Offset printing is back in the digital age!
Time:2024-07-22
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Despite some questions about its future role in the industry, offset printing remains a popular choice with a large number of new investments to keep an eye on. While the digital revolution of the last 30 years or so has transformed the industry, there is still a strong interest in offset printing.
Digital printing may have some advantages over offset in terms of being more cost-effective for printers, but in terms of quality, nothing compares to offset.
It‘s true that digital printing has made substantial strides in matching offset printing in terms of print quality, but the fact remains that offset is still in the lead. For this reason, many printing companies continue to work with and invest in offset printing equipment to ensure that they are able to deliver high quality prints to their customers.
World Record Investments
Back in the spring of 2023, global packaging manufacturer Veseloc began its commitment to offset printing with a record investment by Heidelberg. The company installed 2 Heidelberg Speedmaster presses at its Polish plant, one of which is the longest sheetfed offset press ever produced.
The 42-meter long press is a specially adapted custom configuration of the Speedmaster XL 106 with 20 printing and coating units. Suitable for handling a wide range of packaging applications, the machine is capable of producing striking coatings and metallic effects, with fully in-line, double-sided and single-pass production. It is also in line with Veseloc‘s wider sustainability strategy, enabling the production of environmentally friendly products.
Joining this world record-breaking press on display is a slightly smaller offset press. Another press, the Speedmaster XL 106, with 19 printing and coating units, is the second longest press in the world, after the larger presses ordered by Veseloc.
Mark Shaw, head of Veseloc‘s EMEA and Asia-Pacific operations, commented: “Innovation and sustainability are the cornerstones of Veseloc‘s operations, and by investing in Heidelberg‘s printing technology, we are preparing our customers for future growth. It couldn‘t be better that two of the world‘s longest presses were developed specifically for the Veseloc mill. As brands continue to drive demand for sustainable paper packaging, we are well positioned to meet these needs through our continued investment and industry-leading expertise.”
Digital requires offset printing
Specialist trade print company Birtwells Trade Print has purchased a new RMGT 524GX LED-UV B3 format offset press. Interestingly, the purchase breaks its long-standing relationship with Heidelberg and shows that although Heidelberg is a giant in the offset market, there are developments to look forward to from other manufacturers in the sector.
Birtwells Trade Print uses offset technology for much of its transactional printing. The press was purchased from RMGT‘s UK and Ireland distributor, MPL, and prints at speeds of up to 11,000 sheets per hour. The 52cm format machine fits nicely into the setup of Birtwells Trade Print, which uses offset for almost all of its transactional printing, most of which is business forms.
“Although the speed is similar to our existing machines, the RMGT has a number of key advantages,” explains company secretary Sue Progerschat, ”Instant drying is of course the biggest advantage. We know exactly what colors will appear because there is no ink ‘drying‘ and no ink marks. We have much more control over the color, including the initial ink key information we send to the machine. Our customer base is spread across print businesses that don‘t have the capacity to produce form work and print management companies that need reliable and competent form producers. This means that confidentiality is vital to us - the end customer doesn‘t need to know that we printed the artwork. Forms are still in high demand, including NCR kits. This type of product is very difficult to produce digitally, so many digital-only printing companies need a trade supplier like us.”
Reducing production times
Also in the UK, Oxfordshire-based commercial printer Windles Group has upgraded its offset offerings with the introduction of Koenig & Bauer‘s new Libra 106 X sheetfed offset press, the first machine to be launched by the manufacturer. Running at speeds of up to 20,000 sheets per hour, the Libra 106 X is the first sheetfed offset press to offer a duplex mode of printing at this speed, says Koenig & Bauer. The 740 x 1,060 mm machine is suitable for commercial, label and packaging printing. As Windles Group sees packaging and commercial printing as its core service, managing director Bruce Poe
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