StudioRIP Announces New Activity in North America

Norman Reedman, President, Newtec Systems Inc

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, with a view to the creation of StudioRIP North America, which will trade as a division of Newtec Systems.

First product sales have already been recorded, with one StudioRIP full workflow solution being sold to a Toronto-based print shop, and another package being sold to the Canadian subsidiary of PaperlinX Ltd. The later customer is expected to become a full StudioRIP OEM partner in the near future, according to Newtec Systems President, Norman Reedman.

Newtec Systems Inc has worked closely with Paperlinx International over the last six months and has successfully concluded a private label agreement where Paperlinx will incorporate both RealVue 3D and StudioRip Workflow Edition into their line or pre-media products worldwide.

This North American success comes as a direct result of StudioRIP’s recent appearance at the PRINT 09 show in Chicago. Andy Hemmings, Sales Director for StudioRIP, said: “The show represented the ideal opportunity for StudioRIP to create relationships with potential partner companies, and our meeting with the team from Newtec Systems was certainly the most successful. We have met with Norman and his team again since the show, and we have been able to agree on a plan for distribution in both Canada and the United States. Newtec Systems have an experienced pre-press team, and we are looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship.”

Technical training for the personnel who will man the fledging StudioRIP North America operation is already underway, and the Newtec Systems team are currently identifying suitable partners within the North American market. “We are seeking to appoint a number of experienced re-sellers in order to cover this large territory,” said Norman Reedman. “It is important for us to find the right partners. We certainly are not going to just appoint everybody who shows a mere interest. We will need partners who understand the business, are going to be proactive in the market, and can recognise the huge potential in the StudioRIP product.

“PaperlinX will be an important OEM for the product, and we are also in discussion with a number of other major resellers who may want to take a similar OEM status,” he added. “We certainly expect to have achieved some significant results in North America by the time the Graphics of the Americas Expo show [Miami, Florida] comes around in February.”

About StudioRIP

StudioRIP is a software RIP compatible with PostScript Level 3 and PDF 1.7, 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.

ENDS

LED-UV Curing System Wins Award for Ryobi

The Award is Presented

Ryobi’s innovative LED-UV curing system, which made its debut in B3-format at Drupa last year and enjoyed its first B2 appearance at the recent PRINT 09 event in Chicago, has been awarded with the Nippon (Japan) Brand Prize at the 39^th Machine Design Award competition.

Ryobi is the first printing press manufacturer to put LED-UV curing to practical use, and is delighted to accept this award for its efforts.

The LED-UV curing unit replaces conventional UV lamps with long-life UV light-emitting diodes (LED’s), cutting power consumption by at least 70%. Drying times are shortened, speeding up job completion, whilst the light source should last as much as 15 times longer than conventional lamps. The system generates minimal heat and no ozone, providing a real environmental plus, and eliminating the need for exhaust equipment to handle both heat and ozone.

The LED-UV unit is available for the two-up Ryobi 520 Series press, the B-2+ format 750 Series, and the eight-up Ryobi 920 Series press.

This breakthrough technology is viewed by many as the most significant advancement in UV technology for 30 years. Light emitting diodes (LED’s) are extremely efficient. Instead of using electricity to heat up a metal filament, LED’s produce light by channelling an electric current through a semiconductor material. The result: close to 100% of the electricity is converted into light with virtually no waste heat generation.

The Machine Design Award competition is sponsored by the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun newspaper and is supported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). The Awards were established in 1970 to promote and develop industrial product design.

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.

ENDS

Hi-Tech Print Solutions Company Goes Global

Tony O'Neill, Managing Director of Mediatoolbox

Bedfordshire-based Mediatoolbox, a company providing innovative software solutions for the digital printing and graphics art industries, has just signed an agreement that will give it significant global exposure – with help from UK Trade & Investment.

Tony O’Neill set up Mediatoolbox in May 2005 having spotted the potential benefits that the internet could bring to the world of digital printing.  Working with a team of software developers based in Berlin, he has created a set of browser-based applications that gives traditional digital printers the means to increase their sales while cutting their costs.

Tony explained: “I realised there was a real opportunity to harness the power of the internet by developing software solutions that would make trading easier for printers and their clients. By using our range of solutions they can give their clients a faster and more efficient service, while at the same time significantly cutting costs and – because this is all web-based – they can also radically re-think their traditional sales territory.”

Right from the start, Tony’s vision was that the company would be international. His own sales background has previously taken him all over Europe so he was well aware of the potential for trading overseas.

However, as this was his first lone business venture he still felt the need for some specialist advice in tackling international markets. One of his first ports of call was UK Trade & Investment. Having contacted them via their website, he was delighted when International Trade Adviser, Martin Keepfer got in touch. Since then Martin has worked closely with Tony, having regular review and planning meetings and providing practical help in the form of grants and finding translators.

In 2007 Tony attended a graphics art exhibition in Barcelona as a guest of Punch Graphix and was advised by UK Trade and Investment to translate his brochure into both Spanish and Catalan – which for both commercial and historical reasons was very important to the local graphic arts business community. Tony explained: “I could immediately see that this advice was absolutely spot on. Our sales prospects were impressed by our professionalism and our respect for local business ethics and traditions.”

The deal with Punch Graphix means that Mediatoolbox’s software solutions will be installed in Punch Graphix’s worldwide demonstration suite in Lier, Belgium, and will be demonstrated alongside Xeikon’s range of printing presses. Tony said: “It’s taken a lot of hard work to get us to this point but we are genuinely excited at the worldwide exposure to potential customers this deal will give us. I have a lot to thank UKTI for. They have given me a huge amount of practical help and Martin has been incredibly enthusiastic and committed throughout.”

“Mediatoolbox has been an exemplary client,” said Martin Keepfer, International Trade Adviser. “I have worked with founder Tony O’Neill since early 2006, almost from the start-up stage. By making use of the full range of UKTI services along the way, the company has now established itself in a number of foreign markets.  In particular our Market Visit Support and Tradeshow Access Programme have helped Tony exhibit his range of printing software solutions in a number of markets that otherwise may not have been economically accessible to him. “

For more information about Mediatoolbox go to www.media-toolbox.com. For more information about Punch Graphix and Xeikon go to http://www.punchgraphix.com

ENDS

Hine Labels Open House Featuring Xeikon 3000

Bill Hine with the Xeikon 3000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ENDS

New Ryobi as X1 Growth Continues

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ENDS

Reflections: Feel the Fabric

The fabric lamination from Reflections

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

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

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

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

About Reflections

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

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

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

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

ENDS

Document Options Invests in HP Indigo for Quality

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Digital People (UK) Ltd

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

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

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

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

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

ENDS

IPEX 2010: Less than 400 days

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

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

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

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

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

Power Consumption Tops Apex Agenda

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Apex Digital Graphics – The Solutions Provider

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

ENDS

HP Indigo 5000 for WHP Newbury

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Digital People (UK) Ltd

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

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

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

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

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

ENDS

Burgopak Success with Help from Medica

Medica Packaging, Crewe, Benson Group’s 100% pharmaceutical business, has revealed details of its work with Burgopak, the company that specialises in the differentiation of pharmaceutical products in a highly competitive market.

The pharmaceutical packaging industry has been tasked with finding the right balance between usage, senior-friendly accessibility and child-resistance. Burgopak’s Pharma Series of packaging presents an impressive solution: the single- and double-blister packs slide out to reveal both the blister and the attached patient information leaflet.

Burgopak worked closely with Medica Packaging in the creation of sample packages for the US market. The sample packs were created for testing by Perritt Laboratories to establish that the Burgopak solutions met the US Consumer Product and Safety Commission’s requirements for child resistence and senior accessibility.

Commenting on the contribution of Medica Packaging, Mark Symonds, Burgopak, said: “Medica were particularly helpful in assisting us with the selection of the right board to use for this carton. The card wrap needed to be hard wearing and tear resistant, but still offer the right print characteristics and weight. The creation of the packs included some 12 months of testing and evaluation prior to submission to Perritt Laboratories.”

Burgopak successfully achieved the US Consumer Product and Safety Commission’s F=1 standard for child-resistant effectiveness and senior friendly standard.  This is in conformity with US regulatory standards for poison prevention packaging.  The latest addition to Burgopak’s Pharma Series achieved the F=1 standard with impressive results (child-resistant effectiveness at 98%, and senior adult use effectiveness at a pass rate at 95%).  Named, Burgopak continues to advance the technology of pharmaceutical compliance packaging with its compelling designs.

Patient compliance is one of the most hotly discussed topics in the pharmaceutical industry today and represents a challenge for healthcare providers and manufacturers alike.  Burgopak’s sliding packs ensures that all compliance and safety information remains conveniently attached to the medicine at all times, whilst also being portable and easy to use.

Already in use in the UK with Bayer’s Rennie® ICE “Pocket Pack” line of over-the-counter antacids, Burgopak’s sliding package designs have received numerous accolades, including the “Compliance Package of the Year” (US Healthcare Compliance Packaging Council) in 2007 and “Best Compliance Package” at Pharmapack in 2008.  Burgopak currently offers single-blister, double-blister and senior-friendly designs that can be customized to accommodate nearly any pill, blister or leaflet size.

Burgopak’s recent partnership with RxPak, a subsidiary of McKesson Corporation, will bring its pioneering pharmaceutical packaging style to the American market in 2010.  Fully automated production on state-of-the-art Bosch Sigpack machinery makes the Burgopak design solution a cost-effective, reliable and entirely customizable unit dose package.

The flexibility of the package also allows the incorporation of patient loyalty or reward cards, and its compact size ensures it is ideally suitable for travel and on-the-go use.  The pack’s high structural integrity extends its lifespan and ensures the patient retains the entire pack intact at all times.

Commenting on the success of the package, Sarah Serlenga, Sales Manager at Medica Packaging, said: “We have been working with Burgopak for some time, and it was a pleasure to be involved in this challenging project. Child-resistant pharmaceutical packs are a hot industry topic, and so it was good for Medica to be involved in the creation of this impressive solution. We are, of course, delighted with the finished product, and also with the news that the pack has passed close examination by the appropriate US regulatory bodies.”

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.

ENDS

UK First for Xeikon at Hine Labels

Hine Labels Ltd, Rotherham, Yorkshire, has announced details of a decision to upgrade its existing Xeikon label press to a new Xeikon 3000 machine. The installation will be the first Xeikon 3000 digital label press in the UK, following the launch of the machine in September 2008. 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”.

Bill Hine, Managing Director of Hine Labels, said: “Our original Xeikon 330, installed at the end of 2007, allowed us a good insight into the digital labels market, providing us with the opportunity to talk digital with our existing customers, and to work our way through the whole of the digital production cycle – which is, of course, quite different to our traditional flexographic business. The further enhancements in both image quality and production speed for the Xeikon 3000 meant that it was the next logical step for us.”

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.

“Our business comes from trade customers. They generally don’t have a preference with regard to the printing process that we use. What they want is high quality, colour consistent labels in the shortest possible production time. 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.

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

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.

“Xeikon 3000 also offers an immediate upgrade path when digital volume requirements increase,” added Bill Hine, referring to the ability to enhance the machines capabilities up to those of the Xeikon 3300 label press.

With regard to the markets for digitally produced labels, Bill Hine said: “It has certainly enabled us to open new doors with existing customers. The ability to economically produce shorter runs has a strong appeal in many market sectors, and we have also become involved in a number of test marketing programmes – an ideal task for digital production, as we can create any number of label variants within a short space of time.”

Commenting on the new Hine Labels purchase, Greg Neesham, Sales Director for Punch Graphix UK, said: “We are delighted to be able to enhance the label production system at Hine Labels to the latest specifications of the Xeikon 3000. With regard to image quality, Xeikon 3000 can produce 1200 dpi at four bits per spot, which raises the bar in terms of high quality digital label production. We believe that this will ensure that Hine Labels can seamlessly transfer work between label printing processes.”

Hine Labels, in conjunction with Xeikon, expect to hold an open day featuring its new digital label press in during May 2009. Full details to be released shortly.

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.

