Inviting designer clients from all over London, the wide-format specialist printer showed off samples from the Kudu at Farringdon’s Bounce last week.

The Kudu’s 10 available colour channels means two can be dedicated to Stylo’s fluorescent Styglow inks – a product that the company took care to show off in the bar’s UV lighting.

Magic Circle magician Jake Banfield joined the party, along with a DJ.

The new printer, which at 3.2x2m outstrips the standard ping pong table, will be delivered to Stylo’s Watford production facility in early September.

Stylo director Simon Olley told Printweek that it would be the first SwissQPrint machine the company has installed.

“The purpose behind buying the SwissQ was to give us something more to offer people, really,” he said.

“In my opinion, large-format print technology hasn’t moved forward massively over the last couple of years. Really, all the new machines are much faster and more efficient.”

What attracted the team to the Kudu, however, was its strong environmental credentials – the machine runs off just 2.2kWh, equivalent to the average kettle lead – and its versatility through the colour gamut, with varnish and neon capabilities, while maintaining a high production speed.

“What we were looking for was something that gave us all the production pace, plus a load of bolt-on goodies,” Olley said.

The new press will join a mixed wide-format production floor of Canon Colorados, HP Latex printers, several Mimakis and a Durst, alongside several dye-sublimation machines.

“I think it will be a very good addition to our portfolio of machines,” Olley added.

The decision to choose SwissQPrint’s Kudu was six months in the making, and involved visits to trade shows and to see all of the shortlisted machines in a working environment.

The investment itself involved the 81-staff company spending over £400,000. 

Celebrating the purchase with a party for clients was another first for the company.

“Printers are not very good at doing this stuff – [throwing a party for clients] wouldn’t be something that comes naturally for us,” Olley joked.

“But it couldn’t have been better. I think we’ll probably repeat it, and extend the invitation – we just wanted to test this out, and as is always the case, we think [the Kudu] is a great product.”