It’s not every day that a modest family-run business gets the call from a globally renowned rock band, but that’s exactly what happened to Falkirk-based Brooklyn Graphics when it was asked to print a bass drum skin for indie-rockers Kasabian, prior to their barnstorming headline set at this year’s Glastonbury festival.
Darren Brooks, proprietor of Brooklyn Graphics explains; “I’ve been involved in the local music scene for years and through a contact in the percussion business, we were given the opportunity to show what we could do.” The simple design relates to the title of the bands’ new album; 48:13, which is understood to be the total running time of all the tracks on it. The vivid pink colour was critical to its success and the band and their management were very prescriptive about the reproduction of the particular hue.
Thankfully this didn’t present any problems for Brooklyn as Brooks explains, “We had recently upgraded to a new Mimaki CJV30-160 which is a fantastic machine delivering amazing resolution print with vibrant colours, faithful to the original design thanks to the SS21 inkset. The result was achieved using Metamark MD5 self-adhesive vinyl and passed intense scrutiny by the band at the very first attempt”.
Brooklyn Graphics was set up by Darren and his father, Glyn in 1986 and has established itself as a major player in the sign and graphics world in Central Scotland, with contracts with ASDA and the production of health and safety signage for Babcock Marine at Rosyth Dockyards, which recently launched the first Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier, firmly under its belt. They undertake a wide range of activities from initial design of company logos and identities, through to the actual print of signage and retail graphics, as well as the ultimate installation.
Vehicle wrapping is another natural extension of their activities and a major area of growth for Brooklyn. The new Mimaki CJV30-160 has been key to this development with Brooks commenting, “The CJV30 just simply delivers on every front. The output is such high quality that I no longer have to factor the vagaries of the print process into my designs... it just prints exactly what the original design intended and its sheer versatility has opened up so many new potential revenue streams including complex vehicle wraps. I have even had existing customers ask if have changed my printer because the results are so stunning!”
Brooks is equally complimentary about the ongoing support he receives from Granthams - his Mimaki reseller. “My father was originally a sign writer based in Blackpool and had dealt with Granthams for years. When we first set the business up and got into wide format, they were an obvious choice to turn to for advice. They have been absolutely superb and given us a totally committed service, with support and assistance throughout every step of the process including installation and training. We’ve found the new Mimaki so reliable and easy to use that coupled with the great print results, it has enabled us to play on the same stage as some of the ‘big boys’ in the industry and hopefully win over some more high profile clients like Kasabian”.