Stripes & Graphics, a Shropshire-based specialist in car graphics, particularly for Minis, has brought its printing needs in-house with the installation of a Mimaki CJV150 printer/cutter.

The family-run business grew out of founder Sean Beeston’s experience striping and detailing Minis, as well as working with the car manufacturer as a signmaker.  It made the decision to invest in the Mimaki machine, which it purchased from authorised reseller Granthams, in order to develop new product lines and attract new customers.

As Mr Beeston himself explains, ‘We’d previously bought in our print requirement, but as the business grew, we needed to ensure we gained tighter control of our supplies. The Mimaki has been central to our growth as, throughout the pandemic, we were able to offer a wider variety of products that met the needs of new and existing clients.’

Though its staple work was vehicle liveries Stripes & Graphics has consistently enjoyed strong demand for shop signage and window graphics, adding new products including floor graphics and safety signage during the pandemic period. Other novel revenue streams have included pull-up banners and dealer branded facemasks.

‘Aside from the fact we can offer a wider product range, we’re saving around £4000 – £5000 a month by producing digital print on the Mimaki ourselves,’ Mr Beeston added. ‘We pick up nearly all our customers through word-of-mouth. We’ve never previously been able to deliver full colour print at this quality, so offering high-end point of sale material is a real advantage for us.’

This overall rise in demand lead to a move into a new 2000sqft site near Market Drayton in January 2022. Mr Beeston concluded, ‘We’ve always offered a mobile service, fitting graphics and window tints on-site at car dealerships and vehicle accident repair centres, but the new premises give us a new angle on how we work. Providing a clean and controlled environment to apply graphics, along with a studio for handling our logo design and branding work elevates our service once again.’