The press was installed at the Altham, Lancashire-based firm’s premises last month.
The 100ppm bizhub C1100 has a stock weight range of 55-350gsm in simplex and duplex, a resolution of 1,200 dpi in 8-bit full colour and Simitri HD E polymerised toner. Other features include SEAD IV imaging, stability monitoring and density control.
The company considered a number of alternatives including the Ricoh Pro C901 and the Xerox Versant 2100 but opted for the C1100 as it had already been a Konica customer for five years and was happy with the service it had received.
Production director Aaron Shread said: “It was the best machine on the market on several fronts. We were already aware of the outstanding support and back up from Konica Minolta and it was pleasing that the C1100 was the first choice for image quality, production quality and productivity from all the machines looked at.”
The firm also operates Hamada and Heidelberg litho presses, a Konica Minolta Bizhub Pro C6500, an HP Latex 360, two HP Designjet L25500s and a range of finishing equipment.
The C1100 will take over almost all of the work previously completed on the C6500, which will now be used as a backup.
75% of the company's work is produced on litho presses while 25% is currently digitally produced, although the firm expects this number to grow significantly.
“The C1100 has now been installed for just over a month and is already having an impact on our growth plans. We have increased digital production by approximately 20% in the first month and expect this to grow further,” said Shread.
“The great thing with digital is that we know exactly how much every job costs us due to the click charge. The press also makes us quicker as a company; we can do same-day jobs now without batting an eyelid.
“The quality, speed and reliability of the C1100 is outstanding and helping us win new business and increase our offering to existing customers. The purchase has been a real winning decision all round.”
The Media Village, which has 47 staff and a turnover of around £2.6m, provides a range of services including commercial print, direct mail, graphic design and photography to customers including Asda, Boots and Bensons For Beds as well as small businesses and local schools.
