Describe your business
We are based in Birmingham and specialise in large-format digital printing. Our in-house production facility includes two HPZ6100 printers, one HP 9000 solvent printer plus our latest, and our largest investment, the Agfa Anapurna M2. Our range of work includes posters, banners, canvas prints, interior and exterior signage, point-of-sale and exhibition graphics. Clients range from major companies to a trade service for local litho printers.

What does the machine do?
It prints directly onto rigid material.

Why did you chose this particular machine?
The quality initially impressed us. The samples produced were so outstanding that we had to take note and decided to purchase the machine.

What features do you like?
Other than the high level of quality, the M2 gives us the speed that we’re looking for.

Did being the first company in the UK to have this machine give you any reservations?
If we hadn’t had the reassurance from Agfa about this particular machine, we may have had second thoughts, but it ticks all the boxes.

Is there anything that you dislike?
There are a couple of very minor points. The materials that you put through have to be good materials and they have to lie flat on the bed of the machine. This means that we have to be more particular about the materials that are supplied to us. Another point is that you can’t leave the machine unattended. The materials go through one sheet at a time and so you have to monitor how the machine is performing along the way, but I think that this issue applies to all flat-bed machines.

How fast is it?
There’s always a balance between speed and quality. The faster the machine usually tends to mean the poorer the quality. With this machine though, even on the highest setting, the quality is always more than acceptable.

How reliable is it?
We’ve seen an engineer maybe once a month and more often than not that has been for very minor adjustments.

What’s the quality like?
Exceptional.

How easy is it to use?
There’s a learning curve, but we were up and running quickly.

Has it won you any new work?
It has certainly brought in a lot of new business. Being able to print directly onto materials opens up a lot of different markets and we’re presently printing directly onto corrugated boards for short-run packaging. It’s also brought us new work for a local council producing printed graphics for construction site hoarding.

Would you say that it offers value for money?
Yes.

Were there any difficulties experienced during the installation or after?
Nothing springs to mind. It all went very smoothly.

What about the pre- and after-sale service?
It’s been first class. Agfa installed it and, because we were the first company to have the M2, they even pre-tested the machine to make sure that everything was alright.

Who do you think machine is right for?
Small to medium-sized digital printing companies.

Under what circumstances would you buy another?
If our business increased substantially.

Conclusion
User’s verdict   
Speed    ????
Quality    ?????
Reliability    ????
Value for money    ????

Supplier’s response    
Steve Collins, wide-format inkjet account manager at Agfa Graphics UK, says: The M2 is at the top of Agfa’s Anapurna range and we believe no other supplier can match its features at this price point. The 1,024-nozzle printheads allow 23m2 per hour throughput with excellent accuracy, and you can print on both sides of the substrate with good front to back registration. In addition to sign and point-of-sale companies, we are seeing a greater interest from commercial printers who want to integrate Anapurna M2 with their Apogee workflow.
Price £90,000
Contact Agfa UK 020 8231 4929