Hine Labels Open House Featuring Xeikon 3000

Bill Hine with the Xeikon 3000

Hine Labels Ltd, Rotherham, Yorkshire, in conjunction with Punch Graphix UK, is to hold an open house event on Wednesday, May 20^th featuring the UK’s first Xeikon 3000 digital label press.

Under the banner “Digital and Flexo, a Perfect Match” the event will focus on the compatibility of digital with traditional flexo printing. Tests produced during the open day will include running the same job on digital and flexo in order to illustrate the similarity of the results produced.

Xeikon will be partnered at the open house by EskoArtwork and Fasson. Hine Labels utilise EskoArtwork’s Backstage software to process artwork for both digital and flexo production, as well as an Esko CDI platemaker for flexo plate creation. Leading self-adhesive label supplier Fasson will be providing materials for the event. A crucial parameter in obtaining similar results from both processes, the same label materials will be used to demonstrate both flexo and digital.

Bill Hine, Managing Director of Hine Labels, said: “Our business comes from trade customers. They generally don’t have a preference with regard to the printing process that we use. What they want is high quality, colour consistent labels in the shortest possible production time. However, we have to face the fact that run lengths are decreasing across many of our markets, and this is what tends to determine which print process we use for a given job. The further enhancements in both image quality and production speed for the Xeikon 3000 meant that it was the next logical step for us, and, in our market, this press provides the ideal digital companion to our flexo printing equipment.”

Xeikon 3000 produces images at 1200 dots per inch, with four bits per spot, to ensure the highest possible colour quality, and offers an increased imaging width of 322mm, against the 307mm imaging width of the Xeikon 330 machine. All machines are based on a 330mm substrate width.

“We had no hesitation in returning to Xeikon for our latest digital label solution. In our opinion, the company’s products lead the market for label production, and we have been delighted with the service and support that we have received from Xeikon,” added Bill Hine.

Xeikon 3000 web-based press has a top speed of 31.5 feet of label production per minute, and a monthly duty cycle of 1,500,000 feet. The five colour engine provides for the four standard process colours plus a choice of spot colour, special security toner for anti-counterfeiting applications, or an opaque white for the “no label” look on transparent material. The press is capable of handling an unrivalled range of substrates including self-adhesive films, co-extruded films, unsupported films, paper, transparent and opaque foils, and paperboard. The environmentally friendly dry toner electrophotography imaging process enables the use of conventional substrates without the need for coating or pre-treatment.

Commenting on the Hine Labels event, Greg Neesham, Sales Director for Punch Graphix UK, said: “We are especially pleased to be able to show off Hine Labels new machine to a wider audience. The label market has taken a significant step towards digital production in recent years, and any company in the business of label production, and not yet using digital for at least part of their production, needs to come and see the benefits offered by our Xeikon digital machinery.”

For full details of the Hine Labels / Xeikon event on May 20^th please register here: http://www.xeikon.com/hine

Alternatively, e-mail annette.malt@punchgraphix.com or call 01904 520 555.

For further information on Punch Graphix and Xeikon e-mail infouk@punchgraphix.com or visit the www.xeikon.com web site. For more details on Hine Labels call 01709 369 222.

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New Ryobi as X1 Growth Continues

X1, the Slough-based print and graphic design company, has announced the installation of a new Ryobi 524GX press, as well as the purchase and consolidation of Jackson Print, a Hayes-based printing company, into the business.

Following detailed discussions at board level regarding the future direction of the company, decisions were taken at X1 to significantly grow the business. The incorporation of the order book and staff of Jackson Print took place in February of this year. In addition to the £400,000 order book, X1 also purchased the company’s equipment, including a Sakurai 58cm press and a DPX4 platemaker.

“We did look closely at the possibility of moving into B2 printing, but decided to sell the Sakurai machine, along with a two-colour Ryobi, and purchase a second new Ryobi GX Series B3-format press. The new 524GX complements our existing 525GX, with both machines using the same sized plates, produced by our existing DPX2 platesetter,” explained Tim Lance, Sales Director at X1.

X1 are now 18- months in to a 24-month programme which will see a £1,000,000 investment in the development of a “state-of-the-art” single-site manufacturing plant. All departments within the company have been expanded to create some 40 to 50% of additional output capacity. This was achieved through a combination of investment in additional machinery, new processes and workflow efficiencies.

