Gig Harbor company unveils sweet take on personalized messages

With a motto of “If you think it, we can do it,” it isn’t surprising that Gig Harbor-based DPI Print would come up with a unique new product.

From graphic design to book publishing and everything print-related, DPI Print delivers the goods. In addition to the company’s already wide variety of services, it has added a brand-new opportunity for its clients.

“Our newest venture is we are bringing in the highest quality of Belgium chocolates and printing directly on them,” said DPI owner Pat Schmidt.

After the chocolates are shipped in, DPI Print can print words, phrases, designs and even pictures on them for their customers.

“Photos of babies, weddings — any image that can be done digitally — we can basically make the candy look like a photograph,” she said. “The personal touch is what makes it special.”

As with many golden opportunities, this one sort of fell into Schmidt’s lap when a longtime customer in Hawaii said he was working on bringing the chocolates to his clients.

“He realized that this was a niche and came up with an opportunity for me. He brought me in and we are putting this together as a joint venture,” Schmidt said.

In addition to the images DPI Print will have on hand, customers are welcome to design their own chocolates.

DPI Print spent last week putting together the printed Belgium chocolates for the grand openings of two new grocery stores: Main & Vine and Safeway.

Social media will be DPI’s best friend when it comes to advertising the new product, Schmidt said.

A national launch is the next step, and Schmidt is delighted to have Main & Vine and Safeway as the company’s first customers for the printed chocolates.

Chocolates don’t get much better than the Belgium chocolates, Schmidt said, and DPI Print will be using them exclusively for its new product.

“They taste delicious and we are customizing it,” she said. “When someone opens one of our elegant boxes it will be a ‘wow’ moment for them. That first impact makes such an impression that it will stay with them for a long time.”

DPI Print has a chocolate printer, and Schmidt said the process isn’t very different from what the company already does.

“We are a custom shop and doing something like this was clearly within what we do,” she said.

DPI Print now boasts a candy room where all the magic will be taking place. Customers can call in their orders or order online. DPI is in the midst of unveiling a custom website just for the personalized chocolates.

“It is so much fun when you have something so new and unique,” Schmidt said.

Prices for the chocolates range from $5 for a box of three chocolates, all the way up to $50, depending on how creative customers want to be. Chocolate telegrams will also be available with any message customers want to have printed.

Schmidt is very excited about offering this new product to Gig Harbor.

“We are thrilled,” she said. “You don’t get opportunities like this very often.”

DPI Print is located at 5775 Soundview Dr., Suite 102E. For more information, call 253-853-3622 or visit www.dpiprint.net.

This story was originally published February 3, 2016 at 11:17 AM with the headline "Gig Harbor company unveils sweet take on personalized messages."