The Taunton-based business produces all the graphics for Debenhams’ 168 stores, and also prints for a number of major brand owners.
Director of print operations Chris Tester confirmed the order for a Durst Rho P10 320R and a high-speed Rho 320 HS at Fespa on Wednesday (26 June).
Debenhams is spending £26m remodelling its flagship Oxford Street store and high-quality graphics will be a fundamental part of the new look. "We know they’re going to require fabulous graphics and we expect that to roll out across the business," he said.
He praised the "superb" quality of the P10 and the speed of the HS model, along with the ability to print fabrics. "The volume work will still be paper, but we expect to produce more and more stretch graphic frames," Tester added. "We can even step up A5s on the Durst and we know they will be good enough."
The £13m turnover operation employs 90 staff at its 5,600sqm facility, and runs 24/5. It operates a range of digital and offset kit including B2 and B1 Heidelberg presses, an Inca Onset S20 and small format Xerox and Konica Minolta digital kit.
The new Durst devices will replace an old Nur roll-fed printer.
The investment will result in a three-fold increase in UV wide-format capacity and also includes a second Fotoba slitter, Seal laminator and Esko Automation Engine workflow.
Magenta uses its own print-on-demand system developed in-house and is able to get promotions in-store within 48 hours.
The new kit will be installed in just over a fortnight and is set to be up and running by the end of July.
Durst sales manager Matt Ashman said: "We’re very proud, this is the first investment Debenhams have made with Durst."
Debenhams is expanding its retail footprint and plans to increase its store count in the UK and Ireland to 220.
Tester added: "We have a very, very close relationship with the marketing team, and by being more integrated we can react swiftly to trading conditions. Having printing facilities in-house means we are masters of our own destiny."
Tester was at Fespa with Magenta Print & Display production manager Lee Hutchinson,
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