Clarkeprint has installed two Xerox Iridesse presses, each with eight colours and purchased through Xerox reseller Xeretec. 

The Birmingham-based printer, which has been in business for more than 37 years, installed the systems just as the UK went into lockdown in March.

The company was full of praise for both Xeretec and the technology. ‘It’s been an overwhelmingly positive experience dealing with Xeretec,’ said director Nigel Clarke. ‘We’ve all been delighted with our new Xerox Iridesse Presses; the operators like them, the sales guys like them, and our clients are extremely happy with the output. The quality and productivity gains we have seen since installation have been incredible.’

Clarkeprint tested the presses, along with those of other manufacturers, extensively before deciding on the Iridesses. Mr Clarke said the deciding factor was the ‘exceptional’ colour quality. 

‘The ultimate thing that lead us to the decision to go with the Iridesse was its ability to print really good four-colour solids,’ he explained. ‘We print a lot of very heavy coverage solids across the page and in the past we’ve had issues with banding and various quality issues. The Iridesse has given us superb four-colour coverage which is critical. Productivity and reliability are also really important to us and since the devices have been installed we’ve managed to increase throughput by 150%. On top of that, we now have the ability to print on larger sheet sizes and offer speciality colours which will drive opportunities, especially in the creative print environment.’

Mr Clarke continued, ‘Another thing that convinced us was the consultative period we went through with Xeretec. We were very impressed with their knowledge, the quality of both the CMYK and speciality inks, making it a relatively easy decision to make once we’d assessed the market.’

The company has also highlighted other benefits of the Iridesses. Despite the impact of the pandemic, Clarkeprint says it has been exceptionally busy this year and the Xerox machines have allowed it to meet market demands more economically. In the past short run landscape work was a particular challenge for the company, but short runs of A4 landscape booklets can now be produced digitally at a much more competitive price and with a faster turnaround. The ability to print in gold, silver, white and clear has also opened up new avenues of opportunity.