From a standing start back in 2020, Eltham Digital has grown its sign business to the point where it now accounts for 50% of company turnover. The transformation began with the installation of a Xenons R180 hybrid flatbed/roll to roll machine from RSR, which has now been replaced with the upgraded Xenons X180.

Proprietor Terry Glasscock says; “During the Covid pandemic we were being asked to produce all kinds of signage, so we could see there was demand there. RSR convinced us the Xenons hybrid was the ideal machine to take on a new market as it offered high performance and versatility for a relatively low cost. They were right.”

The new Xenons X180 has the same basic dimensions as its predecessor, with a maximum width of 1.88m, but includes numerous mechanical upgrades and uses the latest Ricoh 6 print heads. This digital LED-UV hybrid printer offers a variety of applications and will print on ACP, foam, board, flute board, glass, ceramic tiles, wood, and on a wide range of vinyl and flexible media. Although capable of higher throughput, Eltham’s machine maximises saleable quality by running at 25sqm per hour and uses a CMYK ink configuration, with the option of an additional white ink available as a future upgrade.

“It will print on just about anything as long as it’s less than 35mm thick,” says Terry. “We produce something different every day, whether it’s point-of-sale boards, vinyl banners, outdoor signage or exhibition panels, and the Xenons machine does it all.”

“The new one is faster to run and set up, and we expect it to match the performance and reliability of the machine it is replacing. For me the best thing about the X180 is ease of use; there’s very little maintenance, and to run it, we just press ‘print’ and that’s about it!”

Eltham Digital is a family-run commercial printer operating from a high street premises and serving a diverse client base throughout the London area. It has strong ties to various local businesses especially in the construction industry.