Since opening the Prontaprint York centre just one year ago, owner Peter MacFarlane has exploited cutting-edge print technology to help local businesses get their message across. The showpiece of the centre is its HP Indigo 3050 – a machine which despite only being installed in April this year has already radically transformed the way Prontaprint York works and helped MacFarlane to win Prontaprint’s national ‘New Franchisee of the Year’ award. So what exactly is it about this piece of equipment, the first of its type to be installed within the Prontaprint network of over 175 digital print centres, that has benefited the York business so much? “Our services cover every aspect of design and print from creative ideas to the finished product but we always structure what we offer around our clients’ business needs, priorities and budget, therefore equipment which adds to our flexibility is key,” says MacFarlane. “Since installing the Indigo 3050 we’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of clients coming to us for print projects – possibly as many as two or three new clients a week.

HP Indigo 3050

“One of the main reasons for this is the fact the machine allows us to offer bespoke printing solutions - ideal for high quality, individualised, direct mailings. The machine really is as good as it gets and once potential clients have found out that we have these facilities in the centre, they’ve jumped at the chance to work with us.” The Indigo press is renowned for its ability to provide affordable short-run and high quality colour customised print in a rapid turnaround time. And in MacFarlane’s case, at a centre which has just four dedicated members of staff servicing all York’s Prontaprint clients, rapid and reliable print technology provides assurance to the team.

“In autumn 2005 we made the decision to install the Indigo to compliment the HP 5500 large-format printer, two toner based photocopiers (colour and b/w) and booklet maker already inside the centre.

“One of the benefits of being a Prontaprint Franchisee is the business support, buying power and technical knowledge provided by Prontaprint Limited. Following their buying negotiations and delivery scheduling, the machine was installed in April ’06. Prontaprint Limited helped me negotiate a good price but the Indigo is still a major investment when you consider that our current annual turnover is approximately £150,000 per annum.

“Yet the machine has already started to pay itself off - we’ve already brought in an abundance of new clients and the Indigo is probably processing around 90 per cent of our print volumes at the moment. Almost everything we produce comes through it.

“One of the main reasons that we now rely on the machine so much is its tremendous speed. Jobs which would once take a whole morning to complete now can take as little as just 40 minutes and that kind of turnaround is a great benefit to our clients. It prints 8,000 sheets a day, 1,000 an hour and 16 in a minute. It’s very impressive and that’s before I even talk about the high quality colour it produces.

“We recently printed a run of 5,000 sheets and less than 50 of the sheets were imperfect. That’s a quality rate of 99 per cent. It is just so competitive, on both quality and price, against traditional litho print methods.

“As the centre at Prontaprint York is only just over a year old, we’re still finding ways in which the machine can be utilised to its full potential. That’s because, as a young print centre, it can take some time to establish yourself and determine what your core client base is and you’ve got to remember that we started the York operation from almost nothing only 12 months ago.

“We’re currently working with several design and PR agencies, car dealers and software companies so we have a wide range of client requirements and we produce a wide range of print materials to meet them – anything from postcard mailers and booklets to large format exhibition posters.

“And, with equipment like the Indigo at our disposal, it’s going to be an exciting ride. If everything goes to plan, we’ll be one of Prontaprint’s leading centre, spearheading the company’s long-term ambitions to remain at the forefront of the European print-on-demand market.”

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