The machine, which was supplied by I-Sub Digital and cost around £100,000, was installed at the Gateshead-based firm’s 930sqm premises in November. It has replaced a Durst Omega, which the company has sold on privately.
The 1.6m-wide Anapurna 1650i LED combines rigid board and roll-to-roll printing with a maximum media thickness of 45mm. The CMYK plus white machine, which was launched exactly a year ago, is driven by Agfa’s Asanti workflow software and runs at a production speed of 28sqm/hr.
“The Anapurna has already had a huge impact on our business because it is simply faster and more reliable than the machine we were using before, as well as outputting vastly superior quality graphics,” said One Sign owner and founder Chris Timmins.
“We are able to produce more work and our operators are more productive as they are no longer having to wait extended periods for printing to finish. This has already had a positive impact on our turnover and profitability.
“We’ve also got a lot more space now – it has a smaller footprint and isn’t as high as our previous machine, so you can see over the top of it and see what you’re doing.”
The machine, which Timmins called “user-friendly and simple to look after”, has also enabled One Sign to look at new applications, including day/night print displays.
The printer’s dedicated white ink recirculation system, meanwhile, has ensured that white ink waste is kept to an absolute minimum, reducing the company’s running costs significantly according to Timmins.
“The Agfa also has a built-in anti-static system, ensuring static is no longer an issue and the print quality is consistently perfect,” he added.
“And the Asanti RIP software offers excellent colour control and functionality and is more of a workflow than a simple RIP as we were used to previously.”
While the machine was selected following a review of the market, Timmins was keen to return to One Sign’s long-term supplier I-Sub.
“They go above and beyond to sort out anything we need and that means we always go to them first with any printing requirement,” he said.
The 24 staff business predominantly serves the retail, construction and education sectors and also operates Epson and HP machinery.
