The Print Academy (Yorkshire) Ltd, Bradford, has become the latest printer to start saving money on its ink spend following the installation of PressSave and PressProfiler software from Prepress UK, Cheltenham and Brighton, the independent supplier of pre-press hardware and software.

PressSave Colour Server is the highly affordable way to automatically optimise all PDF and image files to reduce unnecessary ink coverage, standardise colour, and save up to 25% in overall ink volume. The Print Academy is running the software to prepare files for production on its Heidelberg CD102 six-colour press. The B1 printer calculates savings in the region of 22 to 25% on ink costs since adding the software solution.

Commenting on the software product, Garry Burrows, Production Director at The Print Academy, said: “I was very surprised that such a simple software package could save us this much money! The Prepress UK team explained the benefits of adding PressSave and it really did sound too good to be true. However, within just a few days of getting used to the product the benefits were obvious, and have really stacked up in the first few weeks that we have been using it.

“The product goes hand-in-hand with the stringent environmental and green policies that we work to. The software further aids our bid to reduce our carbon impact. The Print Academy (Yorkshire) is officially recognised by The World Land Trust as a Carbon Balanced Publication Printer.

“Not only is this product about savings on the cost of ink used, it also produces a much more accurate colour, and doesn’t over ink the sheets, meaning printing dries faster, and back-ups are both quicker to produce and more effective. The ink suppliers might not like me for it, but I can really recommend PressSave to any printer!”

Nic Chapman, Director of Prepress UK, commenting on the product, said: “PressSave is a very simple but effective way for printers to make significant savings. Although there have been a number of similar products on the market in recent years, too many are over-priced, leaving printers less than satisfied at the overall results. This has given the whole concept of making savings through such software a bad name. An effective PressSave installation can be achieved for an investment in the region of £3,000: that is a sum that any printer can quickly recover from the savings that are delivered. It is also significantly less than some of the products that are being offered to the market, where sums of up to £25,000 have been mentioned for a products that do no more than PressSave delivers!”

The benefits of reducing ink coverage on a sheet are manyfold. Savings on ink are the headline news, but reducing drying time means faster on-press back-up, faster finishing, and faster job delivery. Less ink means reduced set-off issues, leading to less spoilt sheets and less waste. Reduced coverage and closer monitoring of ink laydown also gives the printer significantly more control over colour on the sheet.

Commenting on the technical aspects of the product, Andrew Aldridge, Technical Manager at Prepress UK, said: “PressSave works by applying Device-Link profiles via an incredibly fast colour server, using a combination of Grey Component Replacement (GCR) and Total Area Coverage (TAC) technology while maintaining pure primary and secondary colours. This all adds up to great benefits in cost, control and efficiency on press.”

Simple to Use

PDF or image files are simply placed in a hotfolder and PressSave takes care of the rest, delivering back a colour optimised file, ready for planning and output.

Get Saving Right Now

Printers are urged to call Prepress UK to discuss how they can start saving almost immediately by optimising files for predictable colour and ink savings every time they print: call 08450 520 701.