ENDS

P&O Largest Cruise Ship Equipped with HP Indigo

Ventura, P&O Cruises’ new super-liner and now the largest cruise ship in the fleet, has been equipped with full on-board printing capabilities with an HP Indigo 1050 machine, supplied by Digital People, Chessington, Surrey. The digital press will be used to produce a wide range of printed products including menus, schedules, welcome packs, daily newspapers and marketing collateral on a daily basis.

In addition to the installation of its new HP Indigo 1050, P&O Cruises also purchased DirectSmile software to personalise its printed items. It has been able to use this combination of technologies to produce customised and personalised print items using the data from the ship’s passenger list.

“We wanted to improve the quality of our printed on-board communications for our customers, so we invested in an HP Indigo press,” said Steven Spilsbury, fleet marketing and communications manager, P&O Cruises. “At P&O Cruises, we pride ourselves on being attentive to our customers’ requirements. Our new press and personalisation software enables us to produce high-quality print that is relevant to the reader and accurately reflects our brand values.”

The press was installed in Italy in a custom built pressroom whilst the ship was being constructed. Digital People used its experience gained after installing an HP Indigo press on-board sister company Ocean Village’s cruise ship, Ocean Village 2, to overcome the challenges of installing a press on a cruise ship. Digital People ensured that the correct power requirements were fitted in the new pressroom and even dismantled the press on land in order for it to fit through the liner’s one-metre wide doors and re-built the press on board Ventura.

“Digital People were excellent and handled the installation brilliantly. They were very enthusiastic and worked hard to ensure that the installation ran smoothly,” said Spilsbury.

Since its installation, the HP Indigo press has printed over 100,000 impressions per month for the ship’s passengers, and it is vital that its HP Indigo 1050 produces the highest quality printed items at all times.

Chris Blanchard, Director, Digital People, said: “We work very closely with P&O Cruises to ensure that its HP Indigo press is maintained to high standards. We provided operator and engineering training at our headquarters in Chessington, Surrey, to maximise uptime and keep the press running efficiently. We also provide support to P&O Cruises whilst the ship is in port in the UK and in the Caribbean. Additionally remote support facilities are in place so we can diagnose and handle any issues that may arise whilst the ship is at sea.”

Steven Spilsbury, concluded, “We have been very happy with our new HP Indigo press 1050, which is able to colour match the P&O Cruises’ logo perfectly. Our customers have noticed the difference and we have received some very positive feedback about our digitally printed items.”

About Ventura

Ventura, the largest member of the P&O fleet, incorporates 19 decks, all overflowing with stylish features and innovative facilities. Cosmopolitan to the core, Ventura has taken everything P&O Cruises are renowned for – quality, choice, attention to detail, seamless service, fine-dining – but added her own unique twist.

The menus are still as mouth-watering, but there’s the opportunity to dine in Marco Pierre White’s first restaurant at sea. Artwork still adorns the walls, but there are over 7,000 specially commissioned pieces to admire. The theatre shows are still as spectacular, but you’ll also find tribute acts, comedians, pianists, live bands and classical recitals on board. And above all, the P&O Cruises unfaltering dedication to offering the ultimate holiday experience still stands strong.

About Digital People (UK) Ltd

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

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

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

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

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

ENDS

NXP Europe Turns To HP Indigo 3050 for Quality

NXP Europe Limited, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, has announced details of its decision to install an HP Indigo 3050 press, adding further digital capacity to the business, which also currently runs a Xerox 6060. The new system was purchased from the UK’s only authorised Master Reseller for HP Indigo products, Digital People UK Ltd, Chessington, Surrey.

NXP Europe has been using the Xerox 6060 machine since replacing a NexPress machine that was not performing to the expected cost-per-copy levels. Commenting on his latest purchase decision, Peter Doyle, Managing Director, NXP Europe, said: “We needed to add extra digital capacity. Having discussed our situation with some of our existing customers, we were interested to find that they had a strong preference for HP Indigo print quality. Some even suggested that they would be happy to provide us with more work if we moved to an HP Indigo machine.

“We went along to Digital People in Chessington to see a machine in action and were immediately impressed by both the quality and performance of the machine. Since the machine has been installed we have been delighted with the reliability of the HP Indigo, and our productivity has trebled at least. Our previous experiences with digital machines was that they were terribly unreliable, and that had been a major cause for concern for us. When you are offering customers’ fast turnaround times, you have to be able to keep your promises!

“We have also been delighted with the variety of substrates that we have been able to print on with the new machine. Not only will the HP Indigo handle 350gsm materials, but it will do so at the same speed as thinner papers,” added Peter Doyle. “Our other machine slows down significantly if we need to print on heavier stocks, or with heavy toner coverage. The HP Indigo just keeps on printing!

“Once we had made the decision to purchase an HP Indigo press, we were confident that we would receive excellent service and advice from Digital People, as we had spoken with a number of the company’s existing customers. They have certainly met and even surpassed our expectations.

“Print quality is critical to our business and, using the HP Indigo 3050, we can now offer “litho-quality” digital print to our clients. An upgrade to our online systems will take place over the next few months to accommodate the expected increase in business.”

NXP Europe, a 100% digital print producer, prints for its own clients as well as offering a trade service to other print businesses.

The company has been involved with web-to-print applications to help drive demand for more than five years. This impressive use of technology includes a bespoke application for managing and printing aircraft safety manuals for a high profile UK airline. Given the company’s expertise in web-to-print applications, NXP Europe has agreed to become Digital People’s test partner for its new “Click for Print” online service. This product is free to set-up for the HP Indigo user community – see www.thedigitalpeople.com for the latest information on “Click for Print”.

Chris Blanchard, Director, Digital People, said: “We are delighted to be providing NXP Europe with the quality of digital print output demanded by the company’s customers. The HP Indigo 3050 is the ideal solution for this company, given the high demands placed on it with regard to reliability, turnaround, and litho-like quality.

“We have already forged a close relationship with NXP, and have gained a good understand of their business requirements. We are delighted to be able to work with them as a test site for new online and variable data solutions, and look forward to assisting with any future investments made through Digital People.”

For further information on NXP Europe call 01892 512 401 or visit the www.nxpeurope.com web site.

Island Scan Installs First Xeikon 5000 in Guernsey

Island Scan Ltd, Guernsey’s leading digital printing specialist, has announced details regarding the purchase of a Xeikon 5000 digital colour press, which will replace one of the company’s two current Xeikon machines, a DCP50. This latest investment will provide for significant efficiencies in print production, making the business even more competitive, and decreasing turnaround times even further.

Currently celebrating the 20^th Anniversary of the company, Island Scan’s André Digard, commented on the new addition: “We had concerns regarding falling behind with our existing front-end technology, and were speaking with Xeikon about replacing our unit with an X-800 front-end, but then we looked at the potential of the Xeikon 5000 and were very impressed by the range of other enhancements that it would bring to the business.

“The 5000 is significantly faster than our existing machines, which means that we can be more competitive on pricing; the fifth colour unit means that we can provide better solutions for our corporate customers; and the increased stock range that can be printed on the Xeikon 5000, including thicknesses of substrate up to 350gsm, will undoubtedly open up new business opportunities.”

The new machine will join an existing Xeikon 500, a collection of large format print equipment, and ink-jet printing devices at the all digital Island Scan. The new addition, the Xeikon 5000, provides the ability to produce up to 4.2 million pages per month.

Island Scan prints a wide range of general commercial work on its equipment for both blue-chip and local customers, including work for the island’s tourist industry. A fortnightly publication for the residents of nearby Alderney entails a 1,000 copy print run of some 56 pages.

Commenting on the order for Xeikon supplier Punch Graphix UK, Managing Director Chris Matthews, said: “Firstly, congratulations to the team at Island Scan on the 20^th anniversary of the company. We are always delighted to be able to take an existing Xeikon user up to the next level of digital print production. We are convinced that the capabilities of the Xeikon 5000, particularly when used in tandem with the company’s existing Xeikon 500, will give Island Scan a formidable printing capability.”

Xeikon 5000

The Xeikon 5000 has all the features that have become Xeikon’s trademark: true One-Pass-Duplex™, high-quality digital imagine, a substrate width of 500 mm combined with virtually unlimited sheet length, and the capability to print onto a wide variety of substrates.

The Xeikon 5000 is integrated its own digital front-end, the X-800, which delivers an impressive toolbox enabling faster and better integration of applications and equipment into a seamless workflow thanks to the implementation of open standards. X-800 processes PostScript, PDF, PPML and PPML/VDX files at high speed and is also designed to support JDF-based digital printing job tickets.

Being web-fed, the Xeikon 5000 is intrinsically fast: it can print multi-page documents at a speed of 7,800 full-colour pages per hour (130 A4 pages per minute).

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 Island Scan call 01481 259 188 or visit the www.islandscan.com web site. In addition, a range of digital print products can be purchased on-line via the www.digpics.co.uk web site.

ENDS

Investment Aids Consolidation at BJ’s Print & Design

BJ’s Print & Design Ltd, Stamford, Lincolnshire, has announced news of an investment in a Ryobi 784E four-colour B2-format press. The “small-footprint” press has enabled the business to consolidate its operations into one unit, having previously produced work from two units on the Gwash Way Industrial Estate. The press was purchased from UK Ryobi distributor Apex Digital Graphics.

Owner and Managing Director of BJ’s Print & Design, Robert Sandall, takes up the story: “We were using one unit for our design and pre-press work, and a second unit for printing and finishing. Moving all production into the one unit had been on our minds for some time, but it just wasn’t physically possible with the Heidelberg MO four-colour press that we were using.

“The idea of the “compact” press had been brought to our attention by Apex and other press suppliers at the last IPEX show, and that approach seemed to offer a solution for us. Having more recently taken a closer look at the Ryobi, as well as similar products from Heidelberg and Komori, we sat down and did our calculations. With the savings that we could make by moving out of our second unit, plus the retirement of one of our team, we calculated that we could actually purchase the new press with virtually no increase in overheads. Thankfully we also have a very good relationship with our local bank manager, which helped to secure the funding for the deal.

“Apex were able to give us a highly competitive deal on a two-year old 784E press, and traded back our MO. They have been a great supplier to work with at every level – from senior management to the installation team, technicians and trainers.”

Commenting on the capabilities of the new press, Robert Sandall added: “The new machine brings with it the technical advances that have come to the printing press in recent years, including a faster running speed and significantly reduced make-ready times. Although our operators are still in training at the moment, we are already seeing great strides forward in the time it takes to start printing good sheets.”

BJ’s Print & Design Ltd handles a wide range of commercial work, including magazine, brochure and leaflet production, from graphic design through to finishing. The company also runs a Xerox machine for short-run digital print work.

Commenting on the installation for Apex Digital Graphics, Neil Handforth, Sales and Marketing Director, said: “The installation at BJ’s Print & Design emphasises again the benefits offered by the Ryobi 784E machine. The small footprint has enabled the company to save on the rental costs of a second business unit, and as a result become more competitive in the market with an up-to-date press. Whilst the compact Ryobi 784E is small in terms of footprint, it is still large in terms of features.”

For further information on BJ’s Print & Design Ltd call 01780 757 676.

Apex Digital Graphics – The Solutions Provider

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

ENDS

MWL Print Group Upgrades to HP Indigo 3050 Press

MWL Print Group, South Wales, has announced the installation of an HP Indigo 3050 digital offset press, further increasing the print service provider’s digital printing capacity. The new system was purchased from the UK’s only authorised Master Reseller for HP Indigo products, Digital People UK Ltd, Chessington, Surrey.

MWL were early adopters of HP technology and, until recently, operated two original Series 1 HP Indigo presses. Digital People have upgraded one of the original machines for a new HP 3050 offset digital press to further improve quality and production capacity. As with all Indigo solutions the variable data capabilities have been upgraded to incorporate the new HP Smartstream Designer software.

“Digital People is an extremely professional supplier, and was able to ensure business continuity when replacing the original Indigo press,” said Kelli Johnson, General Manager, MWL Digital. “We were confident that we would receive excellent service from Digital People, as our two existing Indigo machines were on service contract with them. We thought we were advanced users of the Indigo technology but received a new training package tailored for the new press. This was conducted at our premises, on our new press, avoiding unnecessary costs in sending operators away from the business.

