Vivid, exhibiting at the inaugural Coventry-based show, brought a number of its newly launched Matrix laminators to the event, and sold five, all to digital printers. Two of the printers that purchased machines walked in “straight off the street”, according to Vivid marketing communications manager David Smith.

The Coalville, Leicestershire-based outfit sold three Matrix MX 370 machines and two Matrix MX 530s, all of slightly different specifications. The five purchasers came from a variety of UK regions, including two from Manchester and one from London.

Smith said: “I think it’s people seeing what you can do with the systems, not actually looking at them but seeing how they work and seeing the end-product, and that was a big change, from what we employed at Drupa, that we found to be really successful. We weren’t just foiling and laminating sheets but we were creating bespoke packaging boxes and foiled products.”

The Matrix’s are multifunctional laminators that can create foiling and spot UV effects. Two years ago, Vivid introduced pneumatic rollers to them, allowing users to vary the pressure applied for different applications.

On show at PrintWeekLive!, Vivid was showing its newest machine, the MX 370 DP duplex system with Auto-Feeder, its MX 530 pneumatic version, its MX 370 pneumatic version with white foil and an MD 460, loaded with glitter laminate. It also demonstrated its Easycoat Gluing System, an SRA1 solution that adds a film of adhesive to substrates.

“The Matrix has always been popular as a laminating system but it’s that added value that printers can now do,” added Smith.

“We had people coming up to shows and seeing the foiling and saying ‘Where’s the foil block, where’s the dye?’ and we’d say that there isn’t one, we’re using a digital printer, a Matrix system, the roll of foil and that’s it.”

Vivid has already signed up for next year’s PrintWeekLive!, which will take place on 7 to 8 March 2018 at the Wasps Arena, Coventry.

“I think everyone was understandably apprehensive because it’s the first show but it’s certainly been a success, the kit the guys have sold has been good and there have been a lot of leads to follow up on,” finished Smith.