Slate Group, a national commercial printer out of Lubbock, TX, USA, has greatly expanded its in-house capabilities to include foil stamping and embossing by installing Kluge’s ApexFoil machine. Although the key properties of foil stamping are easy to identify – Time, Temperature, and Tonnage (3-T’s) – they have often been difficult to measure and control.

Slate Group chose a Kluge for its heavy-duty construction and precise registration, along with the company reputation for service and support.

Operators at Slate Group can use the ApexFoil’s Compass control system, which includes patented features to control the 3-T’s. Compass allows operators to greatly reduce, and in some cases, eliminate make-ready on every job.

Slate Group focuses on providing its clients with a consistent look, no matter the print job requirements. Since opening their doors in 1985, it has aimed to build a reputation of creativity, consistency, and quality. Slate Group involves its customers as much as possible in the creative process, coming up with print solutions customers originally didn’t know were possible, the company says. And by adding foil stamping and embossing, it can control the turnaround times and ensure the quality standards customers at Slate Group have come to expect.

Slate Group has been impressed from the beginning with the heated platen and intermittent controls of dwell and pressure on the Kluge and are certain those features will help them continue to produce the best possible print products and truly stand out from their competitors. Slate Group also points out how Kluge’s support and in-depth training will help the company fully utilize all the features of their new machine:

“The quality and ease of use of our new ApexFoil machine, along with the sale, installation and support of the Kluge team, especially Kenneth ‘K.C.’ Chapin, has exceeded our expectations,” says Brad Phinny, COO at Slate Group.

However, it turns out that Slate Group themselves were able to teach Kluge’s technician a thing or two about running the ApexFoil:

“David Uriegas, Slate Group’s ApexFoil operator, is a phenomenal beginner on Kluge foil stamping,” says Kluge technician Kenneth “K.C.” Chapin. “He has shown me skill levels way beyond where I have picked it up from. It is good to see new talent forming and shaping with the new presses that Kluge has built.”