Webprint’s silver for ‘bionic edition’

Webprint and The Dublin Gazette are delighted to have won a silver award in the innovation and print technology of the year category at the Print Awards for Dublin Gazette’s ‘bionic edition’ published in September last year for World Literacy Day. The concept was in collaboration with Richie Martin and The Public House.

One in six Irish adults is below level one on a five-level literacy scale. On World Literacy Day, the Dublin Gazette decided to make its free-to-read newspaper more accessible to this audience. It printed an entire edition in Bionic Reading-enabled text, a new digital tool that creates artificial fixation points in words, allowing them to be more easily and quickly understood.

When Dublin Gazette and Bionic Reading came together to create the bionic edition on World Literacy Day, publishing every word of the traditional print medium using this new digital text, it became the first newspaper to do so. The paper also became - if for that day only - the most legible newspaper in the world.

Webprint also won a bronze award in the newspaper and free sheet printer of the year for The Connacht Tribune. Webprint has been printing the Connacht Tribune at its Cork Plant for over 15 years. “The Connacht Tribune is a newspaper that is constantly striving to improve its quality. We work closely with the Connacht Tribune to maintain the high standard of print they expect every week,” said Tony Butler, production manager, Webprint Cork.

Webprint (Adenium Limited) is a privately owned and operated printing company in production at Mahon, Cork, since 2006 and Citywest, Dublin, since 2021. It is the largest independent cold-set web offset printer on the island of Ireland.

While originally founded as a contract national and regional newspaper printer, it now also offers print management and distribution for a wide range of commercial and newspaper clients. Since 2009, it has built up an extensive portfolio of commercial products and clients. It provides compelling solutions for customers looking for print runs from 1,000 to 1.5 million copies.

Webprint currently employs nearly 70 staff at its Cork and Dublin printing plants who oversee the printing of over 80 newspapers across Ireland including four daily and four Sunday titles.

Reliability for customers is key. Webprint has the unique advantage in Ireland of having two printing sites which can easily backup each other. As the CTP pre-press is cloud-based, PDF files can easily be transferred between each site at the click of a mouse.

“In order to survive and thrive in this challenging and uncertain economic climate it is important to take steps to reduce business costs where it is possible to do so without compromising the quality of the product we are producing,” said Laura Harte, sales and marketing executive.

QIPC

Webprint is the first in Ireland to install Q.I. Press Controls (QIPC) closed loop control. At its Dublin location, QIPC will equip its manroland GEOMAN newspaper press with a full automation package. The investment was made from both a cost and quality perspective.

In order to expand business as intended, the printing presses in Citywest needed to be upgraded. “Investing in press automation is mainly driven by costs, but quality is also a big factor,” said Donagh O'Doherty, managing director of Webprint. “Given the significant rise in newsprint prices, the saving on start-up waste is more important than ever. In addition, there should be more time for printers to maintain the press with this automation in place,” O’Doherty said.

“Supported by QIPC’s full automation package, Webprint is able to reduce waste to a minimum, and see a reduction in ink usage. On the other hand, the quality will become more consistent, which will increase customer confidence and satisfaction and generate more revenue,” he said.

Solar panels

It is becoming more and more important to future proof your business and secure energy independence. Webprint has recently installed solar panels at its Citywest plant.

The decision to install solar panels was based on a number of key benefits: to save money on energy costs; to reduce environmental footprint; to show commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly endeavours and to provide a backup power source in case of emergency.

The 270kWP rooftop solar PV system will generate approximately 243,000kWh of electricity per annum. This will contribute towards the building's daytime electricity needs. The CO2 offset per annum is 95,294 tonnes.