W.O. Jones Printers Ltd. in North Wales, U.K., has increased customer confidence and strengthened its business model by investing in KODAK SONORA XP Process Free Plates. The attributes of the new plate are enabling the company to pass on significant benefits to customers in terms of environmental responsibility along with increased productivity and stronger plate performance.

Established in 1904, W.O. Jones is a fourth-generation, family-owned, high-quality commercial lithographic printer. The one-stop shop produces short-run business cards, letterheads, tourist leaflets, magazines, prospectuses and company reports. Its key markets are local tourism and educational institutions.

Four years ago W.O. Jones moved to non-process plates when they were first commercially available. They discussed the development of the KODAK SONORA XP Process Free Plate with Kodak, so when the plates were recently launched there was no hesitation.

“Kodak immediately supported us in the calibration and setup, and we have not looked back since. It was the plate performance that stood out,” said Andrew Langridge, Systems Manager at W.O. Jones, who liked the sharp dot from 1% to 99%, true WYSIWYG and color fidelity.

Being Environmentally Responsible
For W.O. Jones, taking the sustainability route was crucial as the operation moved towards ISO14001 certification.

“We are constantly aware of our environmental responsibility, and the KODAK SONORA XP Process Free Plates have allowed us to eliminate our process chemistry,” noted Andrew Langridge. “As a printer we deal with some very environmentally aware customers. They require us to have as many green credentials as possible. In addition to these process-free plates, we use recycled or FSC paper and soy-based inks. This gives us a business advantage over other printers. We look to suppliers such as Kodak to uphold these aims alongside us. With the SONORA XP Plate and Kodak’s support, our business can move forward with confidence.”

A key customer is Anglesey Sea Zoo. (To see a video, visit www.kodak.com/go/drupa and click on the “Sea Zoo Prints Green” video thumbnail.) They use W.O. Jones for all print requirements because of the environmental considerations, according the Zoo’s director, Dr. Dylan Evans.

“There is still a place in a traditional holiday destination like Anglesey for printed media,” he said. “As a company, we are environmentally conscientious, and all staff members are contractually obliged to adhere to our policies. We therefore look to the companies that supply us to have the same approach. We have the largest aquarium in Wales and provide our customers with marketing collateral. Using the KODAK SONORA XP Plates, W.O. Jones has produced a 300,000-run leaflet for us using one set of plates. The quality was excellent.”

Andrew Langridge of W.O. Jones also pointed out that quality has been superb. “The KODAK SONORA XP Plate has exceeded all our expectations, and the ability of the plate to hold the image has helped enormously,” he said. “The plate run lengths have increased, and we have no problems with plate wear.”

Another benefit was being able to take plates on and off the press with no loss of quality. “We can take plates into production meetings and put them back on at a later date, and they still run perfectly,” says Andrew Langridge. “Occasionally production issues can mean jobs have to be interrupted. This flexibility saves re-plating jobs. We can expose plates a week before the job is required and they will clean up within two or three sheets. Press operators are also confident enough to put plates on press when the prepress department is not open. Choosing the KODAK SONORA XP Plates was the best decision we have ever made.”

New at drupa 2012, Kodak will demonstrate its SONORA XP Process Free Plates, which provide mainstream quality and print capability without a processor or chemistry and offer streamlined platemaking, removal of operational costs, and a reduced environmental footprint. The combination of reductions in prepress and production capability on press make KODAK SONORA XP Plates a viable plate solution for printers wanting to reduce their environmental impact and be a sustainable leader in print.

For more information about Kodak at drupa, go to www.kodak.com/go/drupa.

Kodak is a global advisor and provider of integrated services to help companies transform and optimize their businesses. Through a network of service professionals in more than 120 countries, Kodak provides technical, professional, consulting and managed services to enable customers to focus on growing their businesses, maximizing productivity, and more effectively managing risks. All KODAK Products and Software are backed by KODAK Service and Support. To learn more, please visit www.graphics.kodak.com.