PrintCo360, a family-owned converter based in Rainsville, Alabama, US, has invested in a Mark Andy Digital Series iQ hybrid press as the company responds to shorter production runs and an increasing number of SKUs.
For founder and owner Joey Hicks, the decision was driven in part by the company’s long-standing preference for inline production. After evaluating standalone digital presses, Mr Hicks questioned whether separating printing, die cutting and slitting would add unnecessary handling and create bottlenecks.
“We went to see roll-to-roll digital standalone machines, and I kept thinking, ‘This doesn’t make sense to me,’” Mr Hicks said. “You’re asking for a bottleneck when you have to print it, move it to a die cutter, and then move it somewhere else to slit it.”
Instead, PrintCo360 selected the Digital Series iQ, which combines UV inkjet printing with flexo capabilities and inline die cutting. The configuration includes two flexo stations, positioned before and after the digital engine, allowing the company to incorporate coatings, spot colours and other finishing requirements without transferring the roll between machines.
PrintCo360 currently operates four Mark Andy presses and began incorporating digital production approximately a decade ago. The company has since seen average order volumes decline while SKU counts increase, particularly in food and beverage applications such as craft beer, spices and other consumer products.
The company serves customers across the United States and Canada, with Mr Hicks estimating that around 40% of its production is destined for customers outside its immediate region.
The Digital Series iQ has also been used to support multi-SKU work by allowing different versions of a job to be prepared in prepress and run consecutively without the repeated setup changes associated with conventional flexo production.
“The quality coming off the press is number one,” Mr Hicks commented. “It’s in register, and we’re not spending time playing around with inks.”
Looking ahead, Mr Hicks expects the company’s next major press investment to remain focused on digital production, citing demand for prime labels and the flexibility to produce high-impact graphics across varying order sizes.
PrintCo360’s longer-term goal is to add approximately one press each year while continuing to assess customer demand and production opportunities. Mr Hicks stated that the company intends to “continue growing, stay on the forefront of the technology that is coming out, and remain extremely competitive.”
The Digital Series iQ forms part of that strategy, combining digital printing with the inline converting approach that has long been central to PrintCo360’s flexo operations.
