The Milton Keynes-based business, which was established in 2012, specialises in large-format printing, primarily signage and POS materials for exhibitions and events.

It first became an Agfa customer two years ago when it purchased an Avinci CX3200 dye-sub printer from the manufacturer.

Having had a positive experience with that purchase, it continued to explore Agfa’s options while searching for a replacement for its 11-year-old 3.2m-wide EFI Vutek hybrid printer.

After seeing a prototype of the new 3.3m-wide Bronco at Agfa’s site in Mortsel, Belgium in late 2023, it decided to wait for the machine’s official launch, which followed at Fespa Global Print Expo in Amsterdam in March 2024.

“Our previous printer was over ten years old, and we had been searching for a replacement for the past few years. We considered several brands, including the Agfa Tauro,” said Baz Ogle, owner of Format Graphics.

“However, during our visit to Fespa in Amsterdam in March 2024, we saw the launch of the Agfa Bronco, and it won us over as it met most of our requirements. We had waited for its release, and two months in, we are really pleased that we did.”

The Jeti Bronco H3300 UV-LED machine can print up to 248sqm/hr in six colours (CMYK/Lc/Lm) plus white. The printer currently functions with two sets of printheads but can be upgraded to four sets to increase speed as required.

The physical dimensions of the printer were a strong selling point for Format Graphics when making its purchase, as it is 700mm smaller than the Jeti Tauro H3300 LED, making it a better fit for its intended location.

The company was also impressed with the ease and speed of the changeover between sheet and roll on the Bronco, which was important due to the varied types of work the company produces.

Installation was completed by the end of September and as this Bronco was the first to be installed, Agfa is treating it as a ‘field trial’ for the next three months.

The manufacturer’s R&D team is making weekly calls to the print operator at Format Graphics to gather feedback that will help in software development.

So far, this feedback has been positive, with the operator so happy with its simplicity that they have been able to train less experienced backup operatives to help cover holiday shifts.

The machine is being operated using the Agfa Asanti workflow, which is also new to Format Graphics and means a lot more of the work is at pre-press as opposed to the print operative.

Neil Turkington, account manager at Format Graphics, commented: “We didn’t run the Avinci using the Agfa Asanti workflow because we were satisfied with our existing workflow software.

“However, we agreed to use Asanti with this new Bronco engine, and we are really happy with it. Our print manager finds Asanti very easy and intuitive to use.”

The company’s general manager Sharon Stratton added: “Overall, we are hugely happy with this latest investment in the Agfa Bronco machine.

“Visually, the print quality is better; it’s faster, more reliable, uses less energy, and we are using around 30% less ink, so it’s much more economical.

“Our staff find it easier to work, we can better service our clients, so we see it as a very positive move forward for Format Graphics.”

Working out of a 929sqm facility in Milton Keynes, Format Graphics employs 14 staff and has a turnover of around £2m.