Real Print04 roadshow at Currie Group, Queensland
A comprehensive range of printing solutions, some making their Australian premiere, is showcased in Brisbane this week as Currie Group opens its doors to the RealPrint 04 road show. Grand finale is tonight at 6.00pm.
Industry professionals from all over the country and from New Zealand have flocked to the Stafford location over the past two days to road test everything from the latest Mako4matic CTP through to the new generation Shinohara 52 offset press and the HP Indigo 3050 digital press. The national launch of the new Currie Group workflow software, Compose Express, along with the Queensland debut of the X-Rite ICC colour quality assurance system links all the equipment into a CIP4 solution.
A complete array of finishing equipment and solutions, including the Australian premiere of the new Horizon Bookmaker, illustrates the depth of the Currie Group offerings and provides a welcome opportunity for printers to get up to speed with the future trends of the industry.
“We wanted to make it easy for our customers to get a clear picture of what is available at the cutting edge of technology across the entire production spectrum,” said Haymen Zalm, Queensland state manager. “Everyone has different needs and plans and they must be able to compare the alternative offerings before they make up their mind to invest.
“Only an enterprise such as Currie Group, which has the complete range of products from prepress through to printing, both offset and digital, as well as finishing equipment, can give printers the complete picture. We’ve been overwhelmed by the support of the Queensland industry. Anyone who wants to come along today is very welcome.”
(Corner of Webster and Wabarra St, Stafford.)
Richard Watson from ECRM is on hand to demonstrate the first Queensland showing of the MAK4matic CTP engine (pictured). Equipped with an interleaf slip removal system (SSR) and a 60-plate cassette, it is a highly productive metal plate solution. Three units were pre-sold to Queensland companies during RealPrint 04. It is running in tandem with Currie’s well-known DPX polyester plate system.
Bernie Robinson, Sales Director, reports three orders for the SHINOHARA 52 on display, reinforcing his belief that the new generation press is the most popular press ever in its size. “Ever since the new SHINOHARA presses became available we have had remarkable sales success all over the country. The enthusiasm of the Queensland printers confirms its appeal,” he said.
His conviction is reinforced by respected industry expert, Trevor Canty, on hand representing ColoRite, who goes on record as saying; “In all my 49 years in the industry I’ve never seen a press with so little dot gain as this SHINOHARA.”
Trevor is here to demonstrate the X-Rite ICC colour system from ColoRite, which operates with a colour scanner on the delivery end of the press. Having set up an accurate ICC profile for the press in Compose Express, the scanner performs as a quality check, giving the operator up to the minute information as to how the press is performing.
“People tend to get bits and pieces of ICC colour control but rarely see the whole system in operation. Visitors here have been very impressed,” he said.
Phillip Rennell, general Manager of Current Images, Currie Group, had his work cut out for him just getting a 3050 digital press (pictured) to demonstrate for the road show. The first one ordered was snaffled up by local Queensland company, IPG Printing of Kedron. “We had to order another and it got here just in time. We’ve had a great deal of interest in the press and there are more orders to come from this show.”
He made the point that the same files were being processed through the workflow for the MAKO4matic to be imaged on the SHINOHARA, and to the HP Indigo 3050 for digital output.
Currie’s Stafford showroom is operating this week as a full-on print factory with a fine array of finishing equipment in operation. For many visitors it is the first opportunity to see the latest Horizon machines. Notably the Horizon Stitchliner 5500 with gatherer and book finisher is making its Queensland debut, as is the BQ270 bookbinder.
“No tools are required to adjust these machines. Everything is controlled from a touch screen by the operators, which makes it very easy to adjust,” said Robinson.
Similarly the very neat Horizon APC - 61II guillotine is touchscreen controlled, able to store up to 999 jobs in its memory. As Hayman Zalm says: “This is quite a small guillotine but it has more computer power built-in than many much larger machines.”
Perhaps the star of the finishing show is the Horizon Hardcase Bookmaker, a highly productive machine that automates the manufacture of hardcase coves for books. This is its first showing in Australia and has drawn a crowd of interested industry professionals through out the week.
The success of the Currie RealPrint 04 roadshow has made Brisbane the central focus of the printing industry this week. The fact that so many printers have flown in from as far away as Western Australia, Victoria and across the Tasman highlights the real need for printers to be able to see full solutions in real-life operational mode.
A comprehensive range of printing solutions, some making their Australian premiere, is showcased in Brisbane this week as Currie Group opens its doors to the RealPrint 04 road show. Grand finale is tonight at 6.00pm.
Richard Watson from ECRM is on hand to demonstrate the first Queensland showing of the MAK4matic CTP engine (pictured). Equipped with an interleaf slip removal system (SSR) and a 60-plate cassette, it is a highly productive metal plate solution. Three units were pre-sold to Queensland companies during RealPrint 04. It is running in tandem with Currie’s well-known DPX polyester plate system.
His conviction is reinforced by respected industry expert, Trevor Canty, on hand representing ColoRite, who goes on record as saying; “In all my 49 years in the industry I’ve never seen a press with so little dot gain as this SHINOHARA.”
Phillip Rennell, general Manager of Current Images, Currie Group, had his work cut out for him just getting a 3050 digital press (pictured) to demonstrate for the road show. The first one ordered was snaffled up by local Queensland company, IPG Printing of Kedron. “We had to order another and it got here just in time. We’ve had a great deal of interest in the press and there are more orders to come from this show.”
Currie’s Stafford showroom is operating this week as a full-on print factory with a fine array of finishing equipment in operation. For many visitors it is the first opportunity to see the latest Horizon machines. Notably the Horizon Stitchliner 5500 with gatherer and book finisher is making its Queensland debut, as is the BQ270 bookbinder.