GenesisNews: 2009 Top Ten

Having already featured some of our own favourite stories of the year, it is now time for us to showcase the stories that you, our visitors, found most compelling. These are effectively the news items that you have voted for with your clicks as being the stories that you wanted to find out about:

1. Parrot Print Installs Third Ryobi Press

There was something about this B3 landscape press installation that caught peoples interest. It was the most read story on GenesisNews for 2009, and must therefore win some sort of award!

2. Ryobi DI Elected Winner by Kall Kwik Horsham

The compelling story of a Kall Kwik franchise that has created strong ties with political party UKIP. Ryobi’s UK distributor, Apex Digital Graphics, was delighted to find the perfect application for its DI solution.

3. Benson Group Make UK Packaging Awards Shortlist

Unfortunately the appearance on the shortlist this year didn’t lead to Benson Group retaining its Packaging Company of the Year Award, but this release was certainly well read.

4. Apex Launches Five Colour Ryobi GE Press

Towards the end of 2009 Ryobi announced the introduction of the 525GE press. A full independent review of the machine can be found here.

5. StudioRIP to Exhibit at PRINT 09

At least one UK exhibitor caused a stir at PRINT 09 in Chicago. Whilst the show might not have received rave reviews with regard to attendance, the StudioRIP team were delighted with the show.

6. LED-UV Makes B2 Debut for Ryobi at PRINT 09

A second PRINT 09 mention in 6^th place, as Ryobi expands its LED-UV concept up to B2 format. This introduction has certainly caught the print sectors imagination.

7. Reflections Optix: A 3D Print Revolution

In a year when printers have been desperate for new innovations, finishing specialist Reflections introduced Optix, a new and exciting 3D print solution. See the new Reflections web site for more samples.

8. New Premises for Marlowe Graphic Services

Whilst many businesses were feeling the pinch in 2009, the pre-press specialists at Marlowe Graphic Services enjoyed a good year in service, with customers keen to hang on to their pre-press systems rather than spend on new.

9. Reflections: Feel the Fabric

More finishing excellence at number 9, with Reflections bringing new and exciting laminated solutions to the world of print. The story was well covered by the trade press.

10. Hine Labels Open House Featuring Xeikon 3000

Following its purchase of the UK’s first Xeikon 3000 digital label printing system, Hine Labels, Rotherham, showed off its new investment with an open house.

ENDS

Capacity and Contingency for Borble

Barry Griffiths and Gavin Scott, Borble directors

Rhyl-based digital label printing specialist Borble has announced the installation of the latest version of the GM finishing line for its original Xeikon 330 digital label press. The upgrade brings both of the company’s Xeikon presses (Xeikon 3300 and 330) to the same high standard of inline finishing.

Borble purchased its first Xeikon 330 complete with the full original GM finishing line in 2005. Since then the press and control system have been maintained and up-graded in parallel with Borble introducing their on-line web to print service www.labelsprint.com and LabelFlow variable data process.

In January 2009 Borble added the UK’s first Xeikon 3300 so the company has the capacity and contingency to deliver value, quality in a fast service. Now in its fifth year Borble run both presses on a two shift system and has printed some 40,000 different label designs.

Because Borble is entirely digital it does not need to make plates so a fast and cost effective service is achievable as long as there is sufficient press capacity available at all times. With the 3300 came the latest GM finishing line with improved registration, drive motors and controls and now Borble have swapped-out their original GM line for the latest version so both presses have the same highest standard of inline label finishing including UV varnish, over-lamination, die-cutting, slitting and reeling.

“Inline finishing on two presses is the position of critical mass that is needed to adequately serve the needs of our customers,” says Gavin Scott, Managing Director of Borble.

Controversially, following a period of technology and market research, Borble brought the first Xeikon 330 into the UK in 2005. “Equally innovative has been our introduction of the 3300 and our further commitment to customer service by running each press with the full suite of inline post processing ,” says Scott.

Borble co-founder Barry Griffiths added: “The digital label printing technology we selected for this business is modular, maintained, robust and reliable, and is backed by manufacturers support and our own trained staff. The label printing resource within Borble is unique in the EU and enables us to economically deliver a fast short run printed label service even when one press is receiving maintenance or up-grade attention. The simple fact is that digital presses do require occasional maintenance. We, however, need to be able to meet urgent needs of our customers all the time. Therefore this additional finishing capacity is vital to continuity of the short run label service we deliver to our customers, who tend not to hold label stock but look to us for a just-in-time service.”

