Solo Press, Southend, a fast-turnaround, 24-hour printing business running five Heidelberg Speedmaster 74 litho presses, has announced that it has added a PressProfiler server package from Prepress UK, the pre-press specialists based in Cheltenham and Brighton.

PressProfiler examines digital files received from any workflow and generates ink key presetting data to save time setting up the press at job changeover. A single copy of PressProfiler can feed multiple presses and, at Solo Press, Prepress UK's unique CardWriter allows press minders to check preview images of the job they will be running without leaving the press before loading the presetting data into the press. Accurate ink key presetting gives a shorter make ready using fewer run-up sheets and less time before correct colour is being produced.

Commenting on the new package, Ken McDonald, Production Manager at Solo Press, said: “We are a high-volume print business – we are performing a good 80 or 90 make-readies per shift. PressProfiler gives us ink data for jobs that allow us make a fast start, shaving off minutes per make-ready, and saving a whole bunch of waste sheets as well. Take all of those small bits of time and cost, then multiply them by five presses, and that equals three to five more jobs per press per shift. That’s the real result of this installation.”

PressProfiler is a powerful and easy to use ink coverage and ink zone calculation solution for offset printing presses providing ink key pre-setting for a faster make-ready and reduced consumables cost. PressProfiler outputs not only CIP3 (PPF) data but can also communicate directly to a wide range of press consoles in their native format, including products from Heidelberg, manroland, Ryobi, KBA, Komori, and many others. Integrating with any workflow or RIP it works with incoming PDF, PS, TIFF or PPF (CIP3) files.

Nic Chapman, Sales Director of Prepress UK, said: “The team at Solo Press were surprised to be told that just one PressProfiler package would be able to supply the ink zone data to all five of the company’s Heidelberg presses. The software runs on a Mac in the pre-press department with satellite stations connected to Heidelberg card writers at each press. The whole installation for five machines cost under £10,000 – less than the price of adding the press manufacturers own ink data solution to just one of Solo’s Speedmasters!”

Prepress UK carried out the installation including configuring all five machine, with each needing characteristic curves taken from two calibration runs to give accurate inking pre-set information for both coated and uncoated stocks.

How Much Profit Are You Missing Out On?

Printers can evaluate for themselves the possible savings to be made via the PressProfiler Profit Calculator at http://www.pressprofiler.com/profit-calculator.html

“This is a very simple way of looking at things,” confirms Nic Chapman, “but it helps to illustrate the possible savings that a print business can make from this small investment. Just plug in your cost per hour, make-readies per day, working days per year, and a few bits of paper information, and press the calculate button: you will instantly see the potential profit that you are currently missing out on. Every printer should visit this page – even if they decide to do nothing about the amount of money that they are simply throwing away!”