Sydney printer Print Station has invested in a trio of digital machines supplied by Currie Group: an HP Indigo 7600 digital press, a Scodix S75 digital enhancement press, and a Horizon SmartSlitter. Jake Nelson went along to see how they have transformed the business.
Print Station, a full-service commercial printer, operates two sites close by one another in Sydney’s south: one on busy Forest Road in Hurstville, and a larger facility in Carlton, five minutes away. It is this second plant that recently became home to the new equipment manager Lewis Liang purchased from Currie Group. “We’ve always trusted Currie Group. Horizon, HP Indigo and Scodix are quality brands with good products and excellent service,” he says.
The feeling is mutual, with Currie Group’s Will Currie dropping in regularly on the dynamic printing company. “We have a good relation-ship with Lewis. He is making giant leaps in developing his business.
“He is at the forefront of the movement of taking more work in-house to deal with the rapidly-changing print environment. The Scodix is only the second in NSW,” says Currie.
The digital and offset printer specialises in short to medium runs of up to 200,000 copies, including business cards, brochures, letterheads, and presentation folders; it also produces wide-format offerings such as signs, banners, and displays. “We’ve been in digital printing for about six or seven years. We do a fair bit of it as well as wide-format and offset,” says Liang.
Installed in time for the busy Christmas season, the new HP Indigo 7600 press, plus Scodix finisher and Horizon SmartSlitter, have been a big help to the company. “It’s great. We’re picking up new jobs, and things have been going much faster and more smoothly than before,” says Liang.
According to Liang, the main driver behind the HP Indigo purchase – a first for Print Station – was the quality that the platform offers. “It’s similar to offset, not like the traditional dry toner-based digital printing. There’s no way dry toner can match the quality.
“There’s hardly any difference when you present offset and Indigo digital print, especially on uncoated stock,” he says. “When you compare the HP Indigo digital print with our LED UV offset print, it’s a perfect match. This HP Indigo press has been a big step for us.”
Though there has been a learning curve, Liang and his staff are growing more confident with operating the 7600. “It’s good, we’re getting better every day,” he says. “We’re improving our skill. It’s not as easy to use as regular digital presses – it’s different, sitting between offset and traditional toner-based.”
The Scodix S75 digital enhancement press has enabled Print Station to also handle embellishment work like spot UV and special effect printing. “It’s adding extra value to our print, and lets us offer a bit more for our customers. We can provide something a little more fancy now on things like business cards,” says Liang. “It’s evolved our business, and will definitely increase our product range as well.”
As for the Horizon SmartSlitter, Liang has been pleased to team it up with the S75. “The SmartSlitter works well with the Scodix, producing raised and embellished business cards, for example,” says Liang. “You can’t use a guillotine for that, you have to use a slitter. We’re using it more for other applications as well, such as multiple scoring and perforations.”
Liang is pleased with the new kit, as well as the support Currie Group provides. “The equipment really helps, and Currie Group service is the best. If something goes wrong, they always send someone out quickly to resolve the problem.
“We’ve been buying from them for more than 20 years, and we’re always impressed with the quality of their equipment and their unparalleled service,” he says.
Will Currie is also impressed with Print Station and its owner. “Lewis has always been a very loyal customer. He’s a full-range commercial printer who’s definitely going places, and I’m looking forward to working with him for years to come,” he says.