South London based McKenzie Clark, the UK’s leading retail display specialist, has recently upgraded its wide format roll to roll printer to a Durst Rho 320R. The new machine works alongside the company’s Rho 800 UV flatbed and is designed to provide a more economical and environmentally friendly alternative to Fujitrans.

Graham Clark, Managing Director of McKenzie Clark, said: “We produce about 60,000m² of Fujitrans a year, mainly for our cosmetic clients who, naturally, demand the highest quality. For some time they have been asking for a more environmentally friendly and lower cost alternative. Although the quality of inkjet printing has been getting progressively better, until the Rho 320R came along, it has not offered a similar quality or matched the productivity as the Lambda. The Rho 320R has the 6 colour option and the quality of skin-tones and graduations is extremely good. We will obviously continue to use the Lambda but now we can offer a cost effective alternative using a 100% Polyester opal film. There are also the added benefits that the UV inkjet printed film is more durable and less open to damage during installation, particularly to clients installing themselves. With the white ink printing option we can provide white text or white underprint to create an opalescent effect. This is particularly useful on glass manifestation project and results printed on optically clear film called Madico Clearlite are simply superb. Many of our retail and interior clients are using this on shop windows and interior glass partitioning.”

“We have, and will continue to invest heavily in eco-friendly technology,” continued Graham Clark. “We are introducing a range of sustainable materials which are available for use in all aspects of our work, and are working with customers to assist in their understanding of the source, manufacturing and disposal requirements of display materials. The recession has possibly slowed the uptake of eco-friendly production as the media often carries a higher price. However, we were recently asked to produce the display at the World Retail Congress, which was designed to set a new benchmark in the presentation of such events, using recycled and recyclable materials and the lowest possible carbon footprint. The resultant display printed on our Rho 800 underwent a Carbon Smart Audit to establish its very low carbon footprint and measure the benefits of recycling. We have also been awarded 14001 Accreditation and the company has set an object to provide quotations for work to all our customers by 2010 which will automatically include an eco-friendly alternative.”     

“There were several factors that affected our choice of the Rho 320R. Durst themselves are heavily committed to manufacturing eco-friendly machines: Durst Rho Inks are the only certified UV inks in the world that are totally free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and recently Durst roll printers, using its UV ink, have been awarded the Nordic Swan environmental standard. As well as being able to print on a much wider range of media than our last machine, it can also prints very successfully onto fabrics which, once again, is more eco-friendly than dye sublimation. There is a growing requirement for fabric graphics and one we specifically use is called Dynaflex, which Durst introduced to us. It is slightly flexible which allows it to be mounted in simple fames. We also have an exclusive contract with a wallpaper manufacturer to print very durable, high quality wallpaper for commercial use such as hotels and hospitals, where there is a class 0 fire rating and anti-bacterial requirement.”

“Other benefits we have experienced include its high productivity and reliability; we have the built-in texting facility which gives us the ability to run the machine unattended. Its multi roll media function allows us to run two 1.5m rolls side by side and this effectively doubles its output. Also it is easy to calibrate and extremely consistent in colour reproduction, which is vitally important for cosmetic work. Although the Lambda process is self-replenishing, with the quantity of Fujitrans we are processing, we still have to do three colour calibrations a day and subtle inconsistencies are impossible to avoid. The Rho on the other hand is totally consistent, so if we want to reprint a job we know that the colour match will be perfect.”

“The Rho 320 complements our Rho 800 flatbed. Both have comparable quality of output and high productivity. Since its installation, the Rho 800 has produced the widest range of work including most recently, graphics for River Island’s 57 retail stores and the largest hoarding ever produced in this country. This was to surround the 2012 Olympics site and comprised 3,400 (1.5m x 3m) panels totalling 5km in length! In fact, the demand for printed hoardings is increasing and used for a number of different applications ranging from new developments to brightening closed high street retail outlets. We have been awarded the contract for Land Securities for all of their retail hoardings around the UK and one of the reasons we won the contract was our commitment to print on eco-friendly materials and recycle or dispose of the material in a green way.”

What future developments do you predict for the business?
“The large format market has generally held up during the recession,” replied Graham Clark. “In fact, we have taken on eight staff over the last six months and we forecast a double-digit growth over the next two years. However, clients’ budgets have often been cut during the poor economic climate but they would still like to have the same volume of work produced! So that has put pressure on increasing output and lowering production costs. Another reason for the choice of the Durst Rhos, the 800 and 320R, is that apart for their already high productivity and reliability, they are both capable being upgraded to double their speed. This is important for us as space and salaries in London are at a premium. Rather than adding space and machines as our business grows, we would prefer to stay with two machines that can be made even more productive.”

“Also, we believe that, inevitably, there will be legislation on environmental issues particularly concerning the disposal of waste and the recyclability of printed material. We intend to be well prepared for that day.”

For more information on McKenzie Clark, telephone: 020 7213 6070 or visit www.mckenzieclark.co.uk