Tasmanian printer Foot & Playsted expects to increase efficiency and sales by 20 per cent after installing a new Ricoh cutsheet digital printer.

Operations manager Ross Martin says the shrinking Tasmanian print market forced the company to buy the Ricoh ProC7100 to stay ahead of its competitors.

“It is a step forward to increase efficiency, quality and have a point of difference to our competitors. It will also increase output speed and cut out processes, for example with its inline booklet maker,” he says.

“With this new machine we are hoping to increase our digital output by 10 to 20 per cent in the next 12 months.”

[Related: Kitted up]

Martin says the mostly offset company needed to have the latest digital technology to remain viable, and hopes it will take the pressure off its six-colour and five-colour Komori offset presses.

“The general print market is in decline as we know it, so to remain viable and on top of our game we made the investment,” he says.

“The new machine will give us the flexibility to transfer more offset work on it as the Ricoh produces high quality work fast.”

The 89-year-old company also has a range of foilers, bindery and other finishing equipment. It produces business cards, stationary, magazines, annual reports, packaging and various other products.

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