Acuity F & Acuity LED 1600II: Potts Print

Potts Print is a company on the rise. A highly-regarded litho printer with a proud history in the North East spanning nearly a century and a half – Potts recently expanded into wide format digital printing, acquiring large format specialist, Digital XL Services in 2014 and, appointing Digital XL’s owners Iain McDougal and Keith McHugh to head up the new division.

Towards the end of 2014, with a view to accelerating the growth of this new division, Iain, Keith and the rest of the Potts senior management team started looking for high-quality kit to help them achieve this. But they were looking for more than just great kit. They wanted to find a supplier whose complete product portfolio and service proposition demonstrated a clear path for Potts to grow with that supplier as its wide format division expanded.

After six months exploring the market and meeting with manufacturers and suppliers, a visit to Fujifilm’s Advanced Print Technology Centre in Brussels proved pivotal in Potts’ decision to partner with Fujifilm. Says Keith McHugh: “The Brussels visit really opened our eyes to our potential future in wide format. We were there primarily to look at the Acuity F, as we needed a high performance flatbed to meet growing customer demand. We obviously liked what we saw as we ended up buying that machine – a UK first – and we’ve been very happy with it. But the decision to go with Fujifilm wasn’t just about the Acuity F – or any other single machine – but about Fujifilm’s product portfolio as a whole and the support they offer along the way.”

Then the Potts team caught sight of the Acuity LED 1600II: “It was an impulse purchase in a sense,” says McHugh. “This machine was not even on our radar, but we saw it in action in Brussels while looking at the Acuity F and we recognised its potential for running bespoke, short-runs – alongside the longer runs handled by the Acuity F. Together they are a great combination for the business.”

The Acuity F flatbed printer delivers high speed, near photographic image quality prints, producing sizes up to 3m x 2.5m wide, and delivering double-sided printing on irregular or pre-cut substrates up to maximum thickness 50mm. The most productive printer in the popular Acuity series, having been optimised for the efficient and high speed production of rigid media applications.

The Acuity LED 1600II large format LED UV hybrid inkjet printer is designed to give exceptional print results in the most environmentally friendly way. Fujifilm’s unique, purpose-designed ink, printheads and curing system deliver near-photographic quality print at an impressive maximum print speed of 33m2/hr – an increase of more than 50% over the previous model. This version is also able to print white and clear in a single pass, and has enhanced vacuum modes for more difficult materials, such as thin or low-strength films.

Potts Print’s Business Development Director John Conway is also looking forward to establishing Potts as a formidable presence in the wide format digital sector: “With our established range of sheet fed lithographic, short run digital, mailing and fulfilment services, our wide format digital print offering complements and supports our aim to become a ‘one stop’ print solutions company. We work with some powerful brands and have already completed several major projects with them that have included wide format print during 2015. With this latest investment we can now work closely with our clients to deliver a complete project, every time, seamlessly and without compromise on quality or turnaround.”

Says Grahame Megilley, Business Development Manager (Digital Solutions) at Fujifilm UK. “Potts Print have selected two quality products in the Acuity F and Acuity LED 1600II as they begin to expand in earnest into wide format digital, but like them, we see this as merely the first step in a long journey together. From the breadth and quality of the Fujifilm product offering, to the technical support we offer along the way we’re well placed to support Potts as they expand and grow in this rapidly changing sector.”