“The turnover for our last financial year was £1.6 million. Since then we have purchased the assets and goodwill of Jackson Print, whose clients and team are now happily working with X1. Our ambition over the next 18 months is to grow our business to a turnover of between £2.9 and £3.2 million through a combination of organic growth from our existing customers and the development of new business relationships,” added Tim Lance.

X1 has the ability to offer a comprehensive “one stop shop” for clients, producing a diverse range of graphic design and printing, including the production of literature, direct mail and fulfilment through the company’s single site in Slough, Berkshire.

“We were delighted to return to Apex Digital Graphics for our second Ryobi GX machine and our fourth Ryobi press in total. The last, a five colour, was purchased two years ago at Northprint, has been a superb machine for us,” said fellow director George Eckford. “Features such as the Ink Volume Setting and the Print Density Control system ensure that make-ready times are kept to the absolute minimum, meaning we are producing saleable sheets in very short time.”

Ease of operation on the Ryobi 520GX series presses is enhanced by the use of the Ryobi Printing Control System, PCS-H – which is provided as standard. Colour adjustments, dampening supply, and registration adjustments can all be made by the operator at the control desk using the touch sensitive LCD display. The operator can also input paper size and thickness via the screen to set the impression pressure and pull side guide to the optimal position.

An advanced version of Program Inking is also built into the PCS-H, automatically setting the conversion curve for each colour according to image area ratio. The Print Density Control system PDS-E uses a densitometer to measure the colour bar on a printed sheet, and feed corrective data back to the press via PCS-H for totally consistent print production. CIP3 and CIP4 data is loading into the machine from pre-press via the Ink Volume Setter software.

The maximum paper size that can be handled by the Ryobi GX Series is 520 x 375mm, whilst the machines will take sheets as small as 100 x 105mm. The press will handle sheet thicknesses from 0.04mm through to 0.6mm, and will print at up to 15,000 sheets per hour.

Commenting on the installation for Apex Digital Graphics, Neil Handforth, Sales and Marketing Director, said: “Naturally we are delighted that X1 has returned to Apex for its latest press investment. This business demonstrates that B3 is a growth area for printers, with shorter print runs being required by customers, but with quality demands remaining extremely high. The Ryobi GX Series offers printers a high quality package to meet these demands.”

For further information on X1 visit the www.x1.ltd.uk web site or call 01753 215 300.

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Reflections: Feel the Fabric

The fabric lamination from Reflections

Reflections, the largest speciality print finisher in the south of England, has announced the launch of a new fabric-surfaced substrate for printers and graphic designers who are seeking something different and exciting for a special promotional campaign.

The substrate combines a card backing and a laminated fabric surface. Luke Hastings, Joint Managing Director of Reflections, said: “Unlike some previous attempts at providing a fabric-feel substrate, this product offers superb printing characteristics. This new substrate really does make a printed item stand out from the crowd, and the tactile finish means that people will really take notice.”

The product launch of the Fabric substrate has included the insertion of 10,000 sample cards into the April 9^th edition of DesignWeek magazine. The fabric-surfaced substrate can be purchased by printers exclusively from Reflections, manufactured to order and available in any sheet size.

“With print having to find new and exciting ways to differentiate itself from other communications methods, we see our fabric offering as providing a real opportunity for both graphic design agencies and printers to provide their clients with something really exciting, and very “touchy-feely”. It is the ideal way to get a piece of print noticed and retained,” added Luke Hastings.

About Reflections

Reflections the largest speciality print finisher in the south of England, with five production centres in Deptford, Charlton, Basildon, Aylesford and Lewes. The services provided by Reflections to the print trade include: laminating, overall UV varnishing, spot UV, foil blocking, die-cutting and creasing along with many other more specialised effects.

The wide range of speciality finishes available from Reflections include MicroMotion, a unique screen printing process that provides colour shifts and subtle sparkling of the image when the final print is angled by the viewer. Suitable for application to virtually any stock, MicroMotion is just one of the patented special finishes available from Reflections.

