RIPit User: Kenads Printers

Kenads Printers in Worthing, West Sussex
discovers many benefits and cost savings with
RIPit's SpeedSetter^® VM4 CtP Solution.

When Ian Strudwick from Kenads Printers decided to change to photopolymer
plates for his B3 presses, a four colour Ryobi 524 and a single colour GTO 52, he
knew that his current platesetter had to be replaced. He started looking for a new
system and found it in the RIPit SpeedSetter VM4, which is being distributed by
TECSA Limited in the UK.

Kenads Printers, founded in 1982 by partners Ian and Ken Strudwick, engages in
general commercial work. Their main jobs are brochures, leaflets and promotional
print. Most of their customers are local and their full-service shop includes
prepress, printing and finishing services.

After two days of installation by RSR and Total Prepress, the 4-up Violet Metal CtP
system went into production. With the SpeedSetter VM4, Kenads Printers can now
output up to 36 plates per hour in two-up format. The internal drum system is very
compact, but offers lots of possibilities and outstanding quality, as Ian Strudwick
explains: “We are imaging 10 micron spots at 2540 dpi.” This means that not only
conventional AM but also FM and hybrid screens can be produced on the
SpeedSetter VM4 Platesetter.

Because Kenads were imaging metal plates on a CtP machine before, Ian was able
to draw direct comparisons and is very impressed with the good register he is
achieving on press. ¨The dots on the plate are just fine and we’ve had no problems
whatsoever with the machine.¨ In contrast to his previous CtP device, Ian has
noticed several savings with the SpeedSetter VM4: “We are saving on chemistry
with the photopolymer plate system compared to our old system. In addition we
only have to change the chemistry once a month.”

The ease of use is another positive impression Ian has gained from installing the
SpeedSetter VM4. Although the machine is manually operated and doesn’t
internally punch plates its speed and simple plate handling is just what his shop
needed, he explains.

The SpeedSetter VM4 Platesetter uses a single high-reliability 60 mW violet laser
diode in the light range of 405 nm. Scanning is driven by an air bearing spinner
motor achieving a speed of 33,000 rpm. It incorporates a rugged stainless steel
drum construction housed within a lightweight laser cut aluminium casing. Plate
sizes range from 241 x 381 mm up to 625 x 762 mm and thickness from .15 to
.30 mm. The footprint is very compact at only 163 x 69 x 72 cm including the
vacuum pump unit for plate hold down.

In particular, the OpenRIP Symphony workflow impressed Ian right from the start.
It features a simple to use multi-device, multi-task workflow for the automation of
prepress production. Monitor preview and RasterView, KOOLKolor Proofing,
StripRITE Raster Impositon, Custom Plate Templating and CIP 3 support are just
some of the standard OpenRIP Symphony features that make it easy to handle
complex PS, EPS and PDF files.

Optional features include: In-Rip trapping with a new TrapZone feature, TIFF/PS-
Out and PerfectBLEND hybrid screening.

“The SpeedSetter VM4 really gives us value for money. The workflow is brilliant
and the whole system is a pleasure to use”, concludes Ian Strudwick.

Kenads Printers
Unit 17 Martlets Way, West Sussex, BN12 4HF
Telephone: 01903 506444
Fax: 01903 506555
www.kenads-printers.co.uk

Local Dealer: Repro Sales and Repairs
Rayleigh, UK, tel: 01268 786026

Master Distributor: TECSA Limited
Diss, Norfolk, UK, tel: 01379 641184
www.tecsa.com