Low cost, high performance!

Expensive flatbed machine? You’re just paying for the badge, say Urban Print

Southend’s Urban Print and Design Ltd has installed a brand new Gibson 3200 hybrid roll/flatbed printer from UK distributor RSR. The new machine replaces an ageing Agfa Anapurna which according to MD Jeff Chaplin had reached the end of its working life.

“The Agfa had got to the point where it needed a lot of maintenance and the desired quality output was hard to achieve. We decided we needed to upgrade to a modern, state of the art machine and when we looked at the market, the Gibson machine from RSR stood out,” he says.

“The Gibson had very similar specs and features to machines offered by more well-known manufacturers, but at around half the price! It seemed too good to be true, but we did some tests with RSR and were convinced. It seems other manufacturers expect printers to pay a premium just for a badge!”

Although the company has strong ties to the leisure industry and lists a number of theatres as regular clients, Urban Print’s sign work comes from a wide range of customers. “The Gibson needs to be versatile,” says Jeff. “Corex, foam, foamex, solid plastic board, acrylic, banners, posters, roller banners are the usual jobs, but it will print on almost anything up to 40mm thick. This machine increases the maximum output size from 2m to 3.2m which expands our product range.”

The Gibson 3200 uses LED UV inks suitable for indoor and outdoor applications and is equipped with a raft of features to ensure high quality and productivity. It uses the latest 6th generation Ricoh print heads, which Urban has in a CMYK plus white configuration. “Now we have a truly modern machine with the latest technology, we can produce great work more reliably, and much faster. The bottom line is, we can quote more competitively and it has definitely attracted new work for us.”

Buying from RSR has been a positive experience for Jeff Chaplin and his team. “We have had several occasions where they have looked after us in a way which is above and beyond expectations, even when they were under no obligation to do so.”

Urban Print and design is a general commercial printer with both a litho and digital production capability, and a comprehensive line up of finishing equipment. It has 25 staff and a turnover of around £2.4m.