volume 1 issue 9 2008 - Mobile Production Pro

CredentialsOttoOtto Printing:“Tricked Out” Lamanationscustomer service representatives get asked all the time, “What do youhave that’s new?” And, while there are always a dozen or more ongoingexperiments in-house at the Dayton, Kentucky plant, very few of them ever meet thestringent requirements for cost-effectiveness and high quality on which Otto insists.Over the years, Otto hasprinted passes on many differentstocks, from plain old paperto clear polyester. One of themost popular is the ever-changingholographic foil.Otto had printed passes on foilsin the ‘70s, but the laser laminategrew out of a conversationwith some tour personnel inthe early ‘80s. Otto’s peopleextended electronic fingersaround the world searching formaterials and processes thatwould let the company bringthe technique from an expensivenovelty into the realm ofa cost-effective, counterfeitresistantproduct that any tourcould use.Over a period of months, Otto developed the techniques necessaryto print on this most difficult of materials. Since the company hadearlier perfected the ability to print full color on adhesive satin, confidencewas high, and justified. With very few miss-steps, the productwas added to the line and has been a staple ever since.ottoprint.comEnter the digital age. Since nearly any image can bereproduced with a color copier, or a cheap scannerand Photoshop, the demand for holographic foil onlaminates has only increased. The metallic appearanceand shifting reflections of laser foil cannot becopied.Over the years, as ever-more of Otto’s productionhas been changed over to digital techniques, constantchallenges have been faced. As always, the company’sdesigners and production engineers have combed theworld for answers and have found solutions.This past summer, first on a Paul Simon tour, then on some passorders for the Police, Live Nation, and the Moody Blues, Otto hasdeveloped the ability to print with a special process that offers a hugeamount of new advantages.16 mobile production monthly