PUBLICATION CENTER

Linemark forms a wide-format printing division from a dynamic and successful background in commercial printing.

For 20 years Linemark has developed a solid business in commercial printing, catering mainly to trade associations and trade unions that make their homes in Washington D.C.'s Beltway.

Based in Largo, Md., Linemark offers its clientele a suite of commercial printing and fulfillment services that encompasses almost every conceivable marketing production service their customers could need, including promotional products.

What Linemark lacked until recently, however, was the ability to print wide-format graphics for trade shows, special events, and other display purposes in-house. Fortunately for its customers, Linemark adopted wide-format printing as part of its processes in October of 2006.

Fulfilling Demand

Linemark hit the ground running thanks in large part to the addition of wide-format printing veteran Frank Thompson, who's Linemark's production manager for the wide-format division.

"The first printer I ran when I first started in the wide-format business years ago was an ENCAD NovaJet. What a pain that was; you had to prime the line almost every time you ran it," recalls Thompson.

Now running an effective wide-format program with efficient and reliable equipment, Thompson has been able to help bring Linemark's wide-format capabilities up to par with its other divisions as far as quality and customer service in a very short time.

"You need to know the equipment, and what the machines can and cannot do. Also, having a good resource like LexJet is a life line. I know LexJet can get products to us quickly, and my account specialist has been able to research things we didn't even know existed, whether it's a product he has or not," says Thompson.

Linemark has two HP 5500s with UV ink driven by the Onyx RIP, a GBC 2064, a Javelin cutter, and a Fletcher-Terry wall cutter. Linemark's favorite materials for production include 8 Mil ImagePro Satin, LexJet 8 Mil Satin Polypropylene, 10 Mil PreLume DisplayFlex, and 3.2 Mil GraphicsGuard UV Luster and Matte w/ PreLume.

"We did a customer survey a couple of years ago, and found that wide-format was an overall theme with our customers. So we knew the customer demand was there; it was just timing and finding the right people to run production. The surveys also helped direct us as to where the initial niche was for us in wide-format," explains Adam Rutkowski, Linemark's vice president of business development. "We've been busy ever since. It took a couple of months to ramp up, but we’ve had a steady flow of jobs since then. Over the last week, for instance, we produced more than 200 posters. We're getting some new clients, but the bulk of our business is existing clientele. We can definitely see growing this area, providing an online storefront application, and moving to more advanced applications, such as vehicle graphics and more outdoor applications."

Building on Experience

The majority of Linemark's production is posters, banners, and trade show graphics. Their current technology is a perfect fit, and as customer needs demand it, Linemark will add and adapt technologies as necessary.

Rutkowski reports that the transition to wide-format has been extremely smooth. Because its commercial capabilities are varied and flexible, Linemark is used to adopting new and different printing technologies.

Moreover, as the commercial printing industry began incorporating custom, variable data capabilities, Linemark was busily integrating the technology itself and the philosophy under which it operates into its workflow. Ultimately, wide-format printing is a custom, variable-data process, and Linemark was

already on board with the concept.

Aside from the new wide-format division, Linemark's production capabilities include offset printing, variable and on-demand printing, database management, and CD and DVD production. Additionally, the company offers creative services, pre-press, bindery and finishing, mailing, distribution, shipping, fulfillment, distribution, and receiving.

All of this is backed by the company's Order Companion, Creative Companion, and Fulfillment Companion, which are Web-based tools that make it easy for customers to manage their accounts.

The structure, the know-how, and the sheer printing experience have all contributed to the success of the Linemark's wide-format division.