Capital Colour Press (Commercial Printer)

Kevin Linford, prepress manager from Capital Colour Press

Switch to CtP Boosts Productivity

When the Edmonton, Alberta-based Capital Colour Press, an MGS Graphics Services company, decided to go computer-to-plate (CtP) in its prepress operation, it didn't have to look very far. During its entire 24-year existence, Capital Colour Press has maintained a strong relationship with Agfa. When the decision was made for the mid-size printer to go CtP, they knew Agfa's :Palladio 4-up violet platesetter was going to be their best option.

4-Up Violet Device Delivers Value and Quality

Capital Colour Press (www.capitalcolour.com) has 20 employees and annual revenues of $5 million. A high-end full-colour commercial printer, Capital Colour produces everything from business cards to books. Capital Colour has the ability to take a project from the concept stage to finished product, thanks to its staff that includes graphic designers, bindery department and press operators.

Capital Colour has worked with Agfa to supply some of Canada's largest corporations and government offices with the highest quality printing materials. The recent addition of the :Palladio has helped to enhance that reputation, by making the company even more productive.

"Our CtP workflow has cut out hours in our platemaking process. Once a job is approved, plates can be at the press within minutes. Agfa's :Lithostar CtP plates have sped up the make-ready times and registration on the press, not to mention the excellent difference we have seen in the improvement of the final printed product because of the cleaner dot the presses are printing," said Fred Neuschmid, President, MGS Graphics Services. "We have found we can trust and rely on Agfa's products & services," he added.

Capital Colour has also shown other printers the benefits that the :Palladio has brought them. One company that looked at the system was impressed with Capital's fast ramp-up time. Capital moved its analogue system out and was making plates much faster than anticipated.

In addition to the :Palladio, Capital Colour uses Agfa's :Apogee Pilot and :Apogee PrintDrive, which help to ensure an automated, streamlined and reliable workflow. This, Neuschmid said, saves hours in prepress time. ":Apogee PrintDrive allows us to stop, start and direct jobs based on our needs. If a rush job comes in and we need to interrupt everything else, we can with out fear of causing errors or having to redo jobs already running," he said.

Capital Colour also uses Agfa's :Sherpa 43 inkjet proofer to provide clients with contract and imposition proofs, another benefit to his customers. "PDF proofing has allowed us to give our clients a proofing alternative that saves time and money," Neuschmid said.

One of those customers is the Environmental Services Association of Alberta (ESAA). The ESAA is one of Canada's leading environment industry associations.

"The pictures and graphics jump right off the page!" said Esther Rondeau, ESAA's Editor/Projects Coordinator. "There is nothing that we have printed in the past by any printer that can compare to this quality," Rondeau added.

Such praise has been earned by :Palladio users around the world, making it the premiere entry-level violet CtP platesetter. The :Palladio's automation capabilities and its stability are what mid-size printers such as Capital Colour Press need to reduce costs, increase productivity and improve bottom lines.

Advanced Automation Features

The :Palladio is a fully automated system that requires minimal attention from operators. It features:

• Automated plate loading and handling

• A special media cassette keeps 50 plates online - no need for manual loading

• Automatic slip sheet removal

• Flatbed design and horizontal storage of plates, ensuring maximum reliability

• Precision-engineered transport system for accurate imaging

• Extremely reliable violet laser diode, providing consistent output