Supplied by Rayleigh, Essex-based distributor RSR (Repro Sales & Repairs) and installed in January, the machine replaced an ageing Agfa Anapurna that according to Jeff Chaplin, managing director of the Southend business, had reached the end of its working life.

“The Agfa had got to the point where it needed a lot of maintenance, and the desired quality output was hard to achieve. 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,” he said.

“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!”

Urban Print and Design has strong ties to the leisure industry and lists several theatres as regular clients, but its sign work comes from a wide range of customers.

“The Gibson needs to be versatile. Corex, foam, Foamex, solid plastic board, acrylic, banners, posters, roller banners are the usual jobs, but it will print on almost anything up to 40mm thick,” said Chaplin.

“This machine increases the maximum output size from 2m to 3.2m which expands our product range.”

The Gibson 3200 uses LED UV inks suitable for indoor and outdoor applications, and 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 Chaplin.

Urban Print and Design employs 25 staff and has a turnover of around £2.4m.