Stephen Austin, one of the UK’s oldest print businesses, has installed two of the latest inkjet presses from Canon. The VarioPrint iX3200 and ColorStream 8160 continuous feed inkjet press replace a first generation ColorStream 3000 inkjet press and three mono cutsheet VP6250s.
The investment follows the acquisition in September last year of commercial printer Hertford Offset which operates B2 Komori litho presses. This sits alongside the traditional exam paper and security document printing side of the business. Exam papers are exported across the world, while commercial print is vert much local.
The upgrade brings a digital solution to the commercial print division while improving quality and productivity for inkjet printing. The new machine can attain speeds of 200m/min on uncoated and inkjet optimised papers. It has a resolution of 1200x1200dpi, crucial for printing mathematical and chemical formulae in exam papers.
It is offers greater levels of automation than the press being replaced. This relates both to the physical handling of paper and to the software side. This minimises waste. The CS6180 also has a reduced energy requirement compared to the press it replaces.
The iX3200 will serve commercial markets where the trend is towards shorter runs both for exam boards and general commercial markets. Both machines also tick the box for greater sustainability using water based inks that are deinkable.
The investment continues a 15-year relationship between printer and supplier. Head of graphic arts at Canon UK Stuart Rising says: “We highly value our longstanding partnership with Stephen Austin and are excited to support this next phase of its digital transformation journey. At Canon, we prioritise delivering the best results for our customers by considering their specific needs. For Stephen Austin, this meant taking its high standards of quality, accuracy and productivity to the next level, offering ongoing innovation to futureproof the business.”
