dcc has had the privilege of working with some of the most respected high-end luxury brands in the world. They come to us to bring their creative visions to life because we hold ourselves to the highest standards possible when it comes to print production and customer service. The tactility of print is a natural fit for the luxury and fashion industry which relies on high-quality printing techniques to help brands maintain their high-end image, but this comes with many unique challenges. With the right expertise and equipment, these challenges can be overcome to produce high-quality, premium printed materials that drive marketing goals forward.
Let’s take a look at some of the challenges that luxury brands face when it comes to print.
Brand image. Luxury brands often rely on high-quality printing techniques to maintain their premium image. Any printing mistakes or flaws can be detrimental to the brand’s reputation.
Consistency. Luxury brands often have a distinct look and feel that must be consistent across all print materials, including packaging, brochures, and advertisements. Achieving this consistency across multiple mediums and print techniques can be challenging.
Unique Materials. Luxury brands often rely on high-end, unique materials, such as vinyl, plexiglass, and specialty papers, such as synthetic stocks, to maintain a premium look and feel. These materials require specialized printing techniques and equipment to produce high-quality results.
Limited print runs. Luxury often means exclusive and brands may produce limited editions or small batches of their products. Smaller print runs can be more challenging and expensive.
Security. Many luxury brands use special printing techniques and security features to prevent counterfeiting. These features can be complex and require specialized equipment and expertise to produce.
With the right expertise and equipment, dcc has overcome these challenges and made its mark within the industry. Our Vice President of Sales, Jeff Bogart answers some questions about how dcc overcomes some of the challenges and how the power of aligning print partnerships helps to elevate luxury brands and achieve a higher ROI.
Q: How long has dcc been supporting luxury brands and how did you get your entrée into the vertical?
A: Since our humble beginnings we have been working with high-end fashion and luxury brands.
Q: Brand image is paramount to luxury clients. How do you marry high-quality retouching with printing techniques to achieve the best end product?
A: The ability to reproduce an image across many mediums is critical to the success of any high-end brand. It’s not easy to do but through our device profiling and constant calibration of our output devices, we make it simple to keep your image looking consistent over many different substrates.
Q: Color consistency is key and is difficult to achieve when you are printing on many substrates including paper, board, vinyl, and more. What technologies and/or processes does dcc have in place to ensure consistency?
A: Not only are we Gracol certified but we have many different output devices under 1 “roof” that are all calibrated. We have a fashion client that utilizes all of our capabilities. We started out with a camera raw image that is retouched and color corrected. From there the image was used for an in-store sign, a backlit cash wrap, a fabric hanging banner, and a printed handout.
Q: When it comes to ink on paper, jewelry, and precious metals are very difficult to reproduce accurately. What are your tips?
A: The key to reproducing jewelry is that we need a good starting point from what the photographer captures. They need to be able to capture as much detail as possible so that we can reproduce the jewelry in the best way possible. Our retouchers have extensive experience in setting up the proper balance needed to accurately reproduce the jewelry. Because we are printing with a 300-line screen, hybrid dot we are able to hold that important detail of the jewelry on press.
Q: What are some of the industry challenges that luxury brands are facing and how do you solve them?
A: Luxury and retail are about speed to market with the latest fashion trends. We are set up to support a brand’s marketing efforts as we are nimble and quick to produce marketing materials that can support marketing programs.
Q: With ambassadors and influencers playing a key role in marketing measures and consumers valuing limited-edition products, small print runs can be challenging and expensive. What capabilities does dcc have that support their client’s needs?
A: Digital printing is a cost-effective medium for limited-edition marketing. Using variable data we are able to personalize the experience of the marketing material. This has become a popular tool for smaller campaigns.
Q: Staffing is an ongoing challenge across every industry and employees/print buyers are being asked to do more. How does dcc’s longevity and craftsmanship help to solve this issue?
A: The majority of our team has been with us for many years. We understand print but more importantly, we understand how to service our client base and exceed their expectations. These days everyone has to do more and wear many different hats. We are always happy to jump in and take some of those additional tasks off our clients’ plates.
Q: According to a trending article from Luxe Digital on February 22, 2023, Sustainable Luxury: Millennials Buy Into Socially Conscious Brands, “Millennials and Generation Z consumers are driving 85 percent of global luxury sales growth, their expectation for luxury brands to be aligned with their values becomes increasingly important. … A study from Nielsen showed that 73 percent of Millennial respondents were willing to spend more on a product if it comes from a sustainable or socially conscious brand.” What does dcc do to support the sustainability efforts of its luxury clients?
A: Sustainability is an important part of what we do every day at dcc. Reducing our carbon footprint has been a priority. All of our waste that is generated is recycled, reused, or turned into electrical energy. Our 675 rooftop solar panels generate clean renewable power. We are also an SGP and FSC-certified supplier.
Q: What is the most challenging project that you have worked on for a luxe client and how did you solve the problem?
A: Every now and then a project comes up where we really get to showcase all of our skills and talents. When we have a challenge our teams get excited and really like to step up to make it happen. Recently we were tasked to create a one-off fabric swatch presentation for a very special VIP that happens to reside in Washington D.C. Our large format and digital group rose to the challenge to help make this special project happen.
Q: Relationships and customer service. Why do luxe brands choose dcc?
A: Many of our clients have been with us for many years and there’s a reason for that. We understand the relationship and trust that many of our clients put in us, day in and day out. Our goal is always to deliver what we promise each and every time. That’s what sets us apart.
Interested in learning more about dcc’s capabilities or obtaining a quote? Reach out to sales@dccnyc.com.
