"We founded the company in 1992," explains Hickey. "We still have a very good relationship 20 years on as we complement each other very well. I do most of the sales, finance, marketing and design side of the business, and Winfrod handles all the production side. It works very well because he is a very practical person and I am more theoretical – that said, I have done my time in the pressroom!"

The company began life as a repro house, but soon branched out into litho print. Around 1996, however, it decided that litho didn’t "have enough life in it" and so the switch to digital was made. From that point on, short-run work – including exhibition panels, design and marketing print and some photography – became the company’s bread and butter.

"Because we adopted digital technology so early, we have expertise in every area of the field and that is very attractive for our clients. This is because we don’t tend to just do single jobs for a company; we would rather get involved with a business and help them grow by ensuring they get their marketing right – we don’t want to just bang out 10,000 leaflets, we try to save them some money and produce a better campaign," says Hickey.

One of the company’s bigger clients requires a regular run of 120pp instruction booklets, which Integrated Graphics has produced for some time using a conventional press, before folding it down and finishing it. Hickey says this was causing problems as it meant large amounts of paper stock had to be kept in-house and then large numbers of the finished booklets had to be stored, to be delivered as and when the client needed them.

"It was tying up lots of money," says Hickey. "I just thought, there has to be a better way of doing this."

Language barrier
That thought sparked a six-month research project, undertaken by Hickey, to find the best machine for the job. The booklets contain information in several different languages, including Japanese, Cantonese and Mandarin, and so the print had to be clear when the characters of those languages were printed at six-point font size.

"We tested every machine we could get our hands on, including all the big names, running the same job," says Hickey. "All our purchases are done the same way – we take a job we know is difficult and we go around and test all the available options to see how they perform. Unfortunately, few could handle the print quality we required. It was only when we got to the Océ that we finally had a machine that could produce the clean high-quality type we needed for the job at the speed we required."

That Océ machine is the VarioPrint 6000 system, specifically the 6200 Ultra Line model. Capable of print speeds of up to 200 A4 pages per minute, the machine uses the Océ Gemini Instant Duplex technology and the manufacturer claims it is among the most productive machines, if not the most productive, in its class.

Hickey had never bought an Océ machine before, but he says he had no concerns at all in making the purchase with a new supplier.

"If the machine is solid and does it’s job, and provided the back-up is good from the manufacturer, then that is the key, not the brand name or anything else," he explains. "We needed a 200-sheet-per-minute machine or we would not have been able to complete the job. This Océ is more than up to that and the quality remains excellent and consistent at that speed."

The machine was installed last June and slotted seamlessly into a pre-readied spot in the company’s Barry, South Wales pressroom. As the company was used to digital machines, the training needed was not extensive, but two staff were familiarised with the Océ’s nuances. However, if the company had not been so au fait with digital kit, Hickey says he would have insisted on training. "I think if people are going into digital for the first time, then training is a really important consideration," he explains. "With basic training, they could probably knock out a simple job, but you need to know how to do more complex things, such as impositions and manipulation of digital images."

No regrets
As soon as the press arrived, it was in operation. Hickey says that it has performed as well as Océ promised and has had a massive impact on the company.

"We have been delighted with it," reveals Hickey. "It runs beautifully and the quality of the work coming off is of the high standard we were after. I have no regrets and although the service and back-up is excellent, we have hardly had to use it. Indeed, we have had no significant problems worth mentioning whatsoever."

He adds that the company has increased its margins since installing the machine and being able to print booklets on demand has saved money as the business does not have to hold the stock – "our cashflow is much improved," he says.

He estimates that for around 95% of the time, the machine is used for the major booklets contract, but adds that it has also enabled the company to enter new markets, with on-demand books specifically becoming a really promising area.

"We are really getting into the self-publishing market and in the future that may require a second machine of the Océ type," he says. "We have a few books already that have been sold over the internet and it is really starting to pick up. We are getting calls from across the UK, and because we have all the finishing and print processes in-house, our prices tend to be lower than elsewhere and so we are very competitive."

Director of Océ UK production printing Craig Nethercott says that other companies are finding similar opportunities with the VarioPrint range.

"Integrated Graphics’ investment is another example of a big swing in the market, with established printers and publishers printing for distribution, rather than for warehouses," he says. "This is why there is so much growth in markets such as digital books. Even though everybody can see that overall volumes are down, digital printing continues to develop at a rapid pace and is the technology that all businesses must look to invest in for the future. And digital book manufacturing will continue to increase at a phenomenal rate."

For now, though, Hickey is just at the start of the digital book revolution and so will not be requiring another VarioPrint just yet. Even if the time did come to make another purchase, as hinted at earlier, Océ would not be a shoo-in – it would have to prove itself against the competition once again. The manufacturer can take some comfort, however, in the fact that at least for now, Hickey is highly satisfied with his purchase and so it stands in a very good position if it keeps on top of an ever-evolving digital market.

SPECIFICATIONS

Max speed 200 A4 sheets per minute
Max sheet size 320x488mm
Max resolution  600x1,200dpi,
Max paper weight 300gsm (Océ-approved media)
Price From £100,000
Contact Océ 0870 600 5544 www.oce.com

COMPANY PROFILE

Integrated Graphics is a digital printer serving clients across the UK from its Barry, South Wales, base. Set up by Adrian Hickey and Winfrod Phillips in 1992, the company began life as a repro house before moving into litho print and then eventually becoming a digital operation. It prints a range of products for a broad customer base, including exhibition graphics, marketing work and photography.

Why it was bought…
Integrated Graphics was producing a regular 120pp booklet for a large client on a litho machine, but having to hold the stock to distribute out as and when it was needed was tying up cash and was an inefficient way of doing things, according to co-owner Hickey. Hence, he set about finding a more cost-effective and efficient solution and found it in the Océ VarioPrint 6000.

How it has performed…
Hickey says the machine  "runs beautifully" providing the high quality at high speed that the company requires. He says the jobs are now more profitable and that the press has enabled the company to move into new markets, specifically short-run digital book printing.