Print-Leeds, the plastics printing specialist that takes its name from its home city, has installed the UK’s first Screen Truepress Jet1600UV-F large format digital inkjet printer to take the company to the next level with digital production directly on to substrates up to 50mm thick.
The company is strong in the niche market of lenticular printing, which it currently produces on its Heidelberg CD74-6-LX-UV – also the first UK installation – and has seen a marked increase in the demand for very short runs and one-offs. The Truepress Jet1600UV-F has a head positioning system which features a high-resolution linear scale, enabling extremely precise dot placement.
“We have been printing litho for a long time and we wanted to replicate that quality on a smaller scale as there is a tendency for customers to order less, more frequently,” says managing director Rod Fisher. “The key to success in lenticular is printing in exact registration and that is what the Truepress Jet1600UV-F gives us, as well as fantastic quality to match that of our litho production.” Fisher adds that the makeready for litho can get through upwards of 300 sheets, which at around £1 per sheet for lenticular work, is a costly process. “Therefore there are huge savings in short runs using the Truepress Jet1600UV-F,” he says.
As much of Print-Leeds output is point of sale work, another feature of the Truepress Jet1600UV-F that appealed was its sophisticated white ink capabilities. “Being able to print a selective fitted white rather than a flood white across the whole image is a definite advantage,” says Fisher, “And not many machines can do that.”
The Truepress Jet1600UV-F is also economical to run with its UV-LED lamp which generates significantly less heat during imaging, drawing little electricity and giving a long lamp life. “The lamps also have instant start up which saves a lot of time,” says Fisher, “The machine is also almost odorless, which means we can have it in an ordinary room.”
Print-Leeds grew out of a repro house in 1986 and extended into print in 2002. With repro in decline Fisher saw a specialist niche in UV, an area where printers seemed reluctant to diversify into. “There was a gap in the market in litho printing predominantly on to plastics,” says Fisher. “Printers who were used to printing on paper didn’t want to print on plastic. They were worried about getting the ink to dry, whereas we went in with an open mind. Now with the demand for short runs we are developing our expertise into new technology and therefore new markets.”
The next step, says Fisher, is to get a cutting bed to handle the larger sheet size of 3100×1600mm that the new acquisition can handle. “The Truepress Jet1600UV-F is a key factor in our on-going venture into a digital future,” says Fisher, “particularly as we expand further into web-to-print applications, including large format and short-run lenticular printing.”