Located in London, Kent, Essex and Sussex the company provides the highest level of quality alongside a fast and reliable service to meet the needs of today’s modern print environment.

For further views of Reflections visit the www.reflections.co.uk web site, or call 0208 305 6333.

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Document Options Invests in HP Indigo for Quality

Document Options Ltd, Crawley, has made a first move into litho-like document printing with the purchase of an HP Indigo 3050 press. The new system was purchased from the UK’s only authorised Master Reseller for HP Indigo products, Digital People UK Ltd, Chessington, Surrey.

The company has been a user of Xerox equipment for some 10 years, but as Managing Director Richard Entecott explains, the changing demands of the market required a higher level of print quality: “The expectations of our “blue chip” corporate customer base were moving beyond good quality copying and we needed high-end digital output of a more consistent, quality-focused nature. Xerox had recommended their 8000 product, but the output of the machine really wasn’t suitable for our needs, and it was giving us one problem after another. We visited the Digital People and ran test files on the HP Indigo product.

We were delighted with what we saw.” Print Production Manager at Document Options, Dan Patience, takes up the story: “The seven-colour HP Indigo 3050 has already started to open up new areas of business for us, and our sales team are confident of its capabilities when they are talking to customers. Using the HP technology we are now able to offer customers a wider range of stocks, including textured papers – these were never a possibility using the Xerox machines. We are able to talk to them about the accurate reproduction of corporate colours, and other spot colour requirements.

The output from the HP machine also lays flat after printing, which is a tremendous help when it comes to the finishing process. The sheets feed more accurately and therefore finishing tasks can be completed much faster.” The requirements of Document Options customers are getting ever more demanding, with requests for heavier stocks, quality solids, corporate colours, and textured materials. The company is now also receiving orders from litho print companies for digital work. “These companies are especially focused on print quality, and only the HP Indigo output is good enough for their needs,” added Dan Patience.

The HP Indigo 3050 press provides for printing up to seven-colours at up to 4,000 A4 full-colour pages per hour (printed two-up), or up to 16,000 single-colour A4 pages per hour (two-up). The press can handle materials formats up to 320 x 470mm, with a maximum weight of 350gsm. The 812 x 812 dots-per-inch resolution is suitable for the reproduction of screened images of up to 230 lines-per-inch. Commenting on the installation for Digital People, Jerry Widdowson, Chairman, said: “Document Options is typical of a company that has its roots in providing a fast and efficient copying service. Customers of such companies are looking for higher and higher print quality – for many, their expectations cannot be met by copier technology any more. I find it particularly exciting for Document Options that local litho print companies are now coming to them for their short-run requirements.”

For further information on Document Options call 01293 426 677 or visit the www.document-options.co.uk web site.

For further details about Digital People call 0845 130 1445 or visit the www.thedigitalpeople.com web site.

About Digital People (UK) Ltd

Digital People is headquartered in Chessington, Surrey. The company was founded by Jerry Widdowson, who has been involved in the provision of solutions to the printing industry for over twenty years.

In early 2001 the company purchased its first digital printing press and established a printing company. The strategy behind this venture was to learn how to install, operate and manage digital printing equipment, and to understand the business of digital printing from a customers’ perspective. The print business has since been sold as a going concern, but the knowledge gained has been retained and has proved to be an invaluable asset to the company.

Digital People now focus on the supply and maintenance of digital printing solutions, with a focus on HP Indigo digital presses, and software platforms licensed from leading vendors. Digital People also provide HP consumables and professional servicing, including maintenance contracts using the company’s own HP trained engineers.

In 2003 Jerry was joined by Tony Longhurst as FD. Tony has successfully managed all financials and growth within a number of print industry companies. In 2005 Chris Blanchard joined Digital People in order to manage the positive growth provided by the official HP Distributor and Master Reseller status.

In 2008 Bill Holmes was appointed as Managing Director with Jerry Widdowson moving to the role of Chairman. Bill joined Digital People from HP where he was responsible for sales and account management within the Indigo Division of HP, working with clients to develop best-in-class digital press solutions, whilst expanding new markets.