Contact Borble for further information on digital label production and samples through the www.labelsprint.com web site.

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

ENDS

Watch the Xeikon 3300 digital label press in action – click here for a short video of the product.

GenesisNews: Best of 2009 Part 2, July to December

Get Touchy Feely with Fabric Lamination

Whilst 2009 might not be a year that many will want to celebrate from a business perspective, there has been good news during the course of the year. As we near the end of 2009, it is surely a good time to focus on some of those stories that we enjoyed publishing on GenesisNews. This batch is from the second half of the year: (click the headline of any story for the full version)

July 2009: Portfolios Show Guide a Touching Success

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 for the cover of its show guide and product catalogue.

August 2009: Low-Chemistry Plates for 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.

August 2009: Able-Labels Further Enabled with StudioRIP

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.

September 2009: Reflections Optix: A 3D Revolution

Reflections has announced the release of Optix, a print based product that provides a new and innovative three-dimensional optical illusion. The technology was originally developed in America, but after a recent deal with the patent holder, Reflections are proud to announce they have exclusive rights to develop and produce Optix in UK and Europe.

October 2009: Europe’s First Komori Lithrone SX40 for Benson Group

Europe’s first Komori Lithrone SX40 sheet fed press has been installed at Benson Group’s Integrated Packaging site in Gateshead. The 18,000 sheets per hour, 40 inch press is equipped with six print units and a coating unit capable of adding UV or water-based finishes.

November 2009: StudioRIP Announces New Activity in North America

StudioRIP, the UK-based independent software RIP provider, has announced details regarding the its newly formed relationship with Newtec Systems Inc, based in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. The company is to act as a distributor for the StudioRIP software in both Canada and USA.

December 2009: Integrity Print Expands into Digital Labels with Xeikon

Specialist trade print business, Integrity Print, Midsomer Norton, has announced details of an investment that will expand the company’s presence into the digital label market. The Xeikon 3300 digital label press, complete with in-line finishing, will be working alongside the company’s existing flexographic narrow-web presses.

ENDS

GenesisNews and the Best of PrintWeek 2009

Bill Hine and his Xeikon 3000

One key area for the promotion of Genesis Marketing news items is the UK’s leading printing industry publication, PrintWeek, in conjunction with its web site www.printweek.com. Here we review just a handful of the 80-plus GenesisNews stories included within the pages of PrintWeek during 2009:

January: Benson Group in Profile following a visit to the company’s head office in Bardon, Leicestershire by PrintWeek journalist Helen Morris.

January: The SRA1 format Ryobi 920 featured as a “Product of the Week”. Full details of the story can be found by clicking here.

March: Hine Labels Xeikon label press purchase was included as a news item on the digital page. Click here for the full story.

June: Reflections own glue manufacturing plant, Solutions, featured with a story detailing its first glue exports. Catch up on Solutions here.

August: “Me & My” feature on the Ryobi 755 + Coater at Leicestershire County Council. Check out this B2-format press and how it completely changed the business of this in-plant here.

August: Another “Me and My” feature on the Xeikon 3000 digital label press, as in use in this case at CS Labels in the West Midlands.

September: UK-based independent RIP supplier StudioRIP at Print 09. One of the few success stories of the show.

October: Packaging specialist Benson Group Buys Europe’s First Komori LSX40 for one of its North East based production plants. Find out more.

December: A Product of the Week feature on the recently introduced Ryobi 525GE offset litho press. The small footprint of this machine makes it ideal for printers where space is at a premium. Click here to read more.

ENDS

Integrity Print Expands into Digital Labels with Xeikon

Specialist trade print business, Integrity Print, Midsomer Norton, has announced details of an investment that will expand the company’s presence into the digital label market. The Xeikon 3300 digital label press, complete with in-line finishing, will be installed at the company during December 2009, working alongside the company’s existing flexographic narrow-web presses.

Commenting on the order for Xeikon digital label printing equipment, Andrew Law, Commercial Manager at Integrity Print, said: “Following the acquisition of various trading assets of the Topflite Labels business back in February of this year, we were keen to further invest and expand the capabilities of our flexographic-based label department. Our analysis of the workload in labels showed us that some half-a-million pounds worth of existing work was actually more suited to digital production.

