The Bristol firm has converted its five-colour plus coater Speedmaster XL 106 to a combination press, allowing it to run conventionally or UV printing and coating, and has also invested in an CF1000 press-mounted inline foiling system from Compact Foilers. 

Sales director Steve Spencer explained the rationale for the investment: “We already had an amount of work which suited cold foiling and the demands placed upon us made it difficult to outsource.

“The more we looked into the possibilities of bringing cold foil in-house and the options it gives us for different markets excited us,” he said. 

The new cold foiling offering joins an array of in-house post-press facilities at the litho and digital printer, which offers a wide range of commercial printing services. 

Spencer said the firm “didn’t want to stand still” and it was important to Philtone’s directors that the business continued to invest in its employees and equipment. 

“It’s really good to be able to talk to customers again with an exciting offering. Something that can make a difference to the products they produce,” Spencer added. 

He  said the investment involved at the 50-staff business had been “significant”.

“Our staff have been brilliant over the past difficult two years. They have been flexible and understanding to the needs of the business and we appreciate everything they do,” he noted. 

Spencer also praised the team at Compact Foilers for their excellent service. 

Other recent investments at Philtone include switching to Heidelberg Prinect Production Manager and a Petratto Metro folder gluer, with further investments in the pipeline.

Philtone also offers storage, delivery and fulfilment from its 2,600sqm factory in Fishponds.