Woodland installs SRA3 digital offset press

To become more competitive in the four-colour print market, Woodland Print, a Cork-based commercial printer, traded in its four-colour conventional litho press for a Presstek 34DI machine.

Consort, Presstek's DI dealer in Ireland, sold and installed the press at Woodland Print, which is owned and operated by Dave McCarthy and Emmet Fennell.

'We went into four-colour printing almost four years ago with a 10-year-old, four-colour litho press, but on reflection, it was probably a mistake,' said Dave McCarthy.

'Although it took us into the area of the market that we wanted to be, it didn't give us the quality that was needed to compete with newer presses.

'Consequently, we didn't feel confident in quoting for more profitable work.

'We also knew that we could win more repeat business if we had the right equipment.

'We did consider buying a newer conventional litho press but, once again, in order to achieve the quality, we would have had to trade in our film imagesetter for a computer-to-plate system.

'That would have been a very big investment for a company that employs 10 people.' McCarthy had been interested in the Presstek DI press for some time and added: 'I decided to contact Consort to find out more and I also got references from active DI users in Ireland and the UK.

'As soon as I saw its automation, ease of operation and the quality it produced, I knew it was the right press to help us grow our business profitably.

'Its automation simplifies the whole make ready and printing process.

'Plates are automatically imaged on press and we can get up to sellable colour with very little paper wastage.' The DI press is saving Woodland Print a few hours a day in production time, which is making a big difference.

The company can now produce 5,000 A4 four-colour flyers in 40 minutes; it used to take nearly two hours.

McCarthy said: 'We have some regular long-run jobs, which we are now printing on the DI press.

'For example, we have recently printed 120,000 booklets.

'It required a few sets of plates, but as the DI images them on press it was very quick.

'Making a new set of plates only took 10 minutes and the consistency between runs was perfect.

'We are also printing spot colour jobs on it as well.' The 34DI supports up to 300lpi and stochastic (FM) screened printing.

The company believes that the 34DI has given it the confidence to compete with trade printers.

McCarthy added: 'We've always taken the environmental issue seriously with our recycling programme but now the waterless, chemistry-free DI press takes us to the forefront.

'The green issue has become very important in Ireland and the press should also help us win business from those organisations who want to put their work with an environmentally friendly printer.' In the first month the DI press has already printed 1.2 million sheets.

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