“Whilst that alone was a good enough reason to establish a digital printing section, the knock-on effect of taking that business off the flexographic presses would immediately give us significantly more capacity on these machines. The short-run jobs, often consisting of a three hour make-ready for one hour, or less, of printing time, were making it quite difficult for us to schedule in our long-run work. The addition of the Xeikon will ensure that the flexo presses are much better utilised, whilst also allowing us to be much more efficient in the production of short-run labels. It really does provide our customers, and us, with a win-win situation!”

Integrity Print handles a wide range of print business for the trade, with print management companies and print brokers providing its sole customer focus. The £60 million turnover company employs 385 people, and runs 50 different presses – the new Xeikon machine being the 51^st.

With regard to the decision to purchase the Xeikon press, Andrew Law added: “We had a project team review the options available to us in the market. They evaluated the digital label machines that were on the market by quality, price, and the cost per label produced. The evaluation also took in visits to customer reference sites. Overall, the Xeikon certainly proved to be the best machine to meet our needs. The 1200 x 3600 dpi imaging resolution coupled with Xeikon’s FA toner gave some of the highest quality images that I have seen from a digital label press.”

The five-unit press features the ability to print standard four-colour process along with an opaque white, a special colour, or a security toner. The Xeikon 3300 will print at up to 19.2 meters per minute, with a monthly duty cycle of up to 700,000 meters. Imaging width is up to 322mm, and the machine can print on materials from as light as 40gsm right through to 350gsm. The dry toner electrophotography imaging process enables the use of conventional substrates without coating or pre-treatment.

Xeikon label presses can handle an unrivalled range of substrates including self-adhesive films, co-extruded films, unsupported films, paper, transparent and opaque foils, and paperboard. The press handles a substrate width of 330mm, and provides for an imaging width of 322mm. The environmentally friendly dry toner electrophotography imaging process enables the use of conventional substrates without the need for coating or pre-treatment.

For job preparation, the 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.

To complete new production unit a miniDCoat converting line will be connected to the digital press. The miniDCoat, launched at the recent LabelExpo, is an ideal investment in the current economic climate. The unit will run at a speed of up to 32 meters per minute, and can perform varnishing, semi-rotary die-cutting, slitting, and rewinding. The unit is also equipped with a buffer section to allow adjustment to the miniDCoat without stopping output from the press.

Commenting on the Integrity Print order, Greg Neesham, Sales Director for Punch Graphix UK, said: “We are delighted to be working with Integrity Print. Digital label production will certainly ensure a more efficient and cost effective print solution for a large amount of the work already produced by the company and, because of the markets that the company works in, I can imagine that the Xeikon at Integrity will be kept extremely busy.”

Further information on Integrity Print can be obtained by calling 01761 409 200 or by visiting the www.integrity-print.com web site.

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

Watch the Xeikon 3300 digital label press in action – click here for a short video of the product.

ENDS

Latest Update:

The Integrity Print news regarding its Xeikon 3300 purchase is now featured on the printweek.com and the packagingnews.co.uk web sites. Click the links to see these independent versions of the story.

GenesisNews: Best of 2009 Part 1, January to June

Feel the Fabric: See April's Entry

Whilst 2009 might not be a year that many will want to celebrate from a business perspective, there has been some good news during the course of the year. As we near the end of 2009, it is surely a good time to focus on some of those stories that we enjoyed publishing on GenesisNews. This selection is from the first six months of the year:

January 2009: Hosted Rental Service for DigiQuote and JobControl Software

TimeHarvest Limited, the award-winning software development company specialising in digital print, announced a solution to three pressing needs amongst digital printing companies: firstly, to preserve cashflow; secondly, to provide increased data security; and finally, for sales staff to be able to roam whilst still having full access to office based systems. The solution? To make TimeHarvest products available via a Hosted Rental Service. Full story . . .

February 2009: Benson Group Moves into Pharma Labels Sector

Folding carton specialist Benson Group announced details of its first move into the labels sector with the purchase of a Gallus EM340S printing press with a Scantech VisionTrack rewind and inspection machine for its pharmaceutical-focused Medica Packaging business in Crewe, Cheshire. The seven-colour Gallus EM340S UV-Flexographic press, is capable of a wide range of label production formats, including reverse printing, printing on adhesive, edge slit, in-line die cutting, as well as printing onto a wide range of substrates. Full story . . .

