LEGAL EXHIBITS AUGMENT PRINT SHOP SERVICES

Dana Lukefahr makes a copy of an engineering drawing as Michele Newman scans a photo for a large legal exhibit. Jackson USA Signal/Jim Obert

JACKSON -- A burgeoning market for Benchmark Printing has owner Steve Skelton smiling like a lawyer who has just won a big case.

Legal exhibits -- those large blowups of vehicle accidents and crime scenes that juries are shown during a trial -- are much in demand in this area.

Skelton entered that market about three years ago and has added equipment that now makes it possible for him to take a small photograph, enlarge it to 36 inches long, retain the original colors, mount it to foam board and, if desired by the customer, add various textures or gloss.

His customers include police, prosecutors, lawyers and paralegals.

But what started as an effort to get into the legal exhibits niche has expanded into the "civilian" community.

Customers bring in photos of their kids and pets, and they bring in images of the distant past, all to be enlarged as much as three feet in width.

Dana Lukefahr, office administrator, said the digital copier has "wide-format output" and is used most every day.

"Companies wanting to make presentations can have graphs and photos enlarged to help communicate their message," she said.

Benchmark Printing started in July 1995 when Skelton bought out SEMO Printing. The new business was squeezed into 1,800 square feet but almost doubled its footage with an ambitious expansion last year.

Commercial printing services include a collator that Skelton says "is kind of unique to this area." It has the capability to assemble newsletters, booklets and other informational packets, and it can collate up to 30 sheets at a time.

The business has three printing presses -- for one-color, two-color and envelopes job orders. Business cards, letterhead and desktop publishing are offered.

Benchmark also reproduces blueprints by making black and white engineering copies.

"This has also filled a niche for us," Skelton said. "It's taken off."