“Print quality is critical to our company and, using the HP Indigo 3050, we can now offer litho quality digital print to our clients. MWL is proud to meet the stringent ISO 9001 (2000) quality standard, which means that our clients can rest assured with regard to the quality coming off the Indigo and wider production cycle.

“As an environmentally aware company we are not just about profit margins. MWL is registered to the environmental management standard ISO 14001, and we have understood the environmental benefits of using HP Indigo digital printing solutions,” said Kelli Johnson.

MWL operates three subsidiaries from its South Wales base each of them with their own area of expertise.

MWL Litho: This division produces customers’ sheet fed litho requirements. B1 and B2 printing presses (2 – 5 colours) coupled with state-of-the-art pre-press and finishing departments facilitate the production of a wide range of publications.

MWL Digital: This company specialises in digital printing which is ideal for the cost-effective production of short run work up to or around the 1,000 copies mark, including books, brochures, posters and manuals.

MWL Large Format: MWL Large Format provides an exhibition and display service. It has large format digital printing equipment which can print up to 1500mm wide by virtually any length.

Jerry Widdowson, Chairman, Digital People, said: “Working with an existing client to improve quality and capacity is always an exciting prospect for Digital People. MWL is one of the most prestigious print service providers in Wales and a great business for us to partner with. We look forward to assisting with any future investments made through Digital People.”

For further information on MWL Print Group call 01495 750 033 or visit the www.mwl.co.uk web site.

About Digital People (UK) Ltd

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

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

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

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

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

ENDS

David Watson Appointed by Digital People

Digital People (UK) Ltd, Chessington, Surrey, the UK’s only authorised Master Reseller for HP Indigo digital colour presses, has announced the appointment of David Watson to the position of Business Manager in the North of the UK.

David joins Digital People from Punch Graphix where he was responsible for sales and account management for the North of the UK and Ireland. Based in Lancashire, David’s key focus will be working closely with clients to develop best-in-class digital press solutions and aid profitable growth.

David gained extensive industry knowledge with Kodak Versamark, being responsible for developing solutions within the direct mail, data centre and trans-promo markets.

Previously, David was Sales Director for Scitex Vision (now an HP business) and responsible for the UK, Ireland and Scandinavian direct and reseller business units. Scitex Vision was a market leader in wide and super-wide format printers for signage and industrial applications, such as billboards, banners, street advertising and packaging.

David joined the industry during the 1980’s and trained as a lithographer before later moving to a client facing, account management role with Heidelberg UK.

Jerry Widdowson, Chairman, Digital People, said: “Having known David from both his time with Punch Graphix and Scitex Vision, it was clear he would add significant experience to the business, and help focus our own strategy for the North of the country. David’s understanding of the digital marketplace is first class, having gained experience in all digital formats. The directors are confident that his appointment will strengthen our business”.

About Digital People (UK) Ltd

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

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

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

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

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

ENDS

“ISO 12647 Proficient Printer” Standard for Benson Box

Benson Group, headquartered in Bardon, Leicestershire, the UK Packaging Company of the Year, has 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 is now underway at the three other Benson Group sites at Gateshead, Newcastle, and Crewe, the group’s 100% pharmaceutical plant.

“Colour standards are a hot topic in the industry at the moment, and we are therefore delighted to become the first food-focused packaging specialist to have achieved the status of Proficient Printer in the UK,” said Mark Kerridge, Managing Director of Benson Group. “Alan Dresch of Mellow Colour and our production team at Bardon have put in a lot of work during the last six months to make this happen. I believe that this will be a very welcome addition to our capabilities, and something that will help to make our customers lives just that little bit easier.

“Whilst we have previously focused on our own internal quality standards, this internationally recognised standard means that we can offer customers the additional assurance that our printing will match that of other ISO 12647 printers supplying other elements of a campaign,” added Mark Kerridge. “We also anticipate being able to take the standard into customers offices, where they are often producing proofs. Once customer confidence has been established, proofs produced to ISO 12647 and then run at Benson Group under the same standards will significantly reduce the need for customers to pass press proofs.”

The site runs five B1-format litho presses and checks on the set-up of all of these machines needed to be carried out in order to ensure that they remained in balance and were all able to print consistent and repeatable results. Test jobs were run on the presses and measurements taken for dot gain and density. Following analysis and interpretation of the printed results any adjustments required to match the standard were then performed at the RIP of the company’s platesetter.

Commenting on his company’s work at the Bardon site, Alan Dresch of Mellow Colour, said: “Benson Group certainly has the right culture to be able to adapt to this process. Technical expertise, teamwork and commitment to colour quality at all levels are the keys to success when introducing a colour quality system of this type. The Benson Group colour team are fortunate to have those attributes in abundance, and they are already seeing the benefits of their work, with improved customer satisfaction and reductions in make-ready times and wastage.”

ISO 12647 is the standard upon which most serious printing specifications are based. Target gradation, ink colour, trapping, grey balance and dot gain numbers in the specification are based on hundreds of high quality print samples gathered and analysed from around the globe by the ISO TC 130 Committee.

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.

ENDS

“Solutions for Profit 4”: Power Consumption Tops Agenda

Apex Digital Graphics, UK distributor for Ryobi presses, ECRM polyester-based computer-to-plate systems, and Screen metal-based computer-to-plate devices, has announced that it will stage an event at its Hemel Hempstead headquarters on April 1^st and 2^nd. As well as the expanded version of its open house format, which will include a wide range of other equipment suppliers, Apex will use the event, which will be promoted under the “Solutions for Profit – Workshop 4” banner, to focus on the power consumption benefits offered by the range of Ryobi presses.

“The electricity bill is a major factor in any print company’s expenditure. The Ryobi range has many positive things to contribute on the topic of power consumption, and we will use this event to visually demonstrate this to visitors,” said Joint Managing Director of Apex Digital Graphics, Bob Usher. Apex will demonstrate Ryobi machinery with a PC linked into the electrical system, with software showing the power being used by the press. “We believe that many printers are paying far too much to run their machines. We are urging them to take up the “Apex Power Challenge” to not only save themselves money during the lifetime of a press, but also make an important “green” statement to their customers.”

In addition to its own wide range of both new and used Ryobi presses, and ECRM and Screen computer-to-plate equipment, Apex will also exhibit digital print equipment from Danwood, finishing equipment from Morgana, MIS product from Tharstern, and products from EFI (workflow), Fujifilm (processless plates), Sharp (digital colour copiers), Technotrans (water management systems), Baldwin (drying systems), Sun Chemical (inks), Konica Minolta (digital colour copiers), PCO (printing chemistry), Creo (workflow), DirectSmile (personalisation software), IDS (mail sort software) and Eltosch (drying systems). A section within the event will also give focus to environmental issues.

“By opening our doors to a wide range of fellow suppliers we believe that we can offer our customers and prospects an event that is even more relevant to their businesses,” said Bernard Parker, Joint Managing Director of Apex. “We have extended invitations to fellow suppliers with complimentary products to our range of Smart Presses and CtP products, and together we will illustrate solutions for the different market segments between conventional offset and digital applications.”

“The concept of “Solutions for Profit” is all about being able to show integrated solutions, and to demonstrate how equipment suppliers can work together to provide an effective system for the printer,” added Mr Usher.

Apex Digital Graphics – The Solutions Provider

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

ENDS

BrailleCAM: Accurate Measurement for Braille Dots

Troika Systems Limited, Highworth, a UK company at the forefront of innovative development for print-based quality control products, has announced the release of BrailleCAM, a device designed to accurately measure Braille dots.

The BrailleCAM project started following discussions with packaging equipment specialist Chesapeake Packaging Systems. Part of EU legislation already requires the incorporation of Braille information on all new drug packaging, and proposed directives will include detailed specifications for the height of the Braille dot.

“Measurement of Braille dot height is an important issue to producers of packaging for consumer products, and their customers,” said Andrew Degnan, Head of Packaging Systems at Chesapeake. “Our customers need to ensure that we, and other suppliers, are providing Braille images that comply with the directive. The current technology to measure Braille is limited – typically in the form of a micrometer. Naturally, such rudimentary technology has measurement limitations that require a large number of samples to provide the confidence levels required. BrailleCAM, based on Troika’s technology for measuring the dot on a flexographic plate, is a far more sophisticated tool. It is both precise and consistent, and provides an array of further information to fine tune the Braille process. At last we have a technique that gives the appropriate level of confidence, and as a result will minimise inspection time.”

Following the first public showing of BrailleCAM on the Chesapeake Packaging Systems stand at the recent Packtech (easyFairs) exhibition at the NEC, Andrew Degnan added: “BrailleCAM provides clear 3D images of the Braille dot and tooling. It provides the dot height, profile plot, alignment, symmetry and diameter. Meeting the proposed EU directives on Braille height just became a scientific process.”

The exhibition offered pharmaceutical companies the opportunity to see BrailleCAM in action, and the reception was very enthusiastic, with major players already showing considerable interest.

BrailleCAM is a hand held, portable camera specifically designed to measure and view Braille dots with unrivalled precision and clarity. The camera utilises a PC link in order to show 3D images of a dot using colour representation, allowing the user to view dot form and inspect for surface cracking. The system also provides the tools necessary for highly detailed measurement and recording of dot values. BrailleCAM can measure male and female embossing tools as well as final output.

When measuring finished product, the auto-focus feature of the camera automatically finds the top surface. It then takes a series of images, each with a different focus depth, down to the ground level of the substrate. Software removes all un-sharp parts of each image and combines the levels into a rendered 3D grid model. This can be analysed via the PC and rotated in any direction.

Phil Hall, Managing Director of Troika Systems, added: “Following our initial discussions with Chesapeake, we could clearly understand the need in the market, and were easily able to see how our existing technology could be adapted to provide pharmaceutical packaging specialists with the detailed information that they needed regarding the Braille dot. Compared to a 1% dot on a flexo plate, these dots are large!

“The product is already generating significant interest among the pharmaceutical companies themselves, as well as the packaging producers. The pharmaceutical sector is the first and obvious outlet for BrailleCAM due to the demand for standards and accuracy within the industry. However, with the ability to measure the embossing tools prior to long run production, we are also looking at opportunities in a wide variety of other markets where a similar profile inspection and measurement technology will offer an advantage.”

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

ENDS

FSC Stock Management for DigiQuote Product

TimeHarvest Limited, the award-winning software development company specialising in digital print, has announced details of a new FSC Stock Management option for its DigiQuote digital MIS product. London-based customer Face Creative worked closely with TimeHarvest in the development of this option. Face has now also announced that it has been accredited for both FSC and PEFC Chain of Custody.

Face Creative, one of London’s leading digital print specialists, running both Xeikon and Indigo presses, has at the same time been able to detail its recently awarded ISO 9001 certification. “The FSC Stock Management option means that TimeHarvest is able to add all of the necessary FSC/PEFC Chain of Custody information to a quote, invoice and delivery note, taking data fed into the system as paper is booked to our building,” said Face Creative Managing Director Bill Harding.

The recent official audit undertaken at Face Creative regarding the application to become FSC/PEFC accredited praised both Face and the TimeHarvest system for the outstanding way that the system handled the FSC and PEFC Chain of Custody requirements. Geoff Stephens, Managing Director of TimeHarvest, said: “Bill and the team at Face were keen to utilise their TimeHarvest DigiQuote system to add FSC and PEFC Chain of Custody information to their quotes, invoices and delivery notes in the most automated way possible. We have worked with them to create the software functionality, and were delighted that the auditors found our solution to be both user friendly and accurate in its execution.”

Commenting on the use of FSC/PEFC stock at Face Creative, Sales Manager Steve Hars said: “Certainly over 75% of our work is now printed on FSC accredited stock. Many larger clients specify the use of such stocks, including the print management companies. Now that we have completed our audit we will now be able to print the FSC Chain of Custody logo onto work where the customer requires.”

Face Creative buys in both sheet and reel stock, with most material purchased from either Howard Smith or Premier Paper.

Work on the project at Face was handled by Bill Harding, Geoff Warrington, and Len Gold.

About TimeHarvest

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 in Europe, North America and South Africa. For further information on TimeHarvest visit the www.timeharvest.com web site or contact the company direct at TimeHarvest Ltd, Mill Corner, Littleworth Village, Oxford, OX33 1TR, telephone 01865 872 086.

