Heidelberg signed up the worlds first customer for its new Quickmaster Pro DI press at Print UK this week.

Bicester-based Multiflow Print is set to install the machine, which received its European debut at the show, in two weeks.

We have leapfrogged filmsetting and CTP and gone straight to DI, said Multiflow chairman Keith Murdoch.

The firm felt the need to invest in a DI press due to the trend towards shorter run lengths. It decided against buying a digital press because customers databases arent sorted out.

Murdoch is actively encouraging clients to consider versioning printing shorter runs more often to ensure their product information remains up to date.

He believes the press will be more economic than toner-based machines from 400 sheets and will compete with conventional presses up to 5,000 sheets.

The firm is also looking at taking advantage of the QM DI Pro stream feeders ability to handle envelopes to offer a short-run colour printed envelope service.

Also making its debut at the show was Heidelbergs Prosetter family of violet diode platesetters. The range includes the B3 Prosetter 52, B2 74 and B1 102. All were driven by the MetaDimension 2.5 workflow, which was also new at the show.

Rounding off the firms launches was its entry-level B2 press, the Printmaster 74. A two-colour machine equipped with the CITO die-cutting cylinder was on its stand.

Story by Barney Cox