This isn’t a trap that David Amos, managing director of Barclay’s Print, in Leyton, East London, could ever be accused of falling into. Amos has worked for the company man and boy. He joined Barclay’s at the tender age of 17 after studying at the London School of Printing and one of his first jobs was running a Heidelberg platen. From there he graduated onto the company’s litho presses, worked as a sales rep and even drove the company van, delivering finished work to clients.
As a result, Amos knows the business inside out and he knows what’s needed to ensure it remains competitive in an age where technology is rapidly changing. This inside knowledge is one of the reasons Barclay’s decided to purchase a new Linoprint CP from Heidelberg last October. Prior to making the investment the company had been using a Ricoh Pro C901 digital press for around four years (the machine was rebadged the Linoprint C901 in 2012 after Ricoh struck its digital partnership deal with Heidelberg). Then in January 2015 Heidelberg started selling the Linoprint CP, which replaced the C901.
“We’d had the previous machine for around four years so when we realised the new model had come out we decided that we should move forward, keep up with technology and buy the new one,” says Amos.
Swiftly smitten
After visiting Heidelberg’s showroom where he spent the day test driving the new machine he was smitten. “We liked the previous Ricoh machine,” says Amos. “It was good quality and ticked all the boxes. So with the new one coming out we had enhanced running speed, a cheaper click rate, larger sheet size and the ability to print on 400gsm board.”
Thanks to this combination of factors he didn’t consider purchasing any other machine. It also helped that the company is a loyal Heidelberg customer, so for Amos the main consideration was whether or not to go for the Linoprint CP or its sister machine the Linoprint CV, which offers the option of a fifth colour for white or clear varnish applications.
“We looked closely at both of them, but we decided the CP would be the best option for us because it’s more of a high-volume machine.”
The Linoprint CP can produce either 110 or 130 A4ppm (3,300 to 3,900 SRA3 sheets per hour), whereas the CV can produce either 80 or 90 A4ppm.
In addition to its higher running speed, one of the beauties of the Linoprint CP is its flexibility, according to Amos. It’s suitable for 52gsm to 400gsm production and can handle 330x488mm standard sheets or 330x700mm banner formats, meaning it’s capable of taking on a wide range of tasks, including variable data.
“We use it for a wide variety of work,” explains Amos. “Business cards, letterheads, leaflets and booklets and also pocket folders – it can produce six-page A4 work.”
The ability to handle thicker stock is particularly important when it comes to business card production because Amos says customers prefer a thicker card. Another strength he highlights is that the CP can print on textured surfaces. “If you have any peaks and troughs on a sheet it can get into the creases,” he explains.
Although the new machine is slightly bigger than the previous version, meaning it has had to be housed in a different part of the company’s studio, Amos says the installation process, which took about two days, went swimmingly. For the first few weeks he decided to run the new machine alongside the old one and then “once we were comfortable with the new model we took the old one out”.
Barclay’s staff undertook three days of training on the new machine and Amos also took up the additional option of maintenance training a few months after the install had taken place. “They offer maintenance training so that you can change most of the parts if there is a breakdown,” he says. “This really helps us because if there is a problem with the machine and you can fix it yourself, the downtime is shorter.”
Not that there has been much downtime since the Linoprint CP was installed. “I’ve got no complaints about the machine at all,” says Amos. “We’re delighted with it and it’s done everything that we wanted it to do. The service we’ve received has been fantastic and the engineers are very competent. If ever there’s a breakdown that we can’t fix they come on the same day to look at it, so there’s never any downtime.”
Surely there must be some small point that he’d like the manufacturer to address? Not so, says Amos. “When we installed the first Ricoh device their team came over from Japan and visited our site. They spent a lot of time talking to us and asking if we had any problems with the machine. Any issues we raised have been addressed and improved upon in the new model.”
Like what? “The weight of paper has increased as has the ability to get the toner into the creases on textured surfaces.”
Best of both
So he wouldn’t change anything about the machine whatsoever? “If they could have combined the technologies of the CP and the CV in a single machine giving the option of the fifth colour so that we could print white or a varnish that would have been great. Other than that I can’t think of anything.”
This must be music to the ears of Chris Matthews, digital product manager for Heidelberg UK, who says the machine will be renamed the Versafire CP at Drupa.
“The Linoprint CP is a highly productive digital workhorse that is proving very popular in the UK,” says Matthews. “The ability to produce six-page A4 or four-page landscape leaflets is of particular interest. It is an ideal machine for short-run and personalised promotional or stationery work.”
But don’t just take his word for it. Amos, who says that around 75% of the company’s turnover is still litho although digital revenues are growing all the time, is more than happy to evangelise about the benefits of his new Linoprint CP.
“It has definitely helped us to build turnover,” says Amos. “That’s why I’d recommend it to anyone else and I would happily buy another one. The important thing to understand with these machines is they all have a life span because technology moves so quickly so in four to five years’ time we’ll probably need to start looking at buying a new machine. If you stand still, you die so you have to keep up and to offer customers great solutions.”
And that’s exactly what Amos says his business consistently delivers. “I like to think we’re a one-stop shop. We have digital production, plus B1, B2 and B3. There aren’t many jobs that you can’t give us.”
The time Amos spent working his way up through the ranks of Barclay’s Print has clearly given him an overview that’s rare among print bosses. This insight, coupled with his desire to be at the forefront of technology, looks set to stand his company in good stead for the future.
SPECIFICATIONS
Stock weight range 52gsm to 400gsm
Max sheet size 330x487mm standard sheets or 330x700mm banner formats
Resolution 4,800x1,200dpi
Max speed 110 or 130 A4ppm (3,300 to 3,900 SRA3 sheets per hour)
Max monthly output Up to 500,000 SRA3 single-sided impressions
Price £195,000 list price
Contact Heidelberg UK 020 8490 3500 www.uk.heidelberg.com
COMPANY PROFILE
Based in Leyton, East London, the company, which currently employs around 25 people, was originally founded in 1952 by George Barclay. He sold the business to David Amos’ father in 1973. Amos became managing director of Barclay’s around 20 years ago following his father’s retirement. He joined Barclay’s at the age of 17 after gaining his qualifications from the London School of Printing. During his career he fulfilled a number of different roles, including delivery van driver, before taking over the hot seat. The company is an all-Heidelberg house – it operates a five-colour B1 Speedmaster CD 102 with coater, a five-colour Speedmaster XL 75 with coater and a two-colour Printmaster 52 as well as a wide variety of finishing kit including a Heidelberg Cylinder, folders, guillotines, stitchers, binders and laminators.
Why it was bought...
The company wanted to replace its four-year-old Ricoh Pro C901 digital press (later rebadged the Linoprint C901) with the upgraded Linoprint CP, which launched in January 2015.
How it has performed...
Amos says he’s “delighted” with the new machine, which has helped the company to grow turnover since installation. “Its ability to handle a wide range of stock from 53gsm to 400gsm, plus its ability to print a larger sheet is a great thing for us. The speed is also great and there is the ability to do variable data printing on it as well,” says Amos.
