Offset Printing
BCQ says litho still vital for online response services
Friday 25. April 2008 - BCQ Print says it has needed its latest Speedmaster SM 52-2 to run alongside two Xerox iGens and two Hewlett Packard Indigos in order to meet burgeoning demand generated by its online and "digital pen & paper" services.
The conventional litho machine has handled over 30 jobs in a 7.5 hour shift on occasion for the company which can receive as many as 200 orders per 24 hours.
“Offering an online ordering service is about making life easy for customers and minimising the administration for them,” says Tyrone Spence, joint managing director with Richard Knowles. “They are not expected to know what equipment their order is best suited to run on; thats our expertise and there are many occasions when litho fits better than digital.
“The dividing line between digital and conventional litho print is not just about run length, although litho is price competitive certainly from 500 sheets, but is as much to do with extent, format, paper choice, quality issues, whether personalisation is required etc. Anyone writing off litho today should see a doctor!”
The SM 52-2 is the latest of a dozen Heidelberg presses installed at the Buckingham company formed 14 months ago from the merger of Buckingham Colour Press and Colour Quest. BCQ has sales of about £11m generated from print management companies and end users.
The company boasts a stack of B2 Speedmasters, up to six-colour configuration, as well as B3 Speedmaster and Printmaster presses, from two-colour portrait press to a top of the range five-colour.
BCQ is a very service-focused, response-driven business. Its no surprise to turn to “About us” on the company web site and to see the headline “Actually its about you”. The company is armed with a stack of accreditations including ISO 9001, 14001, 18001 and FSC Chain of Custody.