Loving litho
Ever since digital technology was introduced to the print industry, much has been said and written about the potential death of litho. In reality, nothing could be further than the truth, with litho presses still the centrepiece of many print businesses.
Digital has established itself as the perfect accompaniment for litho, taking on the shorter run pieces, while litho presses remain the weapon of choice for longer run jobs that are critical for many print-service-providers (PSPs).
Here, Print Monthly speaks with a manufacturer of litho technology to find out more about the options that are coming to market, as well as a user of litho kit to establish, once and for all, why litho will remain a hugely important part of the print industry for many years to come.
Volume and quality
First up to the plate is MPL, the official UK distributor for RMGT presses. Mark Stribley, joint managing director of MPL, says litho still has a major role to play in the industry, particularly when it comes to printing volume.
[L to R] Mark Stribley and Murray Lock, joint managing directors of MPL, the UK distributor of RMGT presses
“Volume is still an issue with digital, along with reliability still to a great degree; we also still need to include cost when print runs exceed 250 copies,” Stribley says.
Volume is still an issue with digital, along with reliability still to a great degree”
“Run length will generally play an important part in the decision as to which technology a job should be directed towards. We have users who, with LED-UV equipped litho machines, will run a job of less than 300 B3-sheets on that machine.
“On larger presses, runs of less than 250 SRA1-sheets could still favour litho, especially if several jobs can be produced at the same time. The work comes off the press dry-to-the-touch, making it the equal of digital in that regard, and with that distinctive litho print feel and quality to it.”
Stribley also says the quality of litho presses, including machines from RMGT, “far outstrips” that of digital print, adding that this is likely to be the case for the foreseeable future.
“Our presses provide the most ‘up-time’ for the lowest cost of ownership, with no need for expensive service contracts,” Stribley says, adding: “While we do offer ‘belt-and-braces’ cover, it is a fraction of the price of our digital and litho friends.
“Also, in digital land, users must expect machines to be out of action for periods of time when service visits arise – ‘down-time’ for digital kit can be quite considerable. That’s an important factor to consider. Indeed, there was a time when some digital manufacturers would suggest buying a second machine in order to cover those periods of inactivity.”
However, with that said, Stribley goes on to say that in a great many cases printers shouldn’t be considering litho over digital, and instead they should be focused on litho with digital, with the two types of technology able to work alongside each other to help modern print businesses succeed and grow.
“Printers should be looking at the two production methods as complimentary – they both have a significant contribution to make to a successful communications business,” Stribley explains, adding: “The printer also needs to recognise that the customer really doesn’t care what technology is being used to produce the job, just so long as it is produced on time, to a suitable quality standard, and at an agreed price.
“However, litho is still the dominant process in the industry. Just look at the volume of newspapers, magazines, and food packaging on the shelves of your local supermarket. These are volume products. The print buyers involved with these products need thousands or even tens of thousands of prints, swiftly, and without errors.
“With regard to food packaging in particular, the big players will expect 100% quality – no defects – and at a fraction of a penny per piece. Only litho can truly claim to be able to offer this.”
Looking to what sort of machinery is proving popular in litho at present, Stribley says there has been a significant increase in demand for LED-UV curing technology, a process that was pioneered by RMGT while the Ryobi name was still in use. Stribley explains many customers are seeking a litho solution that complements digital, and RMGT LED-UV equipped presses provide that.
“Dry-to-the-touch print means that there are no pallets of work lying around, taking up space on the shopfloor,” he says, adding: “Work can be backed up immediately, or moved straight into finishing for post-press operations to take place. With no need for anti-set-off powder, work runs smoothly through folders and binding equipment - no jams, and no need to slow down finishing machinery, run it at full speed.”
O Factoid: The New RMGT 1060LX litho press has been designed for B1 packaging work O
As to what MPL and RMGT can offer, Stribley points to the new RMGT 1060LX, which he says has been designed for B1 packaging work. The machine is equipped with fully automated simultaneous plate loading and the latest version of RMGT’s Smart Assist Printing for continuous production.
Pyramid Press in Nottingham recently took delivery of the latest RMGT 10 Series press
Smart Assist Printing means pressing one button can start a full cycle of ink pre-setting, blanket cleaning, plate changing, pre-wetting, pre-inking, test printing, automatic register adjustment, automatic density adjustment; production printing, in-line quality inspection and the settings for the next job will then have already have started.
“The benefits of litho, including its cost-per-page on mid- and long-runs, its flexibility, and its production speed are all areas where digital is still finding it hard to gain real traction,” Stribley adds.
Core business
On the other side of the market is Orchard Press Cheltenham, a family-run business based in the heart of Gloucestershire that classes litho as the core of its business. Established more than 30 years ago the company is now a recognised B1 10-colour printing business that delivers commercial print to clients throughout the UK, some of which have been working with the company for over three decades.
Orchard Press Cheltenham has been in business for more than 30 years
During this time, managing director Adrian Williams, and indeed his father before him, have witnessed great change in the industry. However, if there is one thing that has remained constant throughout, Williams says it has been the demand for litho printed work.
Adrian Williams, managing director of Orchard Press Cheltenham, with the company’s Heidelberg XL 106 10-colour press
“Litho is our core business; we do offer some digital although this is not our main focus so we tend to outsource if we cannot produce in-house,” Williams says, adding: “I would say that 99% of the volume we produce here is not currently achievable using digital technology and also what is often forgotten about digital is the outrageous click charge.
“When you own the press, then you can do work that can be price pointed to compete with digital on certain work. We continue to get a good return on what we do with a strong focus on quality in all that we print.”
Williams continues: “Litho will be here for a long time yet. If I have to sell up my litho to a box of plastic, then I know the time is up and it’s not something I want to continue to be part of. Maybe my own skillset of perhaps being the last real generation of printers with time served skills may see litho drop off a cliff when we all get to a certain age.
“That perhaps won’t be down to a lack of print, more the case that those left will have invested time and energy in training and hopefully will be thriving. Training the youth is another debate we all need to address as a trade, unless we start soon litho’s demise may just be down to the age of the workforce.”
The centrepiece of litho operations at Orchard Press Cheltenham is its Heidelberg XL 106 10-colour press, which Williams simply bills as a “truly amazing piece of machinery”. He says the press will print anything you ask of it, adding that after almost 40 years of running print presses, “this is the pinnacle”.
Looking to the future of litho and what this may mean for Orchard Press Cheltenham and indeed the print market as a whole, Williams says that while there has been a lot of talk about speed in litho presses, this is not the be-all and end-all, saying the only benefit of this would be to sell print cheaper.
“That appears to be the only reason,” he says, adding: “Why would you spend millions on a printing press just to save a small bit of time and wreak your investment and sell for nothing? I don’t understand that mindset in print.
“As we have the 10-colour press, I decided to just do something different from any other printer out there. We offer our Rainbow service, which is seven-colour print. This enhances coloured images to give maximum impact and also helps to give the print another edge and changes the mindset of the buyer, moving away from commodity and removing the focus purely on price.
“Litho print is our business and will continue to be for as long as the demand is there.”
Williams’ closing comments offer a rather apt conclusion to this discussion on litho. Yes, it is absolutely true that the digital revolution will continue and bring all sorts of new products to the market, which could in turn help printers take on a wide range of shorter-run work and help them grow their business.
However, digital still has some way to go in terms of catching up with litho when it comes to longer-run work and overall print quality. For this reason, litho will remain a core part of the industry for many years to come and, with specialist training for the enthusiastic youth of the UK industry, the heart of this art of printing will beat strong for some time yet.
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