Inkjet & Digital Printing
Starprint Expresses Complete Confidence in KODAK NEXPRESS S3000 Digital Production Color Press
Monday 10. November 2008 - Printer Starprint has just acquired a new KODAK NEXPRESS S3000 Press, Kodaks latest model, associated with KODAK NEXPRESS Photobook Software, opening up new prospects for them.
Since 2006, printer Starprint, located in Perpignan, has been committed to a vast modernisation plan aimed at meeting the challenges of the twenty-first century. Having already acquired a KODAK NEXPRESS 2100 press, the business has added a second machine as well as KODAK NEXPRESS customised photobook software. Lacking space in their former premises, Starprint has also had a 1,200 m² facility built, specially designed to operate in optimum conditions. Enjoying a sound reputation in markets for small and medium format advertising products, with runs of up to 2,000, Starprint presides over a national customer base consisting of offset printers.
The fruitful partnership between Starprint and Kodak dates back to 2006, when the two associates Lylian Alba and Hervé de Cruz, who were instrumental in founding the company, decided to invest in a digital production press. At the time, they conducted a comparative analysis of the market involving a painstaking study of each available system. It became clear very quickly that the KODAK NEXPRESS press stood out from the others with its combination of quality, productivity and reliability. For these two entrepreneurs, it was the most competitive digital production press of its class. A few months after signing the sales order, Starprint took delivery of a digital press capable of printing in five colors and to a quality equivalent to offset. A year later, the impending expiry of the lease of an old digital press then prompted the young company to repeat the exercise.
“One machine on its own was not enough to handle 100% of our production requirements and to guarantee very short lead times”, remembers Hervé de Cruz.
Totally satisfied with its first KODAK NEXPRESS, the company decided to express renewed confidence in Kodak, by investing in a KODAK NEXPRESS S3000 Press, the latest model in the range, which also happens to be the most powerful. “We wanted the same levels of performance in terms of quality, technology and maintenance on both machines. The operators who were already trained on this equipment were immediately operational, thus helping ensure that the machine was soon up to speed. We were able to produce the first sheets very soon after. The installation of the KODAK NEXPRESS S3000 press at the new facility took place without a hitch, as did the relocation of the existing KODAK NEXPRESS 2100 press, upgraded to a 2500 model”, explains Hervé de Cruz, who is pleased with his choice. The KODAK NEXPRESS S3000 press is capable of printing in five colors at a speed of 3,000 sheets per hour, which makes it the fastest machine in its class. It is possible for each sheet to be coated or for a spot coating to be applied, after printing, in order to protect the surface of the page and enhance its appearance. Boasting an unprecedented level of modularity, this press features highly flexible front-end options, infeed-delivery accessories and on-site upgrade capabilities. These attributes enable Starprint to increase print output and to widen its customer base.
Along with the investment in the KODAK NEXPRESS S3000 press, Starprint, wishing to expand its markets, has acquired the KODAK NEXPRESS Photobook Software, which will enable the company to develop an online sales business.
“The investment in this software resulted from reading a market survey, which revealed the boom in the customised photo market. A huge range of printed photo products, such as postcards, photobooks and calendars, can be produced and sold through a website on which surfers store their photos. The dedicated software for creating KODAK NEXPRESS photobooks brings together all the stages required to create photo products as well as a very simple repeat order process. This application fits in very well with the current trend. The market will continue to evolve with increasingly sophisticated marketing tools at its disposal. Today it is no longer enough to sit back and just do printing, instead one needs to offer comprehensive communication solutions. The future lies in a cross-media strategy bringing about interaction and synergy between means of communication. KODAK NEXPRESS Photobook Software meets this need and opens up very rewarding prospects for the coming years”, concludes Hervé de Cruz.