UK’s First Ryobi 522GE for Stoke-on-Trent CC

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has purchased the UK’s first Ryobi 522GE press. The machine was supplied by Apex Digital Graphics, the official UK distributor for Ryobi presses.

The GE Series was announced as the successor to the HE Series of entry level presses by Ryobi at Drupa 2008. The range is now available from two to five colours, with low pile deliveries. The GE Series offers printers a significant space and price saving over equivalent Ryobi GX Series models.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council undertook a full corporate tendering process to establish the best value machine for its print operation, and the Ryobi press came out ahead of all other competing machines.

The new 522GE landscape B3-format press joins an existing Ryobi 3302 portrait format machine and an Itek 975 at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, and replaces an aging Ryobi 3985. The new machine extends the council’s business relationship with Apex, which also supplied the current computer-to-plate equipment at the council’s print department, a DPX System.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council print officer Mark Hambleton said: “We looked carefully at the market place in choosing the machine, and are pleased with the choice we have made. We are looking forward to working with the company especially with the more complex jobs we are now being asked to produce.”

“The 522GE machine offers excellent print quality and superb value for money for both in-plant and commercial printers alike,” said Neil Handforth, Sales and Marketing Director of Apex Digital Graphics. “It is an ideal first machine for a start-up company or a great upgrade path for printers looking to move from portrait to landscape production. It is also proving popular with printers wishing to upgrade their current 52cm presses, thanks to the high level of specification.”

Combining function and style in an attractive new design the Ryobi 520GE Series includes many features for reducing make-ready times. These include semi-automatic plate changing as standard, as well as automated cleaning for ink rollers and blankets, and Ink Volume Setter software for the efficient transfer of ink profile information from the pre-press department. The PCS off- press control unit incorporate Ryobi Program Inking to automatically supply ink to the ink rollers to match the image from the very start of printing.

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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StudioRIP to Exhibit at PRINT 09

StudioRIP at PRINT 09

UK-based independent software RIP provider StudioRIP UK Limited, Leighton Buzzard, has announced that it will be exhibiting at the forthcoming PRINT 09 event taking place in Chicago from September 11 to 16. The company can be found on stand 6655 during the show.

The company will focus its exhibit on Version 3.0 of its StudioRIP product, which features production speeds comparable with market leaders at a fraction of the cost. The product was originally released in November of last year. StudioRIP is a software RIP compatible with PostScript Level 3 and PDF 1.8, and is designed for high performance imaging tasks, making it suitable for interfacing to a wide range of computer-to-plate systems, imagesetters, direct imaging presses, inkjet and laser printers.

Commenting on the decision to exhibit at PRINT 09, Andy Hemmings, Sales Director at StudioRIP, said: “We are currently looking to expand the international sales of StudioRIP, and are seeking dealers in many territories, as well as partners looking for an independent and efficient RIP solution. We believe that PRINT 09 will provide us with a great opportunity to find the right people that will take this software RIP to the next level as far as worldwide sales are concerned.”

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

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.

About StudioRIP

StudioRIP is a software RIP compatible with PostScript Level 3 and PDF 1.8, and is designed for high performance imaging tasks, making it suitable for interfacing to a wide range of computer-to-plate systems, imagesetters, direct imaging presses, 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.

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Benson Group Make UK Packaging Awards Shortlist

Following its double victory at the UK Packaging Awards of 2008, Benson Group has again made the shortlist for this year’s Packaging News event. The current holder of the Packaging Company of the Year title, Benson Group is featured on the shortlist for 2009.

The Bardon, Leicestershire company has picked up a host of awards in recent months, including Packaging Printer of the Year, the Cartonboard Packaging Award, and the Customer Service Company of the Year at The Sunday Times sponsored Profit Track 100 awards.

Winners of the Packaging News UK Packaging Awards for 2009 will be announced on November 4th at an evening event to celebrate the very best in packaging products at the Grosvenor House hotel in London’s Park Lane.

Commenting on the latest awards announcement, Mark Kerridge, Managing Director of Benson Group, said: “It is always a great pleasure for the company to be recognised by awards judges for providing top quality packaging products to both the food and pharmaceutical markets. We are immensely proud to have collected a number of awards during the last year, and are delighted to be included once again in the shortlist for the Packaging Company of the Year for 2009.”

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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Low-Chemistry Plates for Arlon Printers

Richard Cockerill, Director, Arlon Printers

Arlon Printers Ltd, Hemel Hempstead, has made a significant environmental statement by becoming one of the first UK printers to adopt the new Brillia HD PRO-V low-chemistry plate from Fujifilm. The plates are being used in conjunction with a Screen Plate Rite 2055vi platesetter, and both plates and computer-to-plate device have been purchased through Apex Digital Graphics, Hemel Hempstead.

Commenting on the new plate production solution, Richard Cockerill, Director of Arlon Printers, said: “Our previous system – a Screen 1050 using Agfa LAP-R plates – had performed exceptionally well for us for 10 years. Unfortunately Agfa has decided to stop the manufacture of the plates, hence our need to seek a new solution. We had been very impressed with the Screen hardware, and we knew that Apex, our near neighbours in Hemel Hempstead, were distributors for their products. Apex was able to demonstrate the latest Screen CtP product to us, and recommended the Fujifilm PRO-V plates, as they offered an extremely “green”, environmentally friendly plate which fitted our needs. Our use of chemistry has now been virtually eliminated, which is a great environmental message to send to our customers.”

The Brillia HD PRO-V plate combines the benefits of low-chemistry CtP with the proven low cost of ownership of violet imaging, bringing unmatched quality, consistency and productivity to plate production. On press the plate benefits from Fujifilm’s patented MultiGrain technology, ensuring optimum ink/water balance and advanced handling performance.

