Print-Leeds invests in Screen’s Truepress SAI S

Print-Leeds is one of the largest printers of wet-glue labels in the UK, producing more than 200 million per year. However, the company has been approached by its client asking to also print self-adhesive labels digitally for shorter run productions. 

After a study round of several months, the company chose the SAI technology, which Screen introduced in 2020. The Japanese word ‘SAI’ stands for colorful, referring to the SAI's consistent colors during and between different print runs. The SAI builds on the technology of Screen’s Truepress Jet L350UV and L350UV+ digital label printer series.

The SAI S 7-colour is Print-Leeds’ third Screen Truepress, besides the Jet W3200UV HS, it bought in 2015 and 2010. 

‘We have a long-standing relationship with Screen. We trust the staff we deal with, and that’s worth a lot. The SAI S 7-colour has delivered with the same top-quality service we expected,’ commented Rod Fisher, owner and managing director of Print-Leeds. ‘Since it was installed just before Christmas, we’ve done numerous quality trials for different customers. Everybody is happy with the vibrancy of the colors. On top of that, the SAI S 7-colour is capable of achieving a much wider range of Pantone colors thanks to its very wide color gamut. Many beer labels have special colors, so we will be able to meet the growing demand of craft brewers and big brewers alike.’

‘The set-up times are so much quicker. When we print wet-glue labels, we have 500 to 1,000 sheets for waste. That makes sense for a long run, but not for the shorter ones. With the SAI S 7-colour, we are looking at a waste of only 15 meters.

‘With the new Screen machine and the three additional salespeople we’ve hired to bring in the work for it, we’ve established the fourth division, alongside our wet-glue labels, UV litho, and digital print. The machine is already opening up new avenues for us, in other sectors next to the beverage and food industries, such as cosmetics and the car industry.’

Rod Fisher established Print-Leeds in 2001. It started in a small factory of only 1,000 sqft and moved three years ago to a 32,000 sqft completely renovated plant. It has invested around GBP 7m in new machinery in the last eight years, with the SAI S 7-colour being the latest addition to its top-tier technology. Recently, the company has also invested in a Digicon Series 3 modular finishing machine from the A B Graphic International (ABG) portfolio.

With 30 employees, Print-Leeds has a turnover of GBP 4m, but Rod Fisher plans to double its size within two years. 

‘We expect the economy to bounce back after the pandemic, and we’ve made all the investments to be ready for it,’ concluded Fisher.