Printing company Marathon Graphics, which specialises in plan printing and reproduction, as well as plotting with AutoCAD for architects and engineers, has expanded its range of services following the purchase of several Xerox digital presses from Bytes Document Solutions, the authorised Xerox distributor in 26 sub-Saharan countries.
Over the years these have included a Xerox DocuColor 240 digital printer, a Xerox 6050 wide format scanner, printer and copier and, most recently, a Xerox Phaser 3635 MFP, and a Xerox WorkCentre 5655 MFP.
The company offers large format printing, banner printing, vinyl printing and cutting, canvas printing and stretched framing, as well as bulk photocopying – services which are expected to substantially increase its revenue stream.
“Marathon Graphics is a family-owned business with more than three decades of experience,” says Jason Morris, co-owner of Marathon Graphics.
“Our industry is constantly changing and it’s important to keep up to date with current market trends and ever-changing technology developments. We have high-level expertise in CAD plotting, plan printing and reproduction services, and we’ve incorporated digital printing into our offering to meet increasing market needs for these services.”
Morris says the expansion of the business’s services have resulted in several interesting developments for Marathon Graphics. “Some of our most memorable and exciting printing jobs are for the design and advertising students who bring us their projects, assignments and portfolios for printing. As a small business, we pride ourselves on our ability to offer our customers personalised attention, and we are capable of meeting almost any request.
“Over the years we have printed some unique and challenging projects, from long canvas banners for churches, to large canvas printing for boardrooms, large photo collages companies, party decorations, unusual wedding invitations, bar-fridge vinyls, and interior decorating items. With the Xerox WorkCentre 5655, we now also have the ability to do more affordable bulk photocopying and black-and-white printing, which is an excellent opportunity for new revenue.”
Morris says that Xerox’s prompt service and maintenance of the printers over the years has been one of the strongest reasons why the business has continued to purchase Xerox machines. “Other printer suppliers have never been this reliable,” he adds. “Our customers know that our machines are in excellent working order and that they can be assured of quality every time.”
The Xerox DocuColor 240, the smallest device in its class, delivers up to 50 colour pages per minute while taking up very little space in a busy print shop. It has a “load while run” function, which allows the user to replenish the toner without the need for interrupting a job run. This keeps productivity at its peak.
For wide format needs, the Xerox 6050 scanner, printer and copier, boosts Marathon Graphics’ productivity with quick print speeds, multitasking capabilities, and large media capacity. “The device fits easily into our workflow by supporting multiple data formats and print drivers,” says Morris. “It consolidates the functions of several devices to become a centre for productivity, and it’s also easy to operate with an intuitive interface.”
The Xerox Phaser 3635 MFP multifunction printer, which has a large colour touchscreen, comes with USB flash drive printing and scanning which is not supported by many competitive products, and also has a larger standard hard drive. It’s compact, and yet offers a fast and efficient all-in-one solution.
The Xerox WorkCentre 5655 printer, copier and scanner has the fastest effective print speed in the industry due to the advanced design of the Xerox SMart Controller. It also allows document-related software applications to be accessed on the user interface to improve workflow and minimize time at the device.
“This device allows our staff to copy, print, scan, or fax while other jobs are running,” says Morris. “We can finish documents in-house with hole punching, stapling, folding, and booklet making so they’re ready for immediate distribution, and with no printing bottlenecks.”
“The Xerox devices are allowing Marathon Graphics to grow and expand, while also achieving greater cost control and maximising uptime, and says Paul Haglich, marketing manager for production systems at Bytes Document Solutions.
“Xerox’s advanced digital printing technology and services enable the right printing applications to grow your business and boost your profits. These presses provide end-to-end solutions for printing applications and help Marathon Graphics expand its client base and increase loyalty from existing customers.”