Belfast-based diversified print operation MAD Colour has revealed how its purchase of an HP Stitch S1000 dye sublimation printer has allowed it to bring work in house and significantly grow its business.
Having begun life in 1977 as commercial printing outfit Minprint, the company has evolved over the years to become a hugely diversified business, offering a wide range of services to customers across a number of markets.
A large part of MAD Colour’s offering is large-format print, with the company having several machines in place to deliver this work to clients. The business already had an HP Latex 800W, HP Latex 360 and HP DesignJet Z6200, as well as an EFi Vutek GS3200 printer, but was still having to outsource some work to a third-party.
To fill this gap in production, MAD Colour once again turned to HP and opted to invest in an HP Stitch S1000 in April 2023 from approved HP distributor RA Smart. The purchase has allowed the company to bring previously outsourced textile work in house, taking greater control over production as a result.
“We are using the machine to create products such as flags, air mesh banners, tablecloths, fabric frames and event backdrops,” MAD Colour Managing Director Jamie McMinnis said. “We already offered these products via a third-party supplier, but the purchase means we can now do it all in house.
“The printer means that we have better control of the supply chain, have reduced the risk of logistical complications and are better in tune with the very time-sensitive event and hospitality markets.”
Jamie said these expanded capabilities and the ability to respond quicker to customer demands will give the business a significant advantage over its competitors in Northern Ireland.
“We now offer the most advanced dye sublimation print facility in Northern Ireland, meaning we can remove carriage costs and reduce lead times by the time taken to ship products from mainland UK or Europe to the local market,” Jamie said. “We can now offer customers in Northern Ireland the best quality fabric prints without compromise.”
Jamie also spoke about the benefits of combining HP’s hardware and software solutions, explaining that – as was the case with its HP Latex and HP DesignJet printers – the HP Stitch S1000 was connected with HP Print OS and Onyx Thrive to ensure maximum productivity and performance.
“As second- and third-generation HP Latex users, and having previously run an HP UV flatbed printer, we know that when combined with Onyx Thrive and HP Print OS, HP’s solutions are hard to beat,” Jamie said.
“HP’s entry into the world of dye sublimation to offer a solution for the growing large-format fabric market offers a high quality, simplified, yet versatile solution to this sector, and this really appealed to our large-format team.”