12 2601, a printing, branding, and signage company based in Bristol has discussed its relationship with CMYUK when investing in new UV LED technology in order to fill gaps in its production infrastructure. Founders Steve Williamson and Paul Johnson founded the company in May 2015, bringing with them skills in design and print production after working for various print companies and design agencies respectively over several years. 2601 decided to purchase the Mimaki JFX200-2513 UV LED flatbed to aid its move into large-format textile printing to be used for film, theatre, and TV backdrops. The 8ft x 4ft flatbed has enabled the business to produce higher quality products, along with more in-house production, and with less gaps in workflow. Production has also been helped by the new Mimaki UJV55-320 UV LED dedicated roll-to-roll printer. With a maximum resolution of 1200dpi the printer offers dual-roll simultaneous printing with automatic nozzle checking. “The JFX200-2513 EX UV LED is quick and easy to pop media on the bed and get it printed,” says Williamson, who adds: “We don’t output volume, lots of our work is varied and sporadic. We do lots of work for film and TV and much of this is one-off work, so it’s great to be able to keep our flatbed as a fast swap-through machine.” Discussing the reason for their choice, Williamson says: “We’ve got a hybrid printer here but wanted something with better quality, speed, and versatility. “We were considering other makes and models of flatbeds, but when we started comparing that with the cost of a pair of Mimakis, it made sense for us to begin our 3.2m roll-to-roll journey and also amplify our capacity for rigid work using the new flatbed and prolong the life of the flatbed we already own.” CMYUK comments that 2601 has a refreshing collaborative approach to business by working with nearby companies in order to avoid outsourcing to far away businesses. Williamson says: “That’s the way Paul and I operate the company. We engage and build great relationships with our suppliers, and people that are in the same realm as us, rather than fight against each other. We sometimes also share staff on a freelance basis and this has proven to work very well for us. “We’re a positive open book here. We know what we do and are bold and confident in how we carry out our services while retaining a fun and relaxed atmosphere.” 2601 has announced it will be using CMYUK’s Arkutex portfolio of surface textiles after visiting CMYUK’s showroom and the PONGS showroom in Germany where it received PONGS accreditation and training. 2601 celebrates success with CMYUK 2601 currently employs seven staff and has a circle of collaborators it works with in the Bristol area Mutoh Europe has announced the launch of a new, ‘hazard-free’ sign and display CMYK inkset in the EMEA market. Available in litre packs and specifically developed for Mutoh’s new AccuFine piezo drop-on-demand printhead technology, MS51 series inks do not require health and safety pictograms, while they are also gamma-Butyrolactone (gBL) free. The manufacturer says the inks are best suited for long-term outdoor and indoor signage applications, and they will initially be available for Mutoh’s XpertJet 1641SR Pro devices. Mitsuo Takatsu, managing director of Mutoh Europe, comments: “With our MS51 inks, we definitely fulfil the requirements of today’s sign professionals with regards to outdoor and indoor signage applications: wide media compatibility including heat sensitive substrates, superior colour gamut, vibrant prints, unrivalled gloss preservation of prints, three years outdoor UV durability, low odour, excellent abrasion, and chemical resistance.” Mutoh rolls out hazard-free inks Producer of construction products and plastics, Brett Martin, has worked with an Irish supplier of digital presses to the print industry in Ireland to test the capabilities of current print and finishing processes. The print and cutting tests used Brett Martin’s Foamalux foam PVC which was printed on the Epson SC-V7000 UV flatbed printer. The test material was then cut on the Summa F1612 digital flatbed cutter, which is supplied to the market, along with the Epson printer, by digitalprint.ie. The test took place at digitalprint.ie’s Dublin premises, which is located just two hours away from Brett Martin’s Newtonabbey, County Antrim, manufacturing site. Simona Firth, product manager for semi-finished plastic sheets at Brett Martin, says: “Digitalprint.ie’s location makes it an ideal testing partner for us. In addition, it was an excellent opportunity to try out the Epson printer that we had not tested before. “This new collaboration with the team at digitalprint.ie has allowed us to further our knowledge of the processing equipment used within the market.” As a test, an image of a chameleon was printed using the UltraChrome UV 10-colour inkset of the SC-V7000 The new MS51 series inks do not require health and safety pictograms Brett Martin helps bolster Irish print industry By David Osgar By David Osgar email: news@signlink.co.uk February / March 2023 - Issue 245 KIT & MEDIA / NEWS @signlink @signlink @signlinkmagazine
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