The Suprasetter, which replaces an ageing Topsetter, comes with Prinect Prepress Manager software that will “speed things up on the prepress end”, according to Colour Monster managing director Damian Lacey.
The platesetter will be installed on 13 July.
Lacey said: “We were negotiating for approximately six months and had to carefully consider what the best deal was for us because, being in Guernsey, shipping costs come into consideration.
“We already had a Topsetter so it made sense to keep the Prinect. The deal we got in the end with the Suprasetter was ideal and we managed to get in some extra Heidelberg training as well."
Operators from the manufacturer will carry out four days of training on site with Colour Monster's two prepress operators, one who was employed last month, after the Suprasetter is installed.
The Suprasetter can image up to 33 plates per hour and takes a maximum plate size of 676x760mm. According to Heidelberg, it has the lowest energy usage in its class and also has the lowest heat output.
Lacey added: “The size of the machine was a factor in the purchase as its loader is on top rather than at the side so the footprint is smaller. It’s a lot more capable, can be upgraded to twice the resolution we can do now and it operates at a faster speed.”
Lacey said the purchase would speed up prepress but not necessarily production, and that Colour Monster is also looking to purchase a new estimating system.
According to Lacey, Colour Monster is the largest commercial printer in the Channel Islands. It was an all-digital printer until two years ago when it acquired Guernsey-based litho printer the Guernsey Herald allowing it to move into the litho market.
It provides a range of print products, from business cards to brochures.
On the digital side, it runs two Xerox 700s, one Xerox 800 and one Xerox 1000 while the litho division houses a five-colour Speedmaster SM 74 and a two-colour Speedmaster SM 52.
It also has a Heidelberg stitching line and does wide-format work on its two Epson Stylus Pro 11880 devices.
Current turnover is £1.5m and Lacey is looking to boost this by 10% by the end of the financial year.
