Riverside Printing Company has made its first foray into digital print with a MAN Roland DICOpress 320.


Managing director Roger Leaver said the firm, which also runs Heidelberg litho machines, felt confident in the move as the price of the machines was now very competitive.
Its a good time to buy. This investment has cost us less than half the price of a new four-colour GTO-sized press, Leaver said.


We could have spent the same sort of money investing in CTP, but that would not have provided as many extra benefits to our customers they would have seen exactly the same printed product, he added.


The Reading company has already put the Xeikon-based machines personalisation capabilities to the test with a promotional mailing to its customers.
The first 300 of the personalised mailings were sent second class last Friday (29 June) and by Tuesday (3 July) Riverside had already received 10 responses. Thats in just two working days and I think that says a lot, said sales manager Simon Blogg.


Riverside is also reaping the benefits of being able to carry out shorter-run work, according to Leaver.
We used to run out film for a number of small printers in the area, but now we just run the 300 or 5,000 final copies off for them on the DICOpress, he said.


Story by Lauretta Roberts