New equipment...New opportunities

Ward/Kraft Short Run has added an Indigo 3050 to their line-up, which will replace their current E-Pro 1000. The short run digital color market is exploding and industry predictions say it is the next major market just like forms was in the 70's and labels in the 80's/90's. Commercial color print is taking a dramatic change in the fact the average quantity per order is dropping. Currently 45% of the commercial color print in the USA is under a quantity of 5M and experts say it will go as low as 2M by 2010. Delivery time is also dropping. To manage short delivery time and short run quantity requires high-end digital printing. Ward/Kraft's E-Pro 1000 could print 4-color process both sides and provide variable imaging at the same time in black. This was good for short run work, addressing and minor personalization. However it was slow and lacked the ability to produce high impact one to one marketing pieces. The new 3050 has 6-color capability face and back at twice the speed. More importantly it has FULL VARIABLE COLOR ability. This will launch Ward/Kraft into the exciting world of one to one marketing and mailing documents. Our On Site Team is training for their new presentation beginning in January which includes educating distributors in understanding direct mail tactics, response rates and return on investment (ROI).

It's going to be a great year for our distributors as Ward/Kraft moves into high quality commercial printing.

The Next Generation in Printing

Ward/Kraft is proud to announce the addition of our Digital Waterless Offset Press. The Digital Waterless Offset Press combines innovative design features with the best of conventional press technology in a new and exciting package. This press provides crisp detail and vibrant color that only comes with waterless printing. Unique paper-handling further enhances the accuracy and repeatability of the press. Utilizing aluminum printing plates, imaged directly on press, the quality is high-end offset in perfect register. Limited press make-ready allows each new job to be on press and printing in a matter of minutes. Registration is automatic and the press is "up to color" in about 20 sheets, insuring time- and cost-efficiencies.

Follow this link to see a list of specifications.

It's hard to predict the future of the printing industry. And while we don't always know what's around the corner, we do know what's here today...our Digital Waterless Offset Press...the next generation in printing.

Gift Cards vs. Gift Certificates

How do you determine which to offer to your client? Let's take a look at each product to determine which is the best fit for them, and regardless of which product they choose, Ward/Kraft can help provide the solution.

Gift Cards

Whether you've been servicing retail clients for years, or are new to the retail market, gift cards bring a certain level of excitement back to what retail establishments can do with their marketing and gift offerings. Gift Cards have been picking up steam over the last several years and there are no signs of this letting up. Gift Card use has steadily increased and even offers businesses an opportunity to create a loyalty opportunity that will not only appeal to those that may be a new customer, but offers an incentive to customers that continue to do business with them. Read More.

Gift Certificates

Gift Certificates have been a staple in the retail industry for a significant period of time, and there will always be a need for that product. There is flexibility in Gift Certificates in the printing of the forms and there are a variety of security features that you can add to keep them as secure as possible. Read More.

As you can see, both the Gift Card and Gift Certificates have significant impact on the retail market, and Ward/Kraft can help assist you in increasing the effectiveness of their gift offerings to help them achieve their goals.

Ward/Kraft has been on the cutting edge for forms and labels associated with the Healthcare Industry, and in today's age of privacy restrictions we have put ourselves at the forefront of these products once again. For those of you who specialize in the Healthcare field, we are offering a variety of stock or custom products that will help meet the needs of your Healthcare clients.

Ward/Kraft recently introduced our Patient Sign-In Form to comply with HIPAA regulations to maintain patient confidentiality. This is a stock product for Ward/Kraft, but can also be customized to meet any Healthcare facility's needs. Some distributors have found it difficult to sell this product directly to the Doctor's offices or to Hospitals. Some Doctors have taken a "wait and see" approach to whether the HIPAA regulations will be enforced and how firm the due diligence necessary to maintain a patient's confidentiality will stand. The "wait and see" approach could be costly if they are involved in a lawsuit that is filed in regards to a patient's confidentiality being compromised. Although we think this product will become fairly standard in the future, it may be necessary for distributors to take a different approach in selling this product. Follow this link to read more.

Ward/Kraft is looking for you!

Have you heard about the latest W/K idea to help educate and inform distributors? Our On Site program has been a resounding success with more than 2200 people attending a 2 hour training session on the latest in new products and solutions from the industry leader in innovative new ideas. We have traveled to nearly 200 different cities in an effort to help our distributors gain more knowledge and learn from our expert presenters. Topics cover a wide range of products from all divisions at Ward/Kraft, including digital printing, presentation folders, healthcare products, pocket forms, plastic cards and many more!

Visit our Schedule of Events calendar to sign up today! If you would like additional information, please email our On Site Coordinator.

Customer Loyalty Cards

Gift Cards have become a very popular and profitable product for retail customers. One opportunity that is being overlooked when they are offering these Gift Cards, are Customer Loyalty Cards. Retailers are always looking for ways to increase their customer base, and draw new clientele. What they need to capitalize on is their loyal customer base, and offer incentives to them before their competition does.

An example of how the Customer Loyalty Cards can work can be found in the restaurant industry. Recent statistics have shown that for every new customer a restaurant brings in, they have 13 repeat visitors at their facility. The restaurant business is a very competitive market, and they have a product that will always be in demand. Customer Loyalty Cards offer a way to differentiate between similar restaurants within a community. For example, if there are two steakhouses that are similar in price and atmosphere within the community, how does someone decide where to go? This is where a Customer Loyalty Program can be effective. Read more.