how the company’s pioneering attitude means it continues to take a fresh approach to the services it offers. “We’ve been working with personalised marketing communications for more than ten years and now we’re changing the paradigm again – we’re moving from output to outcome.” Kenton is an active member of the BAPC and the International Printers’ Network (IPN), and is firm in his belief that strong partners are the key to long-term business success. This philosophy informed the company’s recent decision to invest in a Konica Minolta bizhub Pro C6500e production printer driven by an IC-304 print controller and a Creo Color Server teamed with variable information tool Darwin Pro. The new equipment joined CPI’s existing bizhub Pro C500 driven by an IC-301 print controller, a pairing that had proved itself to be robust, reliable and easy-to-use.

Rather than a focus on throughput and cost-per-page, the requirement behind the new system also demonstrates CPI’s innovative approach and vision. The company is working on an extensive prototyping project involving highly sophisticated variable data content. “It’s a very different business model - we are charging for our time rather than the print itself. It’s not about how fast or colourful something is, it’s about what return a printed piece generates,” Kenton explains.

The IC-304 print controller is a tailor-made Creo Color Server for the bizhub Pro C6500(e) and it takes full advantage of Konica Minolta’s Simitri HD polymerised toner, achieving spectacular image and colour quality results. Its colour management tools provide a range of operations that save production resources on the one hand, and increase image quality on the other, and this was an important factor for CPI, says Kenton. “One of the benefits of working with Konica Minolta and PODS is that we have access to all the latest colour matching technology.”

CPI’s requirements included a highly-sophisticated variable data processing tool at the front-end. The IC-304 print controller leverages a comprehensive VDP solution, which can efficiently process even the most complex variable data jobs. Its support for popular VDP applications and leading industry formats (including Variable Print Specification (VPS), PPML, PDF and Adobe PostScript) means CPI can quickly create full-colour personalised documents. With the Gallop mode, users can accelerate the process by starting to print a long VDP job while still Ripping.

CPI is also benefiting from PODS’ Workflow and VDP Partnership Programmes. These initiatives have resulted in dynamic links between products, for example allowing Darwin Pro to link directly into the DirectSmile image personalisation tool. This provides the operators at CPI with a more streamlined process as integration is automatic and transparent and they only have to use one software tool.

“The Creo controller is user-friendly and intuitive. It’s easy for us to see what’s happening with a job and how things are Ripping. Seamless integration with Darwin Pro VDP software is a major strength and a vital factor for us. Lots of vendors talk about relationships, but this is real-life integration,” enthuses Kenton.

The company is now working on a constant stream of prototyping projects, and Kenton explains how the shift to print-on-demand has resulted in a further change of mindset at the business: “It used to be the case that the order book needed to be full or we couldn’t sleep. Now, we can’t sleep if the book isn’t empty – we have to clear it every day as who knows what will come in tomorrow!”

Back to top