At Cepac we're incredibly proud of our people. This is one in a series of staff focus articles where we shine a light on the many faces who make up our team.

Dean, a Print Support Technician at our Darlington site, has a wealth of experience to share but is most excited for the future.

Can you describe your role within Cepac

My job covers our three print processes of flexo, litho and digital and is wide ranging. It involves being on hand to respond with technical solutions and to customer queries as well as the day-to-day management from ink to print. This includes everything from ink stocks to colour standards and swatches.

What is your typical day?

My typical day involves a lot of planning and preparation and usually starts with a review of our forward loads as I aim to get at least 24 hours ahead.

My expertise includes mixing inks for Flexo printing which I love doing more than anything else. I find colour theory particularly interesting because it is an area where you never stop learning. We use an increasingly wide variety of substrates in Darlington, coated and uncoated and from white to brown.

I am on hand whenever we have a customer in attendance for print approval. We must often counteract the presence of colour coming through from the substrate and it never fails to amaze me that quite subtle changes can have a big effect.

What changes have you encountered at Cepac?

Since joining Cepac at the age of 18 I have held a variety of jobs, now with 23 years of experience. I started work in Conversion where I operated a machine before moving to the Print department which has become my natural home.

The learning curve has been like nothing that I have seen before although it has proved to be an enjoyable experience. The changes in Darlington have included the development of high-definition print, and more recently digital. There has been a reduction in hand work in favour of increasing automation. We are unique in the UK with our ‘one stop shop’ with flexo, litho and digital print under one roof.

What have been the standout events?

The development of digital printing is transforming print with the ability to make changes on the fly without any requirement for pre-press, such as ink formulation and origination. This guarantees short run and customisable print with consistent quality.

One job was transferred from nine colour litho to digital. Digital ensures a perfect ink laydown which looks just fantastic on brown substrates. We worked hard at perfecting the colours and it just became better and better. In the end we were all over the moon with the result.

Our reputation has grown in specialty sectors such as pet food, beers, wines and spirits and digital print combines a wide colour gamut with tremendous flexibility. We take pride in our fast customer response where I provide specialist assistance and support.

What does Cepac do particularly well?

Service and quality really set Cepac apart with great speed from digital printing. Now we just mock up a stunning print in front of our customers.

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Hear more from our people, check out our staff focus roundup here.

Learn more about the benefits of digital print here.