The Coventry sign and display operation has run secondhand EFI Vutek machines for the past 14 years, but decided to invest in the new Anapurna at the end of August. The installation is part of an investment drive that also saw the firm also update its systems and software.

The Anapurna is initially being run alongside a Vutek QS 3200 flatbed, but will eventually replace it when it reaches the end of its service life.

Owner Ty Power said: “When we decided to buy a new machine, we found that a Vutek would be out of our price range. We could not believe the value of the Anapurna – it jumped out to us and its Asanti workflow lent itself to my pre-press background.

“If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got. It was good to start a new relationship with Agfa. They conduct no-pressure sales tactics which we liked – they courted us for a year and were not protective about us checking out other options.

“That gave us time to make sure we were doing the right thing and, as we surveyed the market, we kept coming back to them.”

A hybrid printer, the Anapurna will produce a mixture of board and banner work for Big Ink Tank and will be expected to switch quickly between the two. The 3.2m-wide machine prints at speeds up to 129sqm/hr and boasts a white ink option.

It represents the final big spend of the year for Big Ink Tank, which has brought the firm “bang up-to-date” on its technology. A Mimaki JV33 large-format inkjet printer and a 3m Zund router are also run on the 325sqm site.

The Big Ink Tank comprises six members of staff and has a turnover of £420,000.