Offset Printing
Image Visual puts emphasis on colour control as it moves into B2
Monday 11. May 2009 - Image Visual Communications is making its debut in B2 printing with the arrival of a Speedmaster SM 74-5-P which is being commissioned this week.
For this north eastern business born out of a photographic studio, colour understanding and control is critical and so it has specified Axis Control spectrophotometry.
“Our background in photography makes us very colour aware,” says managing director Colin Burke. “We hold ISO 9001 and with this spectrophotometric measurement device we believe we will be well placed to add ISO 12647 in future. We handle quality print not jobbing work and this level of colour control will give us an edge.”
The fact that the company is doubling its capacity, replacing a SM 52-5+P with a SM 74-5+P with the same staff levels will also increase the companys competitiveness in a tough market. Its customers are already asking for folders and other higher spec work requiring the larger format and if the market lifts and the press fulfils its promise Image Visual Communications will consider adding more staff.
“We looked at other suppliers but weve had good reliability from Heidelberg presses, good service and good residual values. Staying with Heidelberg also means the operators are not having to undertake major retraining,” says Mr Burke.
To feed the press the company has replaced a chemistry-based CtP device with a Suprasetter 75 and 50% of its plates will be the Saphira brand supplied by Heidelberg. This system eliminates the bother, cost and environmental impact of changing chemistry.
Image Visual Communications is less usual in having started in digital printing and having diversified into litho. Today it sees the breakpoint in run lengths between digital and litho work as about 500 sheets but often the choice is more complex, depending on demand, timescales and quality requirements.
The 29 year old company is based in Killingworth, near Newcastle, and has a web site www.image-viscom.co.uk which highlights its extensive range of services. Most of the companys work is from north eastern companies but it does handle work nationwide and regularly delivers into Europe. It serves a comprehensive range of end users.