Digital Output - April 2008 - (Page 32)

BIGraphics is a large format print service bureau producing a full range of banners, POP, trade show displays, and fleet graphics. The 11-year old firm discovered the need for a cutter after the purchase of the ColorSpan 72UVR flatbed UV printer two years ago. “I knew that if we wanted to move more aggressively into POP, we would have to be able to effectively cut out unusual shapes,” Merrick says. Initially, Merrick’s son-in-law built a computer-aided router from scratch. The 4x8-foot flatbed router was a “little crude” Merrick admits, but it did initially suffice for the work it was handling. “It was enough to get us into the shape business,” he says. Since the graphics had to be aligned manually, Merrick realized the need for a fully automated system. “We knew it wasn’t a matter of adding more people, we needed a flatbed router with automatic registration,” he says. The intent, Merrick says, was to ease the burden on the finishing staff, to reduce operating costs and, crucially, and add flexibility to his business. The firm purchased an M-3000 flatbed cutter from Gerber Scientific last year. “It was very easy to set up,” Merrick relates. “We had it going virtually minutes of getting it in. It’s taken a load off the individuals in the finishing room and it’s gotten me bigger, better, faster,” he continues. The firm now uses the Gerber for all of its rectangular and multi-copy cutting, Merrick notes. One of the early and pleasant surprises, Merrick says, was the ability to create custom packaging on the M-3000. “We can now cut our own corrugated boxes and scale the box to fit the graphic we’re shipping. That’s been exciting.” The firm also puts the router to use making easel backs for larger graphics, as well as hanging bars and related add-ons. “It’s just made our shop much more productive,” Merrick says. “That’s the best thing I can say about it. The packaging and corrugated boxes—we would never have been able to readily buy them” in the shapes we needed, he says. The M-3000’s contour cutting helped grow the retail POP business, Merrick asserts. Bringing on the M3000, which is no small investment, also aligned with his philosophy of staying ahead of the technology curve—and thus keeping ahead of competitors. “We’ve been aggressive in marketing, especially over email. We now have three HP Designjet 9000s, the ColorSpan, and I just installed a Fujifilm Acuity HD 2504 flatbed UV printer—which really generates superior print quality,” Merrick says. All Terrain BIGraphics’ specialty is fleet, POP, and exterior displays. It uses a Gerber M-3000 system to rout a variety of applications success. “We’ve grown 20 percent per year for the past five years,” says owner and founder David Merrick. The firm stakes its reputation on “doing what we say we’re going to do, when we say we are going to do it,” Merrick shares. However, such rapid growth put a strain on the business. “The guys in the finishing room needed help,” he says. Like many digital print businesses, McFarland, WI-based Brandboxx Display Graphics saw an acute need to bolster its cutting/routing capabilities with the purchase of a UV flatbed—the 63-inch Inca Spyder 320 digital UV press with white ink— a little over a year ago. The 16-year-old Brandboxx styles itself as an “allterrain” printer, producing the full range of trade show, retail, display, and fleet graphics digitally on a companies mentioned RS# 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 Circle 15 on FREE Product Info Card COMPANY Adobe Systems Incorporated Fujifilm Graphic Systems U.S.A., Inc. Gerber Scientific Products, Inc. Hewlett-Packard Inca Digital Printers Kongsberg/Esko Artwork KUTRITE Solutions Inc. MGE, Inc. Mimaki USA, Inc. Zünd WEB SITE www.adobe.com www.fujifilmgs.com www.gspinc.com www.hp.com www.incadigital.com www.esko-graphics.com www.kutritesolutions.com www.mge-us.com www.mimakiusa.com www.zund.com 32 Digital Output April 2008 www.digitaloutput.net http://www.adobe.com http://www.fujifilmgs.com http://www.gspinc.com http://www.hp.com http://www.incadigital.com http://www.esko.com http://www.kutritesolutions.com http://www.mge-us.com http://www.mimakiusa.com http://www.rollemusa.com http://www.zund.com http://www.digitaloutput.net http://www.digitaloutput.net

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Digital Output - April 2008

Digital Output - April 2008

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