Loop Print Ltd- Mimaki UCJV300-160

Written by Aaron Burton on July 23rd 2018

Loop Print Limited have over half a century of experience and are a company that has always strived to be one step ahead of the competition, fully committed to innovative printing techniques. At Sabur Digital, we are delighted and proud to be working with them as both companies have a passion for print.

Both are Yorkshire-based companies, but it was a meeting at the Sign & Digital UK 2018 Exhibition at the NEC in April this year – where Sabur were exhibiting – that started what looks to be a fruitful working relationship between Loop and Sabur.

Sabur’s Joe Preddy takes up the story…..

“Yes, we had a big presence at the exhibition and Chris Gray the MD at Loop came along and explained about his company, what their needs were and what he felt was needed to improve production in this part of their company.

He mentioned that he printed a lot of POS posters and with his current Eco solvent wide format printer he would have to wait twenty hours for the prints to gas off and dry before being able to trim and finish them. This was causing an issue on short turn-around jobs that are so common in a fast-paced printing industry. I was in no doubt that we had just the piece of equipment to eradicate this problem for Loop Print………”

Loop print litho, digital and large format work with a full complement of finishing equipment and full in-house design studio. Their core services are general commercial print, but with a heavy nod towards producing top end work and work that is not easily achievable at a conventional printers. That is why a quick solution was needed. So, just a week after the exhibition, Chris and Richard from Loop Print visited Sabur HQ for a demo of the Mimaki UCJV300-160 in action.

“I think it’s fair to say that they were blown away by the quality it produced”, states Joe, before adding, “Not only did it come off dry, it also had an increased scratch-resistant finish, allowing them to re-evaluate the need to laminate everything.”

From very humble beginnings, Loop Print Limited have gone through over fifty years of continual growth, change, and diversification, and in the words of MD Chris Gray “have always tried to keep our noses in front”. Today, they are based in modern 16000 sq ft premises in Sheffield, service a huge spectrum of businesses, but are aimed mainly at the creative and advertising sector.

A few years ago, Loop took the decision to go H-UV with their main litho press to differentiate them from the competition. Apart from sheets coming off the press immediately ready for post press operations, it allows the company to print on a range of substrates and gauges including plastics, PVC’s and polypropylenes that are simply not an option for most printers.

I asked Chris just why the Mimaki UCJV300-160 caught his eye…..

“Well, we spotted straight away that at 1600mm wide the UCVJ300-160 would not only take the place of our solvent printer but also our flat-bed printer too, and all the issues and problems that came with that machine.

The beauty of this piece of kit is that the UV-LED instant drying allows us to leave jobs running on the take-up roller without potential problems of gassing and spoilage due to sticking and set off. The quality of reproduction is quite superb and the stability of the ink on the substrate is totally bullet proof. Using white on a conventional solvent machine has in the past been hard work because of the ink composition. With the UV-LED inks that problem has gone.”

With unparalleled media versatility, low running costs, integrated cutting and LED UV Print Technology, it’s clear that the Mimaki UCJV300-160 is far more than just the new kid on the printing block. And the great thing about working with Sabur Ink is that not only do you get market-leading equipment, you get the very best customer service, too. It’s something that’s important to Loop…..

“Yes, after we met Sabur at the exhibition, straight away it became obvious that they weren’t just another set of ‘box shifters’, who would install and then leave us for dead without support, as has been the case with some suppliers we have previously used. And whilst this is a brand new machine to us, the potential is varied and extensive – with window graphics and back lit graphics just two new avenues to explore. Die cutting in line is nothing new to us as we have it on our existing equipment, but this in conjunction with the immediate drying is a very potent tool.”

Being at the forefront in your sector is all about not just staying in the loop, but creating your own: Something that, with Sabur Digital Ltd’s help, Loop will no doubt be continuing to do.