Wren Press Adds StudioRIP for Film Creation

Wren Press, London, England’s finest private stationers, has added a new StudioRIP solution to extend the life of its existing Linotronic 330 imagesetter. The product was placed at Wren Press by Ripware, a dealer for the UK-based independent software RIP provider StudioRIP UK Limited, Leighton Buzzard.

Commenting on the installation, Paul Foster, Managing Director of Ripware, said: “Whilst Wren Press utilises CtP equipment for much of its output, film is still essential for the creation of engraving and embossing work. The StudioRIP solution updates the ageing Linotype Rip 50, giving Wren Press significant savings in day-to-day operation as well as enhanced productivity.”

Adding the users perspective to the new install, Daniel Jones, Managing Director at Wren Press said: “The first thing that has made a big difference is the preview system – that enables us to save time, to save film, and, therefore to save money. By being able to spot any errors before we commit to film and plates – errors that often don’t surface until the job is on the press – we are now much more efficient. The StudioRIP preview even highlights moiré issues on screen – problems that we would not have been able to see on the films.”

Daniel was also been impressed by the “Save Film” feature, where individual jobs can be ganged up prior to output. He estimates that this is already reducing film costs by as much as 50%, plus associated savings on processor chemistry.

The Wren Press, with offices in London and New York, is an established family business offering a comprehensive range of diverse print services. The company is regarded as England’s leading specialist in this field, producing high quality bespoke invitations for weddings, parties, christenings, and bar mitzvahs; personal and business writing paper; and many other items of print based stationery.

Further expansion of the new StudioRIP solution is already under consideration, with the ability to drive multiple output devices being something that has an appeal at Wren Press.

In terms of support for the software product, Daniel Jones has already been impressed by StudioRIP’s on-line help desk: “It’s a huge bonus to have such easily accessible support. If there is something that we can’t solve here, we can call StudioRIP, they then take over our machine remotely and resolve the issue.”

About StudioRIP

StudioRIP is a software RIP compatible with PostScript Level 3 and PDF 1.6, and is designed for high performance imaging tasks, making it suitable for interfacing to a wide range of computer-to-plate systems, imagesetters, inkjet and laser printers.

Pre-press experts who would like to examine and test the performance and features of StudioRIP can download a free “demo” system of Version 3.0 by visiting the www.studiorip.co.uk web site.

One of the most exciting and unique features of the product is that it can be configured around a user’s needs, with the optional inclusion of post-RIP imposition, in-RIP trapping, ink duct control software, second order stochastic screening (hybrid AM screening included as standard), TIFF output, multiple print engine output, and digital proofing output. StudioRIP Client software can provide for remote operation of all RIP functions from any PC or Mac workstation.

StudioRIP 3.0 also includes a flexographic option, which is capable of providing 37.5 degree angles, flexo dot, dot gain, and dispro compensations. The software also provides a seamless option for flexographic plate production.

For further information on Wren Press call 020 7351 5887; for further information on Ripware, the StudioRIP dealer, call 01483 578 618 or 07808 579 918.

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Reflections Introduce Soft Touch Range

Luke Hastings, Joint Managing Director, Reflections

Reflections, the largest speciality print finisher in the south of England, has announced details of a new finishing range, the Reflections Soft Touch Range, which includes both a full-cover laminate finish and a spot UV varnish. Reflections are believed to be the first company to provide such a “matching pair” solution.

Soft Touch has been developed by Reflections to provide that up-market, luxury feel to print, publications and packaging. As with other recent tactile finishes released by the company, it helps to emphasise the importance of touch to the printed product – a feature that cannot be replicated via the internet!

Commenting on this latest introduction Luke Hastings, Joint Managing Director of Reflections, said: “The Reflections Soft Touch range of finishes has been developed by our in-house team to address customer demand. We believe that they can add a really creative touch to printed work. Whilst the obvious application would be for product packaging targeted at the luxury end of the market, I am convinced that there are many other potential uses for such a finish, either in the full laminate form or via the application of spot UV varnish.”

About Reflections

Reflections the largest speciality print finisher in the south of England, with three production centres in London, Essex and Kent. 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 is exampled by 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.

