On the outskirts of Ljubljana stands Prima IP, a printing company that has become one of the region’s most notable examples of technological and social transformation in the graphics industry.
Their story began in 1990, but the turning point came in 2016, when a small company with two employees was acquired and renamed Prima IP – “IP” standing for invalidsko poduzeće (“disability enterprise”). “A friend and then co-owner was a person with a disability, and at the same time, large clients were asking whether we could help them meet the legal quota for employing people with disabilities. That’s how our growth began,” explains Mr. Primoz Strumbelj, the current director.
A key milestone in their technological development was entering the world of high-productivity inkjet digital printing. Their latest acquisition, the HP PageWide Advantage 2200, has completely redefined the way Prima IP approaches production.
“We’ve been following HP PageWide technology since 2016. I even visited HP’s Indigo center in Israel. But when I saw a Belgian print shop with three PageWide machines, I knew – that’s it,” he says.
“The biggest strength of the HP PageWide Advantage 2200 is its flexibility. We print on paper from 40 to 320 gsm, even on standard, non-treated media. There’s no need for expensive, specially coated papers. The print is stable even on the cheapest substrates thanks to the optimizer layer that keeps the ink on the surface. This opens new markets – from pharmaceutical and appliance manuals to personalized jobs for the automotive industry.”
With this machine, Prima IP covers runs of 100 to 1,500 copies, directly competing with traditional offset and sheet-fed digital presses. The printer adapts quickly to job changes, minimizing downtime and maximizing productivity.
Personalization, Automation, and European Ambitions
Technology alone isn’t enough without high-end finishing. Prima IP invests heavily in Duplo, Hunkeler, and Muller Martini finishing systems – all fully automated.
“Each page carries a 2D code, which finishing machines read to automatically adjust to the book’s format and thickness within seconds. This means we can produce every book in a different format or size – true book-on-demand production,” explains Mr. Strumbelj.
All processes, including finishing, are handled in-house, ensuring independence, tighter quality control, and faster turnaround times.
Beyond book production, Prima IP’s strategic focus for the coming years includes personalized flyers for retail chains, where data from loyalty systems can generate micro print runs tailored to each customer’s interests.
Within five years, Prima IP aims to become a specialized European partner for short runs up to 1,500 copies – reliable, efficient, and socially responsible.
