The digital offset press, complete with inline aqueous coater, is a first for the Northumberland business, which runs a raft of large- and small-format offset machines.

With the new Presstek, the £9.6m-turnover company hopes to address an increased demand for short-run work – jobs that were not as efficient or economically viable on its six-and two-colour litho presses.

According to Shaun Johnson, managing director at Potts Printers, there was an "obvious" requirement for a machine that could bridge the gap between its existing press battery and handle runs of 10,000 and under.

"It delivers the quality our customers demand but introduces a new level of cost-efficiency for these shorter runs," he said.

Potts' latest investment is also expected to open up new sales channels, including short-run packaging work, and will allow it to move coating jobs from its Heidelberg CD74 six-colour press.

Dan Tobin, business development director at Potts Printers, said: "What the 52DI-AC has allowed us to do is migrate most of that work to the DI and release the Heidelberg machine for work that is more suited to its capabilities, making both presses more profitable."
 
Presstek's 52DI-AC builds upon the manufacturer's 52DI digital offset press, but adds an aqueous coater. This, when applied to images or text, helps produce a dramatic "pop off" effect, Presstek said.

Potts' digital spend comes off the back of an investment in a pair of two-colour Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 52-2 machines in September last year.