Inkjet & Digital Printing

Image Visual returns to Heidelberg for latest digital press investment

Tuesday 10. July 2012 - Image Visual Communications will retain a Kodak Nexpress but replace a Kodak M700 press with a Heidelberg Linoprint C 751 digital printing press this month.

This north east business was born out of a photographic studio and 16 years ago was an early adopter of digital printing technology, two years later migrating into litho. The company runs a Speedmaster SM 74-5-P with Axis Control and uses a Suprasetter 75 CtP device and Heidelberg consumables.
“Over the past four years in particular we have seen digital printing quality improve. We undertook extensive research into our options but came down in favour of the
C 751 on the basis of its quality and reliability. This is as good as toner based quality gets and is getting near to litho results,” says Colin Burke, managing director.
“For us we see the commercial cut off between litho and digital at runs of about 300 but it is more complex than that and our decision will also be based on the content of the job and the particular specification from the customer.
“We see the technologies as complementary. Often we will be asked for a short run of say 250 for a sales conference which we will digitally print and then, after changes, that can become a brochure with a run of 5,000 to 10,000 which will be put on our Speedmaster. I would not want to be offering a digital printing service without litho today, nor litho without digital.”
Image Visual finishes both digital and litho print offline using common cut, fold and stitch equipment. It also offers lamination, encapsulation, Wire-O binding, perfect binding, die cutting, padding and shrink wrapping services.
The new press will work the company’s standard 7.30am to 7.30pm day.
The 32 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 company’s work is from north east companies but it does handle work nationwide and regularly delivers into Europe. It serves a comprehensive range of end users.