: NEW Heidelberg 5 Colour Offset Press

While Calders has always been known for quality work and value for money, it previously lacked the technology to compete for contracts that required very large print runs of 100,000 or more. That's all changed with a recent acquisition. There's a saying in business that "you get what you pay for", so when the company decided to invest almost $600,000 this year on just one machine it was with good reason. With that purchase, the "Heidelberg 5 colour, double perfector A2 sheet fed Offset Press" became the only one of its kind north of Auckland.

The name is certainly a mouthful, but anyone familiar with the print world would know that the German brand is synonymous with excellence in printing. The offset press means that Calders can now complete with firms, including many much larger in Auckland, for "the large & small jobs".

The "Heidelberg" is capable of printing most printed items, and its variety of colours and configurations is huge. The output of this machine has to be seen to be believed. A print run of 100,000 is easily manageable, with 10,000 SRA2 sheets beautifully printed in full colour every hour.

At the start of a job, paper is stacked at the point of entry. The machine then individually feeds sheets of paper through the press for printing. The end product, printed on either one or both sides depending on requirements, is virtually dry thanks to the built-in Grafix IR dryer.

Prior to any print run, Calders print specialists trial the quality of all products with a "dummy run". Sophisticated electronic controls are used to adjust colour, intensity, registration and density - until it is as close to perfect as a print job possibly can be. This technology will often shorten set-up time and reduce printed waste. For anyone not familiar with the nuances or the terminology of the printing industry, what all of this essentially means is that the Heidelberg prints fantastic quality product that is economically competitive on a unit and volume basis - and it's fast.

A smaller, but equally important, piece of technology at Calders is the FujiXerox DocuColor 2060 digital printer. The DocuColor digitally prints brilliant colour product on up to SRA3 size and on board weights, and is used for items including business cards, catalogues, price lists, brochures, booklets, presentations and invitations. Like the Heidelberg, the DocuColor can also print on both sides of the substrate in one pass.

It is the perfect cost-effective option for digitally printing small run jobs of less than 2,000 or 3,000 units, says Calders' Client Services Director Leon Inder.

"Basically, we try to find the best solution for our clients," says Leon.

"We use either the Heidelberg offset press or the DocuColor, depending on clients requirements and which piece of equipment is best suited to the job."

Calders' new technology in both pre-press and printing adds to the already extensive range at Calders, and gives customers a new dimension in all-round design, print efficiency and capability in Northland.

"Our focus for the next 12 months will be on improving quality standards and client communications, together with seeking new markets for our new, extremely fast and efficient printing press," says Leon.

[back to top]

home :: news & events :: about us :: contact us :: portfolio
design :: print services :: internet solutions :: multimedia