5th Colour Unit On Digital Press Proves Its Worth

Nexpress has launched a fifth imaging unit for its 2100 digital production colour press.

Nexpress has launched a fifth imaging unit for its 2100 digital production colour press.

The imaging system is claimed to enable intelligent colour, coating and glossing.

The fifth imaging unit is reported by Nexpress to have received immediate interest from printers and has been successfully implemented in a number of UK firms.

The 2100 with the fifth imaging unit has been licensed by Pantone and is now optimised for Pantone colour reproduction.

Early adopters of the fifth imaging unit both in England and the United States have reported significant gains in quality and workflow efficiency claimed Nexpress.

Emeness Printers in Hackney (UK), the parent company of the digital print firm Clickonprint.com, invested in the five-colour 2100 based on its previous success with the four-colour unit.

The new press is already demonstrating extended capabilities for value-added service and higher impact communications, quality and cost-savings said Nexpress.

"Key customers require specific Pantone colours for their branding.

The fifth imaging unit allows us to better match a wide range of corporate-branded spot colours without the expense and risk of purchasing a specially mixed ink," explained Chris Farino, production director of Clickonprint.com.

"We can also offer a matte finish using a clear toner.

For example, we could not produce a sparkling orange using the litho process.

Now it's cheaper to print digitally and obtain very high-quality results," he added.

Emeness also reports very cost-effective proofing capability.

"By proofing with the 2100 we can print on any litho substrate up to 300gsm.

When the 2100 press is calibrated to the litho press, it produces a near perfect representation of the final litho sheet with a very high colour consistency.

Customers can see a proof that is identical to the final product, and with just a telephone call, the job goes into production." Lloyd James Group plc was the first UK direct mail company to invest in a NEXPRESS 2100 press with a fifth imaging unit," commented Farino.

The press is reliably handling same day turnarounds on personalised print runs from up to 5,000 plus.

Jo Lloyd, group sales director at the Lloyd James Group, commented: "Printing technology has now reached a stage where it can really support the activity of database marketers.

The 2100 press is totally data-driven, allowing highly personalised mail-shots to go out to a handful of people or to thousands.

Campaigns can be tweaked at any point to boost response.

Because print runs are driven by demand, there's no waste, representing substantial cost savings and bringing obvious environmental advantages." Glyn Davies, the managing director of the computer services division of the Lloyd James Group, added: "With the fifth imaging unit, any element of the mail-shot can also be personalised in colour.

For example, images designed to appeal to the recipient can be inserted in order to maximise response, based on preference or transactional data." Across the Atlantic at Bates Jackson, a 101-year-old printer based in Buffalo, New York, owner E J Flammer reported excellent results with the fifth imaging unit according to Nexpress.

"The versatility is a strong point.

We can expand the colour gamut with three different colours of new dry ink, and also have a clear coat that saves production time in finishing.

So instead of having to go to offline coating or lamination, the pieces can come off the press and go right to the cutter," noted Flammer.

Bob Radzis of RT Associates, a digital service provider near Chicago adopted the 2100 press three years ago.

The company recently completed a month where it ran more than three million impressions on it with no mechanical downtime.

The fifth imaging unit is already being used to create 'automated marketing' programmes for its clients, using a web-to-print application with the press.

Clients can create, specify and order customised, variable data materials printed with the 2100.

RT Associates then sends the mailers directly to its customers.

"Now that we've incorporated the fifth imaging unit, the glossing really makes the pieces look better, and the coating protects the direct mail from wear and tear," said Radzis.

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