Digital production has been transformed at this entrepreneurial wallpaper specialist
Online wallpaper specialist, Bella Stampa, has invested in a Canon Colorado 1650 from CMYUK. This 4-colour, 1.6m wide UV LED dedicated roll printer has transformed the lives of business partners Rastislav Hascic and Nav Jakhu, who set up the company in 2018 after identifying growth opportunities for digital on-demand wallpapers.
The duo purchased a Roland printer and image licenses and began selling their wallpapers on online platforms such as Etsy, which is growing steadily. While the Pandemic spelt disaster for some companies, for Ras and Nav, an uplift in the home décor sales meant that business surged so much so that they purchased a second Roland printer and moved into larger premises.
However, while sales were increasing, the company’s production infrastructure was slow and inefficient – giving rise to 18-hour days, inconsistent output, a great deal of waste, and a fair amount of stress.
“Sometimes, I’d just dread coming in as I knew what timelines were ahead of me,” says Nav.
The situation changed after an industry colleague recommended that the duo take a look at the Canon Colorado. Before long, they were at the CMYUK demonstration and training centre in Shrewsbury, where Sue Hayward, Equipment Sales Director, showed them first-hand how the Colorado could impact their business.
“The Colorado 1650 is a real game changer. The quality of the finish, given the speed of output, is just incredible. The UVgel inks dry instantly, and we’re really looking forward to getting to grips with the FLX finish that produces high gloss and velvet matt on a single print,” says Nav.
Swapping out the 2 X Roland printers for the Colorado 1650 has transformed the business. “We are 75% quicker now. Ras who always likes to start early, comes in at 4.00 am, and by the time I arrive at 9.00 am, all the printing for the day is complete,” he says.
The Colorado 1650 enables print providers to be more productive and cost-effective. Using innovative UVgel inks, this is the fastest 64-inch printer in its class, offering a wide application range from luxury wallpapers to stunning decals, frontlit, and backlit graphics. It utilises various materials, including self-adhesive vinyl (SAV), polyester textiles, heat-sensitive materials, and paper.
It was designed for unattended operation and features two media rolls with online switching and ink refill-while-printing for uninterrupted productivity.
Featuring Piezo Acoustic Integrated Nozzle Technology (PAINT), the printer constantly monitors and compensates for nozzle failures that can occur during printing.
“We don’t have banding issues or half unusable printed media rolls anymore, neither do we have to maintain printheads obsessively, and constantly monitor output. We’ve gone from 10% wastage to zero,” says Nav.
To complete production efficiency, the company has ordered an XY Fotoba inline trimmer from CMYUK that directly interfaces with the Canon Colorado for automated roll cutting, after which printed wallpaper rolls are packed manually and despatched to the customer.
“The whole purchasing experience with CMYUK was faultless. I would have no hesitation in recommending them. They really understood what we required as a business and didn’t push anything. They offered a number of possibilities that matched our budget. They were really good,” he says.
Investing in the correct print production equipment has made Bella Stampa significantly more efficient and allowed Nav and Rastislav to devote valuable time to a planned growth strategy.
Over the coming year, the entrepreneurial duo will be developing their own online brands. They also plan to open up to the trade and offer services to a new customer base, including local authorities.
Says Nav, “We’re excited about the Colorado and the advantages it has bought to our business. We’re looking forward to optimising its capabilities, which will help us expand and move into additional market sectors.”
