The team at Hopkins Printing in Columbus (Ohio, USA) loves to solve a challenge. Their attention to detail, responsiveness, and commitment to technological advancement has kept Hopkins succeeding in a competitive marketplace.
Hopkins Printing has been in business for over 45 years. This award-winning commercial printer consistently exceeds customer expectations as a trustworthy, accurate, and responsive partner that cares for its client’s business. The company services banking and financial institutions, local and state associations, and retail and insurance market segments.
“We strive to create an environment that surpasses client expectations,” explains Roy Waterhouse, General Manager at Hopkins Printing. “We do not make excuses; we provide solutions. We follow through with what we say we will do. Customers experience our commitment and entrust us with their business. Most of our clients have been with us for many decades.”
Helping employees achieve more
Along with exceeding customer needs, Hopkins’ management routinely improves internal job duties. The company values employees and seeks ways to make their job functions easier. At Hopkins Printing, helping employees achieve better work outcomes results in a win for everyone.
When the team at Hopkins heard that ECO3’s SPIR@L screening would streamline the color process for the press operator, they wanted to see it in action.
SPIR@L screening improves print manufacturing by replacing conventional dots with spiral shapes. The patented SPIR@L dot structure requires less ink to reproduce high-quality images. Using less ink produces high-quality images with finer details and consistency, all while having greater control of the press.
According to Roy Waterhouse, SPIR@L screening runs less ink to get up to color through GCR and UCR technologies. Less ink means less water on the sheet, so the operator can get up to color faster.
“It makes it easier to run the press since there’s less water,” says Roy Waterhouse. “We try to do anything we can to make jobs a bit easier. SPIR@L allows a straightforward way to keep the color stable, and that matters to us.”
Customizable
The solution’s smooth transition from positive to negative spirals and minimum white gap results in clear image rendering. SPIR@L can be set up according to the manufacturer’s preferences: different curves and groove area thicknesses can be selected depending on the press and paper used to achieve high-quality print at the lowest possible cost.
After testing SPIR@L for a month, Hopkins received some interesting feedback from a customer during a press check.
“Before we ever said anything externally about a new screening technology, one of our national retail clients told us the images looked crisper and sharper than before,” said Roy Waterhouse.
“SPIR@L makes it easier for the operator to run the press and makes sharper, more vivid images for our customers.”
Putting the customer front and center
SPIR@L is assisting Hopkins in its mission. Attention to detail, commitment to technological advancement, and team-building efforts create an environment where customer needs are exceeded. Critical success factors for Hopkins are finding timely ways to produce the most challenging projects, offering consistent print quality, and being trustworthy.
Roy Waterhouse explains, “Anybody can mouth the words, but we have employees who will stay late on a Thursday night at 7 o’clock to meet a client who wants to double-check a product before it goes on press. That is what we mean by putting customer service front and center.”
Website: hopkinsprinting.com
SPIR@L
This new screening technology replaces the traditional ink dot with more efficient shapes such as spirals. This has a positive impact on print quality and results in a crystal-clear image every time without effort.
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