The Leicester-based operation bought the 3.2m flatbed/roll-to-roll in September from large-format reseller iSub for £200,000.

Dale creative director Ben Millard said the company, which had previously used Mimaki printers and had considered a UJV55, was attracted by the hybrid capabilities of the H3200i and its potential for boosting the firm’s capacity.

He said: “Compared to the entry-level Mimaki we were considering, we perceived in this a high quality of build and setup and good speed for our requirements. There is a robustness to the machine and a potential to save money on ink and consumables.

“Our work tends to run on the premium side, so we did not need something with the greatest speed – but with the ability to keep feeding sheets through and rotating on the flatbed, this was worth the slightly higher investment.

“ISub are local to us and we have been working with them for more than 10 years, they have previously supplied us with Mimaki and Roland machines and this is a great addition.”

Agfa’s Anapurna H3200i is an LED UV-curing printer that offers speeds of up to 129sqm/hr using Konica Minolta KM1024i printheads for resolutions up to 720x1,400dpi.

Spanning five units, Dale Studios provides a full end-to-end service which includes the design, print and installation of graphics across a variety of markets around the UK. It runs a number of printers, including Mimaki JFX200 and JFX500 flatbeds, Millard said the focus for Dale’s future will be on strengthening and evening out the firm’s service to clients.

“We have a massive range of clients over the country and we try to treat them all the same,” he said. “However, the more work you get, the more people you need in order to facilitate that properly.

“We are always running at full capacity now, so we will take a few more people onboard to help service clients better.”

Dale Studio’s team currently consists of circa-40 staff and the company turns over £3m.