Industry
Dale Studios meets growing business demands with 3.2m Agfa Anapurna H3200i LED
Dale Studies introduces an Agfa Anapurna H3200i LED 3.2m Hybrid flatbed/roll-to-roll LED UV-curable printer, supplied by longstanding format solutions partner, I-Sub.
“Never miss a deadline” has been the mantra of Leicester-based Dale Studios for over 30 years. Due to its focus on meeting the core requirements of its customers, the company has become one of UK’s most creative, respected and dependable design and printing companies.
It’s All About Capacity
Dale Studios’ Creative Director, Ben Millard explains: “Our business has significantly grown over the last 5 years, since we first invested in UV flatbed printing with I-Sub. It is important for us to maintain our commitment to never miss a deadline and it means we must to be able to fulfil an always increasing number and range of projects. We knew it was time to drastically increase the printing and production power that we offer.”
The company was initially looking at 3.2m UV roll-to-roll options, however decided on the hybrid version of the Agfa Anapurna. Millard says: “For a moderately low-cost premium, we saw the massive benefits of having a hybrid flatbed and roll-to-roll printer, particularly at a 3.2m size. We have the flexibility to print onto a range of rigid media, fast roll-to-roll printing and dual roll facility.”
Dale Studios and I-Sub have worked together for over 10 years, with I-Sub supplying all of the company’s large format solvent and UV printers during that time. Millard describes the key reasons behind this long-term relationship: “Fulfilling our promise to meet every deadline means that as well as having the correct equipment in place, it’s important for us to have a supplier that can positively and professionally respond to any issues we may have. In that regard, I-Sub have never failed us. They are there when and where we need them and always go that extra mile to ensure we deliver the very best service to our customers.”
The company was initially looking at 3.2m UV roll-to-roll options, however decided on the hybrid version of the Agfa Anapurna. Millard says: “For a moderately low-cost premium, we saw the massive benefits of having a hybrid flatbed and roll-to-roll printer, particularly at a 3.2m size. We have the flexibility to print onto a range of rigid media, fast roll-to-roll printing and dual roll facility.”
Dale Studios and I-Sub have worked together for over 10 years, with I-Sub supplying all of the company’s large format solvent and UV printers during that time. Millard describes the key reasons behind this long-term relationship: “Fulfilling our promise to meet every deadline means that as well as having the correct equipment in place, it’s important for us to have a supplier that can positively and professionally respond to any issues we may have. In that regard, I-Sub have never failed us. They are there when and where we need them and always go that extra mile to ensure we deliver the very best service to our customers.”
Easy Installation and Workflow Integration
The new Agfa Anapurna H3200i LED was installed in September of this year. It has become a critical element in Dale Studio’s workflow. Millard says: “Agfa have been outstanding in guaranteeing that we run effectively and fulfil orders very quickly. It has been a straightforward installation and the machine is quickly up to speed, pushing out work at an electric pace pretty much 24/7”.
The company ran their existing production machines using Caldera RIP software, which the Agfa is also running on. This manages the workflow and offers better control of the printing and production processes. Millard adds: “The consistency between different machines and colour correct print is extremely important to us and something Caldera does very effectively. We’ve already observed that the printer which is managed by the Caldera RIP, is delivering high quality graphics and colours with minimised ink usage. This delivers substantial cost-savings and ensures that we meet the demands of our customers.”
The company ran their existing production machines using Caldera RIP software, which the Agfa is also running on. This manages the workflow and offers better control of the printing and production processes. Millard adds: “The consistency between different machines and colour correct print is extremely important to us and something Caldera does very effectively. We’ve already observed that the printer which is managed by the Caldera RIP, is delivering high quality graphics and colours with minimised ink usage. This delivers substantial cost-savings and ensures that we meet the demands of our customers.”
Future Business Growth
Dale Studios provides a complete end-to-end solution for design, print, manufacture, installation and after-care. The company has a good understanding of the industry and since they do the whole job, they can maintain better control of the deadline. Millard says: “The addition of the new Agfa could further transform our business. It substantially improves our production capacity and our ability to offer a wider range of applications. This means meeting even more of our clients’ requirements and growing our reputation and our turnover.”
I-Sub Digital’s, Sales Director, Emma Plant comments: “Dale Studios have been a great company to work with, particularly over recent years. They are entirely focused on providing the best possible solutions for their customers. They demand the very best regarding innovation, quality and reliability from their machines and suppliers. We have delivered the latest in large format printing technology and they have brought the best out of these solutions and their rapid growth is testimony to this.”
Millard concludes: “This is a very exciting time for Dale Studios. Over the last 10 years, our growth has been fast and with the addition of the new Agfa, we fully expect for this growth to continue. Quite simply, the printer offers us the quality, speed and capacity to produce even more jobs at pace whilst continuing the quality and attention to detail. The printer allows us to provide a host of new applications, such as large-scale fabric back-lit banners. This is a quickly growing market area along with ultra-wide prints up to 3.2m. We have built our business on the service we provide and our commitment to never letting our customers down. Thanks to our latest investment, we know that we can continue to get better. Will meet even more of the ‘unrealistic’ deadlines and deliver even more amazing projects.”
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