In March of this year, Verve Display took delivery of two new Agfa wide-format print engines: the Oberon RTR3300 roll-to-roll and the Jeti Mira MG2732 HS LED flatbed machines.
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The investment has vastly improved the company’s production capacity and sustainable credentials, giving them the confidence to take on larger projects while retaining quality with continually tightening deadlines.
Verve Display was founded in 2003 by Simon Perkes and has expanded into increasingly larger facilities as the business has grown over the past 20 years. The company is currently located in an 18,000 sq ft facility on Printers Way in Harlow. Specialising in ‘Events, Experiential, and Bespoke’ projects, Verve Display has a team of 24 staff members working across print production, logistics, installation, project management, and support. The company’s primary customer base consists of major players in the events market, all of whom organise large-scale conferences and/or events and many of them have been with Verve Display since its inception.
“Our customers prefer us to handle the entire project for them as an extension of their team. This way, they don’t have to manage multiple contacts for each component of the process. That’s why we not only handle the printing in-house but also construct any necessary walls and use our own installers. We maintain high-quality standards and prefer to control every element internally. The extra capacity provided by the new Agfa machines allows us to now print all of our work in-house. For instance, the Oberon roll-to-roll has two sets of print heads, enabling it to print twice as fast without compromising on quality. Additionally, it has allowed us to switch from UV bulbs to LED curing, reducing our energy usage,” said Simon Perkes, founder of Verve Display.
The business has used various brands of printing machines over the years to meet its different needs. It acquired its first Agfa wide-format machine 12 years ago and had a positive experience working with the Agfa team. When it needed to replace its second Anapurna 3.2m roll-to-roll machine, it decided to consult Agfa to explore its options. It also needed to replace an older Arizona flatbed printer.
“We visited the Agfa showroom in Antwerp in late 2023 with the full intention of replacing our old Anapurna and Arizona printers with a new Anapurna Hybrid model. However, after reviewing the range of solutions available from the Agfa family, we decided to purchase two machines dedicated to their specialty. While there has been quite a trend to move to hybrid printers over the past few years, and it would certainly have saved us some money and space to move to this solution, we were really impressed by the two dedicated models. This decision has meant that we have two machines to protect us from any breakdown issues. They have the added advantage of both working off the Agfa Asanti workflow, so we can better control color matching across the two machines. The trip to Antwerp was invaluable; it ensured that we reviewed a number of solutions and ended up making the best choice for our business,” said David Blackholly, Production Manager at Verve Display.
Verve Display has a culture of always running two machines for redundancy. If one machine encounters problems or if there are larger job capacity issues, the other machine can take over. As part of a total investment of £¾ million for the company, the company decided to purchase the Jeti Mira flatbed printer to replace their Arizona engine and the Oberon roll-to-roll to replace their old roll-to-roll Anapurna.
Both machines were installed in March 2024. The investment also covered improvements in the complete workflow and finishing area, and included the purchase of a Kongsberg cutting table.
The Agfa Jeti Mira HS LED, powered by the Asanti workflow, is a dedicated flatbed printer that utilises UV LED curing to deliver high-quality prints on a wide range of materials. This award-winning printer features a moving-gantry design and can print borderless on rigid media up to 2.69m wide and 3.2m long. The Jeti Mira achieves exceptional print quality using six colours (CMYKLcLm) and white, with optional (3D) varnish or primer. It also includes a ‘Print & Prepare’ mode, allowing the operator to load one side of the table while simultaneously printing on the other side.
The Agfa Oberon RTR3300, also powered by the Asanti workflow, is a dedicated 3.3m roll-to-roll printer. It offers significant media diversity and a wide range of applications, including mesh and backlit prints. The printer comes in a four-colour plus white or a six-colour version. There is also a dual-roll option capable of handling two rolls, each up to 1.6 meters wide, doubling the total output. The UV LED inks on the Oberon RTR3300 are optimised for flexible media and excel in smooth, solid colour printing. They have obtained GREENGUARD GOLD certification, meeting some of the world’s most rigorous chemical emissions standards.
“Over the years, Agfa has provided exceptional support to Verve Display, which is why we continue to choose them as our print partners. As a business, Agfa has consistently demonstrated innovation by introducing new products with additional functionality. Their technical team possesses extensive knowledge, is easily reachable, and promptly provides accurate answers, making them a reliable and valuable asset to our operations.” Concluded Simon Perkes.
