SCREEN Americas announces plans for the first installation of the Truepress JET 560HDX to take place in the 60,000-square-foot facility belonging to Art & Negative of Lanham, Maryland. Prior to the official commercial release, Art & Negative will become an early adopter of the new SCREEN technology.
The Maryland-based printer’s relationship with SCREEN dates back to its inception in 1981 when, as a prepress operation, it invested in SCREEN’s drum scanners. In 2001, the company made the transition from offering prepress production to becoming a full-service commercial printing facility and added mailing and fulfillment services in 2002.
Art & Negative invested in the Truepress JET 520HD AD in 2021 and paired it with Hunkeler finishing equipment available from Standard Finishing Systems. Since then, the company has increased its employees from 37 to 49 and experienced a 37-percent growth in business from 2022 to 2023.
Eliminating offset press equipment from its facility has been on Art & Negative’s agenda ever since it invested in SCREEN’s digital inkjet technology, especially since more and more of Art & Negative’s customers are demanding high quality variable work. Just as the Truepress JET 520HD AD allowed Art & Negative to handle high-end requests, the Truepress JET 560HDX will afford the company the ability to produce even more offset-quality-type work quickly. With the addition of the 1,200 x 1,200 dpi-capable new press, Art & Negative plans to eliminate its sheetfed offset press.
“The Truepress JET 560HDX couldn’t get here sooner,” said COO Jason Wilburn. “The press will offer greater versioning and the color gamut will allow for more captivating pieces. We will also be able to use 120-pound stock on the HDX, which we know our customers will love.”
The press is also expected to secure new business for Art & Negative, who has become popular with universities. “We were assigned to print a brochure detailing a university’s presidential tour,” noted Executive Vice President Jim Myers. “I made the suggestion that instead of printing multiple copies containing all 10 dates in the schedule, we could customize the brochure and make 10 different versions plus put personalized mailing addresses on the back. This would have been a lot more cumbersome and expensive on offset, but with the HD, it was a snap!”
The installation of the Truepress JET 560HDX is scheduled for summer 2024.
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