Always be at the forefront of applying new technology to improve competitiveness

Polestar is Europe’s leading independent printing company and is Number 1 in the UK. It continues to be at the forefront of the move towards digital printing within the UK. It has adopted CTP technology so as to provide its brand-leading customers with a competitive edge.

The digital revolution in printing has vastly improved print performance in much the same way that digital imaging (in place of the former analogue technology) provides clearer images on our televisions and better sound on CDs and radios. New technologies have enabled Polestar to radically change the way it gets its information ready for transferring to ‘Ink on Paper’ (i.e. printed copy). The Group operates a series of Digital Hubs, where pages in the form of digital files, (usually PDF) are received electronically from customers. The files are then processed, proofed and quality control checked to ensure they are suitable before producing a printing plate.

Polestar uses Synapse InSiteTM software on a Prinergy system. This system enables Polestar’s customers to:

• submit complete jobs to print over the Internet
• check how the job is progressing
• perform interactive remote proofing and online review of jobs.

The new technology has enhanced the printing process in many technical areas related to quality. It also reduces the time to set up the printing press and paper/ink wastage. The benefits to the customers include:

• This is vital in the fast moving print industry. For example, a newspaper may make a last-minute decision to feature a leading story that has only just broken within its weekend magazine.
• Greater accuracy. All clients will want to see 100accuracy in its catalogues e.g. no misplaced captions or reversed images.
• Shorter lead time with greater flexibility. Producers of magazines that rely on advertising (e.g. Woman’s Own) will want to be able to have their magazines produced quickly and also to show their own clients (e.g. advertisers) what the end product will look like prior to publication. Polestar provides customers with fast, efficient connections to a complete range of Polestar services, via the Internet. Customers can request and receive quotations, orders and other correspondence, as well as being able to track jobs and check proofs online.
• Ability to make last minute changes. Retailers and travel companies, for example, may want to change their prices and some of their offers at the very last minute in response to their competitors marketing initiatives.

There are also benefits to Polestar from CTP. These include being able to:

• focus confidently on customer requirements, because the technology ‘can do’
• respond far more flexibly to customer requirements and keep them informed at all stages
• offer competitive pricing – lower costs are passed on to the customer
• train its employees to become multi-skilled and so offer them job enrichment. Modern printers who are trained to use CTP are far more aware of their role in creating the end product because they can see it taking shape on the screens in front of them.

Digital printing technology has completely changed the quality and production efficiency of Polestar. This not only brings direct economic benefits, but also improves the company’s reputation with customers, while increasing Polestar’s competitiveness in a constantly growing market.

Source: Business Casestudy