Graham & Brown (G&B) bought its first eight-colour Durst Alpha press in January 2022. At a maximum speed of 710sqm/hr, it has been able to run significantly higher volumes than G&B’s existing stable of digital printers, helping the firm reach push print-on-demand as a viable model for customers. The second machine went in earlier this year.

“The potential is enormous,” said Sam Dobson, G&B’s operations director.

“Digital is an extremely important technology for the wallpaper industry. It’s really about print-on-demand, reducing print run lengths and giving a more bespoke offering to customers. At the moment, this industrial-scale digital production has filled the gap between high run lengths of conventional printing and the low volumes on our previous digital machines.”

G&B’s investment in digital machines — which now totals £2m with the second Durst — has likewise allowed the firm to make substantial progress on its sustainability goals.

Running entirely on renewable energy, and requiring neither engraved print cylinders nor gas in the drying process, the company can now also reduce its print runs and hold stock to meet demand more flexibly, helping it lower its emissions significantly.

G&B’s environmental strategy, of which digital printing is a key part, has helped the company slash its production and on-site emissions by an estimated 46% compared to a 2019 baseline.

Dobson said: “We see the Durst as a complementary technology that has many environmental and other benefits. 

“As one example, the main resource we need to power the machine is electricity, and all of that is renewable. For the last year all of our digital production – representing 35% of the Graham & Brown brand offer – has been carbon zero.” 

The move to embrace digital print has run alongside a transformation in G&B’s e-commerce business, where the firm has decided to target an expanding print-on-demand market.

Martin Winkler, business development manager and wallpaper specialist for Durst Group, said G&B’s decision to buy a second Alpha Wallpaper Edition supported Durst’s belief that wallpapers have become less of a standard part of renovation, and more of a way for consumers to express themselves.

“The move to digital production in the wallpaper industry is accelerating as buying habits change,” he said.

“[Wallpaper] has now become a lifestyle product with which customers express their individuality and create a feel-good atmosphere.”