Productivity soars at ballot printing company after purchase of Oce digital press

TRUMBULL, Conn., July 25, 2012 — (PRNewswire) — Oce, a Canon Group company and an international leader in digital document management, today announced that Royal Printing Company has replaced three offset presses with the Oce ColorStream® 10000 Flex Press and has reached unprecedented levels of productivity.

Why digital and why now?
Royal Printing, founded in 1961, has been Oklahoma's premier ballot printer for over 50 years. With the introduction of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) that was about to change. HAVA mandates that ballot printers accommodate the exacting requirements of electronic voting machines, and that they are able to produce variable-size, variable-color, and variable-data (sequentially numbered and bar coded) ballots.

Royal Printing's President Kelley Thomas knew that their offset workflow was not up to the task. She spent months researching the digital press offerings before she decided on the Oce ColorStream 10000 Flex Press. "Digital printing was completely new to us," said Thomas. "And Oce was the only company that did a thorough analysis of every aspect of the entire workflow before recommending a solution."

The Oce ColorStream 10000 Flex Press is the fastest toner-based, color digital web press on the market, offering unmatched flexibility and fully automated and variable perforating, cutting, and stacking. The innovative system features dynamic productivity and pricing, giving both cost-efficient color printing and b/w printing at traditional b/w cost.

According to Thomas, the sophisticated technology of the digital press and Oce PRISMAproduction® software that drives it comprised only part of the solution. The real success of the system rested with the Oce technical support team, who trained Royal's operators and responded to every question and issue with responsive and professional help. Thomas noted that Oce tech support really understands the time-critical nature of printing and the need to resolve issues as quickly as possible. Thomas herself has learned how to run the press. "I really love that this digital press is so easy to use, and that it's clean and green," she said.

Extreme productivity
Now, Royal is able to produce 100,000 ballots in one shift, without breaking a sweat. "That means we'll be able to print 2 million ballots in 20 days – unheard of!" said Thomas.

Equipped with inline finishing, the Oce ColorStream 10000 Flex Press has also significantly reduced post-press operations. Moreover, the day of drying time that was formerly required has disappeared, and Royal can ship the same day they start the job.

Because the company's Oce system is so productive, Thomas is looking for overflow work from other printers – forms, books, transpromo, and direct mail. "I know that we made the right decision, and I couldn't be happier," she said.

"We are gratified that the Oce ColorStream 10000 Flex Press has been so helpful to Royal Printing, and we look forward to more opportunities for collaboration as Royal continues to grow," said Kris Albee, Director of Product Marketing, Production Printing Systems division of Oce North America. "Royal's experience has proven that the unique abilities of the Oce ColorStream 10000 Flex Press provide them with a competitive advantage, offering their clients dynamic productivity and pricing structures while maintaining excellent quality."

About Oce
Oce is one of the leading providers of document management and printing for professionals. The Oce offering includes office printing and copying systems, high speed digital production printers and wide format printing systems for both technical documentation and color display graphics. Oce is also a foremost supplier of document management outsourcing. Many of the Fortune Global 500 companies and leading commercial printers are Oce customers. The company was founded in 1877. With headquarters in Venlo, The Netherlands, Oce is active in over 100 countries and employs more than 20,000 people worldwide.  Oce North America is headquartered in Trumbull, CT, with additional business units in Chicago, IL and Boca Raton, FL.  For more information, visit www.oce.com

Oce and Canon: Stronger together
In 2010 Oce joined the Canon Group of companies with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, to create the global leader in the printing industry. Canon develops, manufactures and markets a growing line-up of copying machines, printers, cameras, optical and other products that meet a diverse range of customer needs. The Canon Group comprises over 198,000 employees worldwide. Global net sales in 2011 totaled USD 45.6 billion. Visit the Canon Inc. website at www.canon.com.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. With approximately $45.6 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents registered in 2011* and is one of Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies in 2012. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.

*Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.

All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE Oce North America