Print-2-Media riding easy after SwissQ install

Cornish signage and fine art printer Print-2-Media has found its production process smoother and faster since installing a SwissQprint Nyala 4 UV-LED flatbed press.

Glenn Wrigley: the Nyala 4's reliability and low energy usage makes the difference
Glenn Wrigley: the Nyala 4's reliability and low energy usage makes the difference
The six-colour machine, installed in November with an optional roll unit, has allowed Print-2-Media’s eight-strong team to cut out print errors almost entirely.

Where the company's previous machine - an older 2m Arizona - required nozzle cleaning throughout the day, the Nyala 4 has hardly had a nozzle drop out, according to Glenn Wrigley, Print-2-Media’s director.

He told Printweek: “It’s amazing, and the speed is a real bonus for us; the ease of use, too. You turn it on in the morning and you know it is going to be right straight away.”

The press’ tip switch vacuum has also been a big help for the team, he said. The Nyala’s vacuum bed adjusts to the size of substrate, masking the print surface without wasting power.

“For the operators, it is just amazing. The time saved from masking off the bed is massive, so that feature alone is worth the money,” he added.

Print-2-Media bought the machine directly from SwissQprint, its first purchase from the company.

It had considered upgrading its old flatbed to a more recent Canon Arizona, but found that once lifetime costs such as power and maintenance were added in, the Arizona - which would have cost around £100,000 less initially - would have ended up costing the company around the same over five years.

Wrigley added: “And the busier we are, the more we put through it, the better the numbers look.”

Print-2-Media’s new flatbed has helped the firm handle a significant jump in productivity. The company, which now handles 20% more work than it did last year, has managed to cut out overtime almost completely since its installation.

“Most of the overtime was print related, because we couldn’t get stuff through,” Wrigley said.

“Now there’s more pressure on finishing and packing than there is on print, which is the right way around.”

Print-2-Media largely handles garden centre prints, including a large amount of POS work, but the new press has helped the firm throw momentum behind its brand The School Sign Shop, developed during the pandemic.

“We'll go into schools and do wallpaper wraps and history timelines, that sort of thing. We have a bit of a tie up with British Sign Language where we've designed a number of sign language signs that will go into schools.

“They're really popular, because it teaches other kids sign language so they can communicate with other children there that have hearing impairment, so they can stand around silently and talk to each other.”

The School Sign Shop now makes up 10% of the firm’s £1m turnover.