Mark Latchford Screen and Digital Print says it has reduced its production times by at least 50% following the installation of a new Agfa Anapurna M2500i from i-Sub Digital.
Founded by Latchford in Cheltenham 34 years ago, the business has moved from screen printing to mainly digital printing and now produces POS, graphic panels for exhibitions, die-cut labels and a full range of signage products. After investing in a CNC router and finding an increase in output speed on the finishing side, Mark Latchford Screen and Digital Print decided it also needed to upgrade its print room to keep up.
"We needed, specifically, a digital printer with a large enough bed to accommodate 3m x 2.5m sheets of Foamex and Dibond material and 2.5m-wide rolls for banners and so on," explains Founder and Director Mark Latchford. "We looked at similar machines on the market but they didn't compare for speed, quality or price."
The Agfa Anapurna M2500i is 2.5m-wide hybrid inkjet printer that can complete indoor or outdoor, colour or white prints on rigid or roll media at speeds of up to 115sqm/hr, making it ideal for a broad range of applications. It features a vacuum system and accurate dot positioning for sharp prints and runs fast-drying, versatile UV-curable inks.
The business has been a customer of i-Sub Digital's for around seven years and took up the invitation of Director Andy Spreag to attend one of Agfa's Red Carpet events in Antwerp, Belgium. Mark Latchford had already identified the Agfa Anapurna M2500i as potentially the best machine for the job, but after seeing it in action at Agfa's European demonstration centre he placed an order straight away.
"We were already running an Agfa Anapurna M2 UV flatbed and two roll-fed solvent large-format printers supplied by i-Sub Digital so we didn't hesitate in calling i-Sub Digital again for the new Agfa," says Mark Latchford. "The machines have been reliable and i-Sub has always provided excellent service – they have looked after us over the years and continue to do so.
"Since the installation of the Agfa Anapurna M2500i we have cut production times in half, at least. In fact it seems like we're not as busy as we used to be, despite completing much more work."