Case study from Agfa

For over 20 years JPL has been producing quality print for a variety of customers. The decision to expand into digital printing was taken when JPL acquired a second, larger unit at the Coombswood Business Park. This has enabled JPL to house its short-run digital and conventional litho in the new site and locate the complete wide-format operation in the original building thus providing a comprehensive service to its customers.

“When we first looked at wide-format display we realised that a substantial amount of the finishing was done by hand. Then we saw the Zund cutting table, which helped solve that problem, and decided to invest in wide-format, which was approximately five years ago,” explained Jim Lynch, joint managing director at JPL Print & Design. “I value good business relationships with our suppliers and for a number of years have been talking to Agfa and its subsidiary, Litho Supplies. They are very friendly to deal with as well as professional.” JPL takes pride in the quality of print it produces and works to Fogra and ISO standards in all areas of production. “We see that many sign and display producers do not look at image quality in the same detail as we at JPL. Several years back, before we invested in wide-format, we asked a number of customers if they would give us their display business and they said that they would providing the quality was a close match to our litho work,” commented Mark Kay, joint managing director at JPL Print and Design. Agfa produces its own UV LED inks, which offer one of the widest colour gamuts in the market. The high pigment content reduces consumption per square metre, which helps to save costs. The inks also provide outstanding adhesion and image longevity even for outdoor use. “We first saw the Jeti Tauro last year when we visited Drupa and then we went to Agfa’s showroom in Belgium for further demonstrations. The image quality is impressive and far better than anything else we have seen so the decision was taken to upgrade to the Jeti Tauro, which offers both roll-to-roll and flatbed printing. I especially like the fact that Agfa makes its own inks that achieve amazing results whilst only laying down the thinnest of ink layers, and without affecting print speeds, which are fantastic,” enthused Mark. The Jeti Tauro is engineered for 24/7 production environments, can print on an extensive variety of rigid and flexible substrates as wide as 2.54m and is capable of throughput speeds of up to 275m2/hr. “Over the past couple of years we have invested in a new Heidelberg XL75 5-colour press as well as a CP Heidelberg Digital Press. Now, the Agfa Jeti Tauro really sets us apart and will make a significant difference to our future potential,” concluded Mike Harrold, sales director at JPL Print & Design.