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DIGITAL CAPTURE: PHOTOGRAPHY & SCANNING REVIEWS, CHARTS, TEST BENCHES & TECHNOLOGY ROUNDUPS |
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Achieving
20-20 Vision by Barry Campbell Having fun while doing business can lead to great things. Tim Fullmer, president of Vision International in Salt Lake City, Utah, knows a thing or two about having fun while running an "extra extra large" business. He has seen the large-format digital printing company he founded in 1993 expand from a dozen employees and 16,000 square feet to its current 115 employees and more than 67,000 square feet. To celebrate its growth and new headquarters a few years ago, Fullmer and company produced a 20 x 60-foot Twister board – the world's largest, putting it into the Guiness Book of World Records – and had more than 100 people playing simultaneously. When it's not setting world Twister records, Vision International is cranking out a large assortment of what it calls "extra extra large"-format printing. Among the many projects it produces are: billboards, building wraps, air banners (dragged behind airplanes), floor graphics, exhibit displays for tradeshows, truck and fleet graphics as well as bus wraps; the company also executes bus shelter, kiosk and area sign graphics. Its work is shipped to every continent (except Antarctica), and the company is now generally regarded as one of the top five billboard graphic suppliers in North America, if not the world. And while innovation, hard work and customer service receive most of the recognition for Vision's success, fun also deserves some credit. Fullmer says he has always believed that having fun and doing good business can be synonymous. "We always felt that customer service is the most important thing, but customer service is such a trite cliché used throughout every industry now, that it's become almost a gimme," he says. Vision's philosophy has been, and continues to be, that outstanding quality and price will keep customers interested in its product – but that their having fun while working with Vision will keep them coming back. "We're not just trying to satisfy the customer's needs. We want to take customer service to the next level. For us, that next level is entertainment. We want the customer not just to have a good experience working with Vision; we want them to feel like, 'That was a lot of fun – I not only got my job done, but I had a lot of fun doing it,'" says Fullmer. Enter
DigiGraph "The thing that made this technology really unique was that there wasn't anything before it that allowed you to reproduce things this way," he says, noting that small tiles pieced together, or hand painting, were the only other options. "So the advantage of the technology was that it was new and it opened up a whole new world for people trying to do big murals and signs, and things they hadn't even imagined yet." After working with Vista for another two years, Fullmer decided to start Vision International. He bought some Vutek 800s from Vista and brought in experts to continue the development of the technology, which basically sought to combine the best of airbrush and inkjet technologies. According to Fullmer, difficulties in attaining acceptable resolutions and sharpness caused most companies in the field, including Vutek, to abandon the concept in favor of simply focusing on traditional inkjet technology. Yet Fullmer saw promise in the concept. "We needed a wide piece of equipment that could produce commercially acceptable, quality images, and it wasn't on the market at the time. We felt that, based on my experience with Vutek technology and some of the engineers that I had been working with, we could simplify this system and enhance its color reproduction ability," he says. One of the big changes Vision made from the Vutek system was a change in the way the ink is delivered to the substrate. Fullmer and his team found that by pulsing ink into a dot instead of air, they could more precisely meter the amount of ink being called for by the image file – dramatically increasing the accuracy. Since liquid (ink) cannot be compressed, while air can be compressed, Fullmer says, the pulsed ink moves from nozzle to substrate more accurately. "We were able to really focus the spray of the ink so that it created a sharper image," he adds. "It's like on an old airbrush machine, going from what used to be a look of 9 dpi to a look of 20-24 dpi at the same basic resolutions. It was a way for us to really sharpen the image without totally abandoning the technology," Fullmer explains. Today, that technology has evolved into what is known as the DigiGraph, designed exclusively for use on projects such as murals, billboards and other large outdoor graphics that will be viewed from 50 feet away or more. Vision now has 16 of these proprietary DigiGraph systems on its floor. Of note: In 1997, Vision added to the DigiGraph technology, allowing the DigiGraph system to use five or more color print heads in the process – paving the way for Day-Glo, metallic and standard PMS colors on billboards and other large formats. Also on Vision's floor: six Vutek 800 machines – used on projects that are eight-feet wide or less ("mostly smaller banners and signs") – and two Nur Blueboard IIs, which were the first installed in the United States, says Fullmer. Rounding out the print machines are two Raster Graphics 5442s, which are used for smaller posters, vinyl banners and bus wraps, etc. "We just try to stay up on technology and maintain our capacity. And the ability to serve clients has always been the thing for us," Fullmer says of the company's wide array of printing machines. The 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week operating schedule has allowed Vision's print floor to be operating at an incredibly high rate, while print floor employees benefit from a two days on, two days off (12-hour shifts) schedule. "It helps meet ever-shrinking lead times. We are delivering work in five or six days, where it used to be three weeks. Also, since we're running 24-7, employee burnout is reduced. They appreciate having a three-day weekend every other weekend and they stay fresher," Fullmer says. "A lot of companies will be able to produce one or two billboard orders, but how many can produce the big orders? The orders of 100 or more billboards are the jewels," he says, adding that decreased set-up times contribute significantly to higher productivity rates. Vision has the capability to print more than three million square feet per month. But Fullmer and company have not been concentrating only on the hardware. They were, he recalls, "using everybody and anybody's materials, and we were just not real happy with them." The answer was to seek substrates from outside the normal distribution channels. Vision partnered with the Seaman Corporation – a developer of high-performance substrates – which, in turn, worked with Vision R&D people, its inks, and its print system to come up with a fabric that performed to certain strength characteristics as well as with good adhesion and color-hold. R&D concluded that if the colors sat up on the vinyl, they would adhere to the vinyl and give Vision a longer lasting, more durable, and better image for outdoor advertising. The result was VisionFlex, a high-end flexible vinyl that had all the attributes that Vision's clients needed (see sidebar below). After just a couple years, Vision and Seaman partnered on another substrate: EconoFlex, a vinyl laminate, was designed especially for smaller billboard campaigns with limited budgets. "One of the key things about Seaman Corporation was that they understood that we were buying vinyl as a printing substrate and not trying to cover a woodpile with a tarp. They did a fabulous job. It's a very white material and the printability is excellent. It's important to understand that there are a lot of different things out there, because I think the world thinks vinyl is vinyl," Fullmer adds. A reputation
