RealPro Toolkit is an Adobe Illustrator plug-in, comprising 12 modules, designed to automate packaging and labelling pre-press workflows; it includes modules for nesting, file editing and preparation, colour management, trapping, and step and repeat tasks.

Peninsula Print & Design has invested in the nesting module to complement its existing Agfa workflow, which already handles preflighting, colour management, trapping and step and repeat.

Neil Frazer, general manager of the County Down-based printer, said: "Initially we were only having to nest one to two jobs a day, but now we're up to four to five and each one can take anything from one to four hours to nest manually.

"We tested a number of products and we found that a lot of them were so expensive, but the FFEI software was the best value because you can just take the modules that you need."

Peninsula launched its packaging division two years ago to address the need for shorter packaging print runs, although it started to see a significant increase in work after winning its BRC accreditation last year.

"It's like an ISO standard for food packaging production and getting a grade A qualification has opened up a whole new volume of quality customers that demand the highest standards of success," said Frazer.

"You can't work for the likes of M&S or Tesco if you don't have it because their supply chains must conform to the highest standards for food packaging production."

Meanwhile, Peninsula has also taken FFEI's RealVue 3D Packager visualisation software, allowing it to send clients a 3D representation of their finished packaging design for review and approval prior to commissioning a physical mock-up.

FFEI will be exhibiting its RealVue Toolkit and 3D Packager software at Packaging Innovations at the NEC in Birmingham from 26-27 February.