Anstadt implemented printIQ to effectively automate their digital workflow
By leveraging cutting-edge technology with its deep understanding of the printing industry, The Anstadt Company (York, PA) has evolved from a traditional offset print shop to offer a wide range of services including digital print, direct mail, graphic design, web development, and strategic marketing solutions. The company focuses on delivering customized, high-quality solutions to help businesses effectively communicate their brand message and achieve their marketing goals.
Anstadt was founded in 1878, and the company’s President & CEO, Matthew Doran explained that staying true to its roots while embracing emerging technology and trends, has allowed the company to grow exponentially while maintaining a strong reputation for quality and customer service.
Doran and his wife are 5th generation owners. When he joined the company more than 20 years ago, Doran brought with him a wealth of marketing experience and a vision to transform the company. He explained that today, business can no longer afford to be one dimensional.
“We wanted to position ourselves as more than a print service provider. And so, we made a strategic decision to expand our portfolio, to add value to our clients and embrace innovation. We wanted to become a solution provider, and a marketing partner truly invested in our customers’ success. We began to focus on how we could leverage technology more fully and what that would mean for our clients.”
Key Results
Together, digital printing equipment and printIQ automation allows Anstadt to keep pace with growing demand both on the print floor and front office. The printIQ platform is used for everything from estimating to order entry and proofing. And, while efficiency gains are being documented across the board, one area Doran is especially excited about is the software’s impact on the selling process.
“In the past we had multiple estimators supporting the sales team. printIQ streamlines the process, and our organization, by empowering sales to prepare estimates. Now we’re able to cost jobs competitively while ensuring margins are being met. And this literally happens in minutes. I experienced this for myself. While on a flight for business I was able to create an order. In the past I would have sent that order to the office and walked it through the process with calls and e-mails. Now I’m placing orders at 36,000 feet. It’s amazing.”

The Challenge
For a number of years, Anstadt had relied on the same manufacturing information and print management software systems. However, it had become clear that these systems simply could not keep pace with growth or provide the foundation to support the company’s future. Doran said that the digital initiative offered a good reason to begin the process of replacing these antiquated systems.
“Upgrading systems is never convenient. From evaluation, selection, data migration, implementation, and learning, there’s always a lot of heavy lifting. But we couldn’t keep kicking the can down the road. We were using legacy tools that didn’t align with our evolving company, and it was time to get serious and move forward.”
The Solution
Choosing just the right system would be critical. And Doran’s team exhausted the market considering multiple alternatives. At the top of the list of requirements was a system that offered integration flexibility and supported the company’s digital identity. Doran said that he liked the fact that printIQ is web-enabled, describing the previous system as old, clunky, and difficult to access remotely. But at the end of the day, what really stood out was the range of processes that printIQ supported.
“When you look at the products we’re producing and spaces we want to enter, printIQ really spoke to those respective areas. From a direct mail run to packaging, or wide-format signage to fulfillment modules, printIQ is built to be flexible and customizable.
Look, change isn’t easy. And even with our progressive culture of embracing innovation and forward thinking, some of our employees were naturally apprehensive about the new system. But once they got their hands on printIQ and experienced the difference, everyone agreed that things are so much better. And people who were once skeptical began thanking us for investing in printIQ.”

The Business Impact
printIQ is supporting Anstadt’s digital transformation while streamlining operations – from the front office to production. And this is having a measurable impact on business.
“I won’t say that we do it all, that’s a risky statement for any company. But I will say that the whole digital print movement has enabled us to greatly expand our portfolio and transform the company. With digital technologies, automation, and printIQ, we’re working in minutes not days or weeks to get things out the door. In a typical Holiday season, we’ll do well over 100,000 orders. Twenty years ago, we were a regional company. Now we serve clients throughout North America, Japan, Israel, the Netherlands and beyond.”
Anstadt has plans to continue to enhance the customer experience, and printIQ is in the middle of this. Online storefronts are the next phase to integrate customers more directly and efficiently while accelerating the order process.
“It’s similar to the airline industry,” Doran concluded. “These days the idea of calling someone to book a flight is crazy. Now in minutes we go on-line and book our flight, reserve a car, and find a hotel room. This makes the process faster and creates a more enjoyable customer experience. And we’re doing the same with print.”