March 2009: UK First for Xeikon at Hine Labels

Hine Labels Ltd, Rotherham, Yorkshire, announced details of a decision to upgrade its existing Xeikon label press to a new Xeikon 3000 machine. The installation was the first Xeikon 3000 digital label press in the UK. Xeikon 3000 has been designed as a counterpart to the Xeikon 3300 label press, and contains many of the same features as its “bigger brother”. Full story . . .

March 2009: “ISO 12647 Proficient Printer” Standard for Benson Box

Benson Group, headquartered in Bardon, Leicestershire, announced details of its newly acquired “ISO 12647 Proficient Printer” status, as awarded by colour specialists Mellow Colour, for its Benson Box carton printing operation. Benson Box, Bardon, specialises in the production of folding cartons for the food industry. Work on the colour standard was also underway at the three other Benson Group sites at Gateshead, Newcastle, and Crewe, the group’s 100% pharmaceutical plant. Full story . . .

April 2009: New Ryobi as X1 Growth Continues

X1, the Slough-based print and graphic design company, 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. The incorporation of the order book and staff of Jackson Print took place in February 2009. Full story . . .

April 2009: Reflections Invited you to Feel the Fabric

Reflections, the largest speciality print finisher in the south of England, 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. Full story . . .

May 2009: MGS: Pre-Press Growth in a Recession

Marlowe Graphic Services Ltd (MGS), Leighton Buzzard, the UK’s leading independent pre-press service and maintenance company, recorded significant growth in its business during the early recessionary months fo 2009. Darren Eliot, Managing Director of MGS, said: “We have been delighted with the additional business that has been coming our way in recent months.” Full story . . .

June 2009: Ryobi DI Elected Winner by Kall Kwik Horsham

Kall Kwik Horsham declared its recent purchase of a Ryobi 3404X-DI press to be a real winner following a significant vote in its favour from political party UKIP. A local UK Independence Party (UKIP) representative recently approached the high street based franchise to produce some posters. After a swift and cost effective job was produced, further discussions took place with party leaders, and an agreement was reached for Kall Kwik Horsham to produce the political group’s publicity material for the whole of the UK during the recent local and European elections. An ongoing relationship is now being forged on the back of the performance of the Ryobi press. Full story . . .

ENDS

Software Suppliers Lend Helping Hand at Erskine

Two specialist software companies are helping ensure Erskine Print, run by the veterans’ charity Erskine, put its stamp on the commercial printing market.

Erskine, which runs five care homes across Scotland, is a leading employer of ex-Service men and women with supported employment, not only across the care sector, but its four commercial businesses which includes Erskine Print.

TimeHarvest Ltd, based in Oxford, has donated DigiQuote-Lite quoting software which will assist Erskine Print in quoting and production and help to deliver cost-effective pricing for its customer and client base.

Geoff Stephens, Managing Director of TimeHarvest Ltd, recently visited the Erskine Print factory to provide a day of software training to Alan Crawley, Erskine Print manager and his staff.

Following on from his visit, FileMaker International, the leader in easy-to-use database software and a supplier to TimeHarvest Ltd, also donated two copies of FileMaker Pro database software and accompanying licences after hearing about the work of Erskine from Geoff.

Alan Crawley, Erskine Print manager, said: “We are obviously delighted to receive such generous donations of estimating software from TimeHarvest and FileMaker, particularly in the current economic climate. It’s very gratifying that the work we do in offering meaningful employment and training to disabled and able bodied ex-Service people has been recognized in such a manner. The easy-to-use software will help us to sharpen our commercial edge in an industry where producing accurate quotations in very short time lines is vital.”

Geoff Stephens, added: “Getting professional, accurate quotes out on time is as vital to Erskine Print as it is to any commercial company. It’s our pleasure to support our veterans in this way.”

Tony Speakman, FileMaker’s Regional Manager in Northern Europe commented:“When we heard about the great work that Erskine Print are doing we were more than happy to help where we could and provide software. The team does a great job and we were hugely impressed with their efforts in helping ex-service people into the workplace. It’s an extremely worthy cause and we hope that our donation can help to make them even more productive and successful.”

For further details about Erskine Print visit www.erskine.org.uk.

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TimeHarvest: Invoice in Just One Click!

TimeHarvest, the award-winning MIS system for digital print companies, has responded to the current postal difficulties by adding a new e-invoicing facility to its popular JobControl product.