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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Troika AniCAM: an Anilox QC Tool for Litho Printers?

Troika Systems Limited, Highworth, a UK company at the forefront of innovative development for print-based quality control products, has detailed how the recent release of its significantly enhanced AniCAM-P product, an in-depth measurement tool for anilox rolls used on narrow and wide web and corrugated flexo presses, can also provide great assistance for very many litho printers.

Whilst AniCAM-P is being targeted initially at the flexographic printing sector, many lithographic printers may also find significant benefits from the product. The majority of high-performance coating units on litho presses are based on a flexographic printing unit. Printers with a keen eye for the quality and consistency of coating should be regularly measuring the anilox volume laterally and managing their roll inventory to ensure optimum performance.

In addition to this a number of recent press introductions, including the Heidelberg Anicolor and KBA’s Cortina, Karat and Rapida G machines, incorporate anilox rollers within their inking system. “Such developments need a quality control solution, and AniCAM-P offers the ability to measure the important detail on such machines,” said Phil Hall, Managing Director of Troika Systems.

“Delivering consistent, quality coating on a litho press with a modern coating unit requires a reasonable level of flexographic process understanding,” said Phil Hall. “Poor cleaning and maintenance of the anilox roll within a coating unit will significantly impair its performance, and subsequently the quality of coating produced by the machine. Errors introduced to a job at the coating stage, when the job is virtually complete, can be the most costly of all. At the very least, machine manufacturers technical staff should be equipped with an AniCAM-P in order to aid efficient fault finding.”

For presses utilising anilox rolls within the inking system, Phil Hall sees the AniCAM-P as essential tool for the printer to maintain quality. “Whilst it is a litho system that is delivering the ink to the substrate, any company working with a machine that utilises an anilox roll for inking needs to understand the potential problems of this component. Poor cleaning – which can occur even when using an automated cleaning system – can lead to a build up of ink within the anilox cell, thus reducing its capacity to transfer ink effectively. Unless the printer or his engineer understands these potential problems, and is equipped to test for such errors, they could be spending an awful lot of time and money searching for a solution to an ink density problem in all of the wrong places.”

AniCAM-P for Printers

Effective anilox roll management has the potential to save a litho or flexo printer a significant amount of press downtime, plus the real-world costs incurred in reprinting a job that was virtually complete. Measuring and archiving volume readings for each roll helps to monitor cleaning issues as well as wear of the roll – both major causes of press downtime. By reducing flexo machine downtime by just 2% the owner of three presses running double-day shift could save over €300,000 over a three year period – significantly more than the €10,350 investment that would be required to purchase the AniCAM-P. Similar savings can be expected in busy litho print businesses where anilox rolls are employed within the press inking system.

For further information on Troika Systems quality control products visit the www.troika-systems.com web site.

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Hit the Spot with “One Hit Wonder”

Sample Print of "One Hit Wonder"

Reflections, the largest speciality print finisher in the south of England, has announced the availability of a new finishing solution to overcome problems encountered in spot UV varnishing. “One Hit Wonder”, a specially formulated product exclusive to Reflections, provides for spot UV work on absorbent substrates in just one pass.

“One Hit Wonder” offers an effective solution for adding spot UV to particularly porous materials, such as fine art boards, as well as those “cheap and cheerful” substrates.

Luke Hastings, Joint Managing Director of Reflections, said: “Spot UV on some boards has proved to be problematical do the absorbent nature of the stock. The usual solution is to run the job through the process twice to ensure effective coverage. On tight registration work this can be quite awkward, time consuming, and certainly not cost effective. We have developed “One Hit Wonder” to reduce the time and costs to produce such work. It is a highly effective solution, and works with any substrate in just one pass.”

About Reflections

Reflections the largest speciality print finisher in the south of England, with three production centres in London, Essex and Kent. 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 is exampled by 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.

The company provides the highe st 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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Benson Group Returns to Heidelberg for 2nd XL 105

Exactly two years after returning to Heidelberg from a rival supplier, Benson Group, the current UK Packaging Company of the Year, is installing a second Speedmaster XL 105 at its Bardon plant. The press will be commissioned by the end of July.

