The varnish system will enable the business to introduce a range of unique finishes and effects to images in-house. The firm had previously outsourced elements of varnishing when customers had requested it.
The varnish is integrated into the printing process and the "100%-accurate" registration means there is no requirement for bleed. Up to five layers of the varnish can be applied directly from the press to create an embossed effect.
The upgrade also enables the property of the ink to be enhanced by using one of the spare ink channels, combining the varnish with ink drops to create a metallic finish.
“Since venturing into POS just over three years ago, we have seen the turnover of FastAnt increase in this sector from zero to £4.5m,” said FastAnt managing director Matthew Wennington.
“Along with our retail design studio Instore, the Scitex has been an important part of this growth and the quality print we are producing from this device will now have the added benefit of varnish and 3D embossing, which is an application our customers are keen to introduce on their products.”
The spot varnish can also be used functionally to assist when gluing FSDUs or, by adding a layer of varnish to the base of units, provide protection from ground moisture.
The press upgrade also included an image quality update, which has boosted the firm’s productivity by around 30% and enabled it to reproduce crystal clear four-point text for applications including technical specifications and barcodes.
“Since upgrading the press last month, the machine is running at a higher speed and producing a better quality than it was previously. It’s certainly helped us productivity-wise with some recent work; we’ve been getting a lot more sheets out in the given timeframe than we were previously,” said Wennington.
Leicester-based FastAnt, which has 55 staff and a turnover of around £9m, had bought the 3.2m-wide FB7600 in 2012 to bring the majority of its POS work in-house.
Last month the company started a new sales strategy involving the recruitment and development of two graduates who will be specifically trained to sell digital printing services.
