For West Midlands based Monster Digital, growth has been consistent and steady since its formation in 2002, and careful investment has played an important role in its current successful position as a leading supplier of wide-format digital print. The company has just installed an additional NUR Fresco 3.2 m machine as well as an Expedio 5000 UV-curable ink-jet printer and these complement its existing armoury of roll-fed and flat-bed machines, broadening its capabilities for producing outdoor durable applications. Now sporting six digital grand-format ink-jet machines, with complementary finishing equipment including a 16 m welder, Monster Digital specialises in the output of a wide range of jobs ranging from external banners, scaffold wraps and vehicles liveries through to exhibition back-drops and other indoor jobs. Its roll-to-roll machines are complemented by a NUR Tempo flat-bed printer, and the company believes that by being able to provide the best in both solvent-based and UV-curable technologies enables it to offer its customers the most suitable type of production for any display situation. NUR"s Expedio 5000 is currently the only 5 m wide roll-to-roll grand-format printer which incorporates UV-curable ink technology and this gives Monster Digital the ability to be able to produce banners and displays which can be used in environments where solvent-based production isn"t suitable. Installation took place in the middle of 2004 and the Expedio quickly proved itself as a suitable complement to the company"s other wide-format equipment. The team of NUR Fresco machines now in use at Monster Digital demonstrates that solvent-based output onto PVCs, back-lits, banners and display applications are still in high demand. The Fresco outputs in a choice of four and eight colours and the addition of an extra machine at the company endorses its capabilities. Simon McKenzie of Monster Digital says: "Current demands from our customer base include jobs which cover various requirements and typical end uses. There are certain applications where solvent-based print is the optimal solution but, in a growing number of areas, we need to be able to produce applications using UV-curable inks for environmental reasons as well as for durability. Examples where this technology excels can be seen with interior jobs, such as banners and theatre back-drops. "Although at the time of purchase the Expedio 5000 was the only machine of its kind and width available, we would have bought again from NUR in any case as we"ve been successfully using this supplier's Fresco solvent-based equipment and, more recently, a Tempo printer," McKenzie continues. "In fact, when we started Monster Digital, we used a NUR Blueboard for our grand-format jobs and we feel that familiarity and continuity with our suppliers is vital for a fast-developing company like ours." Monster Digital produces a full range of output for varying clients, not only around its Midlands base but, also, nationally. Working with a range of different types and sizes of materials, and having the right machinery to allow it to use the best media for the job in hand, means that the company is well positioned to handle wide- and grand-format jobs of all kinds. With a mix of machines offering solvent-based as well as UV-curable inks, McKenzie believes that his company is in a particularly strong and unusual position to be able to turn its hand to the majority of work which comes its way. Testimony to this is the fact that many orders are from existing customers exploring new types of display work, whilst new clients are also continually coming on board. The NUR Expedio 5000 UV-curable printer outputs at widths of up to 5 m onto a wide selection of flexible materials and was developed to provide speed and productivity, with throughput speeds of up to 150 square m/hour and a choice of four- and eight-colour modes. It also features multi-roll printing and can accommodate up to three reels of material at the same time. Complementing the Expedio"s output, the NUR Fresco is a solvent-based production printer which has a maximum speed of 80 square m/hour. With a maximum output width of 3.2 m, this is a roll-fed machine which can print direct to a range of coated and uncoated materials. Thus, the family of NUR machines at Monster Digital has proved to be a success story for the company. Using its Fresco capabilities where solvent-based output is deemed more suitable, and with its Expedio 5000 for UV-curable applications, these printers are complemented by the NUR Tempo for flat-bed production onto rigid substrates. McKenzie concludes: "We need to know our machines will work day in and day out, so reliability is paramount to us. And, because these days our customers are increasingly aware of quality, it"s essential to us that we have the right printer for the right job. We"re currently looking at investing in further equipment, and NUR will once again be our first choice." Monster Digital was founded four years ago as a division of Hollywood Signs, specifically to concentrate on wide- and grand-format digital print. The company now employs a staff of 30 and is based in Halesowen, on the outskirts of Birmingham.