Fast Komori Presses Spearhead Printer's Growth

Paarl Print has three new Komori Lithrone presses, one eight-colour Perfector and two six-colour presses with coaters, supplied by Kemtek Imaging Systems.

Guest of honour at a launch ceremony for the new machines was Yutaka Iwata San, chairman of Komori Europe.

The six-colour Komori Lithrone S640 presses with inline coating are claimed to allow for the printing of a corporate colour, a spot colour and in-line aqueous varnish finish, which opens the market for speciality coatings on promotional and advertising brochures, pamphlets and niche magazines.

The eight-colour press is suitable for four-over-four printing, added Paarl.

The company said that the speed of the presses was brought to life at the event when customers were presented with a photographic brochure as they departed, including pictures taken a few hours earlier during the launch.

Paarl Print's managing director, Mike Ehret, said that the new presses are just one of the enhancements at the company.

He explained: "We are extremely proud of becoming the first printer in South Africa with full ISO international colour certification standards.

Paarl Print guarantees that the colour of printing will be 100 per cent correct in terms of artwork supplied.

All proofs are certified for perfect colour and we have created a mechanical to electronic footprint for each press.

Plates are custom made taking in to account each machine's performance to eliminate any variance, thereby giving ISO colour quality straight from our presses." A new Screen Platerite 8800 platesetter was also ordered from Kemtek Imaging Systems to further enhance Paarl Print's capacity to supply plates to all the presses to meet customers' demands.

The company's pre-press operation has also been upgraded to Spekta 2 screening software.

The hybrid method is claimed to give the best of conventional AM and FM screening with up to a simulated 400 dots per line per inch.

It eliminates jagged lines and moire, as well as reproducing fine details and mid-tones for images, especially of food, fashion, flesh and fabric.

Paarl Print has further streamlined communications and processes in its pre-press area with the implementation of Prinergy Workflow and Kodak Insite.

Prinergy Workflow is a page independent workflow system for processing PDF print-ready digital files for output on plate setters.

Each page in a job is refined, normalised, imposed and trapped individually.

Once approved, individual files are sent automatically to the RIP, where the system waits for the imposition scheme to be completed before the plate is imposed and then imaged, said Paarl Print.

The technology is said to cut out delays and to ensure fast turn-around times.

Insite is said to provide the convenience of remote proofing, allowing customers to pre-approve their ripped files via the internet.

Paarl Print's bindery has also seen improvement with two additional Stahl folding machines and a refurbishment of its PUR bindery line.

There are also three Acepak Automatics shrink-wrapping machines, as well as a Gossamer CE-400L automatic box erector, which can erect 110 boxes per minute, said the company.

Mike Ehret commented: "We have invested heavily in our plant's processes, equipment and technology, which is further complemented by the skills and passion of our staff.

We have also implemented tight production controls with an integrated system, providing real time information on job status throughout the production process, thereby eliminating errors and inefficiency.

Our top quality printing with quick turn-around times ensures our customers have the confidence that we will provide them with printing that creates the best impression.".

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