Loughborough-headquartered Marsden Direct Group has praised the impact its HP Latex R200 Plus printer has had on the company, revealing the machine has allowed it to achieve a number of key business and sustainability goals.
A hugely diverse business, Marsden owns and operates the Expo Service print division, as well as theMarsden Exhibitions events arm and retail marketing provider Luga Baruga. The group operates across the UK, Europe, the US and Asia.
Marsden uses print to deliver products and applications across each of its businesses including exhibition and event stand installations, retail experience installations, signage and other large-format printing – working with a diverse range of clients in the process.
With many of these customers making more environmentally friendly demands of Marsden and the print it produces, the company made the decision to move to a sustainable products and services model. This includes replacing all in-house production with a sustainable alternative to traditional methods that result in waste going to landfill or high carbon footprints.
As such, the company went in search of a device that would deliver both sustainable and high-quality printed output to its clients.
After speaking to approved HP distributor and large-format print specialist Papergraphics, Marsden identified the HP Latex R2000 Plus as the ideal solution. Papergraphics installed the machine in July 2022 and Marsden spent the last year reaping the benefits.
Vinnie White, Head of Creative for Marsden Exhibitions, said investing in the HP Latex R2000 Plus was an easy decision for the company, saying the machine offered a host of sustainable and operational benefits.
“The feature that stood out the most for us was the machine’s use of HP Latex inks, which are water-based and much better for the environment,” Vinnie said. “We also like how it can operate as both a flatbed and roll-to-roll, as well as print direct to substrate.
“Crucially for us, the machine is also capable of handling a wide range of materials, thus allowing us to produce all manner of pieces for clients. Just to name a few, we have been running roll-to-roll media for vinyl wallpaper and banners, rigid media such as foamboard, card and Dibond, glass prints and acrylic prints.”
Vinnie said such are the sustainable and operational advantages of the HP Latex R2000 Plus that the machine has already helped the business to reach core environmental goals, as well as improve production times for customers and reduce overall costs.
“The HP Latex R2000 Plus is much more efficient than our previous machines, allowing for more work to pass through production, which in turn means we can take on more jobs,” Vinnie said. “It also operates at a lower cost, including inks and consumables, while the six-colour ink set-up allows us to produce more vibrant colours, thus opening up even more options for customers.”
Focusing on specific improvements for the business, Vinnie highlighted how the HP Latex R2000 Plus has helped Marsden take its modular exhibition stands to the next level and become more sustainable, resulting in the launch of its first completely sustainable exhibition solution.
“The reason we attribute the new printer to allowing us to close the gap is that previously we used UV solvent inks in conjunction with foamboard for our main product,” Vinnie said. “Thanks to HP Latex Ink, we are now able to provide fully recyclable graphics printed onto card, meaning all parts of the modular exhibition stand can be reused or recycled from flooring, frame, and graphics, eliminating single use materials.
“We believe that the move to HP will allow us to continue to grow and meet our sustainability goals for the future.”