We pose our sponsors with a series of questions designed to mine the nuggets of their true inner core value.
Of course we couldn't premiere this new section with anyone other than one of our longest standing sponsors, Hemlock Printers...

What makes Hemlock so successful or unique from others in your industry?

Throughout our history, Hemlock's mission has been to be an outstanding printer in both the service we provide and the quality of the products we produce. Our reason for operating, and the foundation of our success, is that we strive do an outstanding job on each and every project we are entrusted with. We are in a highly technical, creative and continually changing industry which requires us to always look to better ways of servicing our customers.

With the addition of digital printing capability, we have successfully transitioned our services in recent years to respond to a customer need for shorter-run, quick turn projects produced at the same quality and service level we are known for. We have also expanded our ability to provide customers with custom-build web solutions that help simplify and streamline print procurement. Both our digital print capabilities and web integration are key areas of focus for our future business development.

We have an incredible team throughout the company who apply their specialized skills and their commitment to quality on a daily basis. Our staff are also responsible for our progress as an environmental leader in the industry. We have been named Canada’s Most Environmentally Progressive Printer for the past 6 years thanks to their ideas, and commitment to advancing our practices.

Our success in past years and undoubtedly in future, will be a continual focus on providing excellent value in the services we provide. Bringing exciting new technological capabilities to our customers is a key part of this, but ultimately it is our people and the consistent quality of the finished product leaving our door that will continue to define our success.

How can designers benefit from working with Hemlock?

Our team of trained printing professionals ensures that your end product matches your initial design; from our in-house ink lab to our state-of-the-art printing equipment, our technical expertise compliments the designer’s craft, freeing the designer to focus on what they do best. Here is just some of the specific offerings that sets Hemlock apart:

Colour managed workflow from proof to press in both our digital and offset printing environments.

In-house prepress, colour, print and post-press expertise, always available for customer consultations.

Colour proofs from our HP Indigo digital printing device on paper stock matched (or similar) to printing stock.

Stochastic printing for finer resolution printing and for maximum detail rendering.

Pressroom with several different formats and configurations, including three perfecting presses (printing both sides of the sheet in one pass through the press).

Two HP Indigo digital presses with liquid ink technology, a wide variety of substrates and direct-to-press automated workflows for repeat products.

Are you currently using any new equipment, technology or initiatives in your business?

We recently added the HP Indigo 7500 to our digital printing equipment. Along side our existing Indigo 5000 printer, the 7500 doesn't just increase our capacity for clients, but also speeds up our turn-around time on projects. The 7500 is able to print up 7200 8.5"x11" sheets per hour, so we can have certain projects out the door the same day we receive the files.  And Hemlock continues to develop a wider suite of customized online solutions for clients, ensuring the smoothest and fastest turnaround of work with the minimum amount of customer effort.

How is Hemlock tackling the challenges new technology presents?

With enthusiasm! New technology means new ways to satisfy the needs of our clients. Whether it is printing in white ink on mylar paper or sending out 2000 business cards ordered on the same day, or a multitude of other specific and unique requirements brought to us every day by our clients, our new technology allows us to fulfill these needs. We continue to develop products, programs and processes that align web-to-print and print-to-web opportunities to maximize business communication results.

What steps has Hemlock taken to minimize their carbon footprint and become a sustainable business model?

Hemlock has been carbon neutral since 2007, and in 2009, we were the first printer in Canada to offer all of our customers a carbon neutral print option through our Zero program. We have partnered with Offsetters to calculate the carbon cost of every aspect of our products through their whole life cycle: from forest, to mill, to transportation, to disposal/recycling. Zero gives out clients the opportunity to offset every step, and to date 187 clients have printed over 500 projects, offsetting 1905.15 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions - equivalent to the annual emissions of 374 cars. More information on the specifics of our Zero program can be found on our website. Find more information on the specifics of our Zero program can be found on our website.We are also proud to be a socially sustainable company, supporting many local and national charities, including enrolling a corporate team in the Easter Seals 24-hour relay annually. There is also our Off Cuts For Charity (OC4C) program, which utilizes paper which would otherwise become scrap for the benefit of local charitable organizations, combining our environmental and social sustainability goals.

Why do you support the GDC?

A large portion of our clients work as designers and we have a symbiotic relationship with them - we learn about new trends through the work they bring to us and we can show them innovative techniques available with our technology. By supporting the designing community, our commitment is to strengthen and maintain this relationship for many years to come.