Jeff Presnall’s journey into the realm of production print begins in the back of a family-owned print shop, perhaps aligning text and image elements on a light table, converting artwork into film negatives, or creating printing plates made of metal or polyester.

His experience – and energetic drive – make him a leading expert. He puts the “Pro” in Production Print.

Running With a Family Premonition.

It was more a premonition than anything else that vaulted the Presnall family into the printing business in 1984.

Jeff’s father had spent decades in the wholesale jewelry business. One day, when Jeff was about to graduate high school, his dad went down to a local Kwik Kopy store to get some copies made. He chatted it up with the local owner and, for whatever reason, decided immediately that it was time to set up shop.

“It was a gutsy move by my parents, opening up a business in an industry they knew nothing about,” Jeff said. “While in college, I would work there during summers and holidays, doing page layouts or running the press. Things like pagination and imposition became second nature to me by doing that type of work.”

Even so, delving into the production print industry wasn’t exactly what Jeff had in mind post-college…. At least initially.

“I remember my dad and I during Spring Break would head out and watch the Cardinals play (during Spring Training),” Jeff said. “We were sitting there drinking a beer or something, and he said ‘What do you see yourself doing?’ I told him that there were two things I DIDN’T want to do: Work in the print business or get into sales.”

We all know how that worked out.

Geeking Out Over the Technology.

Curious by nature? Passionate about the industry? To say the slightest. Jeff has been known to sniff the menu at a nice restaurant to decipher whether it was produced digitally or offset.

“I’m known to completely ‘geek out’ about the technology in this business,” Jeff said. “For one, I’ve been in it most of my life. I love being around people. But I’m also very inquisitive and want to learn more about emerging technologies. When the digital transformation began to take place, our family began making different investments based on market demand (and, yes, they were Datamax customers). All my career, it’s about what are people asking for in the market and what can we provide that matches those needs. The time (that I’ve spent in the industry) you can’t really teach.”

After selling the family print business in 2004, Jeff ventured into sales. An “a-ha” moment for him ensued.

“I saw an ad in the paper for a production salesperson at IKON. We were talking and he took me into the showroom and showed me the Konica Minolta 8050 (which was selling at a phenomenal price point at the time). I asked him, ‘How many have you sold?’ He told me two. When I asked him why, he said, ‘Because I don’t have someone like you to sell it.’”

Jeff took that comment and ran with it. It was a “match made in heaven.” He went on to sell around 170 production units in six years.

In subsequent roles, Jeff would work as a General Sales Manager at both dealership and manufacturer, and served as a MIS Software consultant with EFI to help organizations with job planning, ticketing, pricing and scheduling.

His journey in this industry is beyond holistic: It’s wholly encompassing. In Production Printing, he is in no stretch of the imagination, a real pro’s pro.

So what’s next?

Harnessing the “Wild, Wild West.”

In his interview with the Rave Review, Jeff doesn’t scoff at the suggested (perhaps boisterous) analogy of today’s production environment as the Wild, Wild West. There’s endless creative potential, with users no longer confined to static design or traditional media. The pace of innovation is relentless, and the diversity of applications has printers scrambling toward a lucrative niche.

Today’s client (at least the ones who are finding success!) is more educated and more in tune with exactly what their needs are. In a print partner, they demand an expert. Now, more than ever, Jeff takes that reality as a call to action to be just that… a leading expert.

“In my opinion, the commercial print market is currently shrinking and the customers who are finding success are extremely educated.  Therefore, they are going to expect someone they would potentially invest with to be honest, informed and aggressive.  They expect vendors and partners to bring value at every engagement and the more pertinent and helpful information they can provide, the more likely the customer/prospect will be to partner with them.”

For in-plants, the issue is a bit different but requires a similar mindset from Jeff.

“The customers are continually forced to justify their existence.  There is a constant evaluation from their organization’s leadership to decide whether to keep the in-plant in place or get rid of it in favor of outsourcing.  Therefore, they are looking for every solution that will lower cost, build efficiency and enhance their offering to the rest of the organization,” Jeff said.

Spoken like a true professional, who’s aligned a lifetime of experience with a consistent hunger for what’s approaching the table next.

In other words, a real pro’s pro.