Offset Printing

First European Install of the Presstek 52DI-AC Digital Offset Press at Potts Printing and Packaging

Thursday 04. March 2010 - Presstek 52DI-AC bridges production gap, making short-run work more competitive, profitable

Presstek, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRST), a leading manufacturer and marketer of digital offset printing solutions, today announced that Potts Printing and Packaging, a UK commercial printer based in Northumberland, has installed a Presstek 52DI-AC digital offset press with an inline aqueous coater.  This £9.6 million firm has added the 52DI-AC press to its portfolio of conventional offset presses to better address the growing demand for shorter runs that were inefficient to produce on its existing larger format presses. As a result, the company has not only filled that gap, but has been able to make its existing conventional presses more efficient.

“With two large-format six-color offset presses and a small format two-color press,” says Shaun Johnson, Managing Director Potts, “it was obvious that we were in need of a device that would allow us to bridge our short-run color capabilities.  A market investigation revealed that the Presstek 52DI-AC was the best fit for our needs, especially in runs of 10,000 or below. It delivers the quality our customers demand but introduces a new level of cost-efficiency for these shorter runs. In addition, we were very excited to learn that with the DI press, we can print very high quality on thicker stocks than toner-based digital presses allow.  This opens up many new opportunities for us, including short-run packaging.  We are also thrilled with the fact that once the sheet exits the press and in-line aqueous coater, we can take the work directly to bindery without wait-time associated with drying.”

The Presstek 52DI-AC supports both flood (full page) and spot aqueous coating. Spot aqueous coating, when applied to specific areas such as individual images and/or text, produces a dramatic effect with those items appearing to literally pop off of the page. Its on-press plate imaging and automated systems make it ideal for producing runs of 500 to 20,000 with minimal makeready time and waste.  And its environmental footprint is small, with no chemistry and a waterless printing process.

“We had been producing a great deal of business card, short-run leaflet flyer work and booklet covers on our Heidelberg CD74 6-color press with a coater,” adds Dan Tobin Business Development Director at Potts. “What the 52DI-AC has allowed us to do is migrate most of that work to the DI and release the Heidelberg machine for work that is more suited to its capabilities, making both presses more profitable.  It has brought an important balance to our print room, now that we are able to put the right job on the right press. We feel confident that the addition of the Presstek 52DI-AC will help us pick up new business, both with existing clients and new ones, helping to ensure that our business continues to grow.”

“The addition of the Presstek 52DI-AC to Potts has given them much more flexibility,” said Peter Swann, UK National Sales Manager for Presstek.  “Potts is a large printer running multiple shifts, and the 52DI-AC now allows them to efficiently meet the market demand for short-run color while at the same time making their conventional offset presses more profitable by offloading this shorter run work to the DI. We are excited to be working with them as they investigate the new opportunities the DI press opens up for them and for their customers.”