Barley Print invests £10,000 in latest ink management system

Print Solutions

Barley Print has taken delivery of a high tech computer controlled ink management system that will increase efficiency and reduce wastage at its production plant in Hertfordshire.

The family firm, based in Cuffley, has invested £10,000 in a Digital Ink Preset System (DIPS) to replace its traditional open fountain ink trains in order to provide more precise density control at all press speeds.

The DIPS provides a convenient means of setting ink fountains, acting as a communicator between pre-press workstations and litho presses. It calculates ink coverage from pre-press data, converting it into ink preset data and passing it to the press remote control console.

This information enables precise ink fountain presetting of the press, significantly reducing make ready times. Adjustments can still be made on the press and revised settings can be saved and recalled to enable exact colour management for reprinted work.

Glen Middleton, production director at Barley Print, said: ‘The DIPS system has enabled us to reduce set up times by more than 50% and significantly reduce paper wastage used during the set up process.

‘The other advantages included improved ink density, which helps enhance imagery, and increased print accuracy throughout the run. Together, this produces consistent quality results without the fluctuations that are characteristic of open ink fountains.

‘The digital system also means ink is not contaminated with paper dust and grit, resulting in immediate cost savings in ink, paper and maintenance.’

This latest investment by Barley Print follows the arrival earlier this year of a new Heidelberg XL105-5XL press, which has increased print capacity by up to 50%.