Prepress
Words & Graphics set up new photobook operation
Monday 03. May 2010 - When it comes to new technology, design and print specialists, Words & Graphics have always been at the forefront. Back in the nineties they were the first UK printer to install a KBA Karat 46 DI digital offset press and one of the first to have an Indigo. Recently they are one of three companies to have invested in a NexPress SE 3000 with dimensional ink. Now they have set up a new photobook department with equipment supplied by Ashgate Automation.
“The market is changing, so we need to keep one step ahead to give our customers added value,” said Robert Thirlby, Managing Director, who set up the Anstey-based company twenty-one years ago as a typesetting bureau. “We still typeset books and print book covers but a large part of our business is short run colour printing, including variable data. We are also taking advantage of the growing market in web to print and cross media.”
Robert started looking seriously at producing short run photobooks about two years ago having read an article about an Ashgate installation with Fastbind equipment.. “I thought it complemented our operation because of our experience in short run colour printing and the fact that we have a time served finisher with a lot of bookbinding knowledge.”
“Quite a few printers are now offering photobooks and no doubt many more will follow as they realises the value added opportunities.. However, I wanted to differentiate ourselves from the rest by focussing on the quality end of the market with handcrafted books, supported by a first rate dedicated website and the software to enable professional companies to offer our photobook service as their brand. The first step was to install the NexPress at the end of last year and the Ashgate Fastbind equipment followed a couple of months ago.”
Words and Graphics purchased the Fastbind Casematic H46 Pro casemaker with the semi-automatic Fotomount F46e lay-flat photobook maker, a BooXter Duo, staple-bind photobook maker, Elite XT perfect binder and a GBC desktop laminator from Ashgate. “I took my bookbinder to the Ashgate showroom for a demonstration. When I knew that he was impressed, I placed the order,” Robert recalled. “We want to be able to produce photobooks of varying sizes, which is why we specified the large format binders. The GBC laminator gives us speed and flexibility for smaller format covers when we dont want to set up our large format Titan laminator. We are also selecting a range of linen and leather options for handcrafted covers.”
“The Fastbind equipment gives us the flexibility to satisfy different applications at different price points from the top of the range Casematic for hard back printed and handcrafted books, to the BooXter stapled books and the Fotomount lay-flat books ,” Robert emphasised. The BooXter uses an innovative stapling system, hidden by a foam cushion along the stapled edge of the sheet to bind all types of stock very securely. It is ideal for thinner books up to 8mm spine thickness. The Fotomount F46e is popular for wedding albums with its lay flat, edge to edge style. It builds the page block by inserting a self adhesive card mount sheet between each folded spread. The Fastbind Mountinglift device controls the accuracy of the page block during its assembly.
“Ashgate made it so easy for us. They were very accommodating in delaying the delivery so that we could complete the refurbishment of the new department. Lewis Price, Fastbinds Product Manager, struggled through the snow to give us a two day training course. Many companies would have given up in such bad conditions but he knew that we had a live job to complete,” Robert commented. “One of our clients in the motor industry wanted twenty five copies for an important presentation. They were initially talking about soft, wiro bound covers when we suggested hardback printed and laminated covers. We printed it on the Nexpess , perfect bound it on the Elite binder and finished it with the hardback covers using the Fastbind Casematic. The results were superb and the client was thrilled with the professional finish. It was in a different class to a soft back wiro bound book. In fact the quality of the finish was the main reason why we bought the Fastbind equipment.”
The companys new web site, my ownphotos.co.uk, is due to go lively shortly. “The website is crucial to the success of our new venture and the significant investment we have made. Its got to have impact, choice, be easy to use and the software is encrypted so that customers have to come to us to have the photobooks produced, which is why we have spent a lot of time testing it,” said Robert. “To help promote our wide range of photobook applications to the general public, we are going to have a Facebook presence and personalised emails to a targeted audience. The photographic market is also going to be important for us. We are starting locally in the Midlands area so that our Sales Manager can make personal visits with photobook samples.”
“Weve been very conservative in our return on investment in the first year, although we are already finding new markets that we had not previously considered. Our main aim is to get the quality as near perfect as possible, so that we can build up the business with repeat orders and recommendations. The Ashgate equipment will give us the capacity to produce at least 1000 photobooks a week, so we have plenty of capacity. We are also looking at running a complementary web site called my ownphotogifts.co.uk for coasters, calendars and greeting cards, etc. Were optimistic that we have chosen the right equipment and the right supplier for our consumables and that photobooks will become a significant part of the company.”