Graphic Image Corporation Relies on Foster

Graphic Image Corporation in Chicago opened in 1953 as a typesetting business, and through the years the company has evolved into every corner of the graphic arts.

Early days in typesetting led to photography and successes in other services to the printing trade. Then, in the 1980s, with Frank Markasovic, the grandson of the founder at the helm, the company moved into general printing. Sheetfed offset became the backbone of the business; a 6-unit, 40-inch Heidelberg Speedmaster and a smaller 2-color Heidelberg Printmaster now occupy the center of the production area. But as other print technologies gained currency in the marketplace, Graphic Image branched out to those as well. Today a new Konica Minolta digital color press is reducing the run length of jobs the company accepts, and wide-format printing has moved the company into signage and graphic displays.

Frankie Markasovic, a recent college graduate and the fourth generation to serve in the business says, “Graphic Image Corporation has persevered — through tough economic periods, technological advances and the migration of advertising from print to digital media — to become a very successful Chicago-area printing company. We strive for quality and customer satisfaction, exceeding expectations to stand out in the marketplace.”

As print technologies evolved, Graphic Image found that peripheral equipment is as important to success as imaging devices manufactured by Heidelberg and Konica Minolta. Their venture into wide-format printing and signage brought the need for precision cutting of large, high-value printed materials, and Graphic Image standardized on devices offered by Foster (Booth 3527) — a long-time supplier of cutters and trimmers, as well as lifters used to position wide-format media rolls. In the Graphic Image main pressroom area, a Foster Proteus workbench complete with Foster Javelin Integra cutter is in a prime spot, ready do precision trimming of signage and large prints. 

Graphic Image Production Manager Dave Drnek talks about the Foster cutting system, “Our Proteus table, with the Javelin Integra cutter, is one of the best equipment purchases I ever made. The lockdown mechanism is great and so simple anyone can use it. Changing blades is no problem whatsoever. The table is rock-solid sturdy and never wobbles or shakes when large media is being cut. And the Foster Javelin Integra cutter fits perfectly on the table.  Together they let us cut corrugated plastic, foam board and acrylic, and quickly do large banners and signs.”

Drnek continues, “Our Foster table and cutter is particularly useful when we do large walls — especially those done on half-inch thick board. Setup is quick and easy, and the blade extender lets us easily adapt the equipment to this material. Sometimes we wish it was bigger, but it has never failed us.”

In another area of the Graphic Image plant, a Foster Excalibur cutter stands next to a Mutoh (Booth 2545) wide-format printer, ready to cut material from rolls and trim finished prints from the Mutoh.

Says Drnek, “We picked up the Excalibur cutter when a competing printer was liquidated and it has proven to be a good addition to our equipment list. While we don’t use it a lot, when we need it nothing else will do.”

Graphic Image Corporation is proof a progressive printer can not only survive, but can excel in an industry undergoing continuous technological change.