GPS invests in Superia CTP investment

Print Solutions

Belfast based GPS Colour Graphics has chosen Fujifilm Superia technology to boost its production capacity, reduce costs and further improve its environmental credentials.

Having just moved to a new 125,000 square foot purpose built facility, GPS has invested in a PlateRite HD 8900Z from Fujifilm. This high productivity B1+ thermal device will run alongside the company’s existing PlateRite 8800Z and give it the ability to produce in excess of 100 B1 plates per hour, 24 hours a day. GPS has also renewed its existing Superia LH-PJE plate supply contract with Fujifilm for another three years.

Bryan McClay, production director, said: ‘Fujifilm has been a valuable partner to our business for a number of years now, but we surveyed the whole market and looked at all our options. Having done that, we are convinced that this Fujifilm plate is the best on the market, not only in terms of reproduction, but also in handling and on-press manageability.

‘The combination of GPS's exacting processes and the consistent reliability of the Superia LH-PJE plate enable us to conform to international colour standard ISO 12647 across all our presses – vital given our clients are some of the UK’s and Ireland's biggest brands. We also have a string of environmental credentials and awards, so we are delighted that our new CTP machine measures up to our requirements with significantly reduced power consumption and intelligent processor management.’

Bryan is also upbeat about GPS’s future. ‘We believe that the trend towards fewer, but bigger and more diversified printing companies will continue,’ he said. ‘Companies prospering in today’s so called ‘digital age’ have realised that putting ink on paper is not enough and they must now satisfy all of their customers’ requirements with greater value added services and flexibility. The desire for something more tangible seems to be on the increase and can be witnessed in trends such as millennials reverting back to vinyl as opposed to cloud based music. This bodes well for print; a tactile and tangible medium.

‘Quality is now a ‘given’ element and our recent investment in Fujifilm Superia hardware and plates has given us peace of mind for achieving the quality and the reliability we require in our litho department. That is now one less thing for us to worry about and we can focus our time on how we take our business forward to meet current and future trends and challenges in the industry and how we can add value to our clients.

‘While the pundits were busy writing the obituary for print, our response was and continues to be: ‘believe in the power of print’.’