Tunbridge Wells-based Signal UK has purchased its second large format Mutoh printer, the Mutoh ValueJet 1324 with Mutoh Kona Cutter, as the latest step in the rapid growth of its print and cut business. The company purchased the new machine from Colourgen reseller, PSW Paper & Print Ltd.
Signal UK Limited offers a comprehensive in-house design to print facility including screen and textile printing, large format digital and litho printing, vehicle wraps, promotional items, signage and more. The company has over 25 years experience in the print industry and is focused on providing a complete service from conception through to print, assembly, collation and dispatch.
Gary Rose is a director of Signal UK and explains, “We are primarily a trade printer and our objective is to do as much as we possibly can in-house. We first moved into large format digital printing when we purchased a Mutoh ValueJet 1604 around four years ago. This printer was very reliable and has served us well, but after seeing the latest technology at Sign UK earlier in the year, we decided it was time for a new one.”
Gary and his fellow director, Paul Chapman, looked at several options for their new printer. Gary add, “This was a big decision for us and we looked at a number of printers. We were quite interested in the latex technology, particularly as it appeared to offer faster production because the output doesn’t need to gas out and so dries faster than ecosolvent. However, in comparison to the ValueJet 1324, this advantage was very easy to offset by more efficient production planning. In addition, the Mutoh offers excellent quality, reliability and cost - both initial outlay and cost of ownership,”
He continues, “We decided a 1.3m machine was enough for the type of work we mainly do and we still have the 1.6m Mutoh for larger jobs. We have already used the combination of the ValueJet and the Kona cutter to deliver some cut vinyl products for customers and the colour accuracy and speed of production is fantastic.”
“We are really pleased with the Mutoh, it does exactly what it is supposed to very well indeed. We have also been very pleased so far with the level of support, service and responsiveness we have received from both Colourgen and PSW,” Gary concludes.
The Mutoh ValueJet 1324 eco-solvent printer has a media width of 54" (1371.5mm) and print width of 53.36" (1355.5mm). It runs using Eco Ultra inks, which contain no VOCs and therefore doesn't require special ventilation. The printers are easy to use and don't require daily cleaning. Typical production speeds are up to 14m2/h on banner and soft signage textiles and up to 7m2/h on uncoated vinyl.
The Mutoh Kona 55" is a stand-alone cutting plotter for kiss-cutting lettering, contour cutting stickers and cut-through for sign applications.