Service Printers takes Heidelberg into the future

Wellington’s Service Printers has installed a Heidelberg XL 75 five-colour press with Aqueous coating and synchronised self-loading plates and Inpress control

Service Printers purchased its new Heidelberg press, basing its decision on several factors that included the current economic climate and, most importantly, the company’s future. Dean Oliver, managing director at Service Printers, believes the Heidelberg press delivers the quality that clients have come to expect from Service Printers. He says, “Heidelberg is the Ferrari of printing presses. Heidelberg’s speciality is making quality printing presses that allow you to achieve quality print faster and easier with measured controlled add ons. Service Printers has a reputation built on providing a quality measured product and exceeding our customers’ expectations so it made good sense to install a Heidelberg press.
Oliver researched presses across the Tasman. He says, “I looked at five printing companies that had Heidelberg XL presses in Australia. The Australian printers never held back in telling us the good and the bad about their presses. Actually, they sang the praises of the Heidelberg machines quite loudly.”

With 40 staff to look out for, Service Printers took the purchase seriously, knowing that it would send a strong signal to the local industry that quality print still matters. One of the secrets of the company’s success is the people in it, and the culture that has evolved through meeting high internal quality standards. Oliver continues, “Our employees, of which some of them have been with the company 30 plus years, are our major strength. The company’s other shareholders and founders Bob and Jill Masters understand that the new press is good for everyone. It shows our commitment first to our employees and clients, and second, our ongoing investment that is good for the industry as well. We hope it will set new standards that will be hard to replicate. We recently printed a metallic edge to edge solid background with nil marks or blemishes.”

Service Printers has its new press working 20 hours per day, five days a week, with a 12 hour shift on Saturday. Oliver says, “It’s a post-drupa machine, not pre-drupa and is the first of its type in South East Asia. It has all the bells and whistles. The printers love having the top of the range printing press to work with and they have already had it running at 15,000 sheets per hour.”

Service Printers enjoys a solid reputation as a company that delivers quality. In Pride In Print Awards, Service Printers boasts three supreme awards and once again made the supreme final for sheet fed this year. Oliver says, “At 34 years young, we go from strength to strength. We cover the gamut of printing, from high end high quality print to business cards, packaging, annual reports, and high end digital, you name it. We are good at what we do and that creates an expectation among our clients that we will consistently deliver quality printing at a reasonable price. We are the most quality awarded sheet fed printer in NZ. How better to judge your ability than to be quality awarded by your peers.”

Oliver possesses a strong commitment to print, having started as a photo-lithographer. He says, “We love it; if you don’t love print you should not be in it. We do get tired of hearing negative comments about the industry. We are positive about the industry. Sure, the print industry is finding the going tough, but show me an industry that isn’t these days. We are serious about print and its future. We have invested in the high end because this industry has become so much more competitive. We see the necessity to stay ahead by continually producing at this high level.”

Colour and speed
The Heidleberg Inpress control impresses everyone at Service Printers. Dean Oliver says, “We are now GMG approved and we are hitting the ISO standards with the colours and we achieved that within the first week of having the press. While we aren’t yet certified, we are hitting the standard and that’s thanks to the knowledge of the software that we have gained. Heidelberg showed us how to achieve that as well as their ongoing support and backing to achieve the high standards we pursue.

“With Inpress colour control the colour balance is read inside the machine so you are not relying on an outside the press monitor. It is done on the fly and instantly adjusts the colour if it is not consistent with the set parameters set in the Inpress controls. So with this press, the colour is locked and loaded. The printers are giving it nine and a half out of ten. We are even getting printers from other companies coming to have a look, of course by invitation.”

Along with quicker turnarounds, Service Printers has seen print runs come down. Oliver says, “A medium print run for A2 in New Zealand or Australia is about 4,000. People expect quick turnarounds at a good price. The new press means we spend less time on makeready. We use less paper, less ink, less power and we can do more jobs without having to work extended hours. For instance, the automatic plate changer loads five plates at once. Recently, we did a job that used to take 45 minutes on our older CD. press in only nine minutes. We are loading and changing plates like you wouldn’t believe.”

GO TO MORE Features NEWS