With regard to the performance of the plate in the press room, David Cockerill, fellow Director of Arlon Printers, added: “They have been superb on the presses – they ink up quickly and we have yet to find any limitation with regard to run-length.” The company run two Komori presses – one four and one five-colour.

“We were both very impressed by the team at Apex Digital Graphics. As our pre-press operation is on the upper floor of our building, they had to arrange for a window to be removed in order to crane the CtP machine in, but everything went very smoothly, and they have been a very professional partner to work with,” added Richard Cockerill.

Established in 1966 by brothers Richard and David Cockerill, Arlon Printers has established a reputation for high-quality colour printing in the general commercial environment. With a turnover in excess of £1 million, the company is able to handle print projects through from initial graphic design to in-house finishing and delivery.

Commenting on the installation on behalf of Apex Digital Graphics, Joint Managing Director Bob Usher, said: “Arlon Printing is our first customer for the new Brillia HD PRO-V plates. The new Fujifilm plate offers significant benefits to the printer from both an environmental perspective and the convenience offered in day-to-day production. With significantly less chemistry involved in plate creation the printer has to order, store and dispose of less product. The processing device also has a smaller footprint, meaning less space is required for the whole platesetter unit.”

Apex Digital Graphics can be contacted on 01442 235 236 or via the www.apexdigital.co.uk web site.

For further information on Arlon Printers call 01442 243 719 or visit the www.arlonprint.co.uk web site.

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Able-Labels Further Enabled with StudioRIP Install

Able-Labels, Earls Barton, Northampton, leaders in the production of printed self-adhesive address labels and other personalised goods since 1954, has announced details regarding the purchase of StudioRIP to enhance the company’s pre-press department. The software package was purchased through leading StudioRIP dealer Marlowe Graphic Services, Leighton Buzzard.

Labels for reel-fed production, rubber stamps, fabric markers, and golf tee’s are all produced by Able-Labels using flexographic printing plates. Origination for these plates requires the production of films using an imagesetter. A recent upgrade of the Apple front-end equipment and associated software packages at Able-Labels led to issues with the aging RIP on its Agfa AccuSet 800 imagesetting system, and support specialists Marlowe Graphic Services (MGS) were called for advice.

“Once the service experts at MGS looked at the system they could immediately see that our RIP was not sufficiently up-to-date to work with the latest front-end software,” said Tina Willson, Office Manager at the Earls Barton site. “The most cost effective solution was to change the RIP for a StudioRIP, which solved the problem.”

As well as producing films for flexographic work, the imagesetter acts as a reliable back-up for the company’s computer-to-plate system. “We had only installed the StudioRIP for a week when our CtP system developed a problem, and we had to revert to film production for all of our work,” added Tina Willson.

Commenting on the installation for MGS, Managing Director Darren Eliot said: “The situation at Able-Labels was not uncommon – company’s update their front-end systems, but don’t always realise that this has a knock-on effect for older RIP’s, as they are typically not PostScript 3 compliant. StudioRIP is suitable to work with the very latest software products, as well as a wide range of existing imagesetter products, computer-to-plate systems, proofers, and large format imaging devices, and is often the ideal solution to such problems.”

Able-Labels handles between 2,000 and 3,500 jobs every week, and its offering covers a constantly expanding 850 products, details of which can be found at its www.able-labels.co.uk web site. The company deals with some 92,000 regular customers.

For further information on Marlowe Graphic Services visit the www.marlowe.co.uk web site, or call 0870 777 0920.

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Apex Launches Five Colour Ryobi GE Press

Ryobi 525GE

Apex Digital Graphics, the official UK distributor for Ryobi presses, has announced details regarding the launch of the Ryobi 525GE B3 landscape format offset press.

The GE Series was announced as the successor to the HE Series of entry level presses by Ryobi at Drupa 2008. To date the range has included two and four-colour press variants. The announcement of the five-colour version of the machine offers printers a significant space and price saving over the equivalent Ryobi GX Series machine.

With regard to the configuration of the new press, Neil Handforth, Sales and Marketing Director at Apex Digital Graphics, said: “The five-colour configuration of the GX Series is probably our most popular. The GE variant offers considerable automation, but will take some 38% less space than a five-colour GX machine, making it ideal for companies where shop floor space is at a premium.”

The new 525GE will come complete with low pile delivery – another space saving feature. The press can also be fitted with a swing-away numbering unit (NP option) – the first time that this option has been made available for a five-colour Ryobi press. The NP option can also be retrofitted. As standard the machine will be shipped with Ryobi’s PCS-JX printing control system, incorporating an LCD touch-screen display and on-board PC for efficient networking.

“This new GE machine gives us more options,” added Neil Handforth. “We have had situations in the past where prospects were keen to invest in a five-colour B3format machine, but available space meant that the GX was not suitable for them. The GE, with its very compact design, will help us to resolve such issues.”

Combining function and style in an attractive new design the Ryobi 520GE Series includes many features for reducing make-ready times. These include semi-automatic plate changing as standard, as well as automated cleaning for ink rollers and blankets, and Ink Volume Setter software for the efficient transfer of ink profile information from the pre-press department. The PCS-JX incorporates Ryobi Program Inking to automatically supply ink to the ink rollers to match the image from the very start of printing.

Apex expects to show the new 525GE press at its Autumn Open House, which will take place on November 4^th and 5^th. List price for the new 525GE is expected to be in the region of £289,000, dependent upon specification.

Apex Digital Graphics

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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