Curtis assesses the benefits of Fujifilm’s Acuity LED 1600

Packaging Solutions

Curtis Print & Packaging has been specialising in high end packaging for the last ten years. As part of a full service offering to its customers, the company invested three years ago in a Fujifilm Acuity LED 1600 to produce ultra high quality prototypes to show customers exactly what their finished product will look like.

‘At Curtis Print & Packaging, we pride ourselves on the delivery of beautifully designed and manufactured packaging, produced in an environmentally friendly way,’ said managing director James Williams. ‘We provide a full service to our customers, from consultation through to final production and delivery, so it is important that every step along the way displays our commitment to quality and sustainability.’

After joining the company ten years ago, James helped Curtis embark on a new era of packaging services. Founded in 1938, the company had spent many decades producing basic packaging for its customers. It now offers high quality packaging to a variety of markets, such as the beauty sector. As the focus turned, so did the need for improved sales tools that could reflect Curtis’s capabilities in that market and three years ago, a visit to the Fujifilm stand at Fespa helped it make a change to its business.

‘We had always offered a prototype service to active and potential customers,’ said James. ‘But we used to have to outsource the work to local digital printers and we found the quality was never quite to the standard we were looking for. That, and our desire to have more control over our work, meant we started looking for a printer that would allow us to bring prototyping in-house and accurately display the true quality of the packaging we can offer. This meant having a printer that could print on to different surfaces, rigid or flexible, whilst providing a high quality finish that didn’t compromise on speed or impinge on our sustainable methods.

‘In 2014, I went to Fespa in Munich to try to find a printer that would suit our needs and that is when the Acuity caught my eye. I could see how it would fit in with our business ethics and, with its excellent print quality and versatility, it was an easy decision.’

Since the installation, the machine has consistently impressed his customers. James said, ‘Ultimately, our customers choose us because they want packaging that stands out. The feedback we get from them when they see prototypes of their packaging is always positive. Whereas in the past we had to offer caveats with our prototypes – explaining that the finished product would be much better – the quality now makes a real impact and gives the customer a very good idea of how the finished product will look.’

‘The Acuity has certainly delivered everything we wanted it to in terms of the quality of print,’ he continued. ‘On top of that, its versatility in terms of its ability to handle many different types of substrate, including plastics, is a big plus. The varnish printing is also a great feature that allows us to produce some very elegant examples for our customers. When you’re in the business of high quality packaging, you need to be able to show customers a high quality prototype. We can now do this in-house with complete flexibility, which means that we have been able to secure new customers and, ultimately, grow our business.’