SE Litho continues with the expansion of its digital printing services with the purchase of a Xerox Versant 2100 digital press. The purchase was made possible through Digilogix and Bytes Document Solutions.
Key features of the Versant 2100 are its ultra high-definition output and advanced colour registration and automation capabilities, giving SE Litho the tools it needs to increase capacity, reduce costs and improve reliability significantly.
SE Litho’s Andrew Armstrong said the printing market has evolved to the point where designers are no longer interested in the limitations of litho printing and expect equal or better printed products from their digital suppliers.
‘When we first entered the digital printing market a few years ago – also with a Xerox machine – litho printing was still ‘king of the hill’ when it came to producing high-volume professional output for corporate clients and designers,’ said Armstrong.
‘Today that’s all changed, and the new generation of digital presses like the Xerox Versant 2100 makes it possible to deliver litho-like quality and volumes at a lower cost and more efficiently,’ he said. ‘It’s a fact that some litho printers don’t readily admit, but the results we’re already getting shows us that the future of printing, particularly in the fast-paced, entrepreneur-driven South African market, is digital.’
The Xerox Versant 2100 keeps digital printers competitive with features that ensure less waste, less downtime, improved efficiency through reduced operator intervention, shorter turnaround times with less trial and error and an automated workflow that lowers labour costs and delivers more accurate output.
An Ultra HD engine combines rendering resolution (1200 x 1200 up to 10-bit) and imaging resolution (2400 x 2400) with expanded halftone screens to yield smoother, crisper objects and improved graphic fill sweeps. Two 2,000-sheet trays support lightweight, heavyweight and specialty stocks from 52 to 350gsm, with auto-tray switching and reload-while-run capabilities that optimise press time.
‘Print resolution is the standout feature for us, a big step up from our previous digital printer-copier,’ said Armstrong. ‘Add to that the built-in spectrometer, and we can be certain that the prints we give our clients are 100 per cent accurate every time – from registration to bleed to crops to colours. It’s streamlined the way we work, and the litho printers are getting less runtime as the digital press ramps up production.’
Digilogix’s Jason Patch said digital printing has matured to the point where the difference in quality between traditional litho output and advanced digital presses has diminished, and the difference in cost-per-click, even at higher volumes, is starting to favour the digital press.
‘Digital has long held the edge over litho when it comes to short-run printing, given the complexities of the litho workflow, but new-generation digital presses like the Versant 2100 have all but eliminated the cost differential at higher volumes as well,’ said Patch.
‘For companies like SE Litho that have a long history and established client base built on a heritage of higher volume, cost-effective quality printing, it means more choices and more opportunities to better service their existing customers.’
