Company cites increased productivity and new ink enhancements as major benefits.
The 3 founders of 1st Byte, Tony Anderson (left), Lawrence Dalton and Stuart Williams (right) with the new HP Indigo 7600 Digital Press1st Byte Print, a London-based digital print service provider, has installed an HP Indigo 7600 Digital Press. The purpose of the investment was to increase its production capability and to meet its customer demands for a more varied and differentiated product mix.
1st Byte specialises in short-run, fast-turnaround high-quality printed products and installed its first digital press, an Indigo e-Print 1000+, when it was established in 1997.
The company has upgraded its presses several times, and the new 7600 Digital Press replaces one of its three HP Indigo press 5000s.
"The increased productivity of the 7600 digital press means the net result is like having an extra machine," said Lawrence Dalton, managing director, 1st Byte Print. "The new on-press enhancements are already proving popular with our customers who can enjoy special effects without having to wait the extra time for them to be created in separate processes. Sometimes the work would need to be sent out, adding even more time."
HP said that the Indigo 7600 Digital Press offers print speeds of up to 120 full-colour A4 pages per minute (ppm) and up to 160 full-colour ppm in Enhanced Productivity Mode. It pointed to new on-press, on-demand special effects which can offer product differentiation and high-value applications.
Since the press was installed, 1st Byte has already generated a large variety of creative samples and jobs using these new special effects. One of these is HP Indigo ElectroInk Transparent which can be used in varying numbers of layers to create digital watermarks, spot UV varnish effects, and create raised print and textures for a highly distinctive, embossed look and feel.
"Our creative services department has produced samples using the press's ability to print on metallised substrates which have a powerful impact," added Dalton. "We've even created a sample that replicates the appearance and texture of full-grain leather."
1st Byte's Creative Services offer bespoke projects including the design, production and fabrication of a variety of books, including custom boxes, covers and dust-jackets. Books are printed on the HP Indigo presses. Covers, dust-jackets and box-wraps larger than HP Indigo press formats are printed on one of 1st Byte's HP Designjet Z6200 series printers.
"We have a wide range of finishing equipment, including hot foiling, gluing and case-book binding, as well as the more basic processes," Dalton explained. "With the flexibility of digital printing and our ability to deliver creative finishing options, customers have a very wide choice of solutions under one roof."
Situated in the heart of London's traditional print centre, 1st Byte predominantly serves business-to-business corporate clients, agencies, print management suppliers and other organisations that want the short-run, fast-turnaround, high-quality products that the company's HP Indigo presses and 24/6 production schedules can deliver.
"We're optimistic about the future," concluded Dalton. "We've continued to grow, adding 10 employees this year, as well as the additional capacity of the HP Indigo 7600 press."
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