The Versamark Ultra BCP digital printing press features four colour duplex printing at 500ft/min, which equates to more than 1000 A4 impressions per minute in full colour variable data. Currently, it is understood that the machine will be a reel-fed press, however the option remains open to convert it to cut sheet.
Representatives from HPA were present at the SDP Open House in Dayton, Ohio in July last year to see the machine in action.
Stephen Pratt, Kodak Versamark regional sales and marketing manager, says, “This marks a major shift in the data centre market place towards a different way that billing and marketing will be done in Australia.
“Up until now, people have been buying preprinted stock, then overprinting it with monochrome. HPA’s customers will have the opportunity to take advantage of a true full colour print on demand service.”
According to Pratt, some of the advantages of this press to print full colour variable data is the ability to print one on one documents where every document can be data driven to be unique, the inclusion on the transactional printed sheet information that would otherwise been included as an insert, and the ability to send that information only to the clients that need it.
“This means an increase in savings, a decrease in waste and increased response rates from customers, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg,” says Pratt.
Pratt says the system is due for installation and commission in the second quarter of the year.
“This will provide HPA with tremendous capacity and strategic advantage that I’m sure they will wish to take advantage of as quickly as possible. There is significant competitive advantage at being first in the market as there is a high degree of interest from mail generators in variable data colour printing,” says Pratt.
“In the longer term, there is the opportunity to introduce true one to one marketing and individual billing and statements for their customers.”
Pratt says that this installation is vindication that there is indeed room in the Australian market for this machine, and underlines Australia’s tendency to be innovative and early adopters of new technology compared to other markets around the world.
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