The media company SGV Reprostudio GmbH based in Hilden, North Rhine-Westfalia has struck out on a new path. Since late summer 2007, a GENIUS 52UV offset printing press from KBA-Metronic AG, Veitshöchheim, Germany, has been managing print jobs which prove uneconomical using digital printing methods. And that with pinpoint sharp dot reproduction in the frequency modulated screen. The advantage is clear: Providing customers with higher quality than is possible with digital printing at reduced production costs (compared to conventional offset printing). In addition there are the time savings for the client as the printed items can be immediately processed and delivered following printing.

The company was founded approx. 30 years ago by Klaus-Werner Gottschalk as a classic repro company. The core business is media production, a field in which the company has made a name for itself over the years through “quality and reliability”. As the son, Olaf Gottschalk explained: “The work used to be divided up into classic offset, flexo and gravure printing. The company developed a great deal of know how in the field of gravure printing and was able to maintain up to eight colour separations using this method.” The family business, now in the second generation, has a total of twelve employees, two of which are trainees (media designer, specialising in digital and offset printing). The trainee specialising in offset printing has already come to appreciate the special character of the company’s Genius 52UV. That is, a printing press that differs significantly from conventional offset technology. The trainee frequently mentioned that his fellow pupils had problems with so called “long inking units” on conventional printing presses, problems that were completely unknown to him.

As a consequence of the introduction of desktop publishing (DTP), classic repro orders have been gradually lost. As managing director Olaf Gottschalk stated: “Today the jobs we did in the past are now just stopgaps, in as far as they are requested at all”. However the company recognised the signs of the times early enough and was able to think of ways to extend business operations. As a graduate of the Hauchler studio in Biberach on the Riß, Olaf Gottschalk was inspired by his former technology teacher Otto Wenkel . Olaf Gottschalk remembers that Wenkel was “given the affectionate nickname ‘Super-otto’ ” by his “budding printing technician colleagues” due to his “brilliant visions”. The business idea of including digital printing in the company portfolio was inspired by Wenkel. The current expansion of the printing division to include the Genius 52UV represents an attractive addition to the existing digital printing technology. Digital printing is an excellent technology for creating personalised output media. The well known catchphrase here is printing on demand. It goes without saying that it is also suitable for small print runs. However it has the decisive disadvantage that it cant reproduce high resolution printing data in the quality that customers are familiar with from offset printing, and rightly expect. The customer doesn’t want to be left with the impression that a couple of copies have simply been made using digital printing. Instead, the customer wants to see that the reproductions are as close to the existing prints as possible and that they are of excellent quality.

The first digital printing press was purchased in 1999. In 2003 the latest model followed. As a result digital printing became the company’s second area of business, replacing the loss of repro orders on a sustained basis. As a result, for the first time the company was able to offer media technology in the form of printing and logistics services in addition to media design and media operations (creation of print copies, typesetting, lithography and digitalisation). The company succeeded in making a name for itself throughout Germany thanks to its services in the repro field. The highly motivated and creative young team professionally serve industry, advertising agencies and printing shops who are unable to cover the areas of digital, UV and small format offset printing.

In August 2007 the company invested in a Genius 52UV from KBA-Metronic AG. It didn’t take long to come to a decision or make the necessary comparisons with other manufacturers. It was quickly clear that the Genius 52UV was superior to other machines from the same format class (36 x 52 cm) in every respect. In addition it was ideal for the rather restricted available space. The Genius 52UV proved especially convincing due to the low wastage. “The machine was already inked up after as few as 7 sheets” related managing director Olaf Gottschalk enthusiastically. The machine also proved convincing in terms of process stability: A consequence of the sophisticated construction employing just four equally sized rollers. Ghosting is unheard of with the Genius 52UV. The screen roller transfers exactly the right volume of ink onto the print substrate for each print. No zone screws can alter anything here. What is required of this short inking technology is perfect reproduction - which is nonetheless manageable. And this is exactly what SGV Reprosstudio is known for specialising in.

Printing is carried out on all types of material such as paper/cardboard and plastics such as PVC, PC, PS, ABS; PET etc. with a thickness between 0.1 and 0.8 mm, depending on the substrate. The register accuracy using just one gripper and the stability of the material is also astounding. There is no water which can lead to deformations in the substrate or arbitrary shifts in colour tone. The “undiluted” ink can display its full luminosity and brilliance to the viewer, captivating and inspiring them. The Genius 52UV, fitted with 5 inking units and one varnishing unit, processes waterless printing plates from Toray which are imaged using a standard imaging unit. The Genius 52UV functions according to the guidelines of the standardised offset printing, i.e. there is conformity between the pre-press stage, the proof output device and the printing press. It is only using this principle that consistent quality and colour fidelity can be guaranteed to customers. Tone reproduction curves and ICC profiles are highly regarded at SGV Reprostudio. As a basic principle, printing is conducted using a frequency modulated screen, added value which the customer is not charged for separately. If the customer desires more or less ink compared to the standard volume, it is possible to run the screen rollers at different operating temperatures. The print result is as a rule the proof result.

As a consequence, the customer is able to see what he has ordered before printing. He has every reason to place his trust in the applied technology. In the fifth printing unit special colours or matt varnish can be processed. A highly revealing calendar in the media company’s conference room clearly demonstrates which effects can be achieved with the fifth printing unit and the additional varnishing unit. It is well known that UV varnish produces the glossiest effect. “Very few customers decide on the basis of the faint smell of marzipan”, jokes Olaf Gottschalk. For the majority of customers it is the quality and the speed of delivery that is decisive.

In the printshop itself, air conditioning maintains the optimal working conditions. As the Genius 52UV is accommodated in the same room as the digital printing presses, work is conducted under virtually clean room conditions. That creates a pleasant working atmosphere. The Genius 52UV is an ideal partner for print runs of 300 and higher. With a machine speed of up to 8000 sheets per hour and semi-automatic plate changing, production costs are minimised thanks to shorter makeready times and job changes. Even the shut-down times at the end of the working day are shorter compared to traditional wet offset presses as the inks in the exchangeable ink chambers can only dry out when exposed to the UV dryer in the extended delivery unit.

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