With just one click users are able to send an invoice as an e-mail with a branded PDF attached. At the same time a copy of the invoice is archived in a “Sent Invoices” mailbox. Invoices can also carry a user-defined promotional message via another feature recently added to the JobControl system.

New users will benefit from this feature immediately, whilst existing hosted customers can have the feature added free of charge on request. The new facility is also available to non-hosted clients for a small charge.

Geoff Stephens, Managing Director of TimeHarvest, said: “In these challenging times I firmly believe that small businesses need to help look after each other. The idea for adding this simple feature to our software was born purely out of recent events with the postal workers. Small businesses need to get their invoices to customers on time, often in order to meet payment system deadlines. Just a couple of days delay caused by a postal strike can often mean having to wait a whole month longer for payment. By generating an instant PDF and e-mailing it through to the client our customers will be able to avoid any such delay.”

The TimeHarvest JobControl software – the MIS package developed for the busy digital printer – provides the tools to produce all necessary job documentation from job ticket through to invoice. The product features the “Day Board” where users can see exactly where each job is in the print production process, and can also see what work has yet to be completed.

TimeHarvest was founded in 2003 by digital print veteran Geoff Stephens for the express purpose of developing affordable, easy-to-use software aimed squarely at users of modern digital presses. The company operates from the UK but has clients throughout Europe, North America and South Africa.

For further information visit the www.timeharvest.com web site or contact the company direct at TimeHarvest Ltd, Mill Corner, Littleworth Village, Oxford, OX33 1TR, telephone 01865 989111.

ENDS

Limpet Labels Expand Digital Offering with Xeikon 3000

Limpet Labels, Wrexham, has announced an expansion into digital label production with the purchase of a new Xeikon 3000 digital label press. Established in 1992, the North Wales-based company specialises in the production of self-adhesive labels for the chemical, oil, hygiene industries and other markets where high label quality and durability are required.

Commenting on the company’s latest investment in digital equipment, Lee Goode, Managing Director of Limpet Labels, said: “Digital label printing is playing an ever more important role in the market, and we need ensure that we are keeping up with the very latest technology in this area. We recognise that customer needs are changing with shorter run lengths, just-in-time production, and a larger number of product variants. We believe that by moving further into digital production we will be able to help our customers to reduce their stock levels of label products, and provide labels that incorporate variable data, such as unique bar codes or sequential numbering. Undoubtedly, digital gives a label print business significantly more flexibility, and that is something that we believe our customers will benefit from.

“I believe that digital printing technology is not going to replace conventional printing methods in the foreseeable future, however, it is an important piece of a jigsaw puzzle in label production today. With our new investment we will be able to offer a complete package to our customers as well as gain a significant competitive advantage over our competitors.”

Limpet Labels currently run two Mark Andy LP3000 flexographic presses, the second of which was installed in September 2008, and automatic-feed screen printing. The company currently produces in excess of 5 million labels per month.

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 press handles a substrate width of 330mm, and provides for an imaging width of 322mm. The environmentally friendly dry toner electrophotography imaging process enables the use of conventional substrates without the need for coating or pre-treatment.

For job preparation, the Xeikon press is 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.

Commenting on the Limpet Labels order, Greg Neesham, Sales Director for Punch Graphix UK, said: “The team at Limpet Labels have taken a long hard look at the digital market and decided that the time is right for them to invest in a product that will further advance their competitive advantage in the market place. The outstanding quality, colour consistency and accuracy of the Xeikon 3000 will fit well into this established label production business.”

Further information on Limpet Labels can be obtained by calling 01978 66 44 11 or by visiting the www.limpetlabels.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.

ENDS

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.

ENDS

Jade Adds Specialist Digital Finishing

Further to the recent announcement regarding its first move into digital print production with the purchase of an HP Indigo press 3500, Jade Press Ltd, Leeds, has detailed the purchase of specialist finishing equipment for its digital department. The Morgana products were also purchased from Digital People UK Ltd, Chessington, Surrey, the company that supplied the Indigo machine.

Commenting on the decision to add a Morgana Documaster and Morgana CardXtra for the finishing of its digital output, Darren Shepherd, Managing Director of Jade Press, said: “The Morgana equipment was purchased to provide creasing, folding and stitching capabilities for the shorter runs typically produced by digital. Our research, prior to the purchase, suggested that some local suppliers seemed to be completing digital work by hand producing very poor finished results, poor folds , cracked spines, and inaccurate stitching. In our opinion, adding a professional finish to a digitally produced job is just as important as getting the print end of the work right.

