Imagination Graphics, based in Marrickville in Sydney’s inner west is expanding its capacities with three new presses, a cutter-slitter and an apprentice, following its acquisitions of Lindwall & Wall and Staas in the past year.
The company has invested in two new Konica Minolta printers, the AccurioPress C6100 and 1085, along with a Duplo DC 645 cutter/slitter, and a refurbished Heidelberg GTO 52 with varnish.
Imagination is the first business in NSW to install the AccurioPress C6100.
Emmanuel Buhagiar, director, Imagination Graphics, says, “We wanted to take Imagination Graphics into new markets and demonstrate a high quality of work. There were specific requirements our customers were asking for that we could not deliver, such as thicker boards, long sheets, tight registrations, and so on.
“Furthermore, we knew there was an opportunity to use digital print jobs to prove the quality, then attract customers to higher-run, offset jobs. People come to us for 500 digital books, for example, then come back again when they need to do 5,000. We knew that having a high quality digital printer would potentially double our workload.
“All the rollers and cylinders have been replaced on the GTO, and it looks fantastic. With the Konica Minolta AccurioPress C6100 and 1085, we are doing a lot of four-colour work, and a more type registration work on the C6100. We also do a lot more landscape books, and banner work.
[Related: Imagination acquires Lindwall & Wall]
“We have done a few four-colour envelopes, short run. The main thing for us is that it is able to do six page, and eight page long sheeted jobs, that fold in. The colour and the speed on the AccurioPress are sensational, meaning we can output this stuff quickly.
“We installed the digital presses for additional capacity, but the word is getting out, and other small printers are ringing us up to do short run six and eight page books, so it is opening up new markets.
“Having the digital market opens up the offset market too. Being able to do those smaller jobs is essential; we get the little jobs and then we can quote on big four-colour jobs because customers are comfortable with the quality Imagination Graphics can deliver.
“Having the digital machines in-house has doubled or even tripled our workload, which is exactly what we planned for.
A new apprentice will start up at Imagination next week, and Buhagiar says he will be learning all aspects of the trade with the company, “The new apprentice will run our two-colour GTO, and will be learning how to guillotine, fold, laminate, and how to run the production. He starts tech next week.”
In the past year, Imagination has grown rapidly, buying out two local rivals and doubling its facility with the Staas site. It has also tripled its staff, going from around four to 15 in the past 12 months.
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