The new six-colour with coating unit will again run alcohol free and is selected as a direct result of the performance of the first press.

Benson Group Managing Director, Mark Kerridge says: “Two years ago we bought the XL 105 because we wanted to look at new technology and use it in anger. It has proved very successful, running most commonly at 18,000sph, with an impressive make-ready time and taking the quality benchmark to a new and reliably good level.”

As a result of public interest in environmental issues many of Benson Group’s customers are concerned to engage in the green debate. The Bardon plant is very environmentally aware and this has resulted in the move to zero alcohol, the use of spectrophotometric measurement and print colour management to reduce waste sheets, and a focus on recycling and re-using of all resources generally.

Benson Group, which acquired certain trading assets of Cameron Linn at the turn of the year, is a £93m group. The Bardon plant outputs 750 million cartons a year for the food sector, whilst the group also maintains a strong interest in pharmaceutical carton production.

“Demand is still relatively good. People are eating in more (out less) and the pharmaceutical sector is still retaining good volumes,” says Mr Kerridge. “We have noticed some change in product mix with a move from luxury to standard and economy products. But brand is still important and four process colours plus two specials is still a well used combination. There has been a lot of rebranding and repositioning for greater shelf appeal as a result of the downturn.”

Both XL 105 presses at Bardon are fitted with Axis Control. “We like the ease and speed of use of AxisControl. It is very suitable to our production requirements. The key issue is that we have accurate colour measurement as we work to the ISO 12647-2 standard,” says Mr Kerridge.

The press also has coating, like the first, and it will offer UV, IR and aqueous options to its customers.

“We have invested significantly over the past seven years and have grown organically and by acquisition. We will continue to look at more options in future,” says Mr Kerridge.

About Benson Group

Benson Group, the Packaging Company of the Year for 2008, is the UK’s leading privately owned printed carton supplier, producing packaging product for both the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Headquarters are in Bardon, Leicestershire, where the company owns 130,000 sq ft of production and warehouse space. Benson Group achieves annual sales in excess of £93 million. Food manufacturers are the main customers at Bardon and for the company’s two North East facilities in Newcastle and Gateshead. These two sites have a combined total of 200,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse space. The fourth site in Crewe, Medica Packaging, serves pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. It has 73,000 sq ft of manufacturing, warehouse and office space. Since 2000, investment in new plant and equipment across the four sites totals in excess of £25 million. The company recently announced details of the acquisition of various trading assets of Glasgow-based packaging company Cameron Linn.

Benson Group creates packaging for many well-known companies, brands and retailers. Key account clients across the Group include GlaxoSmithKline, Northern Foods, Reckitt Benkiser, Greencore, Bakkavör, Samworth Brothers, and leading supermarket chains.

For further information on the Benson Group visit the www.bensongroup.co.uk web site.

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Portfolios Show Guide a Touching Success

Portfolios show guide with Fabric laminated cover

Portfolios, a combined exhibition and seminar staged by the owners of The Creative Handbook and Creative Review, which took place in June, utilised the recently launched “Fabric” lamination product from Reflections, the largest speciality print finisher in the south of England, for the cover of its show guide and product catalogue.

The event was targeted at art directors, art buyers, designers and buyers of photography and illustrations. “With such a creative audience in mind, we needed something particularly eye-catching and different for the show guide,” said Janice Hoyes-Thompson, Group Production Manager. “Finishing specialists Reflections were able to provide the ideal solution. The fabric-feel cover went down very well indeed with all who went to the show. We noted that a lot of people were talking about it, and we received many favourable comments.”

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.”

Production of the show guide and product catalogue was handled by St Ives, with Reflections providing the unique cover for the publication. A production run of 2,000 copies was produced for the Portfolios event, which was in its first year.

About Reflections

Reflections the largest speciality print finisher in the south of England, with three production centres in London, Essex and Kent. 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.

