Sakurai has sold one of its new four-colour Oliver-466SIP presses to an unnamed firm during its UK launch at the firms Hounslow showroom.

The press, which is aimed at the colour commercial market, can print straight or two-back-two perfecting.

Sakurai Graphic Systems London branch manager Mark Jennings said: "It was the first time that the customer had seen the press, but he wanted to shake hands there and then."

The Oliver-466SIPs 11m2 footprint is some 40% smaller than the Sakurai 474. It is aimed at the jobbing printer, for whom space is a premium.

Jennings said Sakurais UK market was migrating from the single- and two-colour arena towards fully automated multi-colour machines.

The press, which has a top speed of 15,000 copies per hour straight or 13,000 perfecting, has automatic ink roller wash-up, sheet-size pre-set and an automatic plate changing system.

It can handle a maximum sheet size of 660x420mm, has off-press controls and a LAN board and software for CTP workflow.

Before Sakurai had produced the first prototype of the Oliver-466SIP it had already taken 50 orders, half of which are now installed.

The 466SIP will be on display on Sakurais Ipex stand and will cost around 300,000.

Story by John Davies