Roto France Impression

Roto France Impression specializes in high-quality saddle-stitched and perfect-bound magazines and catalogs. “As a leading magazine printer, we are strategically positioned near major publishers and distribution centers. We provide our customers with an integrated service that encompasses everything from file reception to the shipping of the finished printed products,” explained Sylvain Roux, Production Manager.

Having a strong tradition in web offset production, the renowned printing company operates three heatset web offset presses capable of printing up to 80 pages per cylinder revolution. Since 2020, the printer’s capabilities have been enhanced with a convertible 9-color sheetfed press in B1 format. This impressive printing capacity runs across multiple shifts daily, processing approximately 32,000 metric tons of paper every year.

To ensure reliable performance of the various presses and minimize costly downtimes, the prepress department has to work efficiently to provide a consistent supply of high-quality printing plates to the pressrooms. That's why Roto France needs powerful, technologically advanced CTP technology that offers streamlined operation, automation, and high productivity.

As a responsible printer committed to protecting nature and the environment, Roto France has consistently aimed to lead in the adoption of sustainable, resource-efficient technologies while minimizing its environmental impact. Consequently, the company sought to make its platemaking more efficient and sustainable.

Today, Roto France has three large-format KODAK MAGNUS VLF Platesetters. Each of these CTPs is automatically supplied with plates by a Multi Cassette Unit (MCU) that can hold up to 300 plates in four cassettes. The platemaking department produces around 1,000 plates every week in sizes between 8-up and 40-up. “Imaging accuracy is critical for consistent, repeatable high print quality and a wide color gamut, and that’s exactly what SQUARESPOT Technology offers us,” emphasized Sylvain Roux.

In 2022, after a test and validation phase on the sheetfed press and a 16-page web offset press, the larger-format web presses were also converted to SONORA Process Free Plates. The average run length on these presses is 450,000 impressions, each of which is handled with one SONORA Plates set.

The benefits of transitioning to SONORA Process Free Plates were immediately apparent as Roto France shut down the plate processors. “We experienced direct savings on water and electricity. We eliminated processing chemicals and maintenance and cleaning of the plate processors, which previously took up to half a day per week per machine. We also no longer needed the Quick Bake, freeing up space around the CTPs. Our platemaking process was significantly streamlined, and our prepress staff enjoyed a more comfortable working environment,” commented Sylvain Roux.

The fact that Kodak manufactures SONORA Plates in Europe and delivers them over relatively short distances is crucial for Roto France, ensuring availability, reliability of supply, and sustainability. “We thank Kodak for their support over the past five years in our ambitious and high-quality transition to 100% SONORA Plates. This commitment helps us minimize our environmental impact, which is very important to our discerning customers,” concluded Sylvain Roux.