A-Plus Printing & Graphics Streamlines Production with Perfecting Speedmaster XL 106 from HEIDELBERG
Left to right: Manny, Lead Pressman; Enedy, Vice President and Managing Partner; Bob, Shipping and Warehouse Manager; Luis, Press Helper; Donna, Pre-production and Prepress Manager; Richard, Digital and Wide Format Manager; Louis, Customer Service Lead Manager with A-Plus Printing's Speedmaster XL 106
Kennesaw, Ga. – Known for its exceptional speed and reliability, A-Plus Printing & Graphics fulfills 95% of its orders within just 24 hours, earning a reputation as one of the fastest trade printers in the country. To further enhance its industry-leading turnaround times – specifically for book production – the Plantation, FL-based company recently installed a Speedmaster XL 106-8P+L from HEIDELBERG. Its new press reflects A-Plus Printing's commitment to evolving with customer demand while continuing to deliver fast, high-quality results.
“The Perfect Beast”
A family-owned business, A-Plus Printing has transformed from a gang-run trade printer into a full-service, automated web-to-print operation – offering digital, wide-format, mailing, full bindery, and large-scale offset printing. Over its 34-year history, the company has made significant investments in automation and user-friendly systems to streamline both customer experience and internal workflows. These investments, combined with an expanded range of products, have fueled rapid growth outside of its traditional Florida customer base into markets across the Southeast.
"Every expansion and investment we've made has been driven by one goal – giving our customers a true one-stop shop for all their printing needs. We're focused on making it as easy as possible for them to place orders and keep their business moving," said Enedy Brache, President of A-Plus Printing.
As A-Plus Printing began to shift much of its gang-run work to its digital presses, demand for long-run projects – especially books – began to grow. To address this need, the company recently installed its first perfecting press, a Speedmaster XL 106-8P+L from HEIDELBERG. Brache said the press's advanced automation and quick makereadies make it the "perfect beast" for quickly turning around long-run books while maintaining the flexibility to handle short runs efficiently.
Quick makereadies on the new press are made possible by Prinect Inpress Control, HEIDELBERG's industry-leading inline spectrophotometer, which measures and adjusts color and register on the fly at any speed. Previously equipped with a four-color Speedmaster XL 106, A-Plus Printing, a G7-certified company known for consistent color matching across offset, digital, and wide-format platforms, was already familiar with the benefits of this advanced color control technology – considering it an essential feature on any new press installation.
According to Brache, "The technology is far superior and more precise than anything else on the market. We are consistently printing within a Delta E of two on the XL 106. It is quite an achievement."
A-Plus Printing's new press is also equipped with UV curing to support its daily volume of 30,000–40,000 double-sided coated cover sheets. This technology enables immediate drying, eliminating issues like set-off and marking and helps the company maintain its remarkable turnaround times – shipping most orders placed before 10:00 PM by 5:00 PM the next day. The increased efficiency gained from printing both sides of the sheet in one pass together with UV curing has boosted the company's competitiveness in its ability to cost-effectively produce a wider range of jobs. "The speed, consistency, and quality this press delivers has truly been a game changer for us," said Brache. "It's allowed us to turn jobs around even faster than before."
A key element that enabled a quick and successful start-up of A-Plus's new XL 106 was a "seamless" installation performed by the HEIDELBERG service team. Having experienced over thirty equipment installations – including fifteen presses – during his career, Brache remarked that the installation of the XL 106 was "by far the best", praising the HEIDELBERG team for its well-coordinated and communicative approach.
He added, "HEIDELBERG is the gold standard in printing. If you want consistency, reliability, and sustainability in your print operations, HEIDELBERG is the partner to get you there."
About A-Plus Printing and Graphics
A-Plus Printing and Graphics is a leading Trade Printer Only specializing in both online and traditional offset printing services. The company delivers exceptional printing solutions, comprehensive finishing, reliable workflows, and tailored applications to meet the needs of the trade community. A-Plus Printing prides itself on offering superior quality, competitive pricing, and the fastest turnaround times in the industry—standards that set it apart from the competition.