KBA Karat Press Instrumental In Rapid Growth

Grafiche Gelli, in Florence (Italy) was one of the first KBA 74 Karat press users in Italy, and since its installation the press has been instrumental in creating rapid growth.

Grafiche Gelli, in Florence (Italy) was one of the first KBA 74 Karat press users in Italy, and since its installation the press has been instrumental in creating rapid growth.

In August 2003, the original 74 Karat press was exchanged for a new model with coating unit and the company name was changed again to Grafiche Gelli.

Owner and director Giorgio Carotti commented: "That decision enabled us not only to further increase our quality and productivity but also to boost turnover significantly.

Already in 2003, we were able to post an increase of 18 per cent compared to 2002.

In 2004, even that result was topped by another 27 per cent.

Those figures speak for themselves." He continued: "The 74 Karat runs in two shifts and handles between 18 and 20 different jobs each day.

Our typical run lengths lie between 300 and 3,000 copies, which demands a press that guarantees fast make-readies.

Our experience with the 74 Karat has been positive right down the line.

It is a powerful means of production, which matches the highest standards with regard to print quality, automation and ease of operation." The list of the company's customers has also become longer as business has expanded.

Giorgio Carotti added: "Over the past year or so, we have been seeing an increasing number of jobs for the 70cm x 100cm format.

Instead of sending the work out to other printers, we have now decided to follow the trend and invest in a five-colour Rapida 105 universal.

Following our move to new premises in summer 2005, the combination of the two format classes will enable us to print both high quality and high volume.

The 74 Karat will take care of the exclusive short-run segment, whilst the Rapida 105 will be able to handle the longer runs for books and commercial products." The company's first digital-integrated KBA sheetfed offset press was installed in 2001.

With that investment in a waterless digital offset press, the former pre-press studio, which was founded in 1970 as Fotolito Gelli, completed its expansion in to a full-service print provider.

The company name was changed to Gelli Digital and high-quality print orders were handled, not only for advertising agencies, but also for direct customers.

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