CTP - Computer to Plate
PREVIEW OPTS FOR TRUEPRESS 344 FOR ITS FIRST STEPS INTO PRINT
Tuesday 28. October 2008 - Preview Cromatic has expanded its design and repro business into print with the installation of a Screen Truepress 344 digital offset press. The Stevenage company says its organic growth brought it to a point where it had a choice to reinvest in its CTP or bring its outsourced print in-house.
“Our CTP was six years old,” says Chris Coughlan, who is joint managing director along with Zenon Baynham. “We were operating from a converted convent and space was becoming something of an issue. By moving to larger, modern premises we could accommodate a digital press and bring a large percentage of our print in-house.”
Preview keeps a keen eye on technology, and, although it researched its options thoroughly, the Truepress 344 was the obvious choice. “Once we decided to go down the digital route, it was only ever going to be Screen,” says Chris. “We have a long and close relationship with them and we trust them to look after our needs.”
The installation in the smart new office unit went smoothly and the training that followed wasn’t without its challenges. Preview’s minders are from a repro background and are used to handling one sheet of paper at a time, not moving around a stack of 5,000 sheets. However, this was just a question of experience and the press delivers quality more than equal to that provided by Preview’s litho suppliers. Whether a job is run on the Truepress or sent out is determined less by run length and more by time. If it will take more than six or seven hours of press time, then the company finds it more economical to have it done elsewhere and concentrate on more profitable work. “I think the longest run we have produced was 40,000 copies of a four-page A5 document,” says Chris. “But we do lots of runs of 1,000-3,000 copies of 16 pages.”
While quality is clearly important, it is the flexibility that the Truepress 344 provides that has made the biggest impression on Preview. It finds the management of its print jobs so much easier under its own roof than supervising and co-ordinating that work externally. This is very much a design-led business, staffed by people steeped in colour experience, producing top quality files. “The expertise that went into producing plates is now sent directly to the press and we see the results straightaway,” says Chris. “We have converted around 70% of our outsourced work on to the Truepress. It allows us to deliver a much improved quality and service to our customers while at the same time increasing our margins.”
Brian Filler, managing director of Screen UK, says: “Preview is a perfect example of the type of the innovative yet circumspect company that will enjoy continued success. Its considered buying decisions combined with its understanding of its market is an excellent mix and we look forward to working together for many years to come.”