The first UK installation of a swissQprint Karibu roll-fed printer has been made at Kent-based Musraspec Wallcoverings, where it has enabled the development of new or enhanced services for the bespoke and commercial wallcoverings specialist.
With a heritage dating to the 1850s, Muraspec designs and manufactures a wide range of wallcoverings using both gravure and large format digital printing. The business supplies a global range of clients and brands in hospitality, healthcare, retail, commercial and residential sectors. While digital print isn’t new there, the Karibu with its nine-colour capability, including ‘neon’ colours, white and varnish, brought opportunities in embellishment of pre-printed stock when it was installed in late 2021.
Muraspec design process and digital manager John Langfield commented, ‘SwissQprint is well known for the build quality of its flatbed printers. Therefore, as soon as the Karibu was introduced, I knew that if it was as good as its flatbed cousins, I wouldn’t be disappointed.’
The ability to over-print pre-printed stock patterns with visual properties and textures is also helping the company win new contracts, as its designers look at new ways of adding impact. The printer’s X-Control movable beam also allows it to act like a small flatbed for producing samples or test prints. Up to 30 samples are now being sent out every day at full print quality, while the 3.4m printer’s 212sqm/hr throughput is said to have made it the productivity leader at Muraspec.
‘Being able to cut a full-width piece of material and place it straight onto the print bed, without having to feed a roll, and print off a sample in under a minute was an instant winner. The time saving is incredible!’ said Mr Langfield.
‘From enhanced capabilities and ease of operation to greater productivity and reliability, there are no areas of our business that the Karibu doesn’t impact on positively. It is clear that swissQprint understands our industry in a way that few, if any, other brands do,’ he added.