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IPEX 2010: Less than 400 days

The IPEX clock is ticking. Sunday April 12^th marked just 400 days until the show starts. Have your thoughts turned yet to a PR strategy for the event? What products or services will you introduce at the show? How will you tell potential visitors what they need to see? A full twelve month plan will help to maximise your IPEX investment. Mail Genesis Marketing now to set up an initial discussion – russ.hicks@genesis-marketing.com

A PR programme won’t just happen, and it’s unlikely to work effectively if you start things just a month or two before the show. Every exhibitor needs to begin raising its profile right now. Establish a specific area of your web site to explain to your customers how important IPEX 2010 will be to them, and keep refreshing these pages with new and ever more focused information. Promote your business via the trade press to bring new traffic to your web site. In the last quarter of 2009 you will need to start generating interest in your specific product area, and why the new introductions that you are producing for the exhibition are important to the industry.

Now more than ever potential show visitors need to be given reasons to attend. You will need to detail why they should visit your stand – how is that going to help their business? What exciting innovations will they find?

A professional PR approach is required to help your exhibit make you money. Now is the time to start making that investment.

Just a final thought: 400 days isn’t, of course, really 400 days. Take weekends away, as well as annual leave and bank holidays, and you actually have something more like 260 working days before the show begins! Time to start you promotional campaign now?

Power Consumption Tops Apex Agenda

Apex Digital Graphics, UK distributor for Ryobi presses, ECRM polyester-based computer-to-plate systems, and Screen metal-based computer-to-plate devices, staged an open house event at its Hemel Hempstead headquarters on April 1^st and 2^nd entitled “Solutions for Profit – Workshop 4”. A key topic under discussion at the event was that of power consumption.

To draw visitors’ attention to the issue, Apex utilised a large screen display to show visitors the output from NoWatt Energy Management software, which was configured to run throughout the Hemel Hempstead plant. NoWatt, a commercially available package, requires the addition of sensors to electrical distribution boards situated around the building. The particular area being focused on by the Apex team was the demonstration suite, where separate distribution boards are in use for the main B2 presses, a Ryobi 750 Series machine and a Ryobi 780E four-colour press; a separate distribution board for the coater used on the 750 Series; and one for the two B3 presses on show, a 524HE and 525GX.

Information from the sensors is fed back through to NoWatt and Apex was able to display this data regarding the power consumption of all presses. To help provide visitors with some perspective of the numbers generated, a chart comparing the power consumption of a selection of B2 presses was also on display.

“The electricity bill is a major factor in any print company’s expenditure. The Ryobi range has many positive features contributing to reduced power consumption, and we were able to use this event to visually demonstrate this aspect to visitors,” said Joint Managing Director of Apex Digital Graphics, Bob Usher. “We are urging printers to take up the “Apex Power Challenge” to not only save themselves money during the lifetime of a press, but also make an important environmental statement to their customers.”

Full comparative numbers on all makes of presses are quite difficult to obtain, as most suppliers only publicly quote the maximum power draw, which would typically occur at start-up of the machine and completion of a print run. However, the general running power consumption would typically bear some relation to this figure, making the comparisons realistic, if not fully detailed.

Comparisons discussed included the power draw of a five-colour Ryobi 750 Series B2 press of 39Kw, and a leading German manufactured press which would consume 62Kw with the same configuration. “Such significant differences can have a huge impact on the amount of money a print company pays for its electricity,” confirmed Neil Handforth, Sales and Marketing Director at Apex Digital Graphics. “Realistic, even possibly conservative calculations suggest an annual difference in electricity bills in the region of £8,000 by running a Ryobi instead of some other B2 presses. Multiply this over the lifetime of the press and it is easy to see why this information is so important to the decision making process.

“Power costs have risen significantly in recent times and show no immediate signs of reducing by any great degree. We are trying to help printers to focus on the true cost of ownership of a machine, and an important part of that cost is the power consumed by the press to produce print,” added Mr Handforth.

Apex Digital Graphics – The Solutions Provider

Apex Digital Graphics Limited is a specialist in the supply and service of pre-press and press equipment. Apex is the official UK distributor of Ryobi presses, the Screen Micra 55 metal plate system, the ECRM range of polyester platemaking units, and a range of B2-format computer-to-plate products. The company offer national service coverage, and a one-stop shop for print consumables featuring next day delivery. Apex Digital Graphics can be contacted on 01442 235 236 or via the www.apexdigital.co.uk web site.

