Print Week - 27th April 2001

By Jeremy Allen

Blackpool-based Grasmere Press is implementing an 18-month in-house training scheme for its pre-press department as it changes from computer-to-film to computer-to-plate.

It is phasing in the Agfa Galileo thermal CTP system it bought last month for £300,000. The company's existing Strobbe imagesetter will run alongside it for the next 12 months.

The first two employees are being trained, with a view to them being "fully competent in CTP" by the end of August.

The remaining six prepress staff will then be trained one by one.

"It's a major transition," said Grasmere managing director Nick Holt. "We want increase turnover in areas of new equipment without affecting the turnover needed to operate the business.

"During the training everybody will cover for everybody else," he added.

Grasmere offers direct mail, long-run pre-print, variable data products and finishing

The company was traditionally a business forms printer, and though this currently represents 25% of its business, Holt predicted this would reduce to nothing in five years.

"We will accelerate the decline of business forms by expanding other areas, such as our variable data products." he said.

The company has also installed an Omegher web finishing machine, worth £220,000, for labels and cards.

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