TJ International, a UK-based printer of hard and soft cover books, has installed an Océ ColorStream 3900 inkjet system to branch into short run digital colour production for the first time.
The technology will enable the company to meet customer demand for full colour books in print runs below 200 – something it has previously been unable to offer economically using existing offset technology.
Additionally, TJ International will be able to mirror the service it already offers in monochrome production, which allows it manage the full lifecycle of a book from initial high-volume print runs and re-prints using offset, to short-run and single copy print-on-demand using digital.
Angus Clark, CEO, said, ‘The ColorStream 3900 is a strategic move into inkjet and demonstrates that, as a customer-focused business, we have again listened to what our customers need and are making the appropriate investments to help them succeed.
‘The new system will enhance and complement the capabilities of our existing technology portfolio. We produce a lot of two-colour books very successfully and have done so for many years. However, historically if a customer needed to take the print run below a quantity of 200, we had to turn work away. The new ColorStream 3900 will not only allow us to say ‘yes’ to this type of work from existing customers and keep colour titles in print indefinitely, but will also give us a competitive edge to attract new business that was previously inconceivable,’
Digital book production currently accounts for 25% of turnover at TJ International and it is anticipated that, with the new technology in place and the subsequent doors this will open, this will increase to 50 per cent of total output within the next three years.
The ColorStream 3900 prints at speeds of up to 127m/min with a perceived quality of 1200 dpi at fully rated speed.
