Skip to main contentClick to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions.
College professor teaching a class

A pandemic printing upgrade produced gold for UC Davis, Xerox

There were bright spots during the last 365 days. Sometimes printed in metallic gold.

All because Xerox went beyond ordinary.

At the tail end of 2020, the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) installed two new advanced Xerox® Iridesse® digital production printing presses. There’s a long story behind that process, but the result was straightforward for UC Davis Repro Graphics, the university’s primary printing operation.

Repro Graphics is responsible for creating everything from staff business cards and letterheads to student coursebooks, brochures, and magazines. Director Donna Horbelt saw the Iridesse as an immediate benefit.

“We increased our productivity over 200 percent by moving to two Xerox Iridesse [presses] from Canon and Indigo,” says Horbelt, noting that thanks to the upgrade, UC Davis Repro Graphics has accelerated its printing speed from between 33 pages per minute and 70 pages per minute on the older machines to 250 pages per minute now with the new Xerox models.

Nushan Haque, a Senior Business Consultant at Xerox Business Solutions, succinctly summed up the upgrade.

“It just blew their mind,” she said.

The Iridesse impressed, enough for two purchases

Beyond speed, UC Davis Repro Graphics now has the capability to use the Xerox Iridesse machines to print sparkling Xerox Beyond CMYK gold metallic ink with real particles of metal in it, producing a sparkling gold seal that matches, highlights, and enhances the university’s logo on printed materials.

Print samples from UC Davis with gold metallic ink

Horbelt, who has worked in the printing industry for 46 years and was previously a director at a printshop in Texas, is a longtime fan and customer of Xerox’s – especially after she upgraded to an iGen® printing press at her old job and was able to turn around a flagging operation. As she evaluated her budget for 2020 and options going forward, she turned to a trusted source.

“I was accustomed to the way Xerox does things and was accustomed to the company’s quality and service,” says Horbelt.

Nushan connected with Horbelt and showcased more about the Iridesse, including a test for a proof concept. Repro Graphics liked the results so much, they snagged two machines, and completed a purchase and installation agreement.

Xerox solved challenges created by COVID

The only hitch? Getting the machines physically installed and up-and-running during COVID-19 was an added challenge.

“We had to get special permission from Xerox and everyone had to wear masks,” Nushan says.

After various approval processes were complete, the machines were installed in December 2020.

“My production team did an excellent job and showed the value of using GOLD in their University Seal and the possibilities of other specialty Inks for other University and Department clients,” says Nushan. “Xerox also helped this client automate and streamline workflow by using Xerox® FreeFlow® Core software so that the shop can run more efficiently.”

UC Davis print sample with clear dry ink

Meanwhile, Horbelt prepared Repro Graphics for the  fall 2021 return to on-campus education, and matched the increased demand for printed educational materials and stationary.

“I really see us being able to implement the clear and gold Xerox Beyond CMYK ink into our new brand.” Horbelt says.

Print samples with metallic ink from the Xerox Iridesse Production Press

Xerox® Speciality Dry Inks

Add a new dimension to the page, and to your print business.

Featured Technology

Xerox® Iridesse® Production Press

Print like a pro in seconds. End-to-end automation nails the basics. Inline speciality embellishment options add profit-driving “wow.”

Xerox® FreeFlow® Core

Automation and integration for your entire print workflow.

Xerox® Iridesse® Production Press

Print like a pro in seconds. End-to-end automation nails the basics. Inline speciality embellishment options add profit-driving “wow.”

  • Up to six inline print stations that print in a single pass, at rated speed, with spot on colour-to-colour registration

  • Optional White, Clear, Silver, Gold, and gamut extension Fluorescent Pink Speciality Dry Inks for enhancements and brand colour matching, plus Media Expansion Low Gloss Clear

  • AI-guided Xerox® PredictPrint Media Manager Software baselines the press, expediting time to production

  • Optimise performance with mixed-stock jobs supported by the Xerox® Mixed Media Acceleration Feature

  • Additional high capacity feeders and inline finishing solutions, including robust configurations that accelerate XLS sheet productivity end-to-end

A collage of images with an Iridesse printer and a series of print samples

Related Articles

  • Iridesse Calendars

    Xerox® Iridesse® Presses: Empowering Clients with On-Demand Printing

    See how Xerox® Iridesse® Presses helped a client meet complex client needs with on-demand printing, exact quantities, and specialty embellishments, all while maintaining high standards.

  • Bill Fishman and Hilary Huaman, co-owners of Rapid Press, holding print samples from their Xerox Iridesse Production Press

    Rapid Press and Xerox: Building Success Together for over 30 Years

    Discover how Rapid Press enhanced client satisfaction and productivity with the Xerox® Iridesse® Production Press and gold speciality toner, delivering high-quality, consistent prints that exceed expectations.

  • Two employees at Rapidity review print samples from their Xerox Iridesse Production Press

    UK printer delivers high-value projects while lowering environmental impact

    Rapidity gains efficiency, versatility with Xerox® Iridesse® Presses

  • Doctor examining a child

    French Non-Profit Association Case Study

    See how Xerox helped boost productivity and accessibility for one of France's most significant non-profit organizations with the help of our Managed Print Services and Workflow Central Platform.

  • Colorful starburst

    Unlocking Profits with Digital Embellishments

    Get ready to dazzle your clients and boost your bottom line with this power training session from Xerox and Taktiful. Learn strategies to become more profitable marketing, pricing and selling Beyond CMYK applications.

  • Interconnected colorful dots representing a diagram of an atom

    Spectrum Print Plus – The Business of Colour, Clients, and Commitment - Xerox

    “After months of rigorous evaluation, the clear winner had been right in front of us all along—it was the Iridesse!”