“The Morgana kit is producing superb quality, and we have also included the Square Back option to create a square spine on booklets with higher page counts. This has been so popular with customers that we have even finished a few litho jobs with the Morgana kit to achieve the square spine.

“These units are very important additions to the investment as it means we have created a high quality digital finishing solution, where delivery time is not compromised by the volume of litho work that we are working on.

Established in 1973, Jade Press has built a reputation for quality, reliability, honesty and integrity – all the values that a family owned business can ensure are continued to be delivered. The company works in partnership with UK and international clients, providing the best solutions for their general commercial printing requirements. Print advice is based on a wealth of experience from a dedicated team capable of delivering a wide range of solutions.

Morgana DocuMaster

The JDF-ready Morgana DocuMaster is a complete digital finishing system which provides near-line bookletmaking for printers producing pre-collated sets from digital print engines. Because it creases sheets as part of the feeding and bookletmaking operation it dispenses with the need for removing sheets that need creasing, creasing them and then re-collating the set. In addition to producing quality booklets with a perfect bound appearance, the unit will also act as a stand-alone creaser for 4pp documents and handles perforating as well.

The DocuMaster will handle variable data material, sending and retrieving data via a web browser, ready to be integrated into a complete workflow and MIS package. It is designed to work with any existing system without the need for any additional software.

The DocuMaster takes a maximum sheet size of 630 x 330mm and handles weights in excess of 350gsm. It has a programming facility that allows 9 repeat jobs to be stored and instantly retrieved.

Morgana CardXtra

In contrast to the multi-functional DocuMaster the Morgana CardXtra is a highly specialised unit designed specifically to produce business cards simply, quickly and cost effectively. It offers several programmes to store jobs for repeat work and optional cutters for other work, such as postcards, are available.

The suction-feed CardXtra is fast to set up, takes A3 sheets up to 325gsm and produces 140 business cards a minute. It offers huge savings over conventional methods of business card production.

Commenting on the installation for Digital People, Jerry Widdowson, Chairman, said: “Jade Press is a high-quality litho printer that can see real opportunity by expanding into the digital printing sector. Darren and the team can appreciate the need for a complete solution with regard to digital, and it was important for them to make the additional investment in finishing equipment in order to provide the company with a department that could produce work regardless of what is being produced by the litho side of the business.”

For further information on Jade Press call 0113 248 0929 or visit the www.jadeprint.com web site. For further details about Digital People call 0845 130 1445 or visit the www.thedigitalpeople.com web site.

Ryobi DI Elected Winner by Kall Kwik Horsham

Ryobi's Direct Imaging Press

Kall Kwik Horsham has declared its recent purchase of a Ryobi 3404X-DI press to be a real winner following a significant vote in its favour from political party UKIP.

A local UK Independence Party (UKIP) representative recently approached the high street based franchise to produce some posters. After a swift and cost effective job was produced, further discussions took place with party leaders, and an agreement was reached for Kall Kwik Horsham to produce the political group’s publicity material for the whole of the UK during the recent local and European elections. An ongoing relationship is now being forged.

“The Ryobi 3404X-DI was only installed by Apex Digital Graphics at the beginning of May,” said Zoe Glavin of Kall Kwik Horsham. “It took a couple of weeks for training and for us to get ourselves used to the press, and then we were producing election material for UKIP at all hours of the day! The new press is so quick – we just couldn’t have produced this volume of work without it. We were downloading files into the press straight from the customer’s e-mail, and then taking the printed sheets from the press to the guillotine for trimming and packing. The waterless inking system of the DI meant that we didn’t have to wait for sheets to dry – they are dry to the touch when they come off the press.” The performance of the press has enabled Kall Kwik Horsham to out-perform most other UK Kall Kwik businesses, according to recent monthly production statistics.

With regard to the selection of a DI press, which has joined an traditional two-colour Ryobi offset press, partner George Glavin added, “We typically handle run lengths from 500 through to 5,000, but our most regular requirement is for runs of 1,000 or 2,000 prints. This work is ideal for the DI style of press. Our customers are also very demanding with regard to turnaround time, and the waterless printing system on the DI is ideal from this perspective. The other important factor in favour of the DI is its footprint. We are in a high street location – which suits our business very well – but space is at a premium. To be able to have platemaking and printing in one compact unit is ideal for us.

