John Mark takes a fifth HP Latex 1500

Wallpaper manufacturer John Mark has taken delivery of a fifth HP Latex 1500 3.2m-wide printer at its Leyland premises.

John Mark Watson, managing director of John Mark and a fourth-generation expert in wallcoverings, said of the new machine, bought from Papergraphics: "HP Latex 3.2m-wide printers make it possible to print panels, rather than standard wallpaper lengths. This creates a story, a conversation, which is what people are looking for these days. People also want to touch wallcoverings. Being able to print onto textural materials allows people to feel the design too." Watson has dedicated his time to transferring his production techniques to digital methods, developing pass rates and ink densities that are compatible with high-quality printing onto a wide range of materials - from standard non-woven papers to grass cloth, silk, linen, faux suede and foils. The company now has a staff of eleven with machines running 24/7.