Sydney based Kaligraphic Print no longer must rely on an older style guillotine to cut the self-published novels and books it prints with a new Horizon HT-30 Three Side Trimmer installed.
Owner Katya Shmaiger says she spotted the trimmer, supplied through Currie Group, as PacPrint in Melbourne and thought one day her Leichhardt based business should have one.
“We flew to Melbourne to see what was new in the printing industry and saw this machine, and I fell in love with it and I thought one day we should have it. And here we are,” Shmaiger said…
Read the article, first published by ProPrint, here.
With our Designer, Mel, back from her summer holiday the full Kaligraphic team is back and heading into 2019 together! We’re looking forward to a fantastic year, with new machines to improve our production time, and wonderful new customers and clients to meet! We can’t wait to see what 2019 brings us!
Do you have printing you need done in 2019? Come see us! We can’t wait to meet you!
Standing by Horizon: (l-r) Kaligraphic’s Alex Shmaiger, Katya Shmaiger, Mel Coates, Jerome Dizon
Kaligraphic Print is installing a Horizon CRF-362 creaser and folder to cope with increasing demand, adding to its Horizon BQ-270 EVA perfect binder, both supplied by Currie Group.
The specialist book printer operates out of Leichhardt in Sydney’s inner west, and focuses on short-run on demand book printing.
Kaligraphic was only founded in July 2016 by friends with 20 years of experience in the industry, including twins Katya and Alex Shmaiger, who had wanted to start their own print business for some time.
Katya Shmaiger, director, Kaligraphic, says, “We specialise in books, that is our point of difference. Every printer in the inner west has their niche. We decided to specialise in small-run printed books on demand. We have four people, a designer, finishing specialist, production manager, and myself.
“We needed a perfect binder, and chose Horizon because Currie has been looking after us for many years in our other businesses. To be honest, I do not know any competitive equipment for perfect binding. For me Horizon is the best.
“We had a smaller creaser and folder from day one, but the demand was too great, so we bought the new machine.
“We are now looking at the three-side trimmer for books. We saw it at PacPrint, and how much time it saves is just amazing.
“We are using the Horizon hardware every day for runs of up to 2,000 books.”
Bernie Robinson, managing director, Currie Group, says “The first unit was a BQ-270 EVA single clamp perfect binder. Katya said she has had experience with it before, so she approached us to buy it.
“It is a great company, she is a lovely person, and it has been a perfect installation for Currie Group and a good relationship.”
Shmaiger says, “The business is going great, we cannot complain. We were lucky, it is not just hard work. A couple of printers closed in the inner west, the rent became too expensive, and others decided to finish up in the industry.
“Now they are print brokers, and they send their work through to us instead. It happened all at the right time.
“We have lots of work, so we needed more machinery.”
Kaligraphic Print (Kaligraphic) offers graphic design, website and digital design, and direct mail services to a wide range of clients in Sydney. Business owner, Katya Shmaiger, has more than 20 years’ experience in the printing and graphic design industry and had previously worked with machines from a range of different manufacturers. As a start-up business, Kaligraphic needed to outfit its new premises with the necessary printing, binding and cutting machines to service its clientele.
The Challenge
New business fit-out
Start-up printer needs appropriate equipment
Small business needs excellent support
Kaligraphic Print offers graphic design, website and digital design, and direct mail services to a wide range of clients in Sydney.
As a start-up business, Kaligraphic needed to outfit its new premises with the necessary printing, binding and cutting machines to service its clientele.
Katya, Director, said, “when the time came to set up my new business, I knew we needed reliable machines that would deliver high-quality results every time. As a small business owner, I needed the peace of mind that I would be able to fulfil my customers’ requests no matter what.”
The Solution
Professional advice delivers the right equipment
Affordable upgrade path suited to future growth
Katya met with a Konica Minolta representative, who made a number of recommendations regarding the machines that would be suitable for Kaligraphic.
Katya Shmaiger said, “I trusted the Konica Minolta representative’s opinion and recommendations and it was the best decision I could have made. We saw the machines in the Konica Minolta showroom and talked at length about the capabilities Kaligraphic needed.
Kaligraphic chose the Konica Minolta bizhub PRESS C1085, bizhub PRO C1060L and bizhub PRO 1100, as well as a Konica Minolta TEC Coater, which was the first sold into the Australian marketplace.
The Benefits
Confidence to invest in the right equipment
Optimised printing capabilities matched to business
Ability to provide differentiated service
Katya said, “The reliability, quality and consistency of the Konica Minolta printers outperforms any other printer brand I have worked with over the past 20 years. That, combined with outstanding service, is helping to ensure the success of Kaligraphic Print.”
She went on to say, “the service we receive from Konica Minolta is exactly what we were looking for. The machines are exceptional and, in the rare case that something does go wrong, we know all we have to do is pick up the phone and someone will be out to help us immediately. That is a huge benefit, especially as we’re still working on building a strong, loyal customer base. If we can’t deliver jobs as promised, it doesn’t look good.
Konica Minolta always finds a way, whether it’s finishing jobs at their premises or working with other printers to fulfil the job.”
