Prepress
Lean printing in action: Merkur Grafisks smarter way of working
Monday 27. April 2026 - Leading Norwegian print company Merkur Grafisk recently centralized its full production chain for books, magazines, retail materials, interior applications and décor in a new facility in Langhus.
Their wide product range includes everything from business cards and hardcover books to vehicle wraps and point-of-sales materials. With many different jobs and short lead times, automation is essential.
“We offer an extremely broad spectrum. That raises the bar for automation since we do so many different jobs in a short time,” says Lars Jacobsen, Lean Manufacturing and Quality Manager. “It is becoming more important to automate as much as possible to use the least time and the fewest clicks per job. The more automation, the fewer people are needed.”
A long partnership with ECO3
Merkur Grafisk was among the first in Norway to install a Galileo CtP and an early adopter of the Apogee workflow. “We have used Apogee for as long as I can remember, and last year I celebrated 25 years at Merkur,” says Lars, who started as an apprentice and is now fourth generation on the ownership side.
After acquiring Flexi Trykk in 2013, Apogee was also extended to control digital printing. Today, only the large-format department is not yet connected. “That is something we are considering. Then it will truly be one system to rule them all,” Lars adds.
Apogee offers a simple, intuitive interface for both offset and digital print. It automates key prepress tasks such as file handling, preflight and color management. It also covers imposition, paper usage optimization and ink saving. It can run in the cloud or on‑premises and provides reports with detailed production statistics.
“It is a modular system that you can expand as needs change, for example with large format or packaging. It can be used for everything from B2 size to large heatset presses,” says Kenneth Rasmussen, Nordic Sales Manager at ECO3.
The lean view from Merkur
With a strong focus on quality and lean manufacturing, Lars takes a holistic view of Merkur’s workflows. “The goal is to make the software use its full potential. It is easy to buy something, but if you do not learn it, you will never get the maximum benefit,” Lars says.
Recruitment is challenging, and new operators do not always come from the printing industry. Automation, therefore, plays an important role in reducing complexity and errors. “If you have full integration with MIS or ERP systems, you do not need to re-enter order numbers or paper types. That is handled automatically,” explains Kenneth Rasmussen.
Merkur Grafisk continues to add new Apogee functions. “We recently started using WebApproval, which allows customers to approve files online. It is an advantage to be able to grow with the system,” says Lars. A new order system will also be integrated into Apogee in a future update.
Local support that makes a difference
Lars highlights the value of working with ECO3’s local service team. “They are solution-oriented and easy to get help from. Having access to Scandinavian support means a lot to us.” According to Kenneth Rasmussen, this close collaboration is intentional.