Agfa Makes Buying Decision Easy for Imagink

Maidstone, UK-based Imagink has purchased an Agfa Jeti Tauro H3300 UHS high speed print engine, making them Agfa’s latest new customer. The machine was installed on the 18th of November 2024 and the smooth and straightforward purchasing process provided by the Agfa team was key to making the sale.

Imagink was established in 2009 in Aylesford as a print management company, initially focusing on proofing and project managing print for a small group of clients. Fueled by the growth of a national carpet retailer client at that time, they quickly invested in their first two printers, both Fuji Acuity engines. By 2017, they had also invested in a 2-metre-wide Durst P10 engine.

As of 2023, their business had grown organically to achieve a steady turnover of £2.2 million. They now employ 18 people and have developed a varied client base, primarily fulfilling point-of-sale (POS) requirements, including window vinyl’s and numerous building hoardings. However, by 2023, they were outgrowing their 2,500 sq ft premises in Aylesford, making a move necessary to support their growth projections and accommodate their need for additional print equipment.

The unfortunate closure of Speedscreen in Maidstone provided an opportunity to relocate to a facility that offered 14,000 square feet of production and office space, along with additional equipment that was already installed at the site. Consequently, the move to Maidstone began in late 2023 and was completed in August 2024, just in time for the arrival of the new Agfa Jeti Tauro machine, which replaced their eight-year-old Durst print machine.

“Our previous printer had served us well, but it was getting old, and we needed a machine with greater speed and capacity to meet the demands of our growing business and enable us to quote for work we had previously turned away,” said Mike Saunders, owner of Imagink.

“When we visited the print show in Amsterdam in 2023, Agfa was the first stand we encountered as we entered the hall. Initially, I wasn’t considering Agfa for a replacement machine, but the Tauro model on display caught my attention, so we took a closer look. We arranged a demo and later visited an Agfa customer who was already using a Tauro in their operations. We felt it had a distinct advantage over other options in the market.

"What truly made the difference for us was the seamless buying process we experienced. From our initial viewing of the machine to the time it was installed, Agfa made everything easy. We interacted with many different people at Agfa throughout the process; all were professional and knowledgeable and provided us with prompt information that guided us at every stage. It was a significant investment for us, but Agfa understood our concerns and made our decision straightforward."

The Agfa Jeti Tauro H3300 is a UV LED wide-format inkjet printer designed for both rigid and flexible media. These heavy-duty printers are capable of handling extreme workloads, supporting multiple shifts, and operating continuously 24/7. Featuring rapid UV LED curing technology and utilizing low ink consumption with GREENGUARD-certified inks, the printers provide energy savings, cost efficiency, and ecological benefits, helping print businesses reduce their carbon footprints.

The UHS model within the Imagink range offers six colours, along with white and primer, and is equipped with eight rows of print heads. This is the latest model of the Tauro series, which now features the newly introduced Flex Roll to Roll system.

“We are currently on track for sales of £3.4 million this year," Sanders says, "which marks a significant increase compared to last year. With the Agfa Tauro, we have a machine that will help us achieve this growth now and in the future. The installation and training for this new printer went smoothly, and our production team appreciates the simplicity of both the machine and the Asanti RIP and Print software.

"We are already seeing substantial benefits from this latest investment. The Agfa ink is less expensive, and the Tauro is energy-efficient because it uses LED curing instead of UV curing, while also operating at a much faster pace. Just today, we quoted a job that we had to turn down for the past three years due to our lack of competitiveness. This new capability allows us the choice to print all our requirements in-house if needed. We are very satisfied with this purchase and the quality of output it provides.”