Emerging Printer's Digitally-Based Growth Strategy

Web2print, based in Redditch (UK) has made a strong commitment to digital printing by investing in its first Nexpress 2100 digital production colour press.

Web2print, based in Redditch (UK) has made a strong commitment to digital printing by investing in its first Nexpress 2100 digital production colour press.

The newly formed digital print company will also be a showroom and support site for Nexpress in the UK.

Web2print is a joint venture for Terry Hannam of Data Marketing Consultants and Jon Williamson, an ex-director of Cradely Print and the founding chairman of Genesis Europrint.

"We are very excited about the future.

I was looking at early retirement after a successful career in print but seeing the 2100 in action at Drupa has changed all of that.

Both Terry and I can see enormous potential and multiple opportunities for different applications in digital print on the Nexpress 2100 press," said Williamson.

Enthusiastic and experienced entrepreneurs, Williamson and Hannam said they are on-target with plans for their present pilot operation.

Over the next five years, they have plans to develop six similar, strategically placed sites in the UK, installing a Kodak Nexpress digital production colour press at each site.

Working for the trade, agencies and print brokers, they see a wealth of potential customers who typically outsource digital printing jobs.

They believe that such customers would like to own a Nexpress 2100 press but do not yet have the volume to justify the initial investment costs.

Customers can easily submit electronic files to Web2print thanks to a software package from Pelagon called Webstore.

The system was developed in partnership with Nexpress and Pelagon.

It provides an on-line interactive, digital administration system that offers time-savings and productivity gains.

With the Webstore system, Web2print believes it can offer clients a virtual print management facility, free of charge.

Dave Parker of Pelagon described how Webstore enables Web2print to better serve its customers.

"What we have done for Web2print is build a business solution.

The completely automated tool has an open architecture tailored for Web2print and Nexpress.

Customers can design and submit any file regardless of platform or application.

The user can create a PDF precisely matched to the profile of the Nexpress 2100 press and then transmit the PDF file into our print queue," explained Parker.

"Because there is minimum manual intervention, productivity through the 2100 press is at maximum levels.

With a constant demand for shorter lead times, and the need to service numerous clients, this functionality is the perfect solution for Web2print," he added.

The 2100 press is claimed to provide the flexibility needed to handle a wide range of customer applications.

The digital press can use a wide variety of substrates, from 80gsm up to 360 microns, which is 400gsm or 300 duplex gsm, and also collates electronically.

Dry inks are used.

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