Timeless transformation: Pegasus Media & Logistics harnesses Adobe Acrobat's power
Image credit: Adobe Stock/zefart.
The PDF is one of those ubiquitous technological innovations we now tend to take for granted. Originally developed by Adobe, PDFs have been an integral part of digital communication since the early 1990s. For Pegasus Media & Logistics, a leading Australian printing company, Adobe Acrobat and the trusted PDF have been a steady ally, evolving with their needs and allowing them to grow their business over the decades.
How the PDF pioneer and leader continues to drive business innovation in the global world of commercial printing
For Michael Schulz, general manager of digital at Pegasus Media & Logistics, the use of Acrobat and PDFs isn't just a feature of the business — it's the bedrock. Despite countless industry innovations and changes, the company has held steadfast to this tried-and-true format and benefited enormously by leveraging its robustness and versatility to power their print operations.
Pegasus Media & Logistics is the result of the merger of multiple companies and one of them was founded in April 1976, the very same week as another groundbreaker in the world of PDFs and printing: Apple Computers. Since then, Pegasus Media & Logistics has evolved into a 220-employee company with a customer base of seven hundred-plus recurring customers. This includes small publishers, textbook companies both large and local, and making point of sale material for publishers, FMCG and retail companies like Woolworths, including the large cardboard cut-outs used to decorate retail stores.
The resilience of the PDF
In the early days of digital printing, Pegasus Media & Logistics came to rely on early versions of Acrobat to manage their printing process. Schulz found himself educating clients and colleagues on the utility and application of Acrobat, and he even taught classes on how to use PDFs at a nearby college.
Today, the PDF's prevalence means that such training is largely unnecessary — everyone understands the value of this powerful format. "The PDF has been the cornerstone of our business for years, sustaining us through evolving printing practices. From print-on-demand to securing critical documents, the PDF's versatility and reliability have breathed new life into our business,” says Schulz.
Acrobat and PDF: a cornerstone of innovation at Pegasus Media & Logistics
As Pegasus Media & Logistics continues to embrace digital solutions, Acrobat remains at the heart of their innovations. Primarily, it’s the medium of choice for maintaining their expansive library of artwork, which when coupled with a specification database allows them to automate production and distribute materials quickly and efficiently.
Pegasus Media & Logistics currently hosts their customers’ PDF files on their own server. Every file sent by a customer is checked for print readiness by the art department at Pegasus Media & Logistics before it is officially stamped as ready to be included in their library of controlled documents ready for print-on-demand.
“The flexibility and integrity of the PDFs ensure that we are able to reduce turnaround times for print on demand orders from four days to twenty-four hours while removing the need for manual intervention in customer service, prepress, production planning, print and binding and reduce the chance of error.”
- Michael Schulz, general manager of Digital at Pegasus Media & Logistics
Revolutionizing medical documentation with Acrobat
By relying exclusively on PDFs to stock their document library, Pegasus Media & Logistics can provide on-demand printing services to a variety of sectors.
For instance, they have been working with an Australian producer of medical implants since 1998. Every new version of the implant and every software update require updating the documentation that comes with it, so the producer would never be able to keep up with warehousing these constantly changing materials, never mind the expense of scrapping those that become quickly outdated. Instead, Acrobat allows for quick and easy PDF editing. The changes are then translated into 45 different languages and sent to printers worldwide wherever the implants are sold.
This is especially relevant because, until recently, the EU has required documentation for medical devices to be in print as the most accessible format. That will change to e-labeling in the near future with Acrobat again playing a foundational role with its accessibility tagging and APIs, but for now, printed materials still remain the requirement.
With their Acrobat-based system, Pegasus Media & Logistics can react dynamically to their clients' needs, providing specific quantities of updated, print-ready documents wherever they're required.
“Printing on demand has been around for 20 years, but we have created a very practical application of it that drives our business…The compatibility of Acrobat with all our vendors’ engines and workflow systems has enabled us to minimize touchpoints during production and distribution by 70 percent.”
- Michael Schulz, general manager of digital at Pegasus Media & Logistics
From academia to astronomy — Acrobat serves up wins
Acrobat’s inherent security features have been a game changer for Pegasus Media & Logistics’ clients in academia. They print exams for universities using secure PDFs, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of critical examination materials. The ease of making minor tweaks and modifications easily and quickly in Acrobat has also been a major plus in educational settings, allowing schools to customize materials by classroom and place smaller additional orders when extra course materials are needed later in the school year.
On the other end of the spectrum, Pegasus Media & Logistics has a long-standing customer who has been writing and updating a star manual for the last 20 or 25 years. Previously, Pegasus Media & Logistics would print around 8,000 copies in a batch and send them out as orders came in. However, with the advent of print-on-demand, they now print an initial run of 4,000 copies, and the rest are printed as and when orders come in. This not only reduces waste but also optimizes costs and inventory management, all while maintaining the same quality and accessibility for the end users.
This diversified portfolio of projects and clients attests to Pegasus Media & Logistics' versatility and the immense value Acrobat brings to varied domains. Even as the world of print evolves, the role of Acrobat and PDFs as reliable, secure, and efficient tools for print management remains constant and irreplaceable.
Embracing the power of legacy and innovation
Pegasus Media & Logistics' journey is a testament to the power of sticking with tried-and-tested solutions while continuing to embrace innovation. Through their use of Acrobat, Pegasus Media & Logistics has found a balance between preserving legacy processes and integrating new technology, allowing them to stay competitive and relevant. In an era where change is the only constant, Pegasus Media & Logistics' example reminds us that some classics never go out of style — they simply evolve with the times, proving their timeless value.