Digital and offset easily combined in one workflow

Druckhaus Müller was founded in 1978 by Josef Müller. In 2018, his sons Marius and Pius took over management. Today, 25 employees ensure seamless production.

At the Langenargen location on the picturesque Lake Constance, it all began with traditional commercial printing. Today, digital printing is a natural part of the offering. This family-run business focuses on maximum flexibility for printing applications – while consistently delivering excellent print quality.

The traditional offset printing operations at Druckhaus Müller for brochures, books, packaging, business stationery, etc., were interrupted by time-consuming changeovers for short runs. Marius and Pius Müller wanted to lighten the load on their offset production and make workflows more efficient.

Their plan: to shift small volumes to a more efficient inkjet digital printing system that, with integrated booklet finishing, would run almost fully automated.

The challenge: The digital printing system had to be seamlessly integrated and controlled into the existing Heidelberg Prinect workflow. "This has the additional advantage that employees don't need any special training," adds Pius Müller.

Thanks to the Canon toner printing systems they already used, Marius and Pius Müller knew how competent and reliable Canon consulting and service can be. In the Canon showroom, they had a demonstration of the varioPRINT iX2100 sheet-fed inkjet printing system. The efficiency, productivity, outstanding print quality, and wide range of materials immediately impressed them. At drupa, they found the right inline post-press solution: the BM-e from FKS/CP Bourg, also robust and powerful.

The new production line, consisting of a Canon varioPRINT iX2100 and the integrated post-press system from FKS, is a perfect match for brothers Marius and Pius Müller.

"At first, it was just a gut feeling that was quickly confirmed in practice," explains Pius Müller. The stable printing, the speed of both systems, the diverse media selection, the post-press options, and the ease of operation of the printing system with inline finishing are among the outstanding advantages of the new installation for Druckhaus Müller.

"The PRISMAsync Controller was seamlessly integrated into the existing workflow," confirms Pius Müller. This ensures the transmission, monitoring, and management of print jobs.

In the finishing system of the FKS Booklet Maker BM-e, in addition to head and foot trimming, spine creasing, and the ability to switch from portrait to landscape format for optimal use of the printing area, were particularly interesting for Marius and Pius Müller.

"Canon's close support helped us quickly become familiar with the production line and also helped us customise the system for our company," adds Pius Müller.

Combining the two systems gives the print shop the opportunity to leverage the benefits of digital inkjet printing for short runs or personalised prints for a wide variety of other applications.

The installation of the Canon varioPRINT iX2100 with the integrated BM-e booklet maker from FKS is the first of its kind in Germany.

Druckhaus Müller, which originated in traditional offset printing, has embraced inkjet-based digital printing as a complementary production method and can now offer even the smallest orders faster and with outstanding quality.

Due to the steadily growing demand for high-quality short runs with optional customisation or personalisation, Druckhaus Müller invested in the varioPRINT iX2100 sheet-fed inkjet printing system from Canon. This printing system is ideal for print shops seeking initial experience with inkjet digital printing.

Combined with the BM-e from FKS, the varioPRINT iX2100 represents a future-oriented production system that impresses with top print quality and operates efficiently.

The varioPRINT iX2100 can also be upgraded to the faster varioPRINT iX3200: from up to 320 A4 images per minute. The BM-e from FKS also supports the more powerful Canon version without any loss of speed.

The two managing directors are extremely satisfied with the new installation – not only because of the current performance and the wide range of applications. The two trained experts in print media/Schweizerdegen* unanimously praise the ability to communicate between the Prinect workflow and the PRISMAsync Controller. In Prinect prepress, direct paper selection, print run specification, and print mode control within the workflow saves a lot of time and make the entire printing process more economical than before.

"This is a real benefit to our workflow," adds Marius Müller. The operators are also highly satisfied and praise the convenience provided by the presets.

Make-ready times have been significantly reduced, and energy savings have been substantial. The water-based inks used by the varioPRINT iX2100 play into the print shop's firmly established sustainability strategy.

After commissioning the production line, the two managing directors were quickly convinced that this expansion of their offerings would lead to the expansion of their business and also to new customer and prospect groups.

They now have the potential and creativity to implement this in a forward-looking way: They know that offset printing is too expensive for brochures and book printing in short runs. Digital printing is faster, easier to use, and more efficient.

* A Swiss sword refers to someone who can typeset and print.