Brand New Digital Equipment Has Arrived - August 2023

We’re thrilled that our busy print room now boasts two Hewlett-Packard additions. Both machines are incredibly versatile and responsive to the needs of our customers. Much thought and research went into the investment, we even flew a team out to Barcelona, home to HP’s Digital Manufacturing Center of Excellence!

The HP R2000 Wide-format can print on virtually any flat material, whether rigid or flexible - up to 2.5 metres wide and 4.5 centimetres thick - including metal, wood and glass. The apparatus is ideal for sizeable posters, robust banners, signage, promotional display, floor graphics and much more. Quick rotating chambers, multi-boarding, a smart belt system and advanced queueing contribute to efficiencies, generating savings we can pass on to customers. We’ve even invested in an attachment that stamps bespoke cut-outs. Believe it or not, the technical term is “kiss cutting”!

The newly-installed HP Indigo 15K Digital Press features advanced technologies like automatic colour calibration, double-sided continuity, non-stop feeding and seamless substrate integration, lending advantages to virtually any print, not least our core products like programmes and brochures. While manufacturing costs are kept taut, the quality and turn-around times are exceptional, delivering sharp results that will impress audiences.

Part of our decision-making was the green credentials of these “next generation” presses. The R2000 utilises latex inks that are 65% water-based and do not emit hazardous air pollutants, avoiding reactive monomer chemistry exposure and undesirable low-level ozone generation. Similarly, given the absence of plates and cylinders, the Indigo reduces supply chain waste by up to 26%, greatly minimising the all-important carbon footprint.

Delivery day was very exciting and the HP  team was with us for a few days, diligently making sure everything was in place and ready to go. The specialist training provided by HP  has been outstanding, so that our minders feel confident operating the equipment. We will, of course, maintain our traditional Heidelberg capability; with these considerable upgrades, we enter somewhat of a new era, truly dovetailing our lithographic and digital competencies.