NetFlorist, South Africa’s leading online florist and gift delivery service, has embraced the quality and versatility of the new Xerox Versant 180 press from Altron Document Solutions and channel partner XBC-IT. With this boost in printing ability, NetFlorist’s printed products (such as cards and packaging) can be created in-house, with “blooming” amazing results!

The new Xerox Versant 180 press will allow NetFlorist to sow the seeds of further success and grow its in-house capabilities. How is this done? With advanced colour calibration and device reliability, NetFlorist can reduce the amount of print products they outsource and with lower costs per print, and improved print quality across a wide variety of print applications. NetFlorist has increased its productivity by printing the amount ordered, when needed, and in turn saving money and improving turnaround time, thus getting orders out quicker.

This is essential as NetFlorist is launching exciting new photographic products that will take full advantage of the new press. With photo books, and new photo-related products in-store, it was the ideal time for NetFlorist to upgrade its printing capabilities.

The Xerox Versant 180 is an industry-standard production press that features some of Xerox’s key technologies, including Emulsion Aggregation (EA) Toner, a 2 400×2 400dpi engine with 10-bit RIP and an advanced Compact Belt Fuser that provides just the right amount of consistent heat and pressure for a given stock.

Rated to print at 80ppm on stocks up to 350gsm, the Xerox Versant 180 press features an X-Rite Inline Spectrophotometer that automates colour calibration, eliminating guesswork and saving time on complex designs. It also features Xerox’s Simple Image Quality Adjustment (SIQA) functionality that automates three critical components of the print job throughout the run: image-to-media alignment, image transfer adjustment and density uniformity adjustment.

‘Delivers consistently’

“What we’ve identified for NetFlorist with the Xerox Versant 180, given the company is such a high-profile, high-volume and high-quality brand, is a machine that delivers consistently regardless of demand,” says XBC-IT production systems specialist Chris Stoltz.

Jonathan Hackner, co-founder and CEO of NetFlorist, believes the change to Xerox has been most beneficial. With the increase in order volumes, individual printing costs becomes an important factor in daily operations. The impressive print quality, speed and variety of printing mediums allows for NetFlorist to have greater control over what its customers receive. Whether the order is for a large corporation, or Joe and Jane Soap, the improved efficiency of in-house production means impressed customers, happy staff members and an even more impressive bottom line.

Reflecting on past printing issues, NetFlorist can identify that the Xerox Versant 180 press has been able to eliminate many troubles previously faced by the nationwide e-commerce company. Alongside in-house production and stock versatility, the full service and maintenance agreement with XBC-IT allows NetFlorist the peace of mind to spread its roots even further, with fewer thorns to remove in the process. Having a service partner who is responsive, and resolves issues timeously, is a huge benefit to the gifting company.

NetFlorist is already considering further investment in additional Xerox equipment. With an optimal production environment, there is an opportunity to upgrade and add equipment as requirements increase. With exceptional performance and customer relations, CEO Hackner is confident to refer to Xerox and its partner XBC-IT as NetFlorist’s suppliers of choice.

About Altron Document Solutions
Altron Document Solutions (ADS) is Africa’s leading document management technology and services company and the largest Xerox distributor in the world. It is the authorised Xerox distributor in 26 sub-Saharan African countries offering the complete range of Xerox document equipment, software solutions and services. ADS forms part of JSE-listed Allied Electronics Corporation (Altron).