Shaftesbury-based printer Blackmore, known for its environmentally friendly print credentials, has invested over £1m in a second new eco-friendly and efficient litho print press, the Komori GL540 Advance Press, as well as a new digital Ricoh Pro press. The investment comes after investing over £1.5m last year in the Komori GL540 Hybrid Press with low-energy UV drying. The new presses complement Blackmore’s other services, including a range of cold-set web, digital, folding, binding and die cutting equipment, as well as storage and fulfilment services. The extended range of equipment means that Blackmore can offer additional services and capacity to its customers and suppliers, as well as working with other providers who may not have access to some or all these services.

The combination of the 2 new litho presses provides a range of benefits, including 5 colour print (4 colour plus a corporate colour or opaque white), print up to B1 in size, in-line UV coatings (providing a wide range of decorative finishes, including soft-touch as well as water-repellent, dry-wipe and antibacterial coatings), fast turnaround with instant drying, and PQA camera technology with defect detection and full inline colour control. The print presses promote green printing by reducing consumable and energy usage and lowering the carbon footprint of print. The options of vegetable-based and food-safe inks, together with the ability to print on a wide range of substrates also make these presses ideal for printed packaging. 

The new digital press’ excellent print quality, on-board media library containing automated settings for a variety of branded media types and ability to print on stock from 52gsm to 470gsm make the press very flexible. The equipment’s matt fuser enables printing on uncoated stocks with very little shine, which is a key differentiator versus many other digital printers.

Andrew Robbins, MD at Blackmore said “The last few years have been tough on businesses, including the printing industry. Businesses have had to plough through the effects of the pandemic, deal with rising costs as well as respond to shortages in the labour market. However, we at Blackmore believe that there are always opportunities to be found, even from tough times.”

Andrew went on to say “During the pandemic, we looked for new opportunities by collaborating with other UK printers and suppliers to provide additional print services, mitigating other areas of the business that were temporarily affected by the situation. This worked really well for us and our suppliers, and we are looking to continue and expand on our collaborations. Not only are we looking to work with other suppliers, we are also happy to offer our services to other businesses, too. With our full complement of equipment, we can offer a wider range of print services than ever, backed up by our eco-credentials.”

Andrew added “We are looking to collaborate with other print providers, whether they are interested in joint ventures, consolidation, looking to sell, change or expand. We would welcome other printers getting in touch with us by giving us a call or sending us a message via our website contact form.”

Formed in 1900, Blackmore has carved out a reputation as one of the UK’s leading green printers, winning several awards (including the Kodak Green Leaf Award) for its environmental credentials and also holds the ISO:14001 environmental certificate. The company is committed to achieving net-zero this decade and is currently finalising plans to install a solar energy system this year, in addition to a recent investment in an efficient compressed air system, supported by Low Carbon Dorset. Blackmore works with a broad range of clients from large corporate companies and world-renowned charitable organisations to local, small-scale businesses. Blackmore is also working with local and national businesses on its new packaging print service.

For more information about Blackmore, please visit https://www.blackmore.co.uk/