The Headcorn, Ashford-based large-format printer took delivery of its new circa-£500,000 investment in July, powered by Agfa’s own Asanti workflow.
It replaces three printers – a 2.6m-wide Mimaki flatbed, a Roland XJ dye sublimator and a Durst Omega flatbed – but is expected to increase the size, speed and quality of output that Printbig is capable of.
“We looked at all the possible machines, the entire market, before coming to the conclusion that this Anapurna was our best option by far,” said sales director Paul Abson. “It can print on rigid and roll media – it gives us great consistency of colour and streamlines production.
“Replacing the three machines was not a problem either – there was nothing wrong with them, but they were much slower by comparison. We will not be laying anyone off as we reduce our machine number either, we will in fact be recruiting because it is generating more finishing jobs for us.
“As a business we have always grown, and this gives us an opportunity to re-task or retrain our staff, while enhancing the quality, durability and speed of our output. We can offer white and full colour jobs up to 3.2m wide, which gives us fantastic versatility.”
Agfa’s Anapurna H3200i LED is a hybrid printer capable of both flatbed and roll-based applications, and can run both rigid and flexible media. It can print at speeds up to 129sqm/hr in quality up to 720x1,400dpi with the support of eight Konica Minolta KM1024i printheads.
With environmental concerns at the top of PrintBig’s list, the Anapurna’s ability to print “twice the width at ten times the speed, using half the electricity” was a key draw.
It represents the £1.1m-turnover firm’s first investment in Agfa equipment, joining a Konica Minolta bizhub, an HP Latex 1600, a Zünd cutter and a variety of further finishing equipment that facilitates folding, creasing, cutting, stitching, laminating and more.
Next steps for the firm will include “doing more of what we already do” in display, exhibition and general commercial printing, according to Abson. This will be supported by the further installation of finishing equipment, the nature of which will become clearer as the Anapurna settles into the 557sqm premises.
PrintBig currently employs eight members of staff and is aiming for a turnover of £1.5m by the end of the year.