About Face Creative

Face Creative offers the most comprehensive one-stop shop for digital printing and display needs. Based in The Angel, Islington the company can easily access the whole of the London area. Its many services include high-quality digital printing, high-end drum scanning, contract proofing, poster production including pop-up and banner stands. Face has a long history in the graphics and pre-press industry. Originally formed as Face Makeup in 1968 the company has metamorphosed through many changes in the industry to become the most comprehensive digital printer in London, yet still retaining the mind-set of “craftsmen”. For further information on Face Creative visit the www.face-creative.co.uk web site or call Steve Hars on 020 7713 9777.

ENDS

First Four-Colour Press in England?

Is it the first or last four-colour press in England? For Penzance-based Headland Printers the company’s recently acquired Ryobi 524 HXX is certainly their first dedicated four-colour machine, which has been purchased together with the company’s first computer-to-plate investment, a Screen Micra system. Both machines are pre-owned products purchased from Apex Digital Graphics, the UK distributor for Ryobi presses, ECRM polyester-based computer-to-plate systems, and Screen metal-based computer-to-plate devices. The equipment is used to the delights of the south-west of the country, having previously been installed at Newton Abbott-based Wotton Printers.

Marc Clemens, along with fellow directors Chris Williams and Chris Jenkin, took over the running of Headland Printers some 14 months ago and immediately started putting plans in place with regard to modernising and growing the business. “Printing was taking place on single and two-colour Fuji 52 presses, with plates being created with film and an exposure frame. Things had to change for the business to move forward and for our pricing to be more competitive,” said Marc Clemens. The trio were made aware by Apex Digital Graphics of some excellent used equipment that would soon become available, due to a company investing in new product.

“The 524 HXX and the Screen Micra were exactly what we were looking for,” said Marc. “This investment has certainly moved the business forward quickly and in the right direction. Certainly our monthly throughput has increased significantly since the installation, and we have not had to over-commit on finance to move the business into dedicated four-colour printing and CtP.”

Headland Printers produce a wide range of commercial print, including magazines, brochures, stationery, leaflets and books. The company employs a team of 13, and has been in business for over 40 years. It is able to handle the full print process from in-house design through to print finishing.

Standard Ryobi 524 HXX 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.

Commenting on the sale, Neil Handforth, Sales and Marketing Director for Apex Digital Graphics, said: “Many printers are looking at the cost benefits associated with used equipment at the moment. We are always more than happy to talk with printers that feel a used press would be better suited to their needs, and are often in a position to supply such products as other customers’ trade up to larger or faster machines. The equipment sold to Headland Printers had been kept busy at the previous printers, but has been well maintained and is in top condition. I am sure that it will prove an excellent investment for them.”

For more details on Headland Printers call 01736 364 694 or visit the www.headlandprinters.co.uk web site.

Apex Digital Graphics – The Solutions Provider

Apex Digital Graphics Limited is a specialist in the supply and service of pre-press and press equipment. Apex is the official UK distributor of Ryobi presses, the Screen Plate-Rite Micra 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.

ENDS

Benson Group Moves into Pharma Labels Sector

Folding carton specialist Benson Group, UK packaging company of the year, has 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 company cites customer demand as being the key driving factor behind the move. “We are now able to offer pharmaceutical customers the creation of cartons, leaflets and labels all from one production site. We do not believe that any other business in the UK is able to offer this single site production focus for pharma customers,” said Mark Kerridge, Benson Group Managing Director. “Single site production helps to ensure consistency of print quality across all three elements, as well as offering customers the facility to purchase a complete packaging “kit”. For many pharmaceutical companies a single site audit also offers significant benefits.”

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, from paper to unsupported film, with weights from 25 microns through to 400 microns. The flexibility of the machine means that other printing processes and label formats such as silk screen, foil blocking and “peel ‘n’ read”, can be added to the machine at anytime. Print production will use Benzophenone free, low-odour printing inks, suited for both food and pharmaceutical packaging requirements. Anticipated average production speed of the machine is in the region of 80 metres per minute.

Quality assurance is very much to the fore with the new machine, and the production system that is being put in place around it. Medica has installed a press comparator system in order to compare the “first off” print production pass to a customer approved PDF – a move that the company believes is a first in the pharmaceutical label market. A camera system on the press then allows a live visual check of every printed label for the machine operator during the production run.

The Scantech rewind machine will also be equipped with the latest 100% vision inspection technology, inspecting every label 100% of the time. Another innovation of this machine is the re-inspection of labels through the vision system, to ensure that all waste is removed. As well as the vision system, the machine will have the capability to verify barcodes and consecutively number each label all in one pass. “Accuracy and quality of the finished product are critical in pharmaceutical work,” explains Mark Kerridge. “This press provides a quality control system for label production that is second-to-none.”

The creation of the label production department at Medica is being overseen by Charlie McGrath, who brings his 25 years of label production experience to the role of Labels and Leaflets Manager at the 100% pharmaceutical plant. Charlie’s industry experience includes time spent in the production of pharmaceutical labels at MY Healthcare and Field Boxmore.

About the 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, and leading supermarket chains.

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

Xeikon 8000 in action at the Hunkeler innovationdays 2009

Xeikon, a division of Punch Graphix, has announced that it will showcase its flagship digital color press, the Xeikon 8000 at the 2009 edition of the Hunkeler innovationdays. This bi-annual event brings together leading practitioners from the printing industry, offering an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the Xeikon 8000’s capabilities and the power of an integrated solution.

The Xeikon 8000 is renowned for its unique combination of uncompromising print quality (1200 dpi at 4 bits/spot) and industry-best speed (230 ppm), making it ideally suited for high-quality, high value-added transpromo applications. It will be showcased as part of a total solution in combination with Hunkeler finishing equipment.

The application on show is a sophisticated full color transpromo for an air miles loyalty program. The mailing combines customer-specific text and transactional information with personalized images provided by Germany-based AlphaPicture (www.alphapicture.com). The data intensive workflow is streamlined through the powerful combination of the Xeikon 8000’s digital front-end, the X-800, and its IPDS Controller which handles the IPDS input data stream directly, without intermediate conversions, resulting in a highly productive process printing full color documents at rated engine speed.

“We wanted to use an application that would not only illustrate the Xeikon 8000’s capabilities, but also impose heavy demands on the finishing equipment,” explains Danny Mertens, Business Development Manager Document Printing, at Xeikon.

In an in-line configuration of Hunkeler finishing modules, the mailing is cut, perforated, folded in three, and glued. The page containing transactional information is two-hole punched for easy filing. The mailings are finally combined in batches of 20-25, tied together and ready for delivery at a postal services provider. The application is shown in roll-to-sheet as well as in roll-to-roll configuration.

“We greatly welcome the opportunity to demonstrate once again the unique combination of quality and speed achieved by the Xeikon 8000. Customer and industry feedback since its launch in March last year confirms the importance of offset-challenging print quality in the transpromo market,” says Danny Mertens, adding, “We are even more pleased to be able to show it as part of such a sophisticated integrated solution, which is an excellent example of the successful collaboration between our companies’ R&D teams.”

“We are pleased and honored to welcome Xeikon at this year’s edition of the innovationdays, Xeikon being one of our valued partners. We are convinced that their strong presence at the event will tighten the already successful relationship between our companies, taking it beyond the existing OEM agreement for unwinders and rewinders,” says Erich Hodel, Director Sales at Hunkeler.

The Hunkeler innovationdays 2009 will be held in the Allmend Exhibition Center in Lucerne. From Monday February 16 until Thursday February 19 visitors can see the Xeikon 8000 in action at booth 4 in Hall 1.

Need More Publicity? Try DIY PR!

Genesis Marketing Services, a PR company specialising in the print and packaging sectors, has announced the availability of a free guide to do-it-yourself public relations. The guide is available on the company’s web site www.genesis-marketing.com

Commenting on this latest initiative, Russ Hicks, managing director of Genesis, said: “There are many companies out there in the print and packaging sectors that are desperately seeking more publicity for new products or services via the trade media. Whilst ideally many of them might want to employ the services of a professional agency to get company news out into the market, many are finding that with budget constraints they cannot afford such luxuries at this moment in time.”

The DIY guide offers an eleven point plan to help people through the basics of creating and distributing a good quality press release.

“This certainly isn’t a complete public relations package,” added Russ. “It is primarily aimed at those new to putting together a press release, but some more experienced marketers might also find one or two points of interest in it. The one thing the guide can’t provide, of course, is the time required to produce such work!

“Publicity is a key ingredient of the marketing mix. The industry as a whole needs to be aware of new products and services, and to gain an understanding of what benefits they might offer – PR is the most effective way of achieving this. Even significant sums spent on other promotional activities, such as exhibitions, need PR running alongside to ensure that these investments provide the maximum return.”

The Genesis web site also offers readers some suggestions for possible recipients of press releases via its “links” page, which features clickable links through to many of the print and packaging world’s leading publications.

Another recent addition to the Genesis site includes some thoughts for iPhone users regarding applications that they might want to find out more about (see the “Genesis 2” section of the site).

About Genesis Marketing

Genesis Marketing was founded in 1996. With over 13 years of public relations experience and some 32 years in the print industry, Genesis owner Russell Hicks offers customers a wealth of industry knowledge.

Having written over 30 articles on industry topics, Russell is also aware of what journalists require by way of input and assistance in their creative tasks.

Genesis Marketing’s PR expertise has been brought to play many sectors of the industry, including: commercial web and sheet-fed; newspaper; digital; and packaging. Products represented have included pre-press, offset-litho sheet-fed, web offset, digital, and post-press. Services represented have included printers and packaging companies.

For further information on Genesis Marketing Services call 01908 260 662, 07885 852 428 or visit the www.genesis-marketing.com web site.

TimeHarvest Announces Hosted Rental Service for DigiQuote and JobControl Software

TimeHarvest Limited, the award-winning software development company specialising in digital print, has 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. Products available via this service include DigiQuote, the ever-popular quoting system built for the digital printing companies; JobControl, the interactive production and project management system; and FileFix, the repair tool for cleaning up incoming databases with poor data entry. The service continues to make these products available through both Mac and PC platforms.

Geoff Stephens, Managing Director of TimeHarvest, said: “We have established a server system through a partner FileMaker developer which now allows TimeHarvest products to be provided on a monthly rental basis. As well as meaning that users can access their system from virtually anywhere, the hosted rental service offers back-up and security services far superior to what most users could provide for themselves.”

With regard to access, company sales personnel will be able to launch DigiQuote whilst face-to-face with the customer, meaning immediate quotations could be prepared utilising the same shared costing information that would be used in the office. Management will also be able to view JobControl information from any location with an internet connection at any hour of the day, enabling them to see the latest status on an urgent job.

Because the service is run from an ISO 9001-accredited datacentre, TimeHarvest also provides users with a level of protection against theft, fire, flood, data loss and power failure which is far superior to what most users could provide for themselves.

Commenting on this new approach to software provision, TimeHarvest’s Geoff Stephens said: “We have been looking at the potential for a hosted rental service for some time, and with financial constraints at the top of everybody’s agenda, this just has to be the right time to launch it.

“The monthly rental approach means that customers don’t have to swallow a lump-sum payment, but can pay for the service as they use it. This solution also offers great security benefits for the small to medium sized digital printer, where often “disaster recovery” systems are limited or non-existent. I firmly believe that this has to be the way forward with regard to software provision.”

An early adopter of the new hosted system, Bill Harding of London-based Face Creative, was enthusiastic about the solution: “It’s working very well – certainly as fast as operating TimeHarvest products in the traditional manner. The off-site feature also helps us to tick a box on our ISO 9000 application, as it gives us true disaster-recovery capabilities for business critical data.” The company runs both DigiQuote and JobControl products on both Mac and PC platforms.

As an example of the cost savings that can be made, DigiQuote-PRO is priced at £2,995 for a full software package, but via the hosted rental service the same software can be rented for just £158 per month. The minimum contract term is 12 months, and TimeHarvest will offer a 50% discount to companies subsequently deciding to make a full product purchase.

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 in 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 872 086.

