Cardiff-based Westdale, part of the Westdale Printing Group, was set to become the first UK printer to install the oversize B1 press – an honour that ultimately went to John Dollins Printing Services – after it agreed a £1.4m deal at the XL 105’s official launch at Drupa 2004.

Despite being impressed with the machine and putting pen to paper on the last day of Drupa, managing director Alan Padbury eventually decided to defer purchase
of the six-unit B1 press, opting instead for two SM 102 long perfectors, a 10- and a 12-colour.

Padbury said: “After Drupa, we did a U-turn and opted for a second long perfector, but we cannot ignore the advantages the XL brings any longer. The format differences and speeds attainable fit with recent new contracts as well as other press changes and the XL will work better for us now.”

He added that capital expenditure on the new press was likely to exceed the £1.4m figure given in 2004, as Westdale is now likely to want a press with six-colour capability, rather than the five-colour it had planned to buy last Drupa.

Westdale has yet to finalise the specification for its new 740x1,050mm press, although it said that CutStar is a likely option. Delivery is expected to take place before the end of the year.

Westdale produces a wide range of material such as report and accounts, journals, catalogues, books and promotional material, for clients including Emap, Hachette Filipacchi, NatMags and Seven Publishing.