Kennesaw, GA - The newest addition to Walker Printing's pressroom lineup is a Speedmaster SM 52 4-color press with Anicolor inking, and it has made all the difference, according to company president Taylor Blackwell. Installed three months ago and in full production for two, the SM 52 Anicolor replaces an existing Speedmaster 74 6-color, a Heidelberg Printmaster QM 46-2, and a digital press.
 
The contrast between the Anicolor press and the digital machine it replaced could not be more stark, said Blackwell, who maintains he was paying substantially more in click charges on the digital press than he spends on plates for the Anicolor machine. And the differences extend to service, as well; according to Walker, the three-year coverage he gets with Heidelberg Systemservice 36 package beats fixed monthly costs on the digital machine hands down. In terms of performance, he adds, "Makeready on the Anicolor machine is ridiculously short; we're up to color in under 25 sheets." As a consequence, Walker Printing is able to turn out work faster and more efficiently than ever before, including magazine covers, postcards, brochures, and a range of commercially printed products. Unlike its digital predecessor, the Anicolor machine can handle run lengths that are "all over the place," Blackwell explains, from 500 sheets to 50,000 4-color envelopes.
 
The new Anicolor machine shares Walker's pressroom with a 4-color Speedmaster XL 105, a 2-color Speedmaster SM 52, and an older 1-color, 28" press. Walker's full-service bindery hosts cutting, folding and stitching equipment, also from Heidelberg. Established 60 years ago and currently with 50 employees, the $6 million Montgomery, AL-based Walker Printing serves a national client base that includes Christian ministries, associations, and direct mail clients.
 
Blackwell points to his company's lineup of Heidelberg equipment with pride. "This is what I do for a living, and I believe in having the best equipment because it pays off in less downtime, greater productivity and higher resale value. When the stakes are high, it doesn't make sense to risk cheaper equipment or settle for a supplier that doesn't back up what it sells. Heidelberg gets it right every time."