As aluminium prices continue to rise and printers seek to economise where they can, Fujifilm UK today announces a radical new business process that allows printers to effectively administer or even outsource their plate production. PLATESENSE, a Fujifilm UK initiative, is a programme set to revolutionise the world of pre-press, as it gives printers the option of either reducing overall administration or allowing Fujifilm to help manage the plate production process so that they can concentrate on what matters most – running their business.

A one-stop, full-service print business with a proud 30-year heritage, Estermann GmbH employs more than 80 people at its premises in Weierfing, Upper-Austria, conveniently located between the region’s two major metropolitan centres, Munich and Vienna. Serving a huge range of customers in 22 countries around the world, the company offers LE UV offset printing, digital finishing, and design and prototyping, and combines expertise with ingenuity to delivery stunning print work for its demanding customer base. Its Jet Press 720S investment in October 2017 has helped it to broaden its product offering and improve its customer service still further, enabling it to offer an expanded range of high-quality, short-run work as well as high quantity variable data print.

Fujifilm Europe today announces the launch of a new food-safe ink which significantly extends the application versatility of the Jet Press 720S for packaging production by enabling it to print on primary food packaging.

With a turnover of £32 million forecast this year and employing 270 people, Rotherham-based Bluetree Group is a major player in the UK web-to-print market. In mid-2016 an investment in the Jet Press 720S revolutionised its business card output, enabling it to boost production, increase flexibility and slash turnaround times, all while maintaining the very high standards of quality that have helped to build its reputation.

Showcard Print, a specialist in the supply of printed POS and POP to the retail sector and to major brands, has invested in an Onset X3 platform from Fujifilm. This ultra-high productivity platform now features a new Inca Digital robotics system to boost its work rate still further.

Fujifilm today announces that its flagship B2 inkjet press, renowned for its ultra-high quality as well as its environmental credentials, has received new high-level recognition from the government of the Netherlands. The Jet Press 720S has qualified for a tax incentive that will see investors in the machine able to claim back 13.5% of taxes related to their purchase plus similar savings related to depreciation. This could result in total savings of over €70,000.

Fujifilm today announces that one of the newest machines in its Acuity series, the Acuity LED 1600R will feature on the SOS stand (D32) at Sign & Digital UK (Birmingham, 24-26 April 2018). This accessible, dedicated roll-to-roll printer is optimised for four-colour CYMK printing, but otherwise delivers all the benefits in quality and performance of the highly successful Acuity LED 1600 II hybrid model. First announced in February, it has been commercially available since March 2018.

Fujifilm today announces the European launch of a new super-wide format platform called the Acuity Ultra, with its first showcase being on Fujifilm stand D50, Hall 2.2 at the FESPA Global Print Expo 2018 in Berlin in May. Representing the culmination of extensive market research to understand the needs of super-wide format producers today and the challenges they will face tomorrow, this latest addition to the Fujifilm Acuity range is unlike anything currently available on the market. It forms a key part of Fujifilm’s industrial strategy, offering increased size and quality to make the production of high-end interior graphics much more profitable. Built around Fujifilm’s UV cured inkjet technologies, it offers almost photographic levels of quality with tighter registration and higher production speeds, at a cost that is set to shake up the super-wide format marketplace.

Fujifilm today announces the European launch of a new low-chemistry plate that only requires a gum clean out, rather than traditional processing chemistry, that outperforms any other in its class. This is because the new Superia LH-S2 plate takes advantage of the same fundamental technologies found in Fujifilm’s leading processless plates to deliver outstanding performance, less waste, and easier handling, and provides the perfect step for printers wanting to move to processless plate production in the future.

Four years on from the launch of the Acuity LED 1600 and two years on from the launch of the updated Acuity LED 1600 II, Turkish industrial printer Elitronik has purchased the 1000th unit of this robust, versatile machine in the world.

The La Digital Impser story has three milestones: one of them was in 1998, when digital print business La Digital was founded, and another was some decades earlier, when Impser, a respected screen printing company, was started. The third milestone was reached several years ago, when the two companies combined to become La Digital Impser. The company now employs twenty people and, offering a complete service to its clients from consultation to production to finishing, it prides itself on being much more than just a printing company.

Sphere UK, founded in 1994, specialises in print, design and direct mail services for a variety of industries, ranging from private commercial companies and educational institutes to health authorities and government bodies. With both litho and digital printing forming a significant part of its offering, Sphere UK has built a reputation around the speed of delivery and the quality of the finished product it provides to its customers. A significant investment in Fujifilm’s plates and plate-making equipment (a Luxel T-6500CTP platestetter, FLH-Z (ZAC) processor, and Superia LH-PJE plates) in late 2017 has further boosted productivity and enhanced the company’s environmental credentials.