OHSAS 18001:2007 Certification for Medica

Medica Packaging, Crewe, Cheshire, the pharmaceutical packaging facility of the Benson Group, has announced that it has attained the standard required for Occupational Health & Safety Management System 18001:2007, as applicable to the manufacture of printed, folding cartons. This latest award upgrades the certification at Medica, which had previously gained the 18001:1999 version of the standard. The award follows a similar achievement at Benson Group’s headquarters in Bardon, Leicestershire.

The award represents an international occupational health and safety management system specification, embracing BS8800, AS/NZ 4801, NSAI SR 320 and a number of other publications. OHSAS 18001 has been developed to be compatible with the ISO 9001 (Quality) and ISO 14001 (Environmental) management systems standards, in order to facilitate the integration of quality, environmental and occupational health and safety management systems by organizations, should they wish to do so.

The OHSAS specification gives requirements for an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system, to enable an organisation to control its OH&S risks and improve its performance. “The standard provides a comprehensive specification to ensure that all aspects of the business are considered and managed,” said Mark Kerridge, Managing Director of Benson Group.

“Whilst gaining this accreditation has involved considerable effort on our part, we believe that our customers will derive many benefits from the work that we have put in. By driving out risk and eradicating hazards within the company we are effectively reducing downtime and improving our workflow. It is about creating the least risky and most efficient way of working.”

The OHSAS specification is focused on continuous improvement, and the company has put plans in place to regularly measure the effectiveness of the standard on a regular basis. “18001 illustrates to customers that we as a business are working to world class standards on a day-to-day basis, and therefore we are working both safely and effectively. Consistency in these areas leads to consistency of output, and that is a major benefit for our customers,” added Andy Clough, Health & Safety Adviser at Medica, who successfully guided the business through the programme.

About the 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 food 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, and leading supermarket chains.

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

ENDS

Packaging Company of the Year to Exhibit at easyFairs Packaging Innovations 2009

Folding carton specialist Benson Group, based in Bardon, Leicestershire, is preparing to exhibit at Packaging Innovations 2009, which takes place on February 11^th and 12^th, 2009, at Birmingham’s NEC. The exhibition follows recent celebrations at the company after its success at the prestigious 2008 UK Packaging Awards, where it won both the “Packaging Company of the Year” and the “Cartonboard Packaging Award”.

The Benson Group is one of the UK’s leading privately owned printed carton suppliers, producing packaging product for both the food and pharmaceutical industries. The company currently employs some 790 personnel across four sites. Headquartered in the Midlands, the company also owns three other production sites in the North West and North East of the country. Packaging technicians from Benson Group will be on hand at the Packaging Innovations event to discuss solutions to visitors packaging problems in both the food and pharmaceutical sectors.

The Group’s philosophy with regard to packaging is based on the “Three P’s” – protection, preservation, and promotion. Packaging exists to serve all three elements.

Packaging should be designed to protect the product from the point of production through to the point of use, helping to maintain the product in its original condition. It should aid the distribution and storage of the product.

Packaging should assist in the preservation of the product, keeping both liquids and solids fresh and suitable for use. According to World Health Organisation statistics, food wastage in the third world can be as high as 50%, whilst in developed economies as low as 3%. Much of this difference is due to good quality packaging.

Packaging should aid the promotion of the product by helping to establish brand recognition and playing a role in establishing brand loyalty. It is also required to convey instructions for the product, warnings, package contents, and other statutory requirements.

Benson Group creates packaging for many well-known companies, brands and retailers. Key food packaging clients across the Group include Bakkavör, Northern Foods, Greencore, and all leading British supermarket chains, including Tesco, Sainsbury, Marks & Spencer and Morrisons.

One area of significant success for the company during 2008 has been in exporting product to Europe. Benson Group has been busy shipping carton product to virtually every major European market, with production efficiencies as well as the current exchange rate benefits being cited as major factors for winning this new business.

About the Benson Group

Benson Group, the Packaging Company of the Year for 2008, is one of the UK’s leading privately owned printed carton suppliers, 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, and leading supermarket chains.

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

ENDS

Full Colour for Fulprint

Fulprint Ltd, York, has announced the purchase of its first four-colour press – a Ryobi 524HE machine from Apex Digital Graphics, the UK distributor for Ryobi presses, ECRM polyester-based computer-to-plate systems, and Screen metal-based computer-to-plate devices. The B3-format press replaces a Ryobi 522HE machine purchased by the company at Ipex 2006.

“Like every print business, we have seen a growing demand from customers for four-colour work, and whilst we were able to produce this with our two-colour Ryobi, we needed to be more competitive in an aggressive market,” said Martin Gray, Managing Director of Fulprint.

Two months on from the initial installation, Martin confirms it was certainly the right decision: “It has changed our business significantly. We are already 30% more productive. The off-press controls are a great advantage, and the IVS (ink volume setter) is a huge benefit as well – we can now make-ready and get into saleable printed sheets within just six minutes. The system really helps the operator in the set-up process, and that also means that our operators are able to print to exactly the same standard. The system also stores the job settings, so we can produce the same high quality next time that job comes in.”

The 52cm landscape format four-colour 524HE includes semi-automatic plate changing, program inking and many other “big press” features. Based on Ryobi’s “V” shaped five-cylinder design, the press incorporates off-press controls, continuous dampening, a stream feeder, remote ink ducts, and handles paper sizes from 100 x 105mm through to 520 x 375mm in thicknesses up to 0.5mm, all running at printing speeds of up to 11,000 sheets per hour.

It’s been a busy year at Fulprint, following the merger in March 2008 with Suomi Printing, a company with a very active internet approach to business. “It’s been an interesting partnership,” explains Martin Gray. “We have profited significantly from additional printing contracts, and we have also benefited from Suomi’s broader, national web marketplace. It’s been a good fit.”

The incorporation of Suomi Printing into the Fulprint business is just the latest of a number of mergers that have taken place over recent years for the York printer. Bob Scrase, Financial Director of Fulprint, said: “We started the business back in 1985 in Fulford, close to York. We moved into York itself about 5 years ago, and have benefited from a number of small and friendly acquisitions during that time. These have helped us to steadily grow the business, which is now approaching a £1 million turnover, and is almost certain to surpass that landmark with the capabilities now available through the new press purchase.”

The company also offers digital printing capabilities through a Xerox system, and currently employs 12 people. “Some 25% of our business is trade work for other printers in the area,” adds Bob Scrase. Other directors of the business include Frank Curran, Production Director, one of the original employees of the business, who began life at Fulprint as a trainee.

For more details on Fulprint call 01904 647 422 or visit the www.fulprint.com web site.

Apex Digital Graphics – The Solutions Provider

Apex Digital Graphics Limited is a specialist in the supply and service of pre-press and press equipment. Apex is the official UK distributor of Ryobi presses, the Screen Plate-Rite Micra 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.

ENDS

Second Four-Colour for Phase Print, Nottingham

Phase Print, Underwood, Nottingham, has announced a further addition to its four-colour printing capabilities with the purchase of a Ryobi 524HE machine from Apex Digital Graphics, the UK distributor for Ryobi presses, ECRM polyester-based computer-to-plate systems, and Screen metal-based computer-to-plate devices. The machine has been added to provide extra printing capacity for the busy Nottingham company, and the purchase comes just two years after Phase Print installed a Ryobi 524GX machine.

Kevin Marks, Managing Director of Phase Print, said: “Having recently added two major client accounts from London and Leeds, we needed to have a close look at our printing capacity. It was decided that it would be a significant benefit for us to add additional B3-format Ryobi fire power into the press room in order to give us extra printing flexibility, and also some spare capacity for new business.

“The 524GX has been a tremendous machine for us, and so we had no hesitation in going back to Apex and Ryobi for our new machine. The 524HE is a slightly lower specification than the GX model, but with all the optional equipment we’ve had included there really isn’t that much in it. However, it is a lower priced product, and that fitted our budget – the right machine, at the right price, at the right time!”

The 52cm landscape format four-colour 524HE includes semi-automatic plate changing, program inking and many other “big press” features. Based on Ryobi’s “V” shaped five-cylinder design, the press incorporates off press controls, continuous dampening, a stream feeder, remote ink ducts, and handles paper sizes from 100 x 105mm through to 520 x 375mm in thicknesses up to 0.5mm, all running at printing speeds of up to 11,000 sheets per hour.

Phase Print was established during the mid 1990’s, and was created to provide a marketing, design and printing service for customers. “The concept was to take away the hassle of print buying, allowing the customer to concentrate on their own core business activity,” said Kevin Marks.

“Phase does more than just design and printing. The company will also help a client to decide how to best promote their business – whether the requirement is a simple business card or a full corporate re-design and marketing appraisal. We are also quite happy to provide just the graphic design to a customer, just the print service, or both. We believe that being flexible wins us friends.”

Customers cover a wide geographical spread, from London and the South West right up to the northern heights of Scotland.

“During our years in business we have established what matters to our customers, and apart from providing high quality, competitive prices and on time delivery, we have recognized that it’s our friendly, fast and efficient customer service and after sales that really counts. We believe some of the old sayings, “service with a smile”, are the best ones, and we work closely with all of our customers, going that extra mile to ensure individual needs are not only identified, but satisfied, to the best of our ability, through providing them our “second-to-none” service.”

On the subject of service, Kevin adds, “Apex has proved to be a great partner for our business. They provide excellent product at competitive prices, and the after-sales service and support has also been top quality.”

Phase Print believes in offering the customer the best possible quality and as such has a policy of continually re-investing in both the latest technology and developing its people. On the technology side of that coin, in addition to the two Ryobi four-colour presses, the company also offers digital printing solutions via a state-of-the-art Xerox system, and large-format print production for banners, signage, poster and exhibition work. Complete in-house finishing allows jobs to be completed quickly and despatched to the client.

From a people perspective, the company has recently been presented with the prestigious “Investor In People” award, and has further developed its environmental stance, and just achieved the environmental international standard ISO EN 14001.

For further information on Phase Print call 01773 764 288 or visit the www.phaseprint.com web site.

Apex Digital Graphics – The Solutions Provider

Apex Digital Graphics Limited is a specialist in the supply and service of pre-press and press equipment. Apex is the official UK distributor of Ryobi presses, the Screen Plate-Rite metal plate systems, 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.

ENDS

The Digital Press Announces Xeikon 5000 with Web Finishing Module

The Digital Press, the Bournemouth-based digital printing specialist, has announced details regarding the purchase of a Xeikon 5000 digital colour press, which will replace the company’s existing Xeikon DCP50D machine. The new machine is due to be installed in January 2009. The order also includes the purchase of the UK’s first Xeikon Web Finishing Module, an option that provides a sealer to the printed work prior to cutting. The sealer helps to reduce the risk of sheets being marked during the print finishing process.

“Whilst we have been delighted with the performance of our DCP50D, the additional capabilities of the Xeikon 5000 will allow us to offer an even better digital printing service,” explained Peter Randall, Managing Director of The Digital Press. “We currently provide a high quality digital printing service to many printers and design agencies in the Poole and Bournemouth area, but we are planning to expand our business to cover a wider geographical area. We believe that the Xeikon 5000, with its even higher quality image production, faster throughput speed, heavier stock capability, and fifth colour unit will help us to do just that.

“The format of the Xeikon allows us to provide printing solutions that other print businesses cannot handle – six-page gatefold brochures, posters up to B2 in size, and long banner work are typical of the jobs that printers ask us to produce. We are also keen to promote our capabilities in other areas of print, such as short run folders, and we have significant expertise in personalisation – a sector that we believe will grow considerably over the coming years,” added Peter Randall.

The fifth colour unit on the Xeikon 5000 will allow The Digital Press to provide a wider colour gamut than other digital printing solutions, as well as accommodate highly accurate reproduction of corporate colours, whilst the ability to handle stocks of up to 350gsm will mean that the company can produce a wider range of printed products for customers. With the ability to produce up to 4.2 million pages per month the new machine will provide tremendous scope for further growth at The Digital Press.

Xeikon Web Finishing Module

The addition of the Xeikon Web Finishing Module brings lasting quality to all digitally printed products because of the improved protection that it offers. This protective layer makes all Xeikon printed documents stand up to the wear and tear of everyday use, while keeping the colours bright and accurate as always. This means reference documents remain in perfect condition for a much longer time and any image damage caused by mail sorting systems is eliminated.

