Case Study: Cirrus Visual

Cirrus Visual moves away from offset printing and grows its business

About Cirrus Visual

Cirrus Visual began with the vision to merge graphic design and commercial printing under one roof. They had a promising start designing and producing a wide range of printed materials. From there, they expanded to become a "brand manager" for their clients, adding web design and event marketing to their capabilities. They wrapped their total package around a concept they call "Cloud 9 Service."

"As our company needs have changed over the years, Ricoh has evolved with us. Quite simply, Ricoh gets it. They have provided us with the tools to become a full-service visual communication company."
Brandon Blair
President
Cirrus Visual

Challenge

Customers were counting on Cirrus Visual to help them work smarter, become better marketers and communicate more effectively. To do that, Cirrus knew they had to add variable data printing (VDP) and on-demand digital printing to their offset fleet. Cirrus selected a Ricoh color production printer as their first digital press.

As business grew, they added a second digital press. Shortly after, they added a third color unit for specialty banner sheet printing to complete their initial digital fleet. As a result of this growth, they moved to a larger building. The only question was-what's next?

Solution

When Cirrus Visual first moved to their new building, they weren't quite ready to completely abandon offset printing.

Eventually, Cirrus Visual planned to move completely away from offset printing to become a thriving, all-digital, full-service visual communication company. But they first wanted more exposure to the advanced capabilities of digital printing to bolster their confidence. To gain more experience, they did the following:

Retired their original Ricoh digital color production printer and allocated the lion's share of printing to their second Ricoh device.
Designated the third Ricoh press to serve as a back-up or specialty unit.
Added two new advanced Ricoh digital presses with fifth stations — one dedicated to white and the other to clear toner.
Equipped the new presses with booklet finishers and large-capacity stackers.
Specified an oversize-sheet bypass to run larger output on one new printer.
Leveraged the new technology's vacuum-feed systems to minimize paper jams.
Enlisted powerful controllers to rip large VDP runs quickly and efficiently.
Took advantage of Ricoh training to harness all their new digital capabilities.
Added a second digital wide-format press for color latex printing.

Result

Aside from their original color digital printer, Cirrus continues to run all of the Ricoh production units purchased through the years. One of the older units is now used primarily for proofing due to similarities in color quality to the newer units. The newer presses are used to print training manuals, VDP, direct mail, service reminders, calendars, event materials, name badges, bulletins, agendas, newsletters and more.

The wide-format printer has spurred 500 percent growth in this business segment in less than a year. Cirrus continues to grow this side of their business by producing more signage, building and vehicle wrap banners, trade show materials, posters and more.

Cirrus Visual credits Ricoh for making it possible for them to shut down their offset presses and become the successful, all-digital company they are today. They cite our efforts to listen to the needs of the market, develop advanced digital systems that commercial printers want and bundle it with expert, attentive service and support.

"Ricoh's digital presses are just as capable as offset systems, they're priced very competitively and their service is better. I'm a member of a peer group and commercial printers are coming over to Ricoh in droves," said Cirrus Visual President, Brandon Blair.

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