Widd Signs invests in a second Mimaki UCJV300-160 UV LED printer from CMYUK
Widd Signs has invested in a second Mimaki UCJV300-160 UV LED printer from CMYUK. The installation comes 3 years after the business bought its first Mimaki printer of the same model, again from CMYUK. Offering versatile productivity, this printer offers the ability to print and cut in a single unit. Purchased to respond to growing demand, it will increase production capacity and turnaround.
“Clients are increasingly requiring a shorter turnaround on jobs and the Mimaki printer is very efficient so allows us to increase capacity to be able to accommodate a quicker lead time,” says Gary Williams, MD, Widd Signs.
Great grandfather of signage
Widd Signs was formed in 1888 by Bradford-based sign writer Arthur Widd and is regarded as one of the original sign companies in the UK. The same founding values that made it an instant success in the 19th Century runs through the business today: innovation, design, excellence, and honesty. Operating in the north of England, it now has sites in Leeds and St Helens, supported by a 70-strong team of employees.
The business provides signage consultancy, design, and production services to a range of high-profile businesses operating in the retail, construction, sports, and leisure sectors. Clients include high street retail giants Marks & Spencer, Primark and schuh; culture and leisure hubs such as the National Science and Media Museum, Chelsea and Burnley F.C; and construction firms including Winvic, ISG, Robert Mcalpine, Audas and Wates.
The Mimaki advantage
The success and reliability of its first Mimaki UCJV300-160 printer made it an easy decision to invest in a second.
“We like the consistency of the brand; adding another machine allows us to cross-print between the two printers. There are a number of benefits to using the Mimaki, and we’re particularly impressed with the ability to print good quality white ink easily whilst other printers struggle to provide this. It also offers flexibility to use different media that we print onto and the print and cut function gives further flexibility,” says Gary.
Other elements that impressed him are the robustness of the printer and the multi-layer printing function that enables it to produce night and day prints for lightboxes.
“There is no doubt that the Mimaki is a reliable machine which is easy to maintain and on the few occasions that we’ve had problems, we’ve been able to resolve issues quickly and are grateful to CMYUK for the great customer support,” he says.
CMYUK support
The relationship with CMYUK began in 2018 when Widd’s graphics department head, Lee Nottingham met Jason McNulty, CMYUK’s Senior Digital Sales Consultant at the Print Show in Birmingham.
Lee was invited to the CMYUK demonstration and training centre in Shrewsbury to explore whether Widd Signs should invest in a flatbed or upgrade its existing roll-to-roll printer.
“We gave ourselves a year to make the decision, and eventually decided to upgrade our existing roll-to-roll printer for the Mimaki UCJV300-160. After realising how much better it was than our previous printers, we purchased a second one,” says Gary.
The installation of the first Mimaki also marked the company’s move away from solvent to UV LED cured inks. “Sustainability and moving towards more environmentally friendly print and signage is a huge focus for us. The Mimaki UV ink is more sustainable than traditional solvents which helps us support our environmental credentials,” he says.
As far as plans for the short to medium term are concerned, Widd Signs is focussed on delivering signage and digital print that is turned around in the shortest of time scales.
Says Gary, “The Mimaki helps us to deliver a quality product in minimal time to exceed our customer expectations. This is something we’re committed to continue to deliver and are grateful to CMYUK that the Mimaki helps us achieve this.”