for service Also, Fullmer says, Vision decided early on to approach things differently "than the rest of the button-down corporate world does." Vision was first in offering a number of things that its competitors hadn't, including a standardized press check, which encouraged clients to be present during printing and make final adjustments. Standardized rush printing service is another thing that set Vision apart, he says. Vision set up standard three-day, five-day and overnight services with pre-set pricing. "You hear about a lot of people doing that now, but no one was doing that six years ago," he says. Vision's full service customer support department was also new to the industry when it was first implemented. Each Vision customer service representative has his or her own direct toll-free line; customers can pick up the phone and talk with a project coordinator who handles their account instead of trying to track down a salesperson. The representatives work the customer's hours, allowing for time differences and maintaining a high degree of responsiveness. Five or six years ago, Vision also set up desktop systems in its prepress facility so customers could simply send in a file or image and it could be opened and used, instead of the customer having to send camera-ready art. "At the time, that was unheard of in the industry. Now it's standard operating procedure, but it made a difference then," says Fullmer. Initiated in its first year of existence, an automated notification system also helped set Vision apart. An order confirmation is sent out, via fax by the company's tracking system, to the client as soon as the order is received and set up. Similarly, a shipment notification is automatically faxed to clients as their order is shipped. Fullmer says this feature is a "huge hit" because Vision's clients' production managers don't have to worry about receiving or placing phone calls to check on basic information relating to their projects. Educating and training clients has also been a strong priority at Vision. The company has conducted several on- and off-site sessions for clients. It also produced a "buyer's guide to printing," designed to promote better understanding of the industry. Tipping
the scales In the case of Vision International, which now boasts annual sales of up to $30 million per year, size has turned out to have an awful lot to do with everything. Recently selected as one of Utah's 100 fastest growing companies (out of 14,000 businesses), Vision has set its sights on increasing its already formidable presence internationally and in the United States. Fullmer says the billboard market is strongest internationally, while the burgeoning market in the United States is fleet advertising. With more than three million long haul tractor-trailers on the road, and more and more of them sporting advertisements, Vision hopes to fulfill that demand. Barry Campbell is a freelance writer based in Post Falls, Idaho, and is a contributing editor to Digital Output. For more information on Vision International: www.vision-xxl.com. A Home
for Fun Why build such a huge, extravagant building? Doing so, says Fullmer, was consistent with his goal of making the printing experience fun for its customers. Today, a slate-lined lobby with a 20-foot ceiling greets visitors, and an open staircase leads to the lobby upstairs, where a glass-enclosed conference room overlooks the lobby. The entrance alone gives the impression that big things are happening at Vision. But it doesn't stop there: Most offices are fully decked out in the office holder's theme of choice. For example, Fullmer – who has played guitar and sung in rock bands for the last two decades – has instituted a rock and roll theme, with guitars and even an amp in his office (he has even been known to jam with customers right in the office should they be so inclined). Other offices feature themes like classic cars and Route 66, the Orient and daVinci and the Renaissance. "I thought it would be a lot of fun for people coming in to see offices decorated as a theme," Fullmer says. "But I also thought, let the person's office reflect his or her personality and he or she is going to work better and want to come to work. And you know, when we moved into these offices, I couldn't get my people to go home." In a similar vein, Vision's customer suite exudes comfort and fun. The place where customers "park themselves" during a press check, the suite features leather sofas, a big screen television, Internet connections, a refrigerator and sink, phones and even a Nintendo 64. Secured by a key card issued to visitors, and overlooking the production facility, the suite actually becomes a home away from home for customers who might be in town for as long as two days on press checks. Answers
From Psychic Gene Our telepathic marketing director takes a few questions and dispels some horrible myths. Gene Chambers is Vision's marketing director. He's also a world-famous psychic featured on Dionne Warwick's Psychic Friends. You can e-mail Gene or reach him at 800/424-2483. He'll be happy to answer any of your questions, and he usually knows your question even before you ask it. Spooky, isn't it? Digital Printing of large-format graphics – especially outdoor advertising graphics – is a complex, constantly evolving technology. A few misconceptions about this new technology are making their way through the grapevine. Let's have Gene dispel some of these myths, and give you an idea of what questions to ask a prospective large-format printer. "Can't
I just run it over to Kinko's and have a print done?" "Business
cards make the perfect camera-ready art, right?" "You
can turn any scan into a large-format print with today's magic computers."
"Large-format
prints have ugly strips where the images join together." "Resolutions
don't matter." "Printing
can only be done on limited materials." "Order
it and it shall come." "Large-format
printers' customer service ranks right up there with French waiters'."
"Models
on your final output can end up with green skin." "Computer-printed
images scuff when you breathe on them." "When
these prints are finished, you just fold them up and ship 'em."
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