Urban Print installs Gibson flatbed

Wide Format Solutions

Southend’s Urban Print and Design has installed a new Gibson 3200 hybrid roll/flatbed printer from UK distributor RSR. The new machine replaces an ageing machine, which according to managing director Jeff Chaplin had reached the end of its working life.

‘We decided we needed to upgrade to a modern, state of the art machine and when we looked at the market, the Gibson machine from RSR stood out,’ said Jeff.

‘The Gibson had very similar specs and features to machines offered by more well known manufacturers, but at around half the price! It seemed too good to be true, but we did some tests with RSR and were convinced. It seems other manufacturers expect printers to pay a premium just for a badge!’

Although the company has strong ties to the leisure industry and lists a number of theatres as regular clients, Urban Print’s sign work comes from a wide range of customers. ‘The Gibson needs to be versatile,’ said Jeff. ‘Corex, foam, Foamex, solid plastic board, acrylic, banners, posters, roller banners are the usual jobs, but it will print on almost anything up to 40 mm thick. This machine increases the maximum output size from two metres to 3.2 metres which expands our product range.’

The Gibson 3200 uses LED-UV inks suitable for indoor and outdoor applications and is equipped with a raft of features to ensure high quality and productivity. It uses the latest sixth generation Ricoh printheads, which Urban has in a CMYK plus white configuration. ‘Now we have a truly modern machine with the latest technology, we can produce great work more reliably, and much faster. The bottom line is, we can quote more competitively and it has definitely attracted new work for us,’ said Jeff. Buying from RSR has been a positive experience for Jeff Chaplin and his team. ‘We have had several occasions where the company looked after us in a way which is above and beyond expectations, even when it was under no obligation to do so.’