LAW Printing recently installed a large-format, six-colour Heidelberg Speedmaster press with Aqueous coating online, adding to its stable of Heidelberg presses, which ranges from GTOs, SORMs, MOs to Speedmasters with on-line Aqueous coaters.

With this move to the large-format arena, the company had no option but to go A1 as it is involved with so many annual reports that have to be of outstanding quality and generally have tight deadlines. From the time of installation, the machine was fully booked for more than a month, although the running times have been drastically cut as it doubles up on sheets.

With its computer-to-plate system firmly established, clients have seen remarkable changes in quality. The company uses a Creo Trendsetter 400 A2 Quantum V platesetter, which recently has been upgraded to A1 Trendsetter 800 Quantum S including the staccato screening method.

In an attempt to further increase the visual quality of the final product, LAW moved away from line screening about a year ago in favour of Creo's/Kodak's version of FM screening called Staccato.

Staccato produces high-fidelity, artefact-free images which exhibit fine detail without halftone rosettes, screening moiré, grey-level limitations or abrupt jumps in tone - with no impact on RIPping or rendering time.

LAW uses Brisque and the Preps imposition software, also from the Creo/Kodak stable. The CTP department is run by two competent operators who endeavour to ensure that clients discs are correct prior to RIPping and proofing. These operators also imposition all the files, saving clients the nightmare of impositioning. High-quality, colour-calibrated inkjet proofs, the CTP equivalent of a Cromalin are available on request.

For more information contact Melody Pereira, First Graphics, 011 799 3800, mpereira@firstgraphics.co.za, www.firstgraphics.co.za