Offset Printing

Duplicates Ink Celebrates Grand Opening with Heidelberg Press, Prepress Equipment

Friday 04. July 2008 - Duplicates Ink, Print and Communications in Conway, S.C. is celebrating a new chapter for its business that has been more than 17 years in the making.

After opening to humble beginnings in 1991, the company’s co-founders Scott Creech and John Cassidy decided to expand into four-color work to handle more of their job load in-house. There was just one problem: After purchasing a lot in 1999 with plans to construct a completely new building, Hurricane Floyd hit the coastal town and flooded the entire property. “After the hurricane, our priorities were shifted as we concentrated on sustaining our existing business while everyone in the area re-built their lives,” Creech said. Eventually, the amount of four-color work that the company was brokering became a cost issue, and once again focus turned to building a new, larger home for Duplicates Ink. “We were happy with our 2-color Printmaster QM 46 press from Heidelberg, so we wanted to stick with Heidelberg when expanding into four-color capabilities,” Creech said. The business partners interviewed many area printers with Heidelberg presses to determine the best fit for their needs, and decided to invest in a Printmaster PM 52 press and a fully-automatic Suprasetter A52 platesetter. “We realized after speaking with many people that the option to upgrade and install the Suprasetter A52 thermal CtP platesetter was the best decision for us, instead of relying on polyester plates,” Creech said. “We were able to install the platesetter with the Auto Top Loader (ATL) attachment, which automates the entire process – including the removal of slip sheets.” Heidelberg Saphira Chemfree thermal plates, which eliminate the need to constantly dump chemistry, were a major reason that the company decided to install the thermal platesetter. The press and platesetter have been up and running for less than two months, yet Duplicates Ink has already been able to match the quality of any broker job and is continuing to ramp up the speed and productivity of its shop. “It seems that every week, our productivity continues to increase,” Creech said. “We experienced a huge learning curve with a completely new format, but the press is very user-friendly and we are pleased with the results we have already seen.” In addition, Heidelberg Saphira consumables are in use throughout the shop. The seven full-time employees of Duplicates Ink serve sports, entertainment and manufacturing industry clients in the Grand Strand and surrounding areas.