DI Press Prints 1 Million Copies In First Month

In its first month of production at retail printing shop Fantasy Print, a Presstek 34DI direct imaging digital offset press has printed over a million copies.

Fantasy Print, in Berwick-on-Tweed (Scotland) installed the PResstek 34 DI at the busiest time of the year.

In addition to the company's local commercial business, it also has an expanding new market opportunity in supplying leisure companies with printed materials and signage, added Presstek.

Paul Martin, a director at Fatnasy Print, commented: "We like the concept of being able to image plates automatically on press without the need for a separate platemaker because it is quicker, cleaner and requires less manpower.

So, when we came to replace an old Heidelberg QMDI press, we looked for a similar system." He explained: "The Presstek 34DI takes that technology to the next generation.

We first saw it at an exhibition in Scotland last year and realised that it was ideal for our type of work.

We have mono and colour digital printers for short run work up to 500 copies double-sided and 1,000 single-sided sheets and then the Presstek 34DI comes in to its own for longer runs.

The longest to date has been 50,000 on one job." He added that previously the company was taking up to an hour to get up to colour on the QMDI, whereas now it takes 10 minutes for full make-ready, including burning a set of plates and the press is up to colour almost immediately.

Fantasy Print also had a problem before with colour drift during print runs but the Presstek 34DI is accurate and gives far better quality and consistency using 300-line screen and waterless printing.

Martin added: "It began when we did some jobs for two holiday parks nearby, who are a part of larger groups.

We built up a good rapport with them and they've recommended us to other holiday parks throughout the UK.

The challenge is that everything has to be completed before the start of the holiday season.

The press went in very smoothly.

It was a straight forward transition from the QMDI to the 34DI and we were in full production very quickly.

It's a very easy press to operate." With the new press Fantasy Print plans to try to be as creative as possible and to become more than a commercial printer.

The company also wants to print on plastic, wood, mirrors and textiles as well as producing large format posters, vehicle and other signage and pop-up graphics.

The company is confident that there is an additional market for the Presstek 34DI press producing 3D lenticular printing.

Martin said: "An advantage is that we can produce a proof on the material we are going to print on in only 10 minutes.

We are going to start trials in the next few weeks when we have finished our busy period.

We are also going to promote the environmental benefits of the chemistry-free process even though it isn't something that our customers have asked for to date.

However, because of the enormous amount of publicity that 'green' issues have attracted recently, both in the government and the media, I am sure it will become an important selling tool sooner rather than later.".

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