Þráinn Skarphéðinsson, manager of the printing press, takes Iðunn on a tour of Héraðsprent and talks about the machinery and operations.
It was a busy day at Héraðsprent in Egilsstaðir, with a wide variety of printed materials going through the printing house when Iðan visited this spring.
Héraðsprent in Egilsstaðir was founded in the town in 1972 by the couple Þráinn Skarphéðinsson and Anna Gunnhildur Ingvarsdóttir.
The company has been operating strongly ever since, and it's no coincidence that publishing is thriving in Egilsstaðir, as residents don't have to go far for the service since the printing house is located in the town centre. The printing house prints Austurglugginn and Dagskráin, which are indispensable local media, in addition to numerous other publications and printed items, and it also serves the tourism industry well. Projects have been increasing from all over the country, and Þráinn says he even gets projects from Reykjavík.
And indeed, the printing house is magnificent, with a professional at every task within its walls.
Although Þráinn is now 86 years old, he bustles around the printing house and enjoys it. He says he stays young because his work is his hobby and passion. He has also been a tour guide in East Iceland in recent years and still does so today, though mostly for friends and family.
Þráinn shows us the machinery at Héraðsprent, which serves a variety of projects. The equipment is excellent, and the pride of the printing house are a Heidelberg Suprasetter platesetter and a Heidelberg Speedmaster 73, a four-colour press with a sheet size of 52x72 cm.
The old machines are also charming, and Þráinn cherishes his first printing press and still uses it to this day.