Die-hard Mimaki loyalist invests in UV LED technology for the first time to drive his flourishing start-up that services national high street retailers
Tiato Sign & Digital has invested in Mimaki UCJV300-160 UV print and cut technology from CMYUK. The business was founded by Tim Tomblin, who since leaving school at the age of 16, has been working with wide format Mimaki technology.
Tim started out with 2 solvent Mimaki JV300-160s, a Mimaki cutter CG-160FXII, an Easymount Laminator, and a flatbed applicator. The company specialises in producing seasonal window displays for national high street retailers that includes a mixture of in-window graphics, vinyls, and glass clings.
“I’ve always stuck with the brand. The equipment is well built and solidly reliable, the colour and quality of the output is really good, and it’s very easy to work with,” he says.
The move to UV LED technology is a response to the company’s growing high street retail clients, all of which demand fast turnaround times. The Mimaki UCJV300-160 offers instant dry prints and integrated cutting which has significantly improved throughput speed and efficiency at this Amesbury-based business.
“It was the curing times and the ecological issues around solvent that led me to UV. With the old solvent printers, we had to let the prints cure for 24 hours before sending them out. Now I can print, cut, and despatch on the same day, making time savings of up to 50%. Also, if there were any output errors with the solvent, it would be another day before we could send replacements to the client. The new UV printer allows us to reprint, still despatch on the same day, and not upset our customers,” says Tim.
The Mimaki UCJV300-160 is a 7-colour printer (C, M, Y, K, Lc, Lm, W, Cl), although Tiato has opted for a double White configuration rather than White and Clear. It also offers 4 ink layers and a resolution of up to 1200dpi. “A lot of our work for leading retailers involves skin tones, and the ability to print with Light Cyan and Light Magenta really adds to the quality of the skin tone,” says Tim.
The ability to print white too has also become a game changer for the company. “If retail staff are going to apply graphics to glass themselves for example, we can print white to cling, and they can just fit this to the inside of a window. White is massive for us,” he adds.
The installation of the printer last month has meant that the company has been able to reduce its outsourcing from twenty percent to under 5. “The purchase of this printer means that we can now do just over 95% of everything we need in-house with the equipment we have – it’s rare that we have to put something out now. Investing in UV also means that we can start to offer eco-friendly versions of banners, vinyls, and other popular media types. It’s something we’re increasingly being asked about, and we want to make sure we have all the latest solutions on offer,” he says.
Tiato has already produced work for a museum using PVC-free vinyl from CMYUK’s sustainable materials portfolio that offers proven high performing alternatives to all popular sign and display applications.
Says Tim, “I am impressed with CMYUK, its customer service and am looking forward to revisiting the showroom in Shrewsbury in the near future. I have a real vision for this business and over the last three years it has been playing out nicely. Retail display is our speciality, and our investment in Mimaki technology is key to servicing our growing customer base in the best way possible.”
