PERFORMA

The KUFR Publishing House was founded in 1994 in Prague. It started in a “garage” print shop with an old Romayor. “We had to fix the machine ourselves, first,” remembers the company's founder, Mr. František Kurzweil. All the multi-colour machines the company purchased since then came from Dobruška. In May this year, KUFR purchased a KBA Performa 66-4 printing machine.

For the first two years after its establishment, the company operated in Praha-Modřany. In 1996, the print shop found shelter in the “National House” in Smíchov and to complement the Romayor, it purchased a Dominant 516. When the company was moving to Košíře in 1998, it was also looking around for new technical equipment. “Even then, Grafitec was already producing good-quality machines,” says František Kurzweil. The first printing machine from Dobruška was a Polly 266 which was later joined by an identical two-colour machine. The KUFR print shop now operates on the premises of TTC TELLUS Holding in Praha-Košíře, where the ZPA company worked many years ago. KUFR is a family company – besides Mr. František Kurzweil, his son Jiří Kurzweil works there.

Father František and son Jiří Kurzweil at the KBA Performa 66-4 printing machine

Alcohol-free Performa 66-4

KUFR started considering the purchase of a new four-colour machine last year. The print shop chose the four-colour KBA Performa 66-4 printing machine for the SRA2 format with standard equipment. Father and son Kurzweils were convinced in their leaning towards KBA-Grafitec by the level of customer service and the new production technologies used at the production plant in Dobruška. A decisive factor for the investment was alcohol-free printing, as there are strict ecological limits for the print shop’s location. KBA-Grafitec therefore delivered a new Performa 66-4 printing machine with Prisco alcohol-free dampening. It is a known fact that printing without IPA depends on other circumstances, such as the characteristics of the water used, working environment in the print shop and the qualification of the operators. At the KUFR printing house, exceptional attention is given to all these parameters of the printing process.

The KUFR print shop is located in the premises of TTC TELLUS Holding in Praha-Košíře, Naskové St. 3

KBA-Grafitec installed the machine at the end of May 2006. “In June we received quite a number of orders, so we loaded the new four-colour machine as well as both Polly 266 machines,“ says Jiří Kurzweil. According to the user, the process of the machine's installation and its commissioning into routine operation was “completely problem-free”. The company was able to start using the new printing machine on the fourth day after its delivery at the print shop. Depending on the number of orders, the machine is now used in one to three shifts.

KUFR's founder, Mr. František Kurzweil, at the KBA Performa 66-4 printing machine

Mr. František Kurzweil has long years of experience cooperating with various supplier companies. “Whenever you call Grafitec, they either advise you over the telephone or come over very soon. Small problems can also be solved from a distance,” says the print shop's founder.  KUFR also requires the same approach from other suppliers. “If I buy inks from someone, I want them with full service. Besides the machines and equipment, the company also needs a support network it can rely on,” says František Kurzweil.

Wide Range of Products

In pre-press, KUFR Publishing House uses its own DTP studio. The KUFR print shop was one of the first small companies to purchase a CtP HighWater Python. It has been operating the CtP device for SRB2 format since 2002. “Our Python was the third in the Czech Republic,” adds Jiří Kurzweil.  The company stopped using the conventional technology “overnight”.

František and Jiří Kurzweil at the entrance to the KUFR print shop and publishing house

The company has created sufficient capacity in finishing processes. It is equipped with a collapsible Shoei machine. Collating, folding and the production of V1 binding is done on a Duplo DC 10000 line, V2 adhesive binding on a Planax Perfect Binder F II device. As for finishing processes, the print shop also carries out adhesive bonding of duplication papers into pads and individual batches and produces both ring and spiral binding. The print shop is also equipped with a platen machine for die-cutting.  

The print shop's machinery from KBA-Grafitec enables KUFR to fulfil a wide range of printing orders. The KUFR print shop produces leaflets and booklets in many different versions from single-coloured ones to complicated full-colour prints. Among the things they specialise in are conventional instruction manuals and slips from the very smallest to really large editions. The equipment of the print shop and bindery allows KUFR to offer the printing and finishing of brochures, books, price-lists and catalogues of any format and colour scheme and with various types of binding. The company's product portfolio includes also business cards and stationery in a wide range of colours and papers. One speciality in the production profile are free-cut paper stickers with the perforation or cutting out of various shapes and formats from a sheet. The print shop performs surface finishing with matte or gloss varnishing and lamination. KUFR also offers blank forms for various types of companies printed on duplication paper with the option of numbering, perforation and padding. An interesting product in the company's offer structure are limited editions of boxes. Most of KUFR's customers are from Prague.

KUFR also prints on two Polly 266 machines

With the new KBA Performa 66-4, KUFR wants to address new customers and offer them high-quality printing products.  The four-colour machine for the SRA2 format doubles the current production capacity of the print shop, enables it to print on a higher quality level and creates conditions for the further development of business activities.