The UK's first swissQprint Karibu roll to roll printer was installed at Muraspec Wallcoverings in late 2021. Since then, the Muraspec team has found it to be the perfect addition to its wallcoverings print fleet, as the Karibu's flexibility and productivity enables the development of new and enhanced products and services for clients.
Muraspec has a heritage dating back to the 1850s and from its UK facility in Kent, designs and manufactures a wide range of wallcoverings using both traditional gravure and large format digital inkjet printing. The business provides a range of leading clients and brands across the hospitality, healthcare, retail, commercial and residential sectors around the world.
While digital print has been an integral part of Muraspec's 24-hour production for years, the business immediately saw the opportunity that the launch of the Karibu offered. The ability to produce high impact print on a roll to roll machine at up to 3.4 meters wide, combined with swissQprint's name for quality and reliability made the decision an easy one.
"swissQprint is well known for the build quality of its flatbed printers," said John Langfield, Muraspec’s Design Process and Digital Manager. "Therefore, as soon as the Karibu was introduced, I knew that if it was as good as its flatbed cousins, I wouldn’t be disappointed."
As an international leader in the luxury bespoke contract and residential wallcoverings industry, Muraspec is constantly exploring the use of new embellishments that can be applied to pre-printed stock patterns. The Karibu’s nine colour channels can be configured with a wide range of speciality inks including bright orange, neon yellow and pink, white and varnish, creating opportunities for a host of new effects and outcomes.
The ability to handle and over-print pre-printed stock patterns with properties and textures is also helping the company win new contracts, as its designers look at new ways of creating more visual impact. In addition, with its X-Control movable beam, the print bed acts like a small flat bed for producing the latest samples or test prints, quickly and easily.
Print product samples are now a breeze with as many 30 samples sent out every day, quickly, efficiently and to the highest print standards.
"Being able to cut a full width piece of material and place it straight onto the print bed, without having to feed a roll, and print off a sample in under a minute was an instant winner. The time saving is incredible!" said John.
With the ability to print up to 212 m2/h, an extended range of colours and the ability to process virtually any roll material quickly and reliably, the 3.4 m wide Karibu has already become the productivity flagship of Muraspec’s print fleet.
Commenting on the install, swissQprint's managing director, Erskine Stewart, said: "We are delighted that Muraspec Wallcoverings has become the first UK business to experience the benefits that our Karibu roll-to-roll printer delivers. From its nine colour channels through to its high productivity, the combination of the reliability and quality is making it the roll-to-roll wide format inkjet press of choice."
John added: “From enhanced capabilities and ease of operation to greater productivity and reliability, there are no areas of our business that the Karibu doesn’t impact on positively. It is clear that swissQprint understands our industry in a way that few, if any, other brands do."