From concept to the creation of both simple and complex print projects, AMA Design & Print employes the latest technology backed by expert techniques to meet a wide variety of print and design needs in the Region.
The company has a trusted history of producing some of the highest quality products in print, backed by union trade operators and putting them on the leading edge of full-service print shops in Northwest Indiana.
Kelly Schott, owner of AMA Design & Print, said the firm will meet with customers either at the shop or at their place of business - whichever is most convenient - and will approach every job with a full-service mindset.
“We can take a job from concept and design to create a proof both electronically and in hardcopy. Then, we print it and it goes through the bindery department before we deliver it the product(s) to the client,” Schott said.
The team’s expertise is backed by union quality across the board. And, they produce more than your typical flat print jobs. Those election signs you see every year in the Region? Many are from AMA Design & Print. Other more sophisticated products include booklets, manuals, door hangers, presentation folders, and magnets, in addition to more traditional work like postcards, letterhead, envelopes, business cards, carbonless forms, and announcement cards.
Part of what’s helped expand the company’s variety of offerings is their implementation of the latest technology and software, while holding on to some tried-and-true traditional tools. At AMA, new technology meets trusted technique to deliver whatever the client needs, at a mutually-beneficial price point.
It starts with their software. AMA Design & Print uses Adobe Creative Suites, a standard across multiple industries.
“Adobe Creative Suite is the best software package on the market, and usability is what makes it so,” he said. “Adobe Illustrator allows us to create designs. Adobe InDesign is used for the printing layout. We can send it directly to our presses through InDesign.”
That ability to print directly from the software extends to both digital printing, and their more traditional off-set press, depending on the job.
Both types of printing produce high-quality work. The key factors that make customers choose one over the other depend on the volume of the print project.
For offset printing, think of the old-school newspaper printing method. Offset printing uses etched metal plates that apply ink on the product. The etched metal plates need are then applied to printing press rollers that then transfer the ink onto the paper. The ink and each sheet of paper that comes from an offset press are usually less expensive than that of a digital press, making offset printing more cost-effective for high volume jobs.
Digital printing, on the other hand, requires minimal setup and less material. This method uses electrostatic rollers called drums to apply toner onto the paper. There is a drum for each color being printed - each using an electrostatic charge that attracts toner in the form of toner density. The toner is then applied onto the sheet and passed through a high-heat printer onto the paper.
“Digital printing is on the fly with no steps in between,” Schott said. “We meet directly with the customer to determine the best and most cost-effective way to get the job done.”
To top it off, AMA offers a top-of-the-line finishing product.
“Our finishing machines allow us to create some cool products,” Schott said. “It’s mainly used for cutting or help form booklets, folders, etc.,”
For more information on AMA Design & Print and their services, visit their website.