Many finishing processes, using rollers and wheels, can leave unwanted marks on digital prints, and sometimes cause image damage. The Web Finishing Module makes this issue a thing of the past. Moreover, the protective coating significantly reduces the build-up of static charges, which are often responsible for misfeeds and paper jams.

Commenting on the order for Xeikon supplier Punch Graphix UK, Managing Director Chris Matthews, said: “Naturally we are delighted to be able to help Peter and The Digital Press move forward with the newer, advanced specification of the Xeikon 5000 digital colour press. We believe that the significant advances in digital printing technology offered by this machine with help the company to grow as it seeks to establish itself as the digital printing supplier of choice for the Dorset area and beyond.”

Xeikon 5000

The Xeikon 5000 has all the features that have become Xeikon’s trademark: true One-Pass-Duplex™, high-quality digital imagine, a substrate width of 500 mm combined with virtually unlimited sheet length, and the capability to print onto a wide variety of substrates.

The Xeikon 5000 is integrated its own digital front-end, the X-800, which delivers an impressive toolbox enabling faster and better integration of applications and equipment into a seamless workflow thanks to the implementation of open standards. X-800 processes PostScript, PDF, PPML and PPML/VDX files at high speed and is also designed to support JDF-based digital printing job tickets.

Being web-fed, the Xeikon 5000 is intrinsically fast: it can print multi-page documents at a speed of 7,800 full-colour pages per hour (130 A4 pages per minute).

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 The Digital Press call 01202 300 666 or e-mail thedigitalpress@btconnect.com

ENDS

UK’s First Xeikon 3300 for Borble

Rhyl-based Borble has announced the installation of the UK’s first Xeikon 3300 label press, which is now running alongside the company’s existing Xeikon 330 machine. The Xeikon 3300 was officially launched at Drupa in 2008, and offers 1200 dpi and throughput speeds of almost 20 meters per minute. The additional press will further increase capacity at Borble and help the company to provide an even better service to its customers.

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 grown to a £1.2 million turnover for 2008. Borble will now run the two machines on double-day shifts.

Joint Managing Director Barry Griffiths has already been impressed by the productivity of the new 3300 machine: “The new press operates at almost three times the speed of the 330. With regard to quality, the 1200 x 3600 dpi imaging resolution coupled with Xeikon’s FA toner gives the highest quality images that I have ever seen from a digital label press – they really are pin sharp, whether its text, complex images, or detailed security features.”

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 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.

The installation of the new digital label press has been augmented with the creation of a new web-to-print based system at Borble, which can be found at the www.labelsprint.com address. Visitors to the site can 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. “We believe that this is the first such web-to-print solution for the UK label market – we see it as a new approach to a faster and even more efficient service for our customers,” said Barry Griffiths. The system will be shown by Borble at February’s Packaging Innovations event at the NEC in Birmingham.

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.

Commenting on the new Borble purchase, Greg Neesham, Sales Director for Punch Graphix UK, said: “We are delighted that Borble has purchased the first Xeikon 3300 in the UK, and will run this new 1200 x 3600 dpi technology alongside its existing Xeikon 330 machine. It is a great pleasure to see a business continuing to expand based on the success of Xeikon equipment. We firmly believe that the latest digital label printing technology incorporated with the Xeikon 3300 will provide Borble with the speed and quality edge that will continue to set it apart from its competitors.”

Borble will be exhibiting at the forthcoming easyFairs Packaging Innovations event at the NEC, on February 11 and 12. The event will help to introduce the web-to-print www.labelsprint.com system to prospective users.

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.

ENDS

The Print Co Ltd Gets Printing with Ryobi B2

The Print Co Ltd, Cwmbran, has announced details of the creation of a new trade-focused, environmentally friendly printing service, with production capability based on a highly automated five-colour B2 Ryobi 750 Series press, Screen 4300 computer-to-plate system, and a range of finishing equipment purchased from Friedheim. The Ryobi 755 WD + coater includes the supplier’s first fully automatic plate loading (FRPC) installation in the UK.

Managing Director of The Print Co is Paul Harrison, who has created the new business following a long industry career that has included sales roles with B1 format print businesses in the West of England, as well as company directorships and “hands-on” roles in pre-press and printing companies. “I was keen to start out on my own, and an opportunity arose to do so working alongside a major customer of mine, Out of Hand – a leaflet distribution company. The concept of The Print Co was to invest in technology rather than large numbers of people, and create an efficient, environmentally focussed print business, that would provide a trade-based service for graphic designers, publishers, and other printers.

“Equipment selection was critical, and whilst Ryobi was certainly not on my initial list of likely presses, an advert detailing its extra-wide B2-plus format caught my eye. One key product for our publishing partner is A6 flyers. The 765mm printing width offered by the Ryobi 755 WD meant that we would be able to print five A6-sized products across the sheet and five down, leading to significant productivity benefits. As soon as we visited the UK distributor, Apex Digital Graphics, and saw the press in action, we knew that this was the one!”

The visit to Apex coincided with one of the Ryobi distributors “Solutions for Profit” open house events earlier in 2008, which led The Print Co to examine the finishing products offered by Friedheim – one of Apex’s guests at the event. This introduction led to the purchase of a JDF-compliant Schneider guillotine and MBO folder, and a Busch pile turner.

“JDF compatibility is an important issue for us, as we only have a team of five personnel. The more automated we can make the whole print production process, the better,” said Paul Harrison.

Automation at The Print Co starts with a job estimate. “Our customers can get an estimate without leaving their desks, or even talking to us! We have integrated the BrightBlue MIS system into our web site, which means that customers can just log in and get a price back in minutes. Because we are only dealing with print-savvy customers, they will then send us a print-ready PDF file for production, with job specifics being sent straight to the press and the finishing equipment. With the help of the ink volume setting (IVS) software on the Ryobi and the fully automated plate changing system we can make-ready on the press in just 12 minutes, and that includes setting up for coating or sealing. This is the level of automation that a printer needs to be equipped with to compete with digital production. We have calculated that we can be cost effective on runs as low as 100 copies.”

The company also utilises automated imposition software, which allows the correct placement and number of copies for a selection of flyers to be printed in one pass. The software also provides detailed cutting information via JDF for the imposition that has been created.

Such a focus on automation looks likely to lead to the five man team achieving its first year target of a £1.5 million turnover.

The Print Co is also keen to promote its environmental stance, which has been emphasised by the purchase of the Screen 4300 CtP system producing processless Fuji Brillia ProT plates. The press is configured to print alcohol free using vegetable oil based printing inks, which combine well with Ryobi’s well documented lower than average power consumption, and The Print Co’s use of FSC stocks, including fully recycled substrates where possible. “Printing still has a pretty bad image when it comes to green issues – we are trying to offer a fast and competitive service, but with an environmental focus on the products that we are producing,” added Paul Harrison.

The Ryobi 750 Series is a B2 format press capable of printing up to 15,000 sheets per hour on stock thicknesses of up to 0.6mm as standard. The press at The Print Co incorporates fully-automatic plate changing; IVS ink volume setter software, which takes ink profile data from the digital front-end; PDS print density control; program inking; plate register remote control; and automated wash-ups. The Print Co machine also includes an in-line coater, though Paul Harrison also says that they will use the fifth printing unit to add a sealer on jobs that do not require a specific, decorative coating. “The dedicated coater gives us the option of adding spot or full decorative coating to a job, but we can also use the fifth printing unit to add a sealer, which means that the job is virtually dry at the end of a run, and can be moved quickly on to the cutting process. The coater can be disengaged from the press whilst that type of work is being produced, which means that we can clean and prepare it for the next coating task.”

Commenting on the installation for Apex Digital Graphics, sales and marketing director Neil Handforth said: “We have been very impressed by the model created by The Print Co, with its focus on automation of the printing process. This has to be the way forward for a print-based company, and we are, of course, delighted that The Print Co found the Ryobi press matched its printing needs. Automatic plate loading is a major benefit in terms of make-ready time, as is the accuracy of information provided by the Ryobi Ink Volume Setting software. The key in this particular purchase, however, was the extra printing width offered by the 750W model.”

For more information on The Print Co please visit the www.theprintco.com or call 01633 480 881.

Apex Digital Graphics – The Solutions Provider

Apex Digital Graphics Limited is a specialist in the supply and service of pre-press and press equipment. Apex is the official UK distributor of Ryobi presses, Screen metal plate CtP systems, and the ECRM range of polyester platemaking units. 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.

ENDS

Summit Print Upgrades Ryobi B2 and Expands

Summit Print Ltd, Redhill, Surrey, has announced details of a £1 million investment programme, which includes a B2 press upgrade, along with a move to new, larger, freehold premises. The press upgrade, the company’s eighth Ryobi press purchase, replaces an existing Ryobi 784E machine with a new five-colour Ryobi 750 Series machine.

The new five-colour B2-format Ryobi press will provide Summit Print with the ability to add a sealer in-line, providing a faster turnaround for work, with jobs able to move through to guillotining and folding almost as soon as they are printed. “The 755 is also offers more automation than the 784E machine, with high pile delivery and a pallet feeder, which means that we are better equipped to cope with the longer run lengths that we are now being asked to produce,” said Neil Parsons, Managing Director of Summit Print.

“The Ryobi 784E was great for what we needed at the time. Most importantly it had a compact footprint. We were able to squeeze that machine in to our former premises, giving us the move up to B2 without having to expand the business too quickly. Having located the right business premises, the time was right to make further investments in our printing equipment and move on to the Ryobi 755. Our new Redhill site gives us 10,000 sq ft of floor space in a more modern building – that’s about a third more space than our previous Dorking facility. It’s a freehold purchase as well, which we believe will set solid foundations for future growth,” said Neil Parsons. Other recent investments at Summit Print have also included a new fully automated folding machine.

The continued expansion at Summit Print has led to an extension to the working day, with printing now taking place over an 18-hour day, up from 12-hours, and a weekend shift now being added as well, providing an additional 2 x 12-hour days.

The Ryobi 750 Series is a B2 format press capable of printing up to 15,000 sheets per hour on stock thicknesses of up to 0.6mm as standard. The press incorporates semi-automatic plate changing; IVS ink volume setter software, which takes ink profile data from the digital front-end; PDS print density control; program inking; plate register remote control; and automated wash-ups.

Commenting on the installation for Apex Digital Graphics, sales and managing director Neil Handforth said: “Summit Print offered the ideal scenario for the Ryobi 784E – a business that wanted to move up to B2, but that was restricted in terms of available space. We are, of course, delighted that its move into B2 has proved to be very successful and profitable, to the point where it is now able to expand to larger premises, and re-invest in the company’s eighth Ryobi machine in the shape of the Ryobi 750 Series.”

Apex Digital Graphics – The Solutions Provider

Apex Digital Graphics Limited is a specialist in the supply and service of pre-press and press equipment. Apex is the official UK distributor of Ryobi presses, Screen metal plate CtP systems, and the ECRM range of polyester platemaking units. 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.

ENDS

Benson Group Wins Cartonboard Packaging Award

In addition to the “Packaging Company of Year” award, Benson Group, headquartered in Bardon, Leicestershire, also carried off the “Cartonboard Packaging Award” at the recent 2008 UK Packaging Awards. The winning entry was packaging for the Sainsbury’s “Taste the Difference” Fudge Range.

The Sainsbury web site sums up the “Taste the Difference” range as follows: “Sainsbury’s Taste the difference range has always been about quality ingredients, authentic products and, most of all, fabulous taste. It’s our mission to make sure that every single product in the Taste the difference range is as good as it gets.” Benson Group believes that the packaging supplied for the “Taste the Difference” Fudge products should also come under the heading “as good as it gets”, and the judges for the 2008 UK Packaging Awards certainly seemed to agree.

Combining a contemporary flat-matt look with a new type of aqueous coating Benson Group has achieved a soft-to-the-touch feel to the carton. The overall tactile effect comes from the unique materials in the formulation, and the unusual friction characteristics they impart.

Reviewing the award win, Mark Kerridge, Managing Director of Benson Group, said: “As is often the case, the finished product incorporates input from a number of different sources, with Benson Group managing the whole production process. This particular product incorporates the striking design work of Parker Williams Design, technical input from Sun Chemical, and our own expertise in printing, cutting, creasing and gluing. The end result delighted the customer, and, I am pleased to say, also the awards judges.

