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Lightning Printers speeds up digital production with Xerox


Johannesburg, 26 Sep 2017

Port Shepstone-based printing and signage company Lightning Printers has advanced its digital printing capabilities with a new Xerox Versant 80 (V80) Press from Bytes Document Solutions' (BDS) business partner, Capital Office Automation. BDS is the largest Xerox distributor in the world.

Servicing longstanding regional customers alongside a growing number of walk-in customers and the seasonal holiday trade, Lightning Printers first introduced digital services in 2004 to complement its litho-based large volume print service. It has since scaled up its digital production with the steady increase in demand.

Business owner Dean Burchett says the switch to the Xerox V80 was an easy decision, not only because the company's previous Xerox C700 had reached its end-of-life, but because the efficiency, quality and speed of the new printer was exactly what the business needed.

"We did our research and realised that the V80 was the right fit for us, and we knew that we had made the right choice for our customers," notes Burchett.

"Having worked in the industry for a long time, I know that Xerox is the benchmark for these qualities, and so we've standardised on Xerox for our digital business," he says. "I also know that every new generation of printer brings with it some remarkable advances, but I wasn't quite expecting a full doubling of speed and across-the-board colour and calibration accuracy that the V80 delivers over its predecessor."

"Our reputation is built on service and quality, and that's what we promise with every print, from the smallest order of business cards to the largest order of flyers, stationery and other items. We have continued to elevate our digital offerings with increased speed and improved product quality," says Burchett.

The V80 features Xerox's ultra-high definition print engine, delivering 2 400dpi x 2 400dpi resolution at the fastest speeds, and (with an optional performance pack) on the thickest media (350gsm). The 10-bit processing delivered by the EFI Fiery Print Server increases the possible number of traditional pick points from 256 (with 8-bit processing) to 1 024, with a 10-bit processing for each colour separation. The more pixels moved by the RIP to the print engine, the more customer-pleasing details (four times more pixels than the digital press standard), making for stunning results on every page.

Xerox Versant 80.
Xerox Versant 80.

The V80 also features an inline spectrophotometer and Automated Color Quality Suite (ACQS) to produce stable and accurate colour on every job, coupled with Xerox's compact belt fuser technology that applies uniform heat and pressure needed to bond emulsion aggregation (EA) dry ink to a wide range of surfaces, without slowing production speed.

"There was a learning curve involved from changing over to the Xerox V80's Fiery's print server, but once we got our heads around it, the benefits were immediately obvious," says Burchett. "For example, it makes laying out a book design in the correct order simple and straightforward, and fitting dozens of business cards on single sheets can be done faster and more accurately with complete confidence. This is a big step up from what we were used to and we are pleased that we are innovating for the future."

Burchett says the supplier relationship is just as important as the technology, and the service he receives from Capital Office Automation is outstanding.

Dick Basday, director of Capital Office Automation, concurs: "Lightning Print is committed to delivering high-quality goods and excellent service to their customers, just as we are committed to ours. We knew that the Xerox V80 would meet their high standards. It has increased the number of jobs that Lightning Print can now produce and shortened the turnaround time to customers without sacrificing the quality of the product."

Discussing the history of Capital Office Automation and its relationship with Bytes Document Solutions (Xerox), Basday explains the partnership goes back 17 years. "We are proud to be a BDS partner and our 36 years in the office automation industry brings with it valuable skills and experience to provide our customers with the right solutions."

Lightning Print's Burchett notes: "Now that we have this big, reliable printer we'll probably see the maintenance teams even less than before. If we ever do have an issue, I know they will be here within a couple of hours, and if it's more serious, the issue will be escalated upcountry immediately."

Burchett points out that some of the staff have been with the business for almost 30 years, so the level of skill sets the company has in-house means it can be independent and always strive for customer excellence.

"When customers come to us with a project, they know they'll walk out the door with something special. That's what we focus on, and what Xerox helps us deliver," concludes Burchett.

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Bytes Document Solutions

Bytes Document Solutions (BDS) is Africa's leading document management technology and services company and the largest Xerox distributor in the world. It is the authorised Xerox distributor in 26 sub-Saharan countries offering the complete range of Xerox document equipment, software solutions and services. BDS forms part of Bytes Technology Group, a subsidiary of JSE listed Allied Electronics Corporation (Altron).

http://bytesdocumentsolutions.co.za

Editorial contacts

Karen Heydenrych
Communikay
(083) 302 9494
Karen@communikay.co.za
Tanya Moodley
Bytes Document Solutions
(011) 928 9111
tanya.moodley@bdsol.co.za