Burscough - Jaymar Packaging says a switch to alternative inks from Quality Print Services (QPS) has brought new life to its flatbed printer, which had sat as 'a very expensive piece of metal' after clogging problems.

Based in Crewe, Jaymar Packaging is a specialist carton designer and manufacturer for a range of customers including those in the automotive trade, medical suppliers and producers of outer food packaging. It had purchased a new wide-format flatbed printer of Chinese origin around two years ago to create packaging mock-ups, but suffered problems from the outset with, the business says, 'very little constructive help from the UK reseller'.

"We had issues for twelve months," explains John Cooper, Operator at Jaymar Packaging. "If we left the machine unused for a day or two we would find the print-heads would be clogged and the cleaning solution even rotted the heads. When standing we were advised to leave the heads resting in a pool of wash-out solution which killed the print-heads. Eventually it just stood as a very expensive piece of metal for a number of months."

He continues: "We identified the problem as being the original inks supplied with the printer and researched alternatives, finding QPS and its range of UV-LED inks from Nazdar Ink Technologies online. We were a little nervous about switching to alternative inks but at that stage we had nothing to lose. We talked through the problems we were having with Chris Bailey from QPS and he advised us on how to convert to Nazdar 260 Series inks. Since then we've had no problems and the print-heads are clear even after a day or two of not being used."

Nazdar 260 Series ink is a LED-cured formulation designed specifically for platforms using Epson print-head technology. It provides excellent adhesion, flexibility and vibrant colours on a wide range of substrates including coated paper, styrene, foamboard, vinyl and polycarbonate.

"The 260 Series ink is becoming increasingly popular across the UK as a problem-solver and for its ease of use and versatility – it's suitable for both flexible and rigid materials so is suitable for packaging mock-ups as well as graphics such as POP displays," comments Chris Bailey, Managing Director, QPS.

"Jaymar Packaging hit all sorts of problems with its OEM ink but with Nazdar inks we got their printer working again, reviving what had become a piece of furniture into a usable machine. We don't foresee any problems but our service engineers will always be available to ensure Jaymar makes the most of its renewed technology."