From Billa to Ferrari: Kanovits Print Atelier Proves That Print Still Sells

Many companies prioritize digital marketing over print. In your view, what is the role of print in the digital era?

In digital marketing, we analyze every creative asset, constantly optimize what works, and turn off underperforming ads immediately. While that logic makes perfect sense for digital channels, it doesn't apply everywhere. For instance, measuring the exact impact of billboards is notoriously difficult.

However, research shows a clear trend: the more diverse a brand’s media mix, the higher its marketing ROI. According to data from Analytics Partners, campaigns utilizing four or more distinct media channels achieved up to a 35% increase in overall effectiveness.

This is where premium print commands attention—custom packaging, folding boxes, lookbooks, and luxury business cards. These elements give a brand and its products authenticity and a tactile, physical presence in the real world that digital screens simply cannot simulate. For example, the owner of the Dunajská Streda McDonald’s franchise confirmed that our collaborative print campaigns helped achieve significantly higher turnover than branches in regions relying solely on digital ads.

By combining digital marketing with the authentic experience of premium print, customers remember and fall in love with a brand. Furthermore, our digital print solutions produce strictly on demand—delivering the exact quantity required with zero material waste.

Thanks to short-run printing capabilities, you also partner with smaller businesses. Why is it equally important for them to invest in print?

Small business owners need a premium aesthetic, brand recall, and the ability to stand out from competitors just as much as large corporations. They shouldn't have to invest in thousands of units when they only need fifty. That is precisely what our digital print technology offers.

For instance, if someone handcrafts artisanal soaps, every unique scent deserves its own exclusive packaging. With us, they can order exactly what they need in small, bespoke batches without tying up capital in excess inventory. On top of that, our advanced technologies allow us to print not only in standard colors, but also with metallic shades, gold, and silver. We elevate print pieces with spot varnish, laser die-cutting, or engraving—everything required for a flawless, high-end look.

What about larger enterprises?

Our print solutions cover everything major brands require: premium catalogues, executive business cards, branded vehicle wraps, roll-ups, and exclusive event collaterals. Large enterprises primarily need to build lasting customer trust, maximize marketing ROI, and project a powerful, memorable brand identity. The true value of a brand reveals itself when a customer can physically hold it, feel the craftsmanship, and genuinely connect with it.

Today, it's no longer about the page count of a catalogue, but about delivering highly personalized communication. For example, travel agencies, instead of sending a massive 200-page catalogue, now send a compact, highly personalized booklet tailored to the client's preferences based on data they already have. Such personalized catalogues are far more effective than generic ones.

Your clients include prestigious global brands. Which collaboration are you most proud of?

Every single one that has pushed our boundaries and proven that innovation is a game-changer. From the very beginning, we have partnered with Minit, a family-owned company from Dunajská Streda—supplying materials across all the European countries they operate in. They invested in premium graphics and bespoke packaging design, becoming a market leader in fresh baked goods despite intense competition. That investment in quality print paid off manifold.

Whether you are a small business or a major brand—if you have the courage to invest in quality print and express your unique character, you can accelerate your business growth.

For over seven years, we have also been a trusted partner of Billa, producing print collateral for their entire retail store network across Slovakia. We are proud that our client portfolio includes prestigious brands such as J&T Real Estate, Porsche, Ferrari, Tatra banka, Goldbeck, CBRE, Slovakia Ring, Vaša Lekáreň, Panta Rhei, Kotányi, Bepon, and many others. Our collaborations with celebrated fashion designers like Fero Mikloško and Marcel Holubec further demonstrate our deep understanding of contemporary trends and aesthetic demands.

Recently, we also expanded our footprint into Budapest and Vienna, focusing on marketing and advertising agencies—with an overwhelmingly positive response.

Last year you celebrated the company's 20th anniversary. What do you consider your greatest business success over that time?

The fact that we successfully transformed from a local print shop into a globally recognized leader in premium print. We started out with only large-format outdoor printing and billboards in Dunajská Streda. Eleven years ago, we made a strategic decision to invest in world-class technologies and completely reshape our business model. Today, we offer end-to-end services—from strategic marketing consultations and graphic design to high-precision production and finishing.

What results did this transformation bring you?

Prestigious clients from around the world, numerous international awards, and unique opportunities to speak at global industry conferences. Furthermore, we became the only company across the V4 region inducted into the elite Xerox Premier Partners Global Network. That served as tremendous validation of our exceptional standards and a true reward for our hard work. Whether you are a small business or a major brand—if you have the courage to invest in quality print and find your unique character, you can elevate your business to new heights.

Kanovits Print Atelier Milestones

2004 – Zoltán Kanovits founds the printing company, initially focusing on outdoor media and billboards.

2013 – Kanovits Print Atelier becomes the first company in Slovakia to install the Xerox Color 1000 Digital Press.

2014 – Expansion of the local print shop to include Slovakia’s first professional high-precision laser finishing studio.

2018 – At the global premiere, Zoltán Kanovits orders the Xerox Iridesse Digital Press, featuring inline gold, silver, and white toner. The very first press of its kind in all of Europe is delivered to Dunajská Streda.

2019 – Zoltán Kanovits presents at international conferences in Portugal, Austria, Milan, and Tokyo. The company becomes the sole member in the V4 region of the prestigious Xerox Premier Partners Global Network.

2021 – The atelier earns global acclaim, winning two prestigious honors at the Best of the Best Awards for Print in New York, including the coveted The Best of Show Award. The company also becomes an official member of FESPA (Federation of European Screen Printers Associations).

2022 – At the Best of the Best Awards for Print in London, Kanovits Print Atelier again takes home two awards and reaches the grand finals of London's Digital Printer Magazine Awards. Zoltán Kanovits speaks at the Pack Print Expo in Bangkok and Fujifilm summit in Singapore.

2023 – Kanovits Print Atelier wins the Silver Trophy at the FESPA Awards in Munich, finishing directly behind a bespoke book produced for Louis Vuitton, and achieves shortlist nominations in three additional categories.

2024 – The company celebrates 20 years on the market, expanding into bespoke interior design products including luxury wallpapers, and investing in advanced packaging printing and surface embellishment equipment.