According to Leycol’s commercial director Nick Wilson, its existing plate supply contract with Agfa was nearing expiry and the company decided to embark on a tender process to check it was still getting value for money and whether any improvements in quality were possible.

The company had been using Agfa plates since 2009.

Aware that moving supplier could be a laborious and time-consuming process, Leycol determined to switch only if the advantages were deemed to be significant.

“I would say that the quality of our output on uncoated paper is now 5% better than it was before and that it’s even greater on coated paper,” said Wilson. “We’ve had significantly better print from these plates.”

According to Fujifilm, Superia is a complete, integrated plate solution that spans the offset print production process and aims to minimise the use of materials, labour, energy and water, as well as cutting emissions.

Leycol has been using the Superia plates since October and has adapted its existing platemaker – a chemistry-free Agfa Avalon B1 Thermal Platesetter – so that the processor is now Fuji technology, and will soon modify the main console to match.

Leycol supplies commercial print and packaging products to blue-chip corporations as well as high-end design and fashion clients, printing on three Heidelberg Speedmaster 102s, two six-colours and a 12-colour. The company uses between 35,000 and 40,000 plates a year.

Wilson added that 2017 would probably see Leycol invest in more new equipment.  “We’ve been consolidating for the past few years, sitting back and seeing what the market’s doing," he said.

"But now we’re looking to enhance our digital side and maybe replace one of our six-colour presses with a Heidelberg XL. It’s an exciting time.”