“Whilst, from a business perspective, winning the ultimate prize of “Packaging Company of the Year” was a tremendous accolade for Benson Group and its performance over recent years, to add this quality-focused award as well was a great triumph for our production team.”

Commenting on the design work for the pack, Parker Williams’ co-founder Tamara Williams, said: “We wanted to use the graphics on the carton to enhance the beautiful structural shape created by the “lid” both when it is closed, with the jewel like colours showing through, and as it opens to reveal the full intensity of colour and the treat of the fudge inside. The luxurious feel of the soft touch ink, as you pick up the pack, suggests the smoothness of the fudge itself and the graphic flourish makes it suitable for all year round treats and gifting.”

Tony Palmer, Packaging Director, Sun Chemical, added his thoughts with regard to the coating: “As the key supplier of inks and coatings we have specifically developed “soft touch” to give a tactile enhancement as well as providing a practical coating to be used on press.”

Technical Details

Graphic design: Parker Williams Design

Origination: Computer-to-plate on Fuji LH-PJE positive, non-baked plates

Screening: 175 line, 2,400 dpi

Inks: Sun Chemical Hi-speed Ultra-violet curing inks

Printing: Printed offset-litho on a ROLAND 700 6-colour press with chambered-anilox coater unit, cartons were produced with UV-based 4-colour process and two spot colours.

Coating: The Sun Chemical soft-touch coating was applied in-line via a Cyrel plate. The coating was applied using a new type of opal-pattern roller. From this Benson achieved a smooth, even coating which imparts an ultra-matt finish (2-3 gloss, read using a 60° gloss meter). The resultant feel is similar to matt laminate or “natural rubber”.

Cutting & Creasing: Bobst 104ER

Gluing: Jagenberg Diana 115-3 (Tapered crash-lock)

About Benson Group

Benson Group, Packaging Company of the Year 2008, is the UK’s leading privately owned printed carton supplier, producing packaging product for both the food and pharmaceutical industries. The company employs in some 800 personnel across four sites.

Headquartered 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 £85 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.

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, Bakkavor, and leading supermarket chains.

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

About Sun Chemical

Sun Chemical, a member of the DIC Group, is the world’s largest producer of printing inks and pigments and a leading provider of materials to packaging, publication, coatings, plastics, cosmetics, and other industrial markets. With annual sales over $4 billion, Sun Chemical has over 11,000 employees supporting customers around the world. The Sun Chemical Group of companies includes such established names as Coates, Hartmann, Kohl & Madden, and US Ink.

Sun Chemical Corporation is a subsidiary of Sun Chemical Group B.V., the Netherlands, and is headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, U.S.A. For more information, please visit our web site at www.sunchemical.com

ENDS

StudioRIP Announces New Version 3.0 Software

UK-based independent software RIP provider StudioRIP UK Limited, Leighton Buzzard, has announced the release of Version 3.0 of its StudioRIP product, which features production speeds comparable with market leaders at a fraction of the cost. The product was released on November 3^rd, 2008.

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.

“This latest release combines all of our recent development work, and delivers a product that performs to the highest of specifications,” said Paul Newman, Technical Director of StudioRIP UK.

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.

Why Does the World Need Another RIP?

Originally designed as a low cost solution to meet the needs of the second-hand imagesetter market, StudioRIP has grown to become a highly suitable alternative to mainstream RIP products for most output requirements, including computer-to-plate, all formats of imagesetter, inkjet and laser printers. Still a cost effective product, StudioRIP also offers highly productive throughput comparable with all of the competition.

One significant advantage offered by StudioRIP over the majority of competing software RIP products is the ability to include many workflow operations within the RIP architecture. Functions such as imposition and trapping can be included within StudioRIP, rather than users having to purchase separate software packages, usually at significant extra cost. StudioRIP is also “flexo friendly” with flexographic screening, distortion, and imposition features optionally available.

StudioRIP’s “Smart Screening” offers customers the very latest in hybrid screening techniques – again, without the need to buy highly priced “extra’s”. Features of the AM screening package include user selectable screen angles, and smooth gradients via the combination of 4,096 shades of grey and low pass filtering.

StudioRIP is available in the UK via a dealer network, with end user pricing starting at just £460 for the StudioRIP IE 14 inch edition and rising to £6,400 for the full StudioRIP Workflow Package.

ENDS

Double Awards Triumph for Benson Group

Packaging specialist Benson Group, Bardon, Leicestershire, is celebrating its success at the prestigious 2008 UK Packaging Awards, where it won both the “Packaging Company of the Year” and the “Cartonboard Packaging Award”.

The awards event, hosted by leading UK industry magazine Packaging News, took place at a special awards night on November 3^rd at Grosvenor House in London’s Park Lane, where some 300 people from the UK packaging industry were in attendance. The awards were presented by BBC TV and Radio broadcaster John Inverdale.

Commenting on the double victory, Mark Kerridge, Managing Director of Benson Group, which specialises in the production of food and pharmaceutical cardboard packaging products, said: “Naturally we are delighted to have been selected as both the “Packaging Company of the Year” and the top “Cartonboard Packaging” provider. This is a tremendous achievement for us as a business, and for all of our employees at our four UK production centres, in Leicestershire, Newcastle, Gateshead and Crewe. I am quite sure that news of these awards will also be well received by our many customers in both the food and pharmaceutical sectors.”

Adding his thoughts on a great night for the company, Chairman Andrew Benson said: “This is a splendid achievement for Mark and the rest of the team. Benson Group has enjoyed unparalleled growth since 2002, when the business had an £11 million turnover. This year, the company expects turnover to have reached £85 million, which has been achieved through both organic growth and astute acquisition. This fantastic performance has been due to a highly professional management team, with a vision for what we needed to become as a business, and a great set of employees on the production floor.”

One area of significant success for the company during 2008 has been in exporting product to Europe. Benson Group has been busy shipping carton product to virtually every major European market, with production efficiencies as well as the current exchange rate benefits being cited as major factors for winning this new business.

The selection panel judging the quality-focused “Cartonboard Packaging Award” finalists were presented with Benson Group’s work on the Sainsbury’s “Taste the Difference” Fudge range, whilst the “Packaging Company of the Year” winner and finalists were selected on overall recent business performance as well as a selection of carton samples.

The company had already been judged an awards finalist earlier this year in the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) Excellence Awards, and also received a Commendation and second place in the recent PrintWeek Awards “Printing Company of the Year” category. Both of these awards were open to printers from all disciplines, and whilst Benson Group just missed out on the top prize on both occasions, its selection within the short-lists emphasised the huge strides that the company has made in recent years. “Whilst we didn’t get the top prize in those awards, we can at least claim to have been the top packaging company in both of them,” said Mark Kerridge.

About the Benson Group

The Benson Group is the UK’s leading privately owned printed carton suppliers, producing packaging product for both the food and pharmaceutical industries. The company employs 800 personnel across four sites.

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 £85 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.

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, Bakkavor, and leading supermarket chains.

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

ENDS

New Press, New CtP and New Premises for Wotton

Wotton Printers has announced its “all change” at Newton Abbot, Devon! The company has invested in new, freehold premises; a new Ryobi 525GX with IR dryer; and new computer-to-plate technology in the form of a Screen 4300 processless system.

The new five-colour landscape B3-format Ryobi press replaces a Ryobi 524HXX, and joins an existing 522HE-NP with numbering and perforating capabilities. The new addition is the fourth press that the company has purchased from Apex Digital Graphics, the Hemel Hempstead based Ryobi distributor for the UK.

“The addition of the fifth colour, in conjunction with the IR dryer, means that we can seal work in-line, so that it is virtually dry to the touch when it comes off the press. That means that we can speed work through to the finishing department, and out to the customer. That is what the market is demanding, and that is what we are now able to provide,” said Roger Mann, Managing Director of Wotton Printers. The company had previously been adding a sealer off-line, having printed the work on the four-colour Ryobi.

With regard to the move to new premises, Roger said: “We had been searching for the right building for about two years. Our lease was coming to an end, and we were keen to obtain a freehold property that would offer us some additional space in order that we could continue to expand the business. Our production area at the new site is some 50% bigger, and we have significantly more office space. It’s ideal.” The company has been at the new facility for some four weeks now.

Wotton Printers was also keen to expand on its environmental approach to printing, and the purchase of the new Screen 4300 CtP system was seen as an ideal way to further push its “green” credentials. “The 4300 offers us processless plate production, meaning that we can do away with the chemistry. We have also switched over to vegetable oil based inks on the press, and run the new machine alongside a Technotrans unit to assist us in running alcohol free on the 525GX as well,” added Roger Mann.

Ryobi 525GX

Ease of operation on the Ryobi 525GX is enhanced by the use of the Ryobi Printing Control System, PCS-H – which is provided as standard. Colour adjustments, dampening supply, and registration adjustments can all be made by the operator at the control desk using the touch sensitive LCD display. The operator can also input paper size and thickness via the screen to set the impression pressure and pull side guide to the optimal position.

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

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

Commenting on the additional capabilities of the new press, Roger Mann said: “The ability to move up to 0.6mm stock is of great interest to some of our customers. We produce packaging work for one client who is very enthused about the new capabilities of our 525GX machine, and is likely to be placing more work with us because of that ability to handle heavier weight stocks. The increase in production speed to 15,000 sheets per hour will also be a great benefit for all of our customers.”

Commenting on the installation for Apex Digital Graphics, Sales and Marketing Director, Neil Handforth, said: “We are always delighted when long term customers continue to grow and re-invest in new Ryobi equipment, and new CtP equipment from Apex. The further investment in new premises illustrates that Wotton Printers is a company that has grown very successfully in recent years, due in part, we are sure, to the quality of printing provided by its Ryobi machinery.”

Apex Digital Graphics – The Solutions Provider

Apex Digital Graphics Limited is a specialist in the supply and service of pre-press and press equipment. Apex is the official UK distributor of Ryobi presses, Screen metal plate CtP systems, and the ECRM range of polyester platemaking units. 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.

ENDS

A Bit Off the Wall at Black Dog

Black Dog Digital Limited, Hertford, is opening up new markets by offering bespoke wallpaper production with the help of its Xeikon 5000 digital colour printing system. Because the Xeikon is not limited in the length of print that it can produce, full 10 metre rolls can be printed, and this has enabled Black Dog to provide a range of unique wallpapers and wall murals for specialist designers.

Steve Winn, Digital Director at Black Dog, commenting on this new area of business for the company, said: “We have been working on samples and researching the potential for this market for over a year, and have been delighted with the amount of business that we have now started to generate. Some of the specialist designers had been sending their files outside of the UK to get their work produced, whilst others were still relying on more traditional wallpaper production methods. These, of course, were proving expensive for small quantities. One customer came to us having been quoted a £5,000 set-up charge by a traditional wallpaper production centre – and that is without actually running the job! Much to his delight, we were able to handle the whole job for just £2,000.”

The wallpaper venture has necessitated Black Dog making contact with a whole new range of customers. “These people are not the typical print buyers. They tend to be very specialised in wallpaper and interior design. It’s a pretty small community, and they all know each other, so word of mouth spreads quickly, and that is a real bonus if you have something good, cost-effective and different for the market. We have also attended a couple of specialist trade shows this year to promote this service, and received plenty of interest.”

After initial discussions, Black Dog will produce a one metre sample for the potential customer in order for them to see their pattern on a real print. “Some will also want to visit us while we run the first batch of product, which is fine,” adds Steve Winn. “They are usually pretty amazed at the speed and efficiency of our Xeikon unit, and typically they leave delighted with their latest design on a roll tucked underneath their arm. Because of our in-depth knowledge of the Xeikon machine, we can tweak the system to provide a glossy or matt finish to the wallpaper.” Black Dog has added Xeikon’s special trimming devices to cut the wallpaper to width as it leaves the machine. Length is entirely dependent on the requirements of the customer, and standard wallpaper roll lengths of 10 metres present no problem for the Xeikon. “Sometimes the design of the print, if it’s a mural; or the demands of the building to be decorated, require longer prints than that – we did once produce a 65 metre drop for a hall/stairs/landing decorating task.

