Orchard Press invests in Heidelberg Prinect

Digital and litho printer Orchard Press has spent £100,000 on software to improve a recently launched own-brand service for high-end print.

The 16-staff, £2.5m turnover company will take delivery of Heidelberg’s Prinect multicolor prepress software next month to use on Orchard Rainbow, which it launched 18 months ago.

The software will be used on a 10-colour Heidelberg XL 106, which adds green, orange and violet spot colours to seven CMYK shades to offer exceptional stand-out quality.

Managing director Adrian Williams said: “I've been a printer all my life and quality is something I've always wanted to push, especially now as many people see print as a mere commodity.

“I wanted to add value back into to print and create something very different. Conventional CMYK tends to take colour out, whereas Orchard Rainbow puts it back into the job.

“Why use a 10-colour press to produce commodity print when you can produce something so much better and vivid?”

Orchard Rainbow costs about 20% more than conventional print and is targeted at high-end clients such as design agencies and car manufacturers. So far it accounts for about 2% of turnover.

“Until the new software is in and up and running I cannot say how much I expect Orchard Rainbow to take off, but the Prinect will streamline the process and make it easier,” Williams said.

Family firm Orchard Press in Tewkesbury also runs a Ricoh digital press and a host of finishing equipment, producing brochures, booklets, catalogues and promotional materials.

“Orchard Rainbow has to be seen to be believed,” added Williams. “Vibrant, high-impact images using a combination of hybrid and stochastic screening enables print to spring off the page.”

The technology offered high colour saturation, contrast, luminance and purity, he said. The new tech would not be used for Pantone colours but to enhance process colour work.

“The beauty of the Orchard Rainbow product is we can run it on our Speedmaster XL 106-10-P and use standard inks.”