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HP Indigo 5000 for WHP Newbury

WHP Newbury (formerly known as White Horse Press, Newbury) has announced the installation of an HP Indigo 5000 digital offset press – the print company’s first move into digital sheet fed printing. The new system was purchased from the UK’s only authorised Master Reseller for HP Indigo products, Digital People UK Ltd, Chessington, Surrey.

The six-colour HP Indigo 5000 provides for duplex printing with a maximum image area of 308 x 450mm on paper format of up to 320 x 475mm, in weights of substrate from 65gsm through to 350gsm. WHP Newbury has also added a range of Morgan finishing equipment to create a complete digital department.

Managing Director of WHP Newbury, Peter Arnel, said: “Recessions lead to changes in buying habits. Companies re-think how they buy, and that is as relevant to print buying as anything else. We felt that we needed to be in the digital market place in order to cope with these changes. In fact, I believe that all printers need to be in the digital print arena.

“With regard to our decision to buy HP Indigo printing technology, you have to listen to clients. When you talk digital printing with customers, those that have any understanding of the market at all will tell you that HP Indigo provides the quality that they need. If you then go and buy something else, you are going to have a very difficult job in convincing the customer that you are right and they are wrong! It’s as simple as that really.”

Traditionally a B2 offset-litho printer, WHP Newbury has widened its print offering this year to include both digital print and B1 offset-litho with the purchase of a Heidelberg SM102.

“Our aim is to serve the general commercial market. We need to cater for all of the needs of that market, which means being able to produce longer runs economically via B1, and short-runs quickly and effectively, that is what the HP Indigo 5000 will do for us,” said Peter Arnel.

The HP Indigo is already performing these duties to the standard required, with the machine making money in its first month of operation. Also included within the package from Digital People was the “Click For Print” web-to-print solution.

Print quality standards are always a strong focus at WHP Newbury, and the company has been busy running its ISO 12647-2 tests on the new digital press. The standard is already in place for the company’s litho and proofing output. Early tests regarding digital colour quality have provided very positive results, with scores in area of 97 to 98% – as good as the litho tests. “We are running 175 line screens on the HP Indigo and are delighted with the quality of the output,” added Peter Arnel. “We have already used the digital machine for the production of a test marketing job – a short production run allowing the customer to test market reaction, prior to committing to a longer litho run. The HP Indigo is perfect for that type of work.”

Commenting on the installation for Digital People, Jerry Widdowson, Chairman, said: “Naturally we are delighted to be working with a printer with such a strong reputation for quality as WHP Newbury. Peter, through his work with the BPIF Technical Committee, has been very much at the forefront of the move to colour standards in the industry, and it has been educational for our team to be involved with a company with such high quality standards. Peter’s selection of the HP Indigo 5000 as the digital printing solution for WHP Newbury is something that other printers will take note of.”

About Digital People (UK) Ltd

Digital People is headquartered in Chessington, Surrey. The company was founded by Jerry Widdowson, who has been involved in the provision of solutions to the printing industry for over twenty years.

In early 2001 the company purchased its first digital printing press and established a printing company. The strategy behind this venture was to learn how to install, operate and manage digital printing equipment, and to understand the business of digital printing from a customers’ perspective. The print business has since been sold as a going concern, but the knowledge gained has been retained and has proved to be an invaluable asset to the company.

Digital People now focus on the supply and maintenance of digital printing solutions, with a focus on HP Indigo digital presses, and software platforms licensed from leading vendors. Digital People also provide HP consumables and professional servicing, including maintenance contracts using the company’s own HP trained engineers.

In 2003 Jerry was joined by Tony Longhurst as FD. Tony has successfully managed all financials and growth within a number of print industry companies. In 2005 Chris Blanchard joined Digital People in order to manage the positive growth provided by the official HP Distributor and Master Reseller status. In 2008 Bill Holmes was appointed as Managing Director with Jerry Widdowson moving to the role of Chairman.

Bill joined Digital People from HP where he was responsible for sales and account management within the Indigo Division of HP, working with clients to develop best-in-class digital press solutions, whilst expanding new markets.

ENDS