“Customers have certainly been impressed by the quality of image that we are able to produce on the Xeikon, and the consistency of product that we can produce – both essentials for this market, of course.”

Whilst Black Dog’s Xeikon 5000 does not produce standard wallpaper width of 520mm, this is not really a major issue, as British walls are also rarely a standard width! “Some people initially see this as a problem,” said Steve Winn. “But actually, when they think about it, it really doesn’t make any difference at all.

“I suppose that there is some potential competition from inkjet in this area, but that tends to produce a larger size of image, which can be very difficult to mount, and also suffers from the solvent issue – the odour is a major problem for many of the people that we have spoken with. Because we are producing in individual rolls, we have a distinct advantage in mural production. We number the rolls as they are produced so that the decorator knows which order they need to be pasted, but if something goes wrong and a roll gets damaged, all they have to do is phone us and tell us which roll number they need a reprint of.”

Black Dog’s wallpaper customer base already includes some of the UK’s leading designers, such as Tracey Kendall (www.tracykendall.com) and Yukari Sweeney (www.yukarisweeneydesign.co.uk). One significant benefit that such designers claim is that they can order their products as required, rather than having to hold even modest stocks of their wallpapers. Black Dog expects to turn all orders around within three working days.

Commenting on the service provided by Black Dog, Tracy Kendall said: “Black Dog is able to print the wallpapers that I want. My colours are always crisp, clean, and the colour I expect to see. For me they seem to be the only people that understand “black” and the printing of black as part of my designs. They are incredibly fast with their turnaround of work; it is done and delivered without any fuss or bother. And, most importantly of course, my clients love the end results. They want to cover their walls in my digitally printed wallpapers. For me it is a great marriage of design, service and digital technology.”

The company is still discovering new markets for this service. “One very specialised wallpaper designer came to us recently for a short run of product. He then took our printed work and added gold leaf to the paper by hand. I couldn’t imagine what he charges for this, or how small the market is!” said Steve Winn. The company also recently produced a series of murals for executive lounges at York Racecourse. The market continues to expand for the company as well, with an order expected soon for 250 rolls.

The FSC Certified wallpaper material in use at Black Dog is a standard wallpaper substrate, and as per the current market trend, is a “paste the wall” product. “This does mean that we have had to create our own set-up files for the Xeikon, as it is not a standard substrate, but we are experienced enough for this not to be a major issue,” added Steve Winn.

The Hertford based business employs 14 personnel in total, with six in the digital side of the operation.

Xeikon 5000

The Xeikon 5000 at Black Dog has all the features that have become Xeikon’s trademark: true One-Pass-Duplex™, high-quality digital imagine, a substrate width of 500 mm combined with virtually unlimited sheet length, and the capability to print onto a wide variety of substrates.

The Xeikon 5000 is integrated its own digital front-end, the X-800, which delivers an impressive toolbox enabling faster and better integration of applications and equipment into a seamless workflow thanks to the implementation of open standards. X-800 processes PostScript, PDF, PPML and PPML/VDX files at high speed and is also designed to support JDF-based digital printing job tickets.

Being web-fed, the Xeikon 5000 is intrinsically fast: it can print multi-page documents at a speed of 7,800 full-colour pages per hour (130 A4 pages per minute).

For further information on Black Dog please call 01920 466 775, or visit the www.blackdogltd.com web site.

SRA1 for the Price of a B2 Press: New Ryobi 920

UK Ryobi distributor Apex Digital Graphics, Hemel Hempstead, has announced details of a new SRA1 version of Ryobi’s 920 Series press that has been developed specifically for the European market.

Originally designed for Chinese printers, the Ryobi 920 came into being as an A1 format press, and the basic architecture of the machine has enjoyed some 10 years of development. The new SRA1 version of the machine is available for order now, and can be configured with up to six printing units and an in-line coater.

“With the help of European distributors, Ryobi has been able to adjust the specification of this machine to incorporate an SRA1 format, which makes it of significantly more interest to the European market,” said Bob Usher, Joint Managing Director of Apex Digital Graphics. “Currently printers looking at larger formats tend to look at the B1 press arena, even if they are only regularly printing eight-up A4. It’s overkill! At B1 they would be running a larger, more expensive press, using oversize plates, and often oversize substrates. This new version of the Ryobi 920 Series offers printers the ideal solution for such a straightforward workload, providing them with a far more economical printing solution, and a significantly greener option when examining the potential savings on power consumption, plate and paper waste.”

Ryobi released its own B1 press earlier this year at Drupa, though shipments of the Ryobi 1050 are not expected to begin until Q1/Q2 of 2009.

“The release of the Ryobi 920 is certainly not a stop-gap until the B1 arrives. We believe that it opens up a whole new sector for Ryobi, and with cost-savings high on everyone’s agenda right now, it seems to be the ideal machine for printers seeking an effective solution for 900 x 640mm printing,” adds Mr Usher.

Savings begin with the size of the press itself, with a 65% space reduction compared with a typical B1 machine – floor space can often represent the forgotten cost of installing a new machine. However, it really is with regard to plates when potential cost savings can start to make the £ signs shine brightly! Taking an average £10.00 per square metre for UK plate pricing, the 910 x 665mm plate size of the Ryobi 920 compared to a B1 format plate measuring 1060 x 800mm can potentially save a printer nearly 30% per plate, or £2.43 in real money.

To put those figures into sharper focus, we might assume that we are running four printing units, and our imaginary printer is producing perhaps ten four-colour jobs per day, on standard day shifts for a five day week. That already adds up to a £486 saving on plate material in one working week; around £2,000 per month; or over £24,000 during a 50 week year.

Shifting focus to power consumption, the Ryobi will consume 45kW per hour, whilst a typical B1 machine might expect to draw 72 kW per hour – another saving in favour of the Ryobi 920 over a typical eight hour day of some 216kW hours. With current commercial electricity pricing for daytime working circa 9p per kW hour. That would equate to a saving for users of the Ryobi machine in the region of £100 per five day week, or in excess of £5,000 per year.

“Add the potential savings on paper into that equation and you have a fairly significant total, and in tough economic times, such as those being experienced right now, these are the sort of cost reductions that are not only good news for the printer, but can make all the difference between him winning new work or not,” adds Bob Usher.

Specification for the machine is similar to the popular Ryobi 750 Series B2-format presses, including automatic blanket and roller washes, semi-automatic plate loading, hickey picker, Ryobi’s printing control system including ink volume setter, program inking, and Ryobi’s 7 o’clock cylinder layout. “The press is also based on the same architecture as the Ryobi 750 Series, which means a significant saving on floor-space against a typical B1 press. That is reflected in a highly competitive price, so you might say that the Ryobi 920 is SRA1 printing for the price of a B2 press!” said Mr Usher.

Apex Digital Graphics – The Solutions Provider

Apex Digital Graphics Limited is a specialist in the supply and service of pre-press and press equipment. Apex is the official UK distributor of Ryobi presses, Screen metal plate CtP systems, and the ECRM range of polyester platemaking units. 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.

ENDS

Mady’s Wood Unveiled by Andrew Benson

Andrew Benson, Chairman of the Benson Group, based in Bardon, Leicestershire, has officially unveiled his own lasting tribute to his late wife Mady. A six acre forest, containing some 6,000 trees, has been created in memory of Mady in a village four miles from Uppingham, in the Leicestershire countryside.

“Mady loved the country, animals and nature. In my own mind she will live on through this forest,” said Andrew Benson. Mady’s Wood contains oak, ash and silver birch trees, among many other species.

The unveiling of the wood also fits well with the Benson Group environmental focus. Tree planting is easily recognised by both customers and consumers as a positive eco-action. Trees use energy from the sun to fuel photosynthesis. Photosynthesis converts water and CO2 absorbed from the atmosphere into carbohydrates that are used by the tree for nutrients. The by-product of photosynthesis is oxygen, which is released by trees into the atmosphere. So by absorbing CO2, trees rid the environment of an excess pollutant and in return, provide oxygen to breathe.

Commenting on the group’s environmental stance, Andrew added: “In the UK only 12% of our land is wooded, compared with an average of 32% in most other European countries. It is therefore important that we retain and add to our existing wooded areas to help reduce pollution, generate oxygen, maintain wildlife habitats and improve quality of life.”

About the Benson Group

The Benson Group is the UK’s leading privately owned printed carton suppliers, producing packaging product for both the food and pharmaceutical industries. The company employs in some 800 personnel across four sites.

Headquartered 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 £85 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.

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, Bakkavor, and leading supermarket chains.

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

ENDS

Astute Move to Five-Colour Printing

Forfar-based Astute Scotland Limited has announced the installation of its first five-colour printing press, a Ryobi 525GX B3-format machine. The press was bought in a package deal which included a DPX2 polyester-based platesetter from UK Ryobi distributor Apex Digital Graphics.

The 525GX four-colour landscape B3-format press replaces a Ryobi 524HX machine within an all Ryobi press hall, which also includes a 522HX and a 522 with numbering and perforating. Commenting on the new addition, Alastair Donald, Managing Director of Astute Scotland Ltd, said: “The five-colour press has quite simply revolutionised our printing facility since its arrival. The fifth printing unit gives us the option of a special colour when it’s needed, but most of the time we use it to seal the work, which means that we can move those jobs on to the next stage in the process almost immediately.”

Astute Scotland Ltd provides an excellent model for many small to medium sized printers in the way it has diversified. Established in 1976, Astute started manufacturing rubber stamps for the office supplies industry. In the early years it became apparent that the only way to succeed in this sector was to offer the best service possible at affordable prices. These fundamental aspects provide the cornerstone of the business that has been built. The company is the only manufacturer of rubber stamps in Scotland, but the company has also diversified into new sectors. Astute now offers print, including a calendar printing capability; publishing, including a Scottish agricultural magazine distributed to 5,000 farms on a monthly basis; graphic design; web site creation; office stationery solutions; office interiors; promotional gifts; packaging; and technology services, including PC maintenance.

It was originally planned that the new press would be installed when the company moved to new premises. By the end of the year, Astute Scotland Limited will have moved from its current “bursting-at-the-seams” Brechin Road site to new state-of-the-art premises on Forfar’s Orchardbank Business Park. The £1 million relocation is the latest upward-curve move for a design and print company with a workforce of 26, a firm foothold in Forfar, a presence in Aberdeen, and looking to expand into Perthshire in the near future. “We just couldn’t wait any longer for the new press,” confirmed Alastair Donald. “We had the work and we needed the extra capacity of the Ryobi 525GX to get it printed. Since the arrival of the press we have enjoyed our busiest month ever.”

Whilst Ryobi machines have always been a firm favourite at Astute, Alastair Donald took a look at the products of other manufacturers as well before deciding on his latest investment. “We actually put three five-year business plans together based on different machine purchases. Our financial advisor took one look at them and said, “I think you already know which machine to purchase!” The savings on make-ready time, reduced wastage, and the increased amount of work that we could process each day certainly gave the Ryobi a clear advantage.

“The business plan indicated an extra two jobs per day, but in reality its more than that, and we are printing saleable sheets after just 50 or 60 run-up copies have gone through the press.”

The company’s Aberdeen presence comes from the purchase of a digital print business in the city. “Whilst digital certainly has a place in the market, most of the work that we inherited with this purchase has now been converted to litho printing. “Click charges” in digital can make a lot of work unprofitable. We have been able to convert work to litho and actually make money on it,” said Mr Donald.

Ease of operation on the Ryobi 525GX is enhanced by the use of the Ryobi Printing Control System, PCS-H – which is provided as standard. Colour adjustments, dampening supply, and registration adjustments can all be made by the operator at the control desk using the touch sensitive LCD display. The operator can also input paper size and thickness via the screen to set the impression pressure and pull side guide to the optimal position.

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

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

Apex Digital Graphics – The Solutions Provider
Apex Digital Graphics Limited is a specialist in the supply and service of pre-press and press equipment. Apex is the official UK distributor of Ryobi presses, the Screen Plate-Rite Micra 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.

For more information on Astute Scotland Limited call 01307 464 467, or, for a detailed overview of the business, visit the http://astute.uk.com web site.

ENDS

Welcome to the GenesisNews Blog

Welcome to a press release resource from Genesis Marketing Services (Milton Keynes) Ltd