Print Automation – technology for flawless efficiency

Print automation – technology for flawless efficiency

Galloways is a printing partner that is on the forefront of technology. Our investments in print automation mean our customers can expect quick and flawless print, every time.

Without innovation, the printing industry – like any other – would soon become irrelevant. Innovation is not just a key to growth: it is essential to maintain a position in the market.

Innovation is using new technologies and products, like our world-leading Heidelberg Speedmaster CX102 print press, and super-efficient Horizon Stitchliner Mark 3. It’s about faster, more efficient print turnaround, and flexible print production. Innovation is about adding value with new ways of thinking.

Innovation requires investment. Print service providers are under pressure to evolve. How can the industry streamline processes, and incorporate technology so that productivity and efficiency increase alongside quality and performance? The answer is: Print Automation.

Print automation

Automation is a term for technology applications, where human input is minimised. Typically applied to repetitive tasks, every-day life examples of automation include motion-sensor lights and cameras, and Smart appliances.

Like all industries, the print industry is increasingly competitive, and a degree of automation inevitable for all printing companies.

Automating galloways

Galloways has been investing, and innovating, throughout its 150 years in the print industry, with more than £2 million invested most recently.

Since 2014, our new Management Information System has enabled us to produce quotes based on the best production method for a customer’s budget. This has empowered customers to choose the best return for their investment. We’ve invested in colour management, ensuring no compromise on colour or quality on print runs across our different printing presses.

Investment in online proofing has been a game-changer, with our Web-to-Print service. Short deadlines are no longer a problem, and we can get a proof back to a client within minutes of them sending us the artwork. 

We’ve invested in more efficient machinery and technologies to run them. The new press technologies have led to huge improvements, particularly in brochure production. Fewer sheets for set up, and moving from section to section in less time, we are 90% quicker on the new presses than we were on the old. Less time, and fewer materials means we are more competitively priced than ever!

The drive to improve and evolve saw MD Matt Galloway identify ways to free up the manual input time required to produce print jobs. Re-keying of information was necessary on stand-alone systems, wasting vital production time, and introducing risk of error. Automating the process means no re-keying required, allowing our skilled operators to use their time more efficiently, improving productivity. Galloways invested in Heidelberg’s Prinect scalable workflow solution, which streamlines the process of multiple management platforms, saving time and resources while making processes more efficient and streamlined.

Customer benefits

Customer experience is a priority for us from enquiry through to delivery. The name Galloways has been synonymous with high quality print and fast turnaround for 150 years. Automation features have allowed us to improve our business processes and pass those benefits on to our customers.

We are quicker: we’ve automated processes in our print production workflow to minimise manual touch points. While some complex jobs demand manual intervention, we produce many more efficiently and effectively using automation. Automating print runs enables us to deliver cost-efficient print products with a time-efficient service.

We are more efficient: automation can reduce bottlenecks from the workflow. Proofing, approval, and pre-flighting are commonly reported as points in the printing process where delays happen. We provide a customer interface for these tasks, keeping the print process flowing. Our fully integrated software systems can take us from quote to proof in under 30 minutes, if required. We have the capability to produce 20 or more printing jobs per day.

We are more flexible: whether it’s a short run for a single copy, or several thousand, our digital print presses are ready to print in under six minutes. They are capable of attaining an average print production speed of [equivalent] 100,000 A4 sheets and hour. We can produce 6,000 stitched booklets per hour, and more than 500 printing jobs each month.

Automation has allowed us to minimise human intervention, and the accompanying risk of human error. We are achieving less than 1% wastage in our print processes.

Galloways chooses for technology for flawless efficiency. Choose Galloways for flawless print. Speak to one of our print specialists today, on 01625 870000.