The Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire-based company took delivery of the machine in June. It was supplied by Agfa reseller i-Sub, which the business already had a longstanding relationship with.
While House of Flags has specialised in flags since 1977, it has more recently moved into digital printing to enable it to produce soft signage products for its customers. It was keen to investigate other potential uses for digital technology, however, including printing onto more rigid substrates.
Adam Moore, who joined the team earlier this year as studio and print production manager, was specifically tasked with investigating machinery that could help the business diversify its product range and visited i-Sub's Kettering demonstration suite to test the Anapurna H2500i LED.
The six-colour engine prints at widths up to 2.5m and can handle outdoor and indoor, rigid, and flexible wide-format jobs. Its automatic board feeder increases productivity, and its white ink function creates possibilities for printing on transparent material for backlit applications, or for printing white as a spot colour.
“I was extremely impressed with the Agfa. The user interface was simple and user friendly and the machine itself is very versatile. We've gone for the 2.5m model as the 3.2m would have been a little bit too much machine for us at the present, but its performance has been out of this world and the installation was the quickest and easiest I've ever been involved with,” said Moore.
One feature of the Anapurna that particularly impressed House of Flags was its white ink channels.
“With a lot of alternative machines, you need to flush through the white ink channels when you're not using them,” said Moore.
“It can be a long and messy process. With the Agfa printer they've literally got it down to a switch and button. They've taken away a very messy job and you just don't find that on more ordinary machines.”
The Anapurna has already opened up new opportunities for House of Flags, including the ability to print directly onto rigid boards and produce effects like window manifestations applied to any expanse of glass, which offers the opportunity for branding and decoration.
House of Flags processes more than 7,000 orders annually and has a turnover of over £4m.
