Leading UK graphics and display business Graphics Works has recently invested in three additional Fujifilm Acuity 1600 LED UV hybrid inkjet wide format printers. The investment follows the success of its first foray into the LED UV ink market in January 2015 with its first Acuity LED 1600 printer, which doubled its production speeds and cut production costs by 20 per cent.
The Milton-Keynes based company – which specialises in producing and installing premium wallpaper coverings for high-end brands across a range of sectors, from hotels to the high street – invested in its first Acuity to create robust and visually appealing applications that didn’t require a time and cost-intensive post-press coating process.
Such was the immediate impact of the first Acuity that Graphics Works invested in the two additional Acuity LED 1600 printers in July and another in October to further enhance its capacity and enable it to meet growing customer demand. The latest three printers will share the workload for all applications – such as wallpaper, large format graphics, promotional vinyl and window graphics – while the first Acuity will now focus on short-run carton packaging.
“Our core focus was to beef up our capacity to meet the demand and tight timescales we were facing on the back of a big uplift in work following our first Acuity LED 1600 investment,” explains Peter Barham, Director, Graphics Works. “Customers have been impressed by the output quality of Fujifilm’s LED UV technology and demand has dramatically increased as a result.
“The Acuity LED 1600 is a very versatile printer, which opens up a lot of options to move into new applications in the future. We were also drawn to the white ink and varnish options that enable us to widen our creative parameters,” continues Barham. “In addition, we can print on the roll – which is vital for the majority of our products, as is the accuracy and consistency across a wide range of different materials.”
Graphics Works invested in its first Fujifilm Acuity LED 1600 following a two-year consultation, once satisfied that UV ink had got to a point where it was capable of rivalling the quality of solvent, while also delivering a more durable product.
“We had been watching developments in the UV LED ink market for many years, and felt it was the right time to invest,” says Barham. “We ran stringent tests on a number of technologies and the Acuity stood out with its UV ink and LED curing capabilities, which ensure stable and consistent print, especially on delicate or difficult materials.”
Barham is also quick to highlight the benefits of working with a partner such as Fujifilm: “Fujifilm’s support and service is excellent, and with multiple machines, they were also very willing to provide service training to allow us to manage most predictable maintenance issues in-house. This helps ensure maximum uptime, which is crucial for our continued business expansion.”
