The Colourhouse

It’s not normal, is it?

Pre-press, printing, finishing and mailing all under one roof, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All kinds of print work delivered to all kinds
of deadlines. Not normal at all.

The print room isn’t normal, either. It feels like a Formula One workshop. The latest, most advanced technology. Every tool, every machine, every pallet of paper exactly where you would want it to be. Not a scrap of waste paper in sight. Even the ink area is spotless.

Then there’s the monthly brainstorming meetings, the ideas boards and the commitment to kaizen, the Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement.
Not normal.

The investment in people, environmental policies, never-say-no service and 70-plus industry awards for quality aren’t exactly run-of-the-mill, either.

Which all explains the not-very-normal client list, with some of the biggest names in banking, retailing, publishing, culture, design and government.

Welcome to The Colourhouse.

Information Managed by
The Colourhouse

The Colourhouse use the technology of Tharstern Primo V5 to manage all information within the company, along with Tharstern’s fully integrated scheduling function.

Our Pre-press department also use Heidelberg’s Prinect System allowing us to manage the workflow through each department efficiently.

Originated by
The Colourhouse

Pre-press is both PC & Mac enabled allowing us to receive any file format and accurately edit any alterations that may occur with customer supplied artwork.

All hi-resolution proofs are prepared with our Epson 9900 proofing machines, along with all low-resolution proofs which are prepared through our 9800 proofing machines. Working with Fogra 39 standards, calibrating when out of tolerance immediately.

Ensuring we manage all sensitive data efficiently, we utilise our own bespoke FTP system; Remote Access with SSL Certification. As well as Remote Access, The Colourhouse also use WeTransfer allowing files to be transferred between us and the client quickly and efficiently.

Printed by
The Colourhouse

We have five presses available for all uses at The Colourhouse, all of which are linked to Heidelberg Image Control:
1 x 12 Colour Heidelberg Speedmaster 102 Perfector with CutStar
2 x 10 Colour Heidelberg Speedmaster 102 Perfectors with Online Ink Pumping & Image Control
1 x 5 Colour Heidelberg XL 106 with Inpress technology & Coating Unit
1 x 4 Colour Heidelberg Speedmaster SM52 with Anicolor Inking Technology
& Coating Unit

Including the above The Colourhouse is capable of all forms of large format printing with a quick turnaround, printing and finishing on 2 HP Designjet Z6100’s, 1 HP Designjet L25500, an image 62 seal laminator and Summa Cutter D160.

Finished by
The Colourhouse

At The Colourhouse we are capable of all forms of finishing, including cardboard engineering, allowing us to create prototype models within short notice.

Our in-house capabilities consist of:
2 x Polar Guillotines
2 x Wohlenberg Guillotines
1 x Heidelberg Cylinder – Die Cut & Creasing
2 x Knife Units – Endorse Folding
4 x MBO-B30 Combination Folding Machines
2 x MBO-T800 Combination Folding Machines
1 x Heidelberg Stahlfolder Folding Machine
1 x Moll Unit – Box & Folder Make-up
1 x Hunkeler – Inline Hot-melt / Permanent / Re-moist Glue Heads with Inline Perfing, Creasing & Horseshoe Gumming
1 x Muller Martini Trend Book Binding, 21 Station Gather Unit with PUR & Hot-melt Applications
1 x Muller Martini Ventura Thread Sewing Machine Model 3215
2 x Muller Martini 321 Stitching Lines
1 x Prima plus High Speed Stitching Line
1 x GBC Genesis 8300 Laminator
1 x Zünd CAD Cutting Machine
Full design & prototype facilities
Extensive automated & hand make-up operations

Mailed by
The Colourhouse

Our mailing department enables us to satisfy all needs of our customers, ranging from shrink-wrapping & poly-wrapping to ink-jetting and overnight mailing.

Our mailing equipment includes:
2 x OCE Varioprint 6140 Gemini Duplex High Volume Printers
2 x Rena Inkjetters
1 x Scitex B1 Inkjetter
2 x DL – C5 Inserters
1 x Jumbo C4 Inserter
2 x Manual Shrink Wrapping Machines
1 x Semi-Automatic Shrink Wrapping Machine
1 x Automatic Shrink Wrapping Machine
1 x LARA Polywrapping Machine
Wirobinding Facilities
Complete data processing & manipulation capability including PAFF, GAS & MORTASCREEN
Extensive hand finishing & fulfilment

This is the cleanest, leanest and greenest printing machine you are ever likely to find.

The Colourhouse has been approved under all of the standards you’d expect of a leading printer. This includes ISO 14001 for the quality of its environmental management systems, with FSC® and PEFC certification which attest to the good stewardship and sustainability of its paper sources.

Certificates are just the beginning, though. The company’s lean manufacturing philosophy (known internally as ‘Perfection Through Improvement’) reduces its environmental impact still further.

At repro stage, going direct to plate skips the film process and saves on chemicals.

In the machine room, only vegetable-based inks are used and all chemical usage is kept to a minimum, with recycling and disposal of hazardous waste carried out by registered waste management companies.

A bespoke air-flow extraction system removes off-cuts from all of the finishing machines direct to a pair of paper compactors, ready for collection. All polythene, shrink-wrap, pallet-wrap, CD covers, bottles and other waste plastics are also compacted.

Waste collections are now fortnightly, thanks to the compaction process, instead of thrice-weekly. And that means a smaller carbon footprint.

In fact, in 2007, The Colourhouse achieved carbon-neutral status by offsetting its remaining footprint with a tree-planting initiative in Kent (managed by The Carbon Footprint Ltd).

Clean, lean and very green.