Offset Printing
Think Colour thinks litho is best and sets up with Anicolor
Thursday 19. June 2008 - A new company is being set up to offer a short run litho service, competing with digital alternatives.
To this end the company has located a 2,000 sq ft unit on the Thorp Arch Trading Estate in Wetherby and has ordered a Speedmaster SM 52-4+L Anicolor, a Suprasetter A52 and a Polar 78X guillotine. The business start trading this month.
Think Colour is the brainchild of Nigel Wallbank who has a background in litho but who has also experienced digital brand-focused production over the last year.
“There is a gap in the market for litho which can compete with digital technology. The quality of digital has a long way to go. Although some results are good its not consistent. After only a few hundred digital loses its advantage,” says Mr Wallbank.
So Think Colour will target the 300 to 10,000 run business and it liked Heidelberg and the Anicolor especially with its low waste, fast set up productivity.
“I had a bit of a Remington moment; I couldnt buy the company so buying the machine was the next best thing!” jokes Mr Wallbank. “I tested the Anicolor and realistically could achieve five to seven minute makeready and sellable print within ten or 15 sheets.”
With the Anicolor he will produce flyers, brochure, menus etc. He is not targeting the branded market which is why he feels the four process colours are sufficient but the coating means he can achieve very good response levels to meet customer demand.
Think Colour will sell nationwide via the Internet with an online quotation and ordering system as well as offering a good local service. With the Suprasetter featuring automatic loading and running Saphira Chem-free plates and the Anicolor with its low waste capability the new company starts with good environmental credentials.
The company is using Prinect PrintReady and MetaDimension prepress software and Prinect Prepress Interface to connect its prepress and press into a seamless workflow for maximum efficiency.
And how did the name Think Colour come about? This was the brainwave of Mr Wallbanks ten year old son Joshua.