“Our press operator thinks the machine is absolutely fantastic,” added George Glavin. “Four-colour images are in perfect register from sheet one.”

Kall Kwik Horsham employs a team of six, and has been in the hands of Zoe and George Glavin for two years. The Kall Kwik Horsham business itself has been running for some 20 years and still benefits from a high street location.

With regard to the support provided by Apex Digital Graphics, Zoe Glavin has nothing but praise: “Apex have been fantastic right the way through the purchasing process. They are a nice company to deal with. We purchase all of our supplies through them now, and it is such a pleasure to be able to actually speak to a person when you phone, rather than an automated answering service!”

Ryobi 3404X-DI

The 3404X-DI provides for A3-sized, portrait format, four-colour digital offset printing, and feature on-press imaging and waterless printing. The machines incorporates the ProFire Excel imaging system, which uses a 16-micron laser spot size, imaging at 2540 dots per inch. This resolution makes the 3404X-DI capable of supporting FM screening and conventional screening up to 300 lines per inch (120 l/cm).

As an aid to further automation, 3404X-DI also features an enhanced Ryobi Program Inking system. This automatically selects the conversion curve for each colour according to the image area ratio calculated from pre-press data. The ink-key settings, ink fountain roller speed, and the number of contacts by the ink doctor roller are all controlled via information from the conversion curves, assuring optimum inking throughout the run. The system is claimed to provide highly accurate inking from start-up, and thus minimal waste.

Commenting on the installation for Apex Digital Graphics, Neil Handforth, Sales and Marketing Director, said: “The requirements at Kall Kwik Horsham suited the DI’s capabilities very well. A typical run length of 1,000 to 2,000 copies, quick handling of the sheets for fast turnaround, and a limited amount of space – an ideal set of demands for a DI press. The press has already shown it capabilities under pressure during its first few weeks with the fast and efficient production of time-sensitive election materials. This illustrates very well the sort of performance that such a machine is capable of.”

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

For further information on Kall Kwik Horsham call 01403 211 511.

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Ministerial Visit to Rhyl-based Borble

Rhyl-based self-adhesive label specialist, Borble, was visited by Welsh Deputy First Minister and Minister for Economy and Transport Ieuan Wyn Jones on Thursday, June 11. The company installed its second Xeikon digital label press earlier this year – the UK’s first Xeikon 3300.

The Welsh Assembly Government supported these developments with a £75,000 AIG/SIF grant for the new printing machine.  The company currently employ a total staff of 11 full time and are now in their fifth year of operation.

Ieuan Wyn Jones said: “It is good to see a company which is investing in leading edge technology, training staff in new skills and serving other businesses in the Welsh economy.  I understand the company have printed over 30,000 different designs including brand labels for food packaging, cheese producers, chemical manufacturers and the cosmetics industry.”

A new start-up business back in March 2005, Borble specialises in digital label and printed wallpaper border production (the name Borble came from an amalgamation of the words border and label, the markets that the company was designed to serve). The business has already grown past its £1.2 million turnover for 2008, and is running its two Xeikon presses on double-day shifts.

Borble Director Barry Griffiths was delighted for his company to be the subject of a ministerial visit: “It was a great pleasure for us to be able to show off our business to Mr Wyn Jones and he found the visit very interesting. In addition to the production facilities we were able to show him our recently added web-based ordering system, which has grown significantly in recent months.”

The new web-to-print based system at Borble, which can be found at the www.labelsprint.com address, provides visitors with the ability to obtain a quote or place an order in three easy steps. The password protected customer area of the site allows users to archive and manage files so that only current designs are visible. Reprints of these labels can be ordered online quickly and easily.

Some 50% of Borble’s label business is from trade accounts. “Flexo printers just cannot match digital for cost when it comes to short run work,” explains Barry Griffiths. “Because we have very little in the way of set-up costs we are always competitive where low quantities are required. Because no plates are required we can also very quickly produce a press-proof for a customer, using the exact colours and stock of the final job. Press-proofs are a tremendous advantage – the customer can see exactly how the job will look on the selected substrate.” Other key markets for the company include chemical, food, cosmetics, industrial and promotional labels.

