On Friday 17 July, a new Xerox Iridesse 280 press was installed at our Sevenoaks site, replacing one of our older Xerox 180 machines. It was a busy day — delivery, installation, and the first test runs all happened before the weekend — and we wanted to share what this means for customers who print with us.
Why We Made the Switch
The Xerox 180 served us well, but digital press technology has moved on considerably. The 280 runs at a higher sheet speed, handles a broader range of media weights and substrates, and delivers noticeably tighter colour consistency across longer runs. When you're printing marketing collateral, event programmes, or practice brochures where brand colour accuracy matters, that consistency isn't a nice-to-have — it's the whole point.
We also looked hard at reliability. Press downtime costs everybody time and money. Bringing newer equipment onto the floor is one of the most straightforward ways we can protect turnaround times for customers with tight deadlines.
What the Xerox 280 Does Differently
For those familiar with digital sheet-fed printing, here's a plain summary of what changes in practice:
- Higher output speed — the 280 runs faster than the 180, which helps us manage peak demand without bottlenecks.
- Wider media range — it handles heavier stocks more reliably, useful for anything from thick business cards to heavyweight presentation folders.
- Improved colour engine — better in-line colour profiling means less manual intervention to keep output consistent from the first sheet to the last.
- Enhanced finishing compatibility — smoother integration with our downstream finishing kit, reducing handling time between press and bindery.
What It Means for Your Print Jobs
In practical terms, most customers won't notice anything different — and that's the idea. Your jobs will come back looking exactly as they should, on time, with the colour holding steady throughout. Where you may notice an improvement is on jobs that previously pushed the limits of the older press: heavier stocks, tighter colour matching, or runs where consistency from copy to copy really matters.
For marketing managers producing campaign materials across multiple formats, the tighter colour control is particularly useful — keeping brand colours accurate whether you're printing a DL leaflet or an A2 poster. For hospitality operators producing menus or event materials, the broader media handling opens up more stock options without sacrificing quality or speed.
Part of a Longer Commitment
Ratcliff & Roper has been printing since 1946. Eighty years in, the business looks very different from those early days, but the basic obligation to customers hasn't changed: produce good work, on time, without fuss. Investing in newer equipment is part of honouring that — not for its own sake, but because the right press makes a real difference to the quality and reliability of what lands on your desk.
The 280 is now running production at Sevenoaks. Our Barnsley site continues to operate as normal, and both sites remain available to handle your requirements.
Get in Touch
If you'd like to discuss an upcoming print project — whether you're a regular customer or new to Ratcliff & Roper — you're welcome to visit www.ratcliffandroperprinters.com to find out more about what we print and how to send us a brief.