From instant print shop to variable data printing pioneer

TVP Color Graphics (TVP) has experienced each major shift in the printing industry: desktop publishing in the late 1980s, the rise of four-colour commercial printing in the 1990s, and then the emergence of digital presses around the turn of the millennium. Every time a new wave of technology came along, the company chose resilience over inaction.

In the late 1990s, the company’s managers realised that digital printing was now a question of survival. Storage costs were rising, real estate costs were going up and companies could no longer sit on inventory due to the sheer speed of marketing strategies.

‘We had two choices: fight the current or go with it. We chose to go with it and add engines,’ says Bhavani Ravi, CEO and President of TVP.

This choice proved to be a turning point: TVP moved from a traditional commercial printing model to data-driven digital production. Thanks to this transition, the company remained competitive in a shrinking commercial printing market.

A press built for variable data at scale

In 1998, TVP purchased its first Xeikon press – the Xeikon 50D. In those days, web-fed digital printing was still an emerging sector: few presses could handle the variable data workflows at scale.

Xeikon stood out because of a rare capability: it could handle XML, complex data workflows and continuous customisation. Combined with a 40-feet frame buffer, this configuration enabled TVP to industrialise data-driven programmatic production.

This technological innovation came along at a key time. Transactional printing was moving to colour in order to enhance the customer experience, while ‘transpromo’ strategies were increasingly popular. So TVP needed a platform capable of coordinating data, personalisation, and complex workflows on a large scale.

’There was no web-fed press capable of handling as much data efficiently as a Xeikon engine,’ notes Bhavani Ravi. ‘Other presses may have printed better on certain substrates, but they couldn't handle the information the way Xeikon did.’

This technology choice changed the company’s direction. TVP built a model based on CRM printing and the production of variable data: personalised campaigns, rebate books, and enhanced transactional communications. Some programs required up to 4,000 to 5,000 hours of software development before production even began. ‘We were not afraid of data,’ says Bhavani Ravi.

Beyond the technology, there was also mutual understanding: TVP was keen to take data processing to the next level, and Xeikon had the engineers who could support that goal.

Building a specialisation on digital print technology

This technical capacity enables TVP to specialise in applications that are too complex for many other companies :

• large-scale planograms and shelf banners, thanks to Xeikon’s long-frame buffer,

• technical manuals for the mining industry, designed to be lightweight and fireproof for underground use,

• complex print-on-demand editions,

• variable data products with strong business logic.

Thanks to the Xeikon long-frame buffer, TVP has developed into one of the leading printers of planograms in the United States. It is a large-scale producer of shelf banners and planograms for national retail networks.

By focusing on these technical and specialist sectors, the company moved beyond traditional commercial printing and built a stronger position in higher-value segments.

With the benefit of hindsight, the company can see how the digital transformation was not just about the presses, but also the systems that could coordinate upstream data. Benefiting from her experience in IT Risk & Controls at Ernst & Young, Bhavani Ravi now spearheads this structured and governance-oriented approach.

27 years of partnership through every industry shift

Since 1998, TVP has invested in 12 Xeikon presses – bought, operated, upgraded and replaced as new generations emerged. The company’s main platform today is the Xeikon 8800, acquired around 2017-2018. This marked the start of a new cycle of innovation, thanks to a new generation of toner and faster speeds.

Over 27 years, the partnership between TVP and Xeikon has seen several management changes, various ownership structures and technology shifts.

‘Even through five changes in leadership, different ownership structures, toner transitions and parts issues, they always worked with us to find solutions. And I can’t say that about competitors,’ notes Bhavani Ravi.

In a sector where many printing platforms have come and gone, this dependability has helped TVP to stay competitive and relevant over the long term.

‘This relationship with Xeikon has lasted 27 years, longer than most marriages,’ adds Bhavani Ravi.

The compliance printing pivot

Today, TVP has embarked on a new strategic phase – which it calls ‘Mission Critical Digital Print’. The company recently achieved SOC 2 certification, seen as the gold standard for secure production in the United States.

This certification opens the door to a structurally different market: regulated communications, sensitive data, financial marketing, or insurance subject to strict compliance requirements. For B2B procurement teams, the capacity to produce in a secure and auditable environment is becoming a crucial factor.

’If you’re able to produce the same results as traditional suppliers, but you can offer compliance, procurement gets covered. It’s like an insurance policy to produce in a secure environment,’ says Bhavani Ravi. Compliance-driven printing offers customers with a more stable and secure framework.

Print’s next wave: luxury and compliance

TVP has been operating presses for almost 40 years, yet Bhavani Ravi believes the market is changing again. The pendulum has swung greatly to digital communication, but response rates are dropping and the value of physical media is on the rise again.

‘Print is high value, high touch, experiential. It’s luxury. The power of touch and the permanence of the piece allow you to create something that lasts,’ adds Bhavani Ravi.

The resurgence of ‘zines’ and premium formats confirms this trend. TVP believes that two different paths are emerging: regulated production, plus high-end applications focused on premium user experience.

So what do the next 27 years look like?

‘We want to build on this foundation. And when we’re ready to take the next step, we’ll evaluate the Xeikon machines that fit this new model,’ concludes Bhavani Ravi.