Belfast-based print operation Mad Colour has purchased an HP Stitch S1000 dye sublimation printer from RA Smart, allowing it to bring work in house and significantly grow its business.
Set up in 1977 as a general commercial printer, a large part of Mad Colour’s offering is now in large-format print, with the company having several HP machines as well as an EFI Vutek GS3200 printer, but was still having to outsource some work to a third-party. To address this, the company opted to invest in an HP Stitch S1000 in April 2023. The purchase has allowed the company to bring previously outsourced textile work in house, taking greater control over production as a result.
Mad Colour managing director Jamie McMinnis said, ‘We are using the machine to create products such as flags, air mesh banners, tablecloths, fabric frames and event backdrops,. We already offered these products via a third-party supplier, but the purchase means we can now do it all in house.
‘The printer means that we have better control of the supply chain, have reduced the risk of logistical complications and are better in tune with the very time-sensitive event and hospitality markets.’
Mr McMinnis added, ‘We now offer the most advanced dye sublimation print facility in Northern Ireland, meaning we can remove carriage costs and reduce lead times by the time taken to ship products from mainland UK or Europe to the local market. We can now offer customers in Northern Ireland the best quality fabric prints without compromise.’
