The direct mail and marketing company invested £235,000 in the Versant, along with a Xerox Nuvera 157 and a Prism guillotine, which is slated for arrival next month.
The Versant was installed in KJS’ Peterborough premises last month, replacing a Xerox 1000 digital colour press, while the Nuvera replaced an older Nuvera 144 and joined a Nuvera 120 and a D125 digital press.
Xerox confirmed that the installation is the first in the UK.
KJS managing director Stuart Speechley said: “This is an improved quality on digital. The quality has moved on, so you’re moving up to date with newer technology and better print quality.
“On the larger-format side there are certain jobs that you probably wouldn’t have been cost-effective on, but being able to run larger sheets you can get more of a sheet on so your click rate is better and you are starting to compete.”
Speechley highlighted a number of features that attracted him to the Versant, including its faster variable data processing with Fiery RIP, larger sheet handling and ability to print on six-page A4, wider range of stocks and the ability to digitally print envelopes, which the Xerox 1000 couldn’t do.
The four-colour 3100, launched in April at the same time as the Versant 180, prints at maximum speeds of 100ppm at a maximum resolution of 2,400dpi. It takes sheets weighing between 52gsm and 350gsm and sized up to 330x490mm, but the built-in XLS setting allows it to take sheets up to 660mm long via the Multi-Sheet Inserter tray.
It takes a wide range of media types, including coated and uncoated paper, tabs, labels and the likes of business cards, greetings cards and ID cards. Productivity is intended for volumes of 75,000 to 250,000 sheets per month, with the duty cycle quoted by Xerox as 1.2 million A4 sheets per month.
Speechley added that the Nuvera 157 will now allow the 28-staff business to increase speed from 120ppm to 157ppm on jobs and has more paper trays to increase the number of stock used in a single print run.
Around four staff have also been recruited this year by the £4m-turnover outfit, which last year also invested in a B2 Horizon folder and a Sakurai LED UV colour press.
“We’re quite up to date now in a lot of the kit we’ve upgraded to over the last few years, so we’re pretty efficient now,” added Speechley.