The five-unit Xeikon 3300 features the ability to print standard four-colour process along with an opaque white, a special colour, or a security toner. It will print at up to 19.2 meters per minute, with a monthly duty cycle of up to 700,000 meters. Imaging width is up to 322mm, and the machine can print on materials from as light as 40 gsm right through to 350 gsm. The dry toner electrophotography imaging process enables the use of conventional substrates without coating or pre-treatment. As with the Xeikon 330, the new machine has been supplied complete with its own inline finishing station via Xeikon’s relationship with Danish equipment supplier GM.

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 Borble call 01745 360159 or visit the www.labelsprint.com web site.

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Hine Labels: Digital and Flexo Quality Match

Hine Labels Ltd, Rotherham, Yorkshire, in conjunction with Punch Graphix UK, held 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 focused on the compatibility of digital with traditional flexo printing. Tests produced during the open day demonstrated the ability of Hine Labels to produce identical print quality from both processes, which Bill Hine, Managing Director of Hine Labels, sees as critical in order for digital to take an ever more significant proportion of the label printing market.

“Our business comes mainly 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,” said Bill Hine.

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. The system allows customer files to be prepared in advance of selecting which process will produce the final job. “This means that we do not have to make a decision whether a job will be printed digitally or via flexo until the last minute,” said Bill Hine. “Certainly the quality that we can achieve with our Xeikon 3000 is a very good match to the labels produced via the flexographic process, so the decision as to how to produce a given job is down to other factors, such as run length or how quickly the customer needs the job, or a part of the job.”

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. 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 were especially pleased to be able to show off Hine Labels new Xeikon 3000 to a wider audience. Visitor numbers on the day were excellent, and many label producers were particularly excited to see the match we were able to show them between digital and flexo label printing. Digital systems have made huge advances in recent years, and most traditional label printers now realise that they need to have some digital offering for their markets.”

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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First Move into Digital for Leeds-based Jade Press

Jade Press Ltd, Leeds, has made its first move into digital print production with the installation of an HP Indigo press 3500. The new system was purchased from the UK’s only authorised Business Partner for HP Indigo products, Digital People UK Ltd, Chessington, Surrey.

Commenting on the decision to move into digital, Darren Shepherd, Managing Director of Jade Press, said: “It adds another dimension to our business. It was important to us, however, not to compromise on quality. Digital certainly has its advantages in terms of its ability to handle short runs, and personalised print, but often it is easy to spot a digitally produced sheet because of the quality.

“We chose the HP Indigo press because it was able to produce quality comparable to offset-litho. We have already produced a piece of promotional material for ourselves printed litho on one side and digital on the other to allow customers to see for themselves how accurately we can produce an image using either technology.

“Many businesses are reducing run lengths, and we therefore believe that there could be no better time to get into digital than right now. We also believe that it is a good time for print buyers to exploit the benefits of personalised print – something that you cannot even hope to produce via traditional print techniques.” Jade Press runs two B2-format Komori Lithrone presses for its litho printed work.

The move into digital has allowed Jade to fully explore the benefits of web-to-print, which it handles through its Tharstern system. “Some £2 million of our business is contracted work with such organisations as local councils and hotel chains. Their individual operations can now log into our system, make their own adjustments to the generic print materials that they require, and then order their own specific requirements in terms of quantity. Digital output is a huge advantage in this area, as many of the individual run lengths are small, but the jobs are required very quickly. Customers have already found this solution to be a real winner for them,” confirmed Darren Shepherd.

As part of the purchase from Digital People, the Jade Press order included Morgana finishing equipment. “The Morgana equipment was purchased to provide creasing, folding and stitching capabilities for the shorter runs typically produced by digital, but in fact we have already used the equipment for several jobs that were produced on our litho presses.”

Established in 1973, Jade Press has built a reputation for quality, reliability, honesty and integrity – all the values that a family owned business can ensure are continued to be delivered. The company works in partnership with UK and international clients, providing the best solutions for their general commercial printing requirements. Print advice is based on a wealth of experience from a dedicated team capable of delivering a wide range of solutions.

The HP Indigo press 3500 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 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: “Jade Press is a high-quality litho printer that can see real opportunity by expanding into the digital printing sector. With the installation of the HP Indigo press 3500 they are providing customers with the same litho quality that they have come to expect from Jade, but with the added benefits that only digital can offer, such as fast and economical short-run production, and the potential of variable data production.”

For further information on Jade Press call 0113 248 0929 or visit the www.jadeprint.com web site.

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

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