16/09/2015
Digital Dimensions featured in Gapp magazine:
Creating a new Dimension with Agfa
The world of large-format printing is a complex one with numerous different, but similar, technologies designed to achieve very specific results for a plethora of applications. Everything from point-of-sale through to billboards, from backlit signage to promotional banners. Add to this the very wide array of substrates and the process of selecting the right machine type can become a daunting task.
Having the right technical advice can help prospective buyers to find the ideal solution to a production problem. Access to the very latest technology can also help to speed the process. However, the combination of the latest technology, top-class advice and a world-wide reputation for market-leading design and construction makes for an irresistible solution.
All these features were what appealed to Greg Lamb and David Truter of Digital Dimensions SA when they were looking for a means of adding production capacity to their existing large-format output capabilities. With existing solvent and latex printers in use at Digital Dimension, printing was not the problem, the delay came in the mounting of the various point of purchase displays. So, why would these experienced and knowledgeable men believe that the solution to their production requirements would lie in another printer?
The answer was quite clear, they needed a hybrid machine which would allow them to handle either roll-to-roll production or flatbed printing depending on the job at-hand. Based on the advice of David Fenn at Agfa Graphic Systems Greg and David opted for the Rolls Royce of large-format printers, the Agfa Anapurna M2050i hybrid, high-speed, UV-curable inkjet system.
Digital Dimensions SA was founded in 1998 to provide a large-format printing service primarily to the advertising agencies working with large retail shopping chains. In this sector, you are only as good the last job produced and failure to produce on-time and within budget can have devastating repercussions. Following a partnership split, David and Greg and four employees, took Digital Dimensions SA out on their own.
Their combined knowledge of the printing and large-format market acquired over many years of working for large and well-known companies such as Hirt & Carter, Beith and Remata among others, before founding Digital Dimensions, established them as leaders in their chosen sectors. Digital Dimensions SA was not only able to retain its existing client base but also to attract some other well-known household brands through the dedication and quality demonstrated to the advertising agencies responsible for these brands.
To match and keep up with the demands for quality, turnaround and service which are expected by these agencies, Digital Dimensions opted for the robust construction and proven reliability of the Agfa Anapurna M2050i large-format printer.
Commenting on the decision to install the Anapurna printer, Greg Lamb said, ‘Following lengthy discussions with the staff at Agfa we knew that the Anapurna would give us additional printing capacity but we could not really appreciate the full capabilities of the machine. What really sealed the deal for us was the fact that this machine features the latest generation five printing heads and inks which offer high-density results with lower ink consumption thereby saving money an providing a superior result. We were so impressed with the information which was presented to us on this particular machine that we bought it sight-unseen.’
The Anapurna range of printers features six-colour printing for both indoor and outdoor applications and is aimed at sign shops, digital printers, photo labs and mid-size graphic screen printers. The change over from roll-to-roll to flatbed printing is easy and quick allowing different jobs to printed without the need for lengthy conversion processes. It can print onto a wide range of flexible and rigid substrates up to 45mm thick.
The Anapurna M2050i features a printing width of 2,05 metres and the ability to print CMYK inks with additional Light Cyan and Light Magenta as well as a White print head for use on transparent or translucent substrates. The white can also be used as an overprint spot-colour element further extending the range of applications and functions which can be achieved.
David Truter added, ‘Once the machine was installed and we were actually working on it we realised just how much it was going to change our business. With the normal jobs that we do for some of our larger clients we would require a week to print and mount everything. With the Anapurna we suddenly found that we were producing the same volume in three days or less. It first dawned on us when we found that we had quiet times, something we were not used to before. We actually became a bit worried until we saw that we were producing more on the new machine than we had been on both of our existing machines.’
The ability to print directly to rigid substrates such as correx board means that the time for mounting can be saved in time-critical applications. It also means that the older machines can be used to meet the printing needs of other jobs including vehicle wraps and vinyl banners.
The printing width of the Anapurna is sufficient to meet the current requirements at Digital Dimension. However, the sheer productivity of the machine has caused another problem, a lack of working space. This is going to require that the company move into larger and more suitable premises which will also allow for further expansion of its production capabilities, but that is the subject of another story.
For Digital Dimension the Agfa Anapurna M2050i has opened doors to a broad spectrum of work both from existing as well as new clients. It has also guaranteed that meeting production deadlines will no longer be a tight squeeze. With the time savings and the better quality, the future is certainly looking up.