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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Third Xeikon Label Press for CS Labels

Xeikon 3000 Digital Label Press

CS Labels Limited, Willenhall, West Midlands, has announced the installation of its third Xeikon label press. The latest purchase is a Xeikon 3000, which has replaced one of the company’s two Xeikon 330 digital label presses. The install comes just thirteen months after CS Labels purchased its last 330 machine, and less than two-and-a-half years since the company made its initial digital investment.

Simon Smith, Managing Director of CS Labels, said: “We have demonstrated consistent growth in digital label production since our initial investment, and this latest purchase helps to ensure that we are still at the forefront of production techniques. It also demonstrates our desire to continually invest in the very best label production equipment. The Xeikon 3000 images to a higher resolution at 1200 dots per inch and produces even more reliable, consistent colour quality over a wider colour gamut. Once again, it allows us to offer something more to our customers.”

Xeikon 3000 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.

“Our business has changed shape significantly since our initial move into digital labels. We are now producing some 60% of our turnover through the Xeikon machines. Our flexo and screen printing equipment is still important to CS Labels and to our customers, but digital has certainly taken over as our main production system.”

The 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.

Existing post press equipment at CS Labels is suitable for varnishing, laminating, cutting, slitting, matrix stripping and re-reeling the finished printed product. The company is due to install a second GM finishing unit in order to handle the increased throughput of the Xeikon 3000. “We were able to run the two Xeikon 330’s with one finishing system off-line, but it really was running at full capacity. There were times when it did cause us a bottleneck in production. With the increased throughput of the Xeikon 3000 we definitely need two finishing systems,” added Simon Smith.

For job preparation, both Xeikon presses are equipped with the truly open, scalable and modular X-800 Digital Front-End (DFE), combining extensive pre-press functionality including a high-speed RIP with impressive variable data printing processing. In addition, the X-800 DFE is designed to deliver the highest print quality level, a practical die marker function and precise step-and-repeat functionality. The system is also equipped to handle complex operations such as sequential numbering and barcodes.

With regard to the markets for digitally produced labels, Simon Smith said: “We have an ever increasing amount of trade work coming in both from other printers and print brokers. We also have a loyal direct customer base which we are also keen to keep expanding on.”

Commenting on the new CS Labels purchase, Greg Neesham, Sales Director for Punch Graphix UK, said: “CS Labels continues to demonstrate how a traditional label printing company can adapt to the digital world, and can continue to grow its business by purchasing the right equipment to suit the current market.”

CS Labels enjoys a central location at Willenhall, near Wolverhampton, where it has been based for six years. For more information on the company, visit the new www.cslabels.co.uk web site.

For further information on Punch Graphix and Xeikon e-mail infouk@punchgraphix.com or visit the www.xeikon.com web site.

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Benson Group to Sponsor Student Starpack Awards

Benson Group, based in Bardon, Leicestershire, The Sunday Times ProfitTrack 100 Customer Service Company of the Year 2009, has agreed a sponsorship package for two categories of the Starpack Awards 2010. Benson Group takes over as a sponsor of both the student and school categories from ProCarton.

Commenting on the sponsorship, Mark Kerridge, Managing Director of Benson Group, said: “We are always keen to be involved in the education and training of people who show an interest in the world of packaging. By promoting these two Starpack Awards categories we are illustrating our enthusiasm at both the school and college levels of education, and hopefully helping to create awareness and interest in the packaging industry in the minds of young people.”

Student Starpack

Packaging is an exciting industry. In an increasingly competitive consumer market there is a growing demand for packaging designers: people who are capable of designing packs that are not only graphically attractive, but which also meet the functional requirements to preserve and protect the contents and can be produced cost-effectively with due regard to environmental issues.

Entries for Student Starpack are invited from students on a wide range of courses, some with a graphics emphasis and others concerned with structural and product design, as well as those from a materials and technology courses. Involvement in the awards has previously led to a number of employment opportunities for successful entrants.

Schools Starpack

The Schools Starpack Award has been designed to encourage students to take up a career in the exciting world of consumer packaging design. The selection of briefs that will be provided offer excellent opportunities for Key Stage 3, 4 and AS level pupils, via either individual or joint activity. Participation in the awards can also help to provide extension activities for after-school clubs.

Full entry details will be posted on the www.bensongroup.co.uk web site as soon as they become available.

About the Benson Group

Benson Group, the Packaging Company of the Year for 2008 and The Sunday Times ProfitTrack 100 Customer Service Company of the Year 2009, is the UK’s leading privately owned printed carton supplier, producing packaging product for both the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Headquarters are in Bardon, Leicestershire, where the company owns 130,000 sq ft of production and warehouse space. Benson Group achieves annual sales in excess of £93 million. Food manufacturers are the main customers at Bardon and for the company’s two North East facilities in Newcastle and Gateshead. These two sites have a combined total of 200,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse space. The fourth site in Crewe, Medica Packaging, serves pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. It has 73,000 sq ft of manufacturing, warehouse and office space. Since 2000, investment in new plant and equipment across the four sites totals in excess of £25 million. The company recently announced details of the acquisition of various trading assets of Glasgow-based packaging company Cameron Linn.

Benson Group creates packaging for many well-known companies, brands and retailers. Key account clients across the Group include GlaxoSmithKline, Northern Foods, Reckitt Benkiser, Greencore, Bakkavör, Samworth Brothers, and leading supermarket chains.

For further information on the Benson Group visit the www.bensongroup.co.uk web site.

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Parrot Print Ltd Installs Third Ryobi Press

Ryobi 524 HXX B3-landscape format press

Parrot Print Ltd of Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, has recently made another big step forward following the purchase of a Ryobi 524HXX along with a DPX System for computer-to-plate production. Both products were purchased from UK Ryobi distributor Apex Digital Graphics, Hemel Hempstead.

The pre-owned B3-format 524HXX joins another Ryobi machine – a single colour 520 – and replaces a Ryobi 662 A2 format press. “We are already finding that we are able to produce so much more work with these two new additions,” said Roger Broderick, Managing Director of Parrot Print. “We are able to quote for a much wider range of jobs now and meet the tighter deadlines that customers are demanding.

“Make-ready on the 524HXX is significantly faster, and the press really does fly through the work at speeds of up to 13,000 sheets per hour. The addition of the DPX System for platemaking also makes a tremendous difference with regard to make-ready. The four plates are usually pretty close to perfect register straight away,” added Roger Broderick.

The timing of the investment fitted well with Parrot Print’s on-going expansion plans. The company, which has been established for 15 years, moved from three small units to a larger, single unit on Highlode Industrial Estate in Ramsey just 18 months ago. “We needed more floor space than we had available at our previous site, and the new premises are far more suitable for print production. We did look at the possibility of moving to a digital press, but our range of jobs really pointed us back towards litho in the end. Whilst we are printing quite a lot of work at the 500 copies end of the spectrum, we also go right through to run lengths of 50,000 or 100,000, and this type of work just isn’t practical or cost effective to produce digitally,” said Roger Broderick.

The Ryobi 524HXX prints four colours onto B3-format sheets. Features include semi-automatic plate changing, Ryobi Program Inking, the Ryobi AAC aqua automatic control system, and automatic ink roller/blanket cleaning devices, all controlled via the Ryobi Printing Control System.

The DPX System is the UK’s most popular polyester platemaking system. It is based on an internal drum digital exposure unit which produces polyester plates up to 460 x 550 mm in size. The product features a wide range of imaging resolutions, from 900 to 3600 dots per inch and high productivity. The use of dual-plate cassettes provides tremendous benefits for printing companies utilising more than one format of press, as two different sizes of plate can be produced without the need to change material in the output device. Two full 61m rolls of polyester plate material can be accommodated.

Commenting on the installation for Apex Digital Graphics, Neil Handforth, Sales and Marketing Director, said: “The installation at Parrot Print illustrates the benefits that Apex can offer printers via our range of used machinery. Used presses are refurbished by our technical specialists, using new Ryobi parts to replace worn components, and the machines are tested for print quality prior to delivery to the customer. These pre-owned presses can be the ideal solution for a lot of print companies looking to expand and grow, but not wanting to commit to the size of investment required for new machinery.”

Apex Digital Graphics Limited

Apex Digital Graphics 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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