Seagull Printing Automates Ink Delivery on New RMGT Press with Sentinel iPro

Commercial printer Seagull Printing has integrated the Sentinel iPro Ink Management System onto its newly acquired RMGT 790 eight-color perfecting press, enabling the Midvale, Utah-based company to run high-speed production with a single operator.

The press upgrade, acquired through Print & Finishing Solutions, is part of a broader modernization effort by Seagull Printing to replace its 20-year-old offset equipment. The new eight-color press features LED UV curing and automatic plate changers, which significantly increase running speeds and cut job changeover times nearly in half.

However, the increased throughput created an operational bottleneck: manual ink fountain management could no longer keep up with the press speed across all eight units without requiring dedicated staffing.

"Without an Ink Sentinel system, you would need one person almost entirely dedicated to keeping the ink fountains full across all eight units, given the press speed and ink consumption," said Ben Richards, Production Manager at Seagull Printing. "Sentinel was a requirement to make this a single-operator press."

The Sentinel iPro system utilizes ultrasonic sensors to continuously monitor ink levels and automatically dispense precise amounts into the fountains. This automation allows press operators to focus on prep work and running jobs rather than manual refilling.

According to Seagull Head Press Operator Joel Glass, the combined automation technologies have reduced make-ready times to between five and ten minutes per job.

In addition to labor efficiency, the system supports consistent color density during production runs by maintaining a steady ink bead. Its air-pressurized plunger cartridges utilize up to 98% of the ink, minimizing waste caused by ink skinning, spoilage, and overfilling.

"Seagull understands that getting the most from a new press involves looking at the entire workflow, not just the press itself," said David Doucette, Director of Sales at Sentinel.

Seagull Printing has served the education, insurance, and healthcare sectors for 50 years.