Cameron Vines, Jozsef Farkas, Ella Howell, Kevin Gentry, Tony Smith, founder and MD.

Boosting its capability to produce large format graphics and personalised branding for the hospitality and events sector

CMYUK, Shrewsbury: Wokingham-based Image-Corporate has boosted its production capability, investing in a Canon Colorado 1630 large format graphics printer from CMYUK. The roll-to-roll UV LED printer features UVgel inks making it ideal for producing counter graphics and wallcoverings for the hospitality and catering sector. Image-Corporate will also use the new machine for printing vinyl wraps to create personalised branding for its innovative portable Rapidbar units.

“From the moment I saw the Colorado, I was impressed,” said Image-Corporate MD, Tony Smith. “The quality, speed and versatility make it ideal for our requirements” he says, adding: “We specialise in creating branding for the hospitality and catering sector and with inks being UV, we can laminate straight away saving us a lot of time. Prints are really durable too which makes them ideal for wallcoverings and signage in catering environments where we do a lot of work.”

As Canon doesn’t sell the 1630 printer direct, Tony had to find a channel partner. “I receive marketing material regularly from CMYUK and we also buy materials from them so we have an established relationship which made our buying experience with them seamless,” he says.

From small to large
Image-Corporate was founded in 1990 as a graphic design agency. As client requirements have grown the company has expanded its capability, now offering AutoCAD and Rhino design 3D services. The company also has an extensive production capability being able to print small and large format graphics, CNC routing, laser cutting and 3D printing services, all in-house.

“Having our own production facility means we have complete control over the quality, timescales and costs of what we produce which gives us maximum flexibility to meet our clients’ brief,” says Tony.

Image-Corporate has also developed a portable RapidBar unit which can be tailored by hospitality and events companies to create an instant event, promotion or revenue generating opportunity – indoors or outdoors - personalised with the client’s branding.

Portable and compact, RapidBars are vinyl wrapped with pin-sharp durable graphics and come with a wheelie case for easy transportation and storage.

Graphics for the RapidBars are produced on the Canon 1630 using a customer’s own artwork, or Image-Corporate can create bespoke graphics. Graphics can also be produced as magnetic panels which are interchangeable, allowing the RapidBar branding to be changed within seconds. “This makes it really versatile and cost effective for catering businesses, especially as RapidBars can be used outdoors as well,” Tony says.

Colorado 1630 high quality versatility
The Colorado 1630 is a fully modular UVgel dedicated roll printer for large format graphics. The UVgel inks combine quality, high productivity and extensive versatility making it suitable for a wide range of applications including backlit, banners, exhibition graphics, floor graphics, retail POS, soft signage and wall graphics. Fast output speeds and instant drying, means finishing can happen immediately.

The base system can be configured to current needs and as volumes grow, can be updated in the future. Options include matt and gloss printing, double-sided printing, and a second media roll. These upgrades can be carried out remotely on-demand, without the need of a service visit.

The Colorado family of printers has been engineered from the ground up, designed for unattended printing and effortless job switching. It handles multiple jobs and can cope with a wide range of media including thin and heat sensitive up to 64-ins inches width. Reduced ink and energy requirements drive down running costs too, while inbuilt printhead reliability and low maintenance optimise uptime.

For Tony, its reputation for consistent colour has certainly lived up the hype.

“We rarely need to calibrate the printer; it just gets on with it. The Colorado 1630 is a reliable robust piece of equipment that outputs really good quality.

“Over the past 23 years, we’ve been led by our customers. We’ve given them what they’ve wanted – high quality output, fast turnaround, and really good service. The investment in the Colorado 1630 continues in this tradition and further enhances all that we do.”