Iloilo printer installs WV’s first 5-color press
Makinaugalingon Printer and Bookbinder, the leading and the most technically-advanced printing press in Iloilo, has recently acquired a five-color printing press – the first in Western Visayas.
Owner and General Manager Rosendo Mejica II purchased the state-of-the-art Heidelberg MOFP five-color printing press from the United States.
It is capable of printing full-color in a single pass to create colored documents such as magazines, yearbooks and other printed products. One advantage of a five-color machine is that it gives the ability to add a metallic, spot color or varnish in a single pass. Other local printers do not even have the capability to produce full color at one pass which increases both the turnaround time to produce these products and the possibility of poor quality.
Makinaugalingon is also starting to implement ISO printing standards as used in the US and many other countries worldwide. The International Standards Organization is the Printing Industry’s primary standard to ensure production of quality printed products worldwide. By utilizing these new state-of-the-art equipment, technology and procedures, it now gives them the capability to compete in the national market.
Mejica said, “We are only one step away from Hi-Fidelity (6-color process) printing and it is in our future.”
Mejica, also the owner of Sendos Express Cargo Forwarder, said this other company provides the logistics to Makinaugalingon by utilizing a well-maintained fleet of trucks that allows them to reach many cities, including Manila, the gateway to the international market.
Makinaugalingon employs a workforce of over 200 personnel spread in five branches across the region. They are a major contributor to the local economy and to the advancement of the local printing industry and they provide technical training for many personnel.
Centraphil Recycler, another company owned by Mejica, is one that reflects his social responsibility to the environment by recycling tons of waste products that would regularly be discarded.
Makinaugalingon’s Quality Control Manager, Michael Gravatt, an American and a graduate of one of the most prestigious graphic arts colleges in the United States, said: “It’s an amazing company, their standards are as high as any. They are self-reliant as no other I have seen. They possess their own team of press mechanics, truck mechanics, electricians, computer ITs, machinists and so much more. I am very proud to be a part of this company and able to contribute to such an amazing operation.”
Staying true to their motto, “Steps ahead of the competition,” they truly reflect this by the recent advancements made by their management team going the extra step to gain an international standard level of performance. This new machine is only part of the new equipment, software and technology that they have adopted and plan to adopt in the future.
They have created a quality control team that today uses an ISO compliant proofing station, computer to plate technology, densitometers, spectrophotometers, and other new equipment and procedures to evaluate and ensure the quality of their final product.
When asked their advantages over the competition, Gravatt replied, “With this new equipment and technology, we have more consistency and control over our final product. This ensures the quality of our products and provides faster service to our clients. It also enables us to compete in a much broader marketplace.”
“It is not only being able to produce full color printing but also to deliver superior quality color and at faster turnaround time thus, we are able to serve our clients better than our competitors,” he added.
Makinaugalingon’s new pursuits further entrench them as one of the technological leaders in the West Visayas Region and truly the region’s leader in the printing industry.*
