
Headley Brothers takes Superia approach to success
19.01.2016
FUJIFILM Superia icons and plate
A fourth generation family-run business, Headley Brothers - founded in 1884 - has been ever-present in the print industry for over 130 years. A key factor in the Kent-based print service provider's success and longevity has been its ability to evolve and adapt to the changing needs of the print industry ahead of the curve.
The company has come a long way since its origins as a producer of paper bags. Now a leading national magazine printer, it serves a core customer base of loyal publishers that produce weekly, fortnightly and monthly publications, as well as a host of other commercial print products.
Roger Pitt, the company's CEO, explains the key to its success: Progression is naturally perpetual. You can't stand still for a second, especially in this industry. You need to continuously evaluate what your customers want and how you can address that across the entire business otherwise you will get left behind.
It was this approach to business that saw Headley Brothers become one of the first UK printing companies to offer sheetfed, web and digital printing services under the one roof in 2004. Digital printing was a vital step, providing the company with the capability to address the latest market trends for shorter runs, print on demand and variable data printing.
For us, being a forward-looking company means continuously reviewing and advancing our print production processes, continues Pitt. Pre-press has become more important than ever. By 2014, we knew we needed to enhance our capabilities further in that area to drive production efficiencies, optimise our workflow and streamline costs.
Workflow automation was a natural next step for Pitt. He went to market, discussing numerous propositions with leading suppliers, determined to find the right solution and partner to take Headley Brother's pre-press environment to the next level.
This strict criteria led him to Fujifilm and its comprehensive Superia solution, a customisable package of pre-press solutions that includes Fujifilm's XMF Workflow, printing plates and other consumables.
We have enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Fujifilm, and place great trust in their products and people, elaborates Pitt. Fujifilm's Superia package met our exacting demands, addressing our automation needs, increasing our plate imaging capability and helping us make essential water savings. The fact that it could be provided and serviced by one supplier - from plates to platesetters to workflow - was an added bonus.
Headley Brothers replaced two manual CTP devices on its second plate production line with Fujifilm's Screen Ultima 1600 II multi-format VLF thermal platesetter, including a scalable autoloader - a key element in efficient handling of large format plates. We put the platesetters through some stringent tests and were impressed by the stability of the technology, adds Pitt. It also meant we could share the same plate material for our web and sheetfed machines, ensuring cross-line output consistency.
The company also selected the water-saving option for its two existing Fujifilm FLH-Z ZAC' processors, which enabled it to reduce its water usage by 16 litres per plate produced, with projected savings of more than two million litres of water over the next five years. In addition, two XR-1200F developer waste reduction and re-use systems were installed with the processors to further reduce water usage as well as pre-press developer waste.
The investment also involved enhancing the company's existing XMF Workflow production suite. XMF Remote was upgraded to HTML 5, meaning its customers no longer need to rely on Java-based applications to benefit from the online job submission and approval system. The colour management process was also upgraded via an investment in XMF ColorPath, a cloud-based system hosted by Fujifilm that allows calibration, ICC profiling and alignment to ISO 12647 for a wide range of print devices, as well as two Epson Stylus Pro proofers from Fujifilm.
This investment completely automated our front-end systems, which has not only enabled us to be more efficient in our plate-making processes, but across the business as a whole - we're now 30 per cent more efficient, states Pitt.
He concludes: Our focus on saving water demonstrates not only our move towards optimum production and cost-efficiency, but also our tireless commitment to reducing our environmental impact. Our ongoing partnership with Fujifilm ensures we continue to raise the bar and deliver the high quality products and service our customers expect. Fujifilm is not a one night stand' but a long-term relationship where both parties speak the same language and share the same vision for Headley Brothers' future.
Files
Superia_icons_and_plate_02.jpg (1.0 Mbyte)
Most recent headlines
13/03/2025
Every time airborne law enforcement (ALE) teams fly, they expect their equipment to perform. Whether airborne units are conducting support for ground teams, bor...
13/03/2025
Sunday February 9 saw the annual return of the US' biggest television event, the Super Bowl LIX. Jamie McCombs, Fox Sports Audio Consultant / Sr. Audio capt...
13/03/2025
On Sunday March 2, stars across the film industry gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 97th Academy Awards. Production Sound Mixer Paul Sandweis...
13/03/2025
WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications will feature its new StageLink family of smart edge devices, Smart Audio and Mixing Engine (SAME) and Virtual Smart Pan...
13/03/2025
TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring ...
13/03/2025
DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage P...
13/03/2025
FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Lif...
13/03/2025
CTIA, the wireless industry association, has named former FCC Chairman Aji Pai as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1. He replaces Mere...
13/03/2025
he National Association of Broadcasters is urging the FCC to end its investigation of that controversial CBS interview with Kamala Harris stating there is no ...
13/03/2025
MIAMI CBS News & Stations continues to expand its use of augmented and virtual reality technologies with the planned launch of an augmented reality/virtual real...
13/03/2025
Srividhya Srinivasan, co-founder and chief customer success & innovation Officer at Amagi, tells TVBEurope how staying ahead of the latest trends is essential f...
13/03/2025
WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...
13/03/2025
SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...
13/03/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...
13/03/2025
TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
13/03/2025
We asked the questions, analysed the answers and now we're excited to share the results of the fifth edition of the ICG Marketing Survey.
Our 2025 survey p...
13/03/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. - March 13, 2025 Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced a breakthrough in video streaming innovation with the launch of new origin capabilitie...
13/03/2025
Haivision Showcases Mission-Critical Video Solutions at SOF Week 2025
Haivision's video wall systems, ISR technology, and DoDIN APL-certified video distri...
13/03/2025
Company Leads the Way with New Software-Based Production Platform, 12G Switcher,...
13/03/2025
A new Apple Immersive concert experience, Metallica, is coming to Apple Vision Pro this Friday, March 14. Filmed in Mexico City during the sold-out second-year ...
13/03/2025
Here is your host, Patrick Kielty!
Shake your Shamrocks, Patrick Kielty will be...
13/03/2025
This St. Patrick's weekend, RT invites you to celebrate all things Irish, showcasing the very best of Irish sport, entertainment and live coverage from the...
13/03/2025
What's next in AI is at GTC 2025. Not only the technology, but the people and ideas that are pushing AI forward - creating new opportunities, novel solution...
13/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
By combining T-Mobile's robust network, Thal...
13/03/2025
Bundle up - GeForce NOW is bringing a flurry of Blizzard titles to its ever-expanding library.
Prepare to weather epic gameplay in the cloud, tackling the genr...
13/03/2025
AI is leveling up the world's most beloved games, as the latest advancements...
13/03/2025
PC game modding is massive, with over 5 billion mods downloaded annually. Mods p...
12/03/2025
O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...
12/03/2025
Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...
12/03/2025
Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...
12/03/2025
Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...
12/03/2025
More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report
NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...
12/03/2025
GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...
12/03/2025
BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....
12/03/2025
LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...
12/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....
12/03/2025
Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
High-capacity switch enhances existi...
12/03/2025
DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...
12/03/2025
SVT Leverages Ateliere Live to Pioneer 100% Software-Defined Production at Rally...
12/03/2025
Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations A total of $17,000 will be distributed among the Boston-based nonprofits.
By
Madd...
12/03/2025
TVBEuropes Jenny Priestley sits down with new SMPTE president Richard Welsh to discuss his aims for the organisation going forward, its efforts to attract a you...
12/03/2025
The new process has significantly enhanced operational efficiencies, with automation freeing up creators to concentrate on higher value tasks
By Matthew Corrig...
12/03/2025
Jellyfish Pictures, which has offices in London and Sheffield, said it has been battling hard in the face of strong headwinds over the last 12 months
By Jenny ...
12/03/2025
Visit Booth #W2213 to Experience the Latest in AI-Driven Content Discovery and Workflow Automation
Bitcentral, a leader in media workflow solutions, is set to ...
12/03/2025
CHICAGO Jeff Lilly has been named WGN-TV director of technology effective March 17, 2025, according to Ric Harris, WGN-TV vice president and general manager....
12/03/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. A new study from LG Ad Solutions indicates that consumers want more features that would allow them to shop for products on the connected T...
12/03/2025
BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the Video Services Forum (VSF) will once again present...
12/03/2025
PHILADELPHIA Comcast announced that it has upgraded Xfinity Internet speeds for more than 20 million customers for no additional cost....
12/03/2025
Create with Maxon: Cinema 4D Fundamentals Workshop - March 12-14
Brie Clayton March 11, 2025
0 Comments
Makin' Waffles with Elly Wade
During Marc...