56 email: editor@printmonthly.co.uk March / April 2025 - Issue 353 that uses HEIDELBERG technology in its operations is Route 1 Print, a trade printer operating under Bluetree Group. Introducing the company, Jack Parks, head of Route 1 Print, says: “It's our approach to partnerships that really sets us apart, we become an extension of our customer's business. Operating from our 147,000sq ft factory, we work exclusively with print resellers and not end users, dispatching over 10,000 jobs every week.” The company uses two HEIDELBERG Speedmaster XL 106s and an XL 75 Press, with the Speedmasters producing up to 15,000 sheets per hour and the XL 75 running at 12,500 sheets per hour. Speaking of Route 1’s embracing of litho and digital print, Parks says: “We’ve refined our lithographic offering by having three highly efficient printers, whilst also focusing on integrating advanced digital technology like our second Landa press and our fleet of HP Indigos.” Discussing Route 1’s set up, Parks adds: “To maximise efficiency in our litho stream, we use specialist workflow software to gang up jobs. Depending on the size, multiple pieces of artwork can be grouped onto a single plate. This smart system ensures we use resources as economically as possible, reducing waste and keeping costs low for our customers.” Speaking about working with traditional and digital technologies, Parks say it has never been one or the other from Route 1, adding: “It’s about choosing the right technology for each job. Litho remains unmatched in its ability to deliver high-quality, reliable, and cost-effective results for large-volume orders. On the other hand, digital printing excels in producing smaller runs quickly and affordably. By blending these two methods, we maintain flexibility and competitiveness while upholding our high-quality standards.” In order to highlight the way Route 1 operates, and the way it supports its customers with its mantra: “Our factory is your factory”, the business often runs open day tours to show customers the company’s full range of lithographic and digital technologies. Parks explains: digital technologies. Rockley explains: “The Jetfire family, developed in collaboration with Canon, features advanced inkjet technology and is seamlessly integrated into HEIDELBERG’s Prinect workflow. This integration ensures that both offset and digital printing processes operate cohesively within a single system, offering maximum flexibility and cost-effectiveness.” A subsidiary of HEIDELBERG that Rockley also highlights as embracing litho and digital technologies is Gallus. “Its hybrid press systems, such as the Gallus Labelfire, combine conventional flexographic printing with high-quality digital inkjet printing, enabling efficient and flexible label production.” A company in the printing industry ▲ [L to R] Peter Wolff, chief marketing officer; Canon CPP, and Dr David Schmedding, member of the Executive Board for Sales and Service; HEIDELBERG machinery including letterpress printing presses. Speaking of the company’s more recent embracing of digital technology, Matt Rockley, product executive sheetfed at HEIDELBERG UK, says: “Over the past two decades, HEIDELBERG has invested heavily in digitalization, connecting approximately 13,000 machines and systems worldwide to the HEIDELBERG Cloud.” Speaking of the company’s outlook today, Rockley says: “HEIDELBERG remains the leader in lithographic printing, blending traditional offset expertise with digital advancements to shape the future of print technology.” HEIDELBERG says that traditional (litho/offset) and digital printing technologies can now complement each other in order to enhance efficiency, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness in modern print production. “By integrating both methods, print shops can maximize productivity, reduce costs, and meet diverse customer needs,” adds Rockley. The company says that by introducing the HEIDELBERG Jetfire, an inkjet solution, and the Versafire, a toner solution, the manufacturer is demonstrating its commitment to integrating offset and Litho remains unmatched in its ability to deliver high-quality, reliable, and cost-effective results for large-volume orders LITHOGRAPHIC AND DIGITAL PRINT TECHNOLOGY
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