Investing in HP technology to disrupt the wide format print industry

Whilst PressOn cover a wide range of markets and products, the synergies between print process and applications allow the business to employ an efficient arsenal of technology. As technology has evolved, their printing equipment has been streamlined further and the company is now solely powered and supported by HP Latex digital printing technology.

Andy Wilson Is The Owner Of PressOn A Wide Format Printing Company Based In Kent, UK. Entering the print industry some 28 years ago, Andy has been a disruptive force ever since, and has consistently questioned the norm to develop and deliver new products, applications and commercial opportunities -often in challenging times.

Accurately reading the market, its nuances and retail trends whilst exploring new technology and the opportunities enabled is second nature to Andy, who continues to disrupt the industry by offering clients a new vision for printed decoration.

His passion for print industry is renown, and his drive and ambition serve to ensure the company’s ongoing success.

The business supports a wide church, from retail signage, Interiors and events to freight livery and advertising onto luxury brands, their client base is diverse and continues to evolve at pace alongside the markets they serve. Staying close to clients is an important factor in their corporate culture. Helping customers evolve and encouraging them to make the right choices and to adapt their product specifications and their applications is all part of the service at PressOn.

Entering print via the newspaper industry, at the age of just 20yrs, Andy quickly learned the tools of the trade and the importance of good communication skills. In an online world we often don’t invest enough time in the spoken word. Andy learned the importance of client relationships early in his career and to this day prefers a “quick call” to an “email”. Whilst in the News world, the opportunities for reform in the print industry became glaringly apparent and Andy seized the moment – the disruption began.


Knowing nothing about the print process, he had learned how to sell, and took a job in the London at a company using wide format technology – Big Bills LTD. Here he learned about the print process for billboards and the potential that emerging technology now delivered.

That’s A Short History – The Next Chapter Marks The Onset Of Digital Technology And Andy’s Vision Of Its Application For Wide Format.

“Ink jet technology was widely ignored (initially) by the traditional print industry (the old guard) as a fad?” Andy explained. But not by Andy, and its onset marks the beginning of a successful career for Andy Wilson and PressOn.

Print on Demand wasn’t new 20 years ago. Bespoke production was – the availability of short, affordable print runs gave the industry new legs and the impetus to evolve. As a small business, PressOn secured and established its loyal client base by cornering the niche for personalisation, largely ignored by the big print houses, to serve the demand generated by the resurgence of high street retail in the late 90’s.

Over The Years The PressOn Client Base Has Evolved

Specialist areas are a focus, and the business has grown to support a diverse portfolio: Retail, Signage, Events, Construction, Corporate Infrastructure, Fleet Livery, Luxury brands and the Advertising industry across a wide spread of market sectors and products. The business and the team have onboarded a deep knowledge of each of these sectors and the compliance and product specifications required. Whilst constantly keeping an eye on new technologies, materials and their potential applications.

Building Partnerships And Lifelong Relationships With All Stakeholders

PressOn have invested in their client portfolio and the production technology utilised to provide state-of-the-art print. Staying ahead of the field alongside their continued investment in new technology and print process has ensured that their clients remain at the forefront of environmental demands and responsible supply.

Whilst PressOn cover a wide range of markets and products, the synergies between print process and applications allow the business to employ an efficient arsenal of technology. As technology has evolved, their printing equipment has been streamlined further and the company is now solely powered and supported by HP Latex digital printing technology.

With a primary focus on sustainable production process, the HP Latex machinery offers waterless digital printing and a strong environmental architecture for their continued growth. “Consolidating our print machinery and investing with HP has been a successful partnership. PressOn now manufacture using both roll-to-roll Latex and the HP R-Series for flat-bed wide format production” Andy Wilson explained.

                
“All of our products are now manufactured using these machines, a move which has delivered high-quality print, with speed, accuracy and efficient product replication. Colour management is acute and simplified. Operational overheads are further reduced as the machinery here operates with minimal labour – often unattended”.

The HP PrintOS system offers an essential, cloud-based platform for automated production, allowing the PSP to monitor each machine remotely. The depth of vision and data is extensive; operational function, consumables and media, order management and production analytics can be viewed and accessed in minutes using the online app from any location.

Going further, PressOn have been working hard since 2016 to source all of their print materials locally wherever possible. They have invested in and continually source new sustainable materials and seek to share their knowledge and findings to encourage their use by their client base.

        

In Choosing HP As Their Preferred Technology Partner, PressOn Also Benefits From HP’s Award-Winning Environmental Stewardship.

The HP Planet Partners program facilitates the return and convenient recycling of original HP inkjet supplies, any brand of computer hardware and rechargeable batteries. Also ensuring that returned products are recycled properly, in processing them to recover valuable plastics and metals for new products and diverting millions of tons of waste from landfills.

“It’s now generally accepted that sustainability comes with a premium, that said there are many economies and benefits in a circular business model and PressOn take product design, sustainable production and recycling very seriously” commented Andy Wilson, adding “I’m not claiming to have all the answers, every day is a school day, but we are focussed and determined to continue to invest in low environmental impact technology and provide fantastic products that nurture and protect the environment in the years ahead”.

We wish Andy and the team at PressOn every continued success. It was a pleasure to prepare this interview and to learn how their investment in HP technology for wide format production continues to disrupt the marketplace. PressOn are making a positive impact, with each and every printed product, and as we all face up to the challenges of sustainable manufacturing that’s a great achievement, they are leading the field.

Collaborative content published in partnership with Texintel  : https://www.texintel.com/blog/2022/11/17/investing-in-hp-technology-to-disrupt-the-wide-format-print-industry-we-interview-andy-wilson