Author: Packaging & Print Magazine
Website: www.packagingmag.co.za

Raised expectations

NOVUS PRINT’S latest investment completes a digital workflow designed to deliver faster turnaround, greater flexibility and premium embellishment for shorter print runs.

When Novus Print commissioned its Canon ColorStream 8000 earlier this year, the company expanded its digital book capabilities, making high-quality, short-run printing both economical and faster.

Premium finishing, however, still relied on analogue production methods. Embossing, UV, foil and other embellishments required tooling, makereadies and production volumes large enough to justify the cost. For a business expanding rapidly in a fast-turnaround production environment, those requirements limited flexibility. The arrival of the Duplo DuSense DDC-8000 addresses that challenge.

Rather than simply expanding its finishing department, Novus has invested in technology that completes its digital workflow. The DuSense applies raised spot UV (emboss equivalent) and inline cold foil directly from digital files, eliminating tooling and making premium embellishment viable for shorter runs.

“The reason we acquired the machine was really threefold,” explains Johnny Singh, head of books at Novus Print. “We wanted to improve turnaround time, quality and cost. Removing the tooling allows us to achieve all three. It also opens the door to much shorter production runs.”

Across commercial print, publishers are ordering fewer copies, marketing campaigns are more targeted, and brands want greater differentiation without committing to long print runs. Conventional embellishment, however, still depends on dies, screens and makeready processes that often make smaller jobs prohibitively expensive.

Novus says digital finishing aligns embellishment with modern print production. “Our vision is PDF to shelf in 72 hours. You can’t achieve that if embellishment remains a conventional process. This machine completes that workflow,” says Johnny.

“We’re creating a solution to a problem customers already have,” he adds. “Nobody currently offers cost-effective embellishment for very short runs. We can embellish one book or 10 without manufacturing tooling first.”

The investment also allows existing customers to rethink how they present their products. Some overseas publishing customers have historically de-specified premium covers because embellishment was too expensive on shorter runs. Digital embellishment allows publishers to retain premium finishes without the cost penalty.

The opportunities extend beyond publishing to luxury brochures, greeting cards, folding cartons, premium packaging and point-of-sale displays. “If you can imagine it, we can actually do it,” Johnny says. “We’re only starting to explore what this technology makes possible.”

Johnny adds that print has become commoditised. “The challenge now is adding value, so products stand out. Research shows that touch sells. That’s what we’re trying to create – a tactile experience that helps our customers differentiate their products.”

Adding a new dimension

For Novus, selecting the DuSense involved more than comparing specifications. The supplier relationship was also important. Novus produced identical print samples and submitted them to several shortlisted suppliers before comparing the finished results internally. Registration accuracy, fine detail and foil performance ultimately separated the DuSense from the competition.

Novus Print’s Duplo DuSense DDC-8000 makes premium embellishment viable for shorter print runs.

“The quality was simply better,” says Johnny. “What impressed us most was how accurately it held register on both the spot UV and the foil. The level of detail is phenomenal.”

Duplo’s technical team also worked closely with Novus to understand substrates, coatings and workflow integration before the investment was finalised, an approach Johnathan Rose, head of operations, says reflects the long-term partnerships Novus values.

Only weeks after commissioning the machine, Novus’s design and sales teams are already developing application-specific samples for customers across publishing, commercial print and packaging, introducing capabilities that many clients have not previously considered.

The investment reflects where Novus sees opportunities for growth. “High-volume print will always have its place, but the fastest-growing opportunities lie in shorter runs, faster delivery and products that command greater value,” says Johnathan. For Novus, the DuSense is another step in making premium print faster, more flexible and more accessible.