Chairman Robert Thirlby didn’t want the company to go down the external plate-making route and was also keen to stay with SRA3-format work.
“We had a choice between the Ryobi or the Karat, and in the end went with Karat because of its good reputation,” said Thirlby.
Words & Graphics now hopes to target new areas from “corporate to commercial, and stationery to brochures”.
It will use the 46 Karat to handle runs ranging from 200 to 10,000, but will continue to use the Indigo for shorter-run work.
“Within the next five years we will invest in B2. I believe the future is in digital,” Thirlby added.
Although the company has specialised in typesetting since 1998, when it installed the Indigo press, it has tried to become a full-service printer, from design and layout to finishing.
The 46 Karat is being supplied by the NCS Group and is the smaller sister of the 74 Karat.
Story by Rachel Barnes
