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Wahooti, a wide-format specialist based in London, says that the installation of a HP Latex R2000 Plus has enabled it to expand its customer base and increase its presence in industries including construction and balloon printing.
The company, which was founded seven years ago, purchased the new printer through authorised HP reseller Adapt. It joins an HP Latex 800W at Wahooti’s production facility.
Managing director Nicolas Manuel said the HP Latex R2000 Plus has allowed the business to take on a wide range of work and meet the increasing customer demand for greener, more environmentally friendly work. ‘Outsourcing work meant our margins were already getting squashed, but when the pandemic hit, our margins became even tighter, so we decided to invest in our own kit and take work in house instead,’ he said.
‘We have always specialised in office interior work, and as we wanted to continue to focus on this type of high-end work, this led us to invest in the HP Latex R2000 Plus. It’s only been running for a few months, but we can already see it is a great machine; the colour is amazing. I have complete trust in the printer as I know it will always deliver high quality output.’
The Latex printer has allowed Wahooti to explore other applications including in the construction industry and the printing of inflatable balloons. Regarding the latter, Wahooti acquired a latex and foil balloon printing business in lockdown and has since added printed balloons to its wider service offering.
‘The balloon printing business had previously been running a smaller UV flatbed printer that used to do one balloon at a time. We are now using the HP Latex R2000 Plus for this application due to its high production capabilities and latex inks,’ Mr Manuel added. ‘Thanks to the flexible latex inks used by the printer, the inks don’t