The Versafire will replace a Xerox J75, with First Colour hanging on to its other J75 as a backup. First Colour managing director Cliff Finn said the purchase follows his 15-staff outfit's policy of upgrading digital machines on a five-year cycle.
First Colour had capacity that required at least 250,000 clicks a months and the Versafire can handle around 500,000 a month.
The machine will be installed on Saturday (24 June), after a slight delay due to Heidelberg having to acquire a special council permit to transport the machine to First Colour’s 370sqm premises off Oxford Street, which has recently been expanded by 140sqm to account for an upsurge in large-format work.
Finn said: “We’ve been Xerox for 20 years. We enjoy great service in the West End because of the quality of our Xerox machines but I personally believe that with the Heidelberg setup there are features on those machines that we couldn’t ignore.”
Finn highlighted the wider paper size and banner printing feature on the Versafire, along with its ability to print duplex at up to 400gsm and its 1,200x4,800dpi quality. It will also allow First Colour to bring six-page A4 and A4 landscape work in-house.
The four-colour Versafire, which First Colour will install without its optional fifth unit, prints at maximum speeds of up to 130ppm simplex. It prints on a variety of substrates at thicknesses of between 52-400gsm, taking sheet size of up to 330x700mm. It will be linked to First Colour’s Prinect workflow software.
Finn added: “Manufacturers talk about digital being the same as litho, in our mind that has not really been true up to the last couple of years and now we’re seeing with this particular machine, the commerciality and saleability of the print is virtually the same as far as our customers are concerned.
“Our major business is fast turnaround, West End customers will wait three days for litho but this is absolutely same day and the quality is almost the same; when the artwork is really good it is indistinguishable.”
10 years ago, £1.5m-turnover First Colour’s revenue split was at around 65% litho, 35% digital, whereas litho has now dropped to around 30%. It runs two Speedmasters, a five-colour PM 52 and a two-colour SM 52.
It also runs HP Latex’s on the large-format side and offers laminating, cutting, folding and other finishing services.
