Case study from Fujifilm

Curtis Print & Packaging, designer and manufacturer of high quality, luxury printed packaging, has been specialising in high-end packaging for the last ten years. As part of a full service offering to its customers, the company invested three years ago in a Fujifilm Acuity LED 1600 to produce ultra-high quality prototypes to show customers exactly what their finished product will look like.

“At Curtis Print & Packaging, we pride ourselves on the delivery of beautifully designed and manufactured packaging, produced in an environmentally friendly way,” says Managing Director, James Williams. “We provide a full service to our customers, from consultation through to final production and delivery, so it’s important that every step along the way displays our commitment to quality and sustainability.” After joining the company ten years ago, Williams helped Curtis Print & Packaging embark on a new era of packaging services. Founded in 1938, the company had spent many decades producing basic packaging for its customers. Curtis now offers high-quality packaging to a variety of markets, such as the beauty sector. As the focus turned, so did the need for improved sales tools that could reflect Curtis’s capabilities in that market and three years ago, a visit to the Fujifilm stand at FESPA helped it make that change to its business. “We had always offered a prototype service to active and potential customers,” says Williams. “But we used to have to outsource the work to local digital printers and we found the quality was never quite to the standard we were looking for. That, and our desire to have more control over our work, meant we started looking for a printer that would allow us to bring prototyping in-house and accurately display the true quality of the packaging we can offer. This meant having a printer that could print on to different surfaces, rigid or flexible, whilst providing a high quality finish that didn’t compromise on speed or impinge on our sustainable methods. “In 2014, I went to FESPA in Munich to try to find a printer that would suit our needs and that’s when Fujifilm’s Acuity LED 1600 caught my eye. I could see how it would fit in with our business ethics and, with its excellent print quality and versatility, it was an easy decision.” Since the installation, the Acuity LED 1600 has consistently impressed his customers, with Williams remarking: “Ultimately, our customers choose us because they want packaging that stands out. The feedback we get from them when they see prototypes of their packaging is always positive. Whereas in the past we had to offer caveats with our prototypes – explaining that the finished product would be much better – the quality now makes a real impact and gives the customer a very good idea of how the finished product will look.” “The Acuity LED 1600 has certainly delivered everything we wanted it to in terms of the quality of print,” continues Williams. “On top of that, its versatility in terms of its ability to handle many different types of substrate, including plastics, is a big plus. The varnish printing is also a great feature that allows us to produce some very elegant examples for our customers. When you’re in the business of high quality packaging, you need to be able to show customers a high quality prototype. We can now do this in-house with complete flexibility, which means that we have been able to secure new customers and, ultimately, grow our business.” Fujifilm’s service and support has also been commended by Williams: “The sales and installation process from Fujifilm was very smooth – they helped set everything up and continue to provide support to us now,” he concludes. Chris Broadhurst, General Manager at Fujifilm Graphic Systems UK says: “Curtis Print & Packaging’s key offer is the quality of its luxury packaging, so it is important that its customers experience these elements from consultation right through to its aftercare services. “With the Acuity LED 1600, they can demonstrate real quality to customers during the design and prototyping stages, where ideas become a reality, and the reduced environmental impact of the machine means that it fits in perfectly with Curtis’s sustainable approach to its business.”