Having first invested in a Duplo DC-618 in 2022, The Printstore has now installed a second DC-618 multi-finisher to meet growing demand, and staying agile in an evolving marketplace. The Kingston-based company, celebrating over 30 years in print has always prioritised innovation and flexibility. Their latest investment further strengthens a close partnership with Duplo that has spanned nearly a decade.
“We’ve been trading since 1988, and we’ve seen huge changes in how customers buy print,” said Ben Pickard, General Manager at The Printstore. “Post-Covid, the market shifted drastically. Our litho presses went from running flat-out to just a couple of days a week. Customers were moving towards more thoughtful, visually impactful pieces—and much shorter runs.”
To adapt, The Printstore transitioned into digital production with two Xerox presses, opening the door to a wider range of smaller, more intricate jobs. But with that came new bottlenecks in finishing.
“A lot of the jobs were small but tricky,” explained Martin Cook, Operations Manager. “I was piling work onto our guillotine operator, and we knew we had to find a better way. That’s when I spoke to Adam at Duplo about the DC-618. The original DC-618 proved a game-changer, so much so that when demand grew, the decision to bring in a second unit was an easy one.”
“The DC-618 filled a really important gap for us,” said Ben. “We’d lost a guillotine operator and instead of rehiring, we invested in the first DC-618. It’s fully automated, the interface is simple, and best of all, it doesn’t need a skilled operator. That kind of technology is essential now as the skilled labour just isn’t out there anymore.”
Martin added, “I had ten minutes’ training on the DC-618 and that was it and I was away. That’s the beauty of it. It’s touchscreen/PC Driven and template-based, so anyone tech-savvy can run it. In fact, we’ve now got two or three machines running at once, booklet maker, slitter/creaser, and PFi B2 blade cutting table, and I can keep them all going on my own.”
For The Printstore, the impact on productivity has been dramatic. “I’ve had clients call at 1pm and collect 2,000 finished cards by 5pm the same day,” said Martin. “The DC-618 lets us handle that. We’re faster than Amazon—seriously! We can turn jobs around same-day, even next-day, with no compromise on quality.”
Ben also praised the modular nature of the DC-618: “The ability to add a folder, auto-feeder or other modules down the line means we’re never boxed in. It grows with us, and that’s important when work volumes can change overnight.”
The second DC-618 fits neatly into their evolving setup compact, cost-effective, and ready to take on the pressure of fast-turnaround, short-run digital work. “The return on investment has been brilliant,” said Ben. “For the price and footprint, nothing else compares. These machines have helped us diversify, stay responsive, and continue growing, without needing to scale up our headcount.”
“The Printstore is one of those rare businesses that truly embraces change.” Says Adam Drummond, Regional Sales Manager for Duplo. “Ben, Martin and the whole team are always looking for ways to be more agile, more efficient, and more responsive to their customers. It’s been a pleasure working with them over the years – they’re forward-thinking, quick to spot opportunities, and they get the most out of every piece of kit they invest in. You can watch the team on the factory floor, everyone has their tasks to get the orders out the door, and in the foreground you have both the Duplo multi-finishers, just churning away on their own hungry for the next job.”
The story of The Printstore is one of adaptability. From large-run litho menus for restaurants to short-run, digitally finished promotional and packaging work, the business has consistently evolved to match demand. And Duplo has been a partner at every step.
“We’ve tried recruitment rounds to fill skilled finishing roles, but it’s tough,” said Ben. “What Duplo gives us are machines that anyone can use, that run reliably, and that let us focus on output, not set-up.”
As The Printstore expands its packaging offer and ventures into new markets through its sister companies, their second DC-618 ensures they’re ready for whatever comes next.
“It’s been nearly ten years with Duplo now,” Ben added. “Every time Adam walks through the door, we know he’s bringing something worth looking at. We don’t always buy straight away—but when the time’s right, we do. And it always makes a difference.”
