DP Print, Johannesburg, has given its prepress a boost with the high-productivity Screen Platerite 8600 M-E thermal CtP system. The company is a thriving family-run commercial printing business owned and managed by Brian and Petro du Plessis.
Quality and service are the hallmarks of DP Print’s success and print perfection starts with top class printing plates. Since November 2007, the company has operated its own prepress department, running a Screen PlateRite 4300 CtP with Trueflow workflow system, supplied by Kemtek Print Solutions. When market demand recently increased, Brian du Plessis and his team once again turned to Kemtek and installed the system to produce their B1 format plates.
‘In addition to the new CtP system, DP Print has also chosen to move to a ‘green plate technology’ by converting to the new Agfa Azura TS chemistry free plate technology,’ explains Clive Upton, technical sales representative from Kemtek. ‘By eliminating the use of plate developer with the Agfa Azura TS wash and gum product, the company is making a strong environmental statement. While other chemistry-free type technologies require a degree of processing on the press, the Agfa Azura TS is press ready when it exits the wash and gum unit.’
‘When we first started the business we outsourced all our prepress requirements, which we soon realised was costly and inefficient,’ said du Plessis. ‘We then extended our premises and added a purpose-built temperature controlled room to house our own graphic design and prepress department. The first CtP system we purchased was supplied by Kemtek, and we haven’t looked back since. Kemtek gave our staff the correct training and support to be proficient and confident and we have always maintained a very professional and trusting relationship with them,’ said du Plessis. ‘The new 8600M-E system has been purchased to increase output and give us more flexibility. Having both format machines on-site is proving perfect for our business!’
Having started his printing career at Economic Print in Alrode South, some twenty years ago, du Plessis knows a great deal about the local industry. Since establishing the company in 2007, he has steadily grown the business by investing in the right people and technologies to meet market needs. Also in the business is Brian (junior) who oversees the printing department, and younger son Kevin, a fully-qualified graphic designer, who manages all prepress tasks. Altogether, 32 qualified employees ensure everything runs smoothly at this enterprising printing concern.
The Platerite 8600M-E produces up to 13 plates/hour at 2 400 dpi and is suitable for use with a wide variety of plate sizes from 304 x 300 mm to 1 150 x 940 mm as well as plate thicknesses ranging from 0,15 mm to 0,3 mm. The 8600M-E recorder features an automated clamping and vacuum system that can consistently and firmly secure a wide range of plate sizes, even during fast-rotation/high-speed exposure.
Also included on the 8600M-E is Screens unique auto-balance system. The operator simply selects the plate size and type from the display menu and the auto-balance system automatically fine-tunes and optimises the balance of the recording drum. This ensures stable drum rotation even at high speeds.
Just like DP Print’s existing Screen PlateRite 4300 CtP System, the 8600M-E comes complete with a Trueflow workflow system. Capable of all the tasks required during prepress, from creating imposition schemes to outputting RIPed data, Trueflow SE Version 7 maximises the productivity of the PlateRite 8600M-E.
‘Having our own prepress department has made a huge difference to our entire operation,’ said du Plessis. ‘We have control over every job from start to finish and time-saving is enormous. Print quality has improved and we have zero comebacks on orders. Overall, extending our systems to include the Screen Platerite 8600 now means we can provide much more to our customers and realise new business opportunities. It’s important to have reliable suppliers in this game and Kemtek has supported us 100%. We’ve climbed slowly and hard from the bottom of the ladder, but I believe we have achieved what we intended to do, giving customers nothing but the best in quality and service, guaranteed.
