4-Print invests in digital and litho to meet new customer demand

Print Solutions

4-Print in West Molesey will make its debut in digital printing next week with the delivery of a Versafire CP press from Heidelberg. At the same time, it is adding a new Suprasetter A75 CTP to feed its two litho presses, a Speedmaster SM74-6 and an SM52-5.

‘We have been analysing the benefits of an investment in digital for a while, having enjoyed great success with litho. It didn’t take long to establish that there is more work available to us from our existing client base if we can offer this short run service and so we have undertaken extensive research, looking at all the main players,’ said the company’s Nigel Fountain. ‘We have come down in favour of Heidelberg because it fits with our Prinect workflow and the 330 x 700 mm banner format is fantastic and will allow us to handle 6pp A4 or landscape A4 work.’

He anticipates the breakpoint between litho and digital jobs being around the 500 run point and he believes the Versafire will handle a broad range of the commercial work it handles, from business cards to brochures.

Nigel joined the company in 1984, originally as a driver, but it is his extensive experience as a minder which makes him thorough and inciteful when it comes to choosing new technology. He led a management buyout in 2011 and says that the company’s 11 staff have between them more than 200 years of service and that they remain a very close and effective team.

The CTP investment is a straight Suprasetter for Suprasetter swap; the one going out is ten years old. There are advantages with the latest version. It has a smaller footprint which leaves space for the Versafire CP and it has both B2 and B3 plate cassettes integrated into the machine where previously the trays were manually changed.