Stroma, a long-time member of Océ’s Digital Newspaper Network, is installing one of the printer-maker’s JetStream 1000 inkjet web presses at its West London headquarters in March.

The new press is an upgrade from slower toner-based equipment previously used to produce single-colour editions of the newspapers. It will allow Stroma to move to longer runs of digitally-produced newspapers as well as expand further into book publications.

The JetStream 1000 press prints more than 1000 36-page tabloid newspapers an hour in full colour. Using variable data technology, copies can be personalised down to an ‘audience of one’ without loss of production speed.

Stroma provides digital printing services across London and the surrounding area, and is a pioneer and market leader in digital newspaper production. It prints and distributes international newspaper titles from across the globe to readers in the UK. These also include the ‘New York Times’ and ‘Wall Street Journal’.

Managing director Steve Brown says digital colour is a real expansion opportunity for the newspaper industry. “This is something the publishers have been wanting for a long time,” he says.

He says growth will follow for Strome: “Additional publishers are waiting to start printing their mastheads in London now colour is available.”

About 30 million newspaper copies have been produced globally through the Océ network since it was established in 2001. Introduction of the inkjet presses extends production into higher run lengths and greater productivity, as well as full-colour quality comparable with editions produced on offset presses.

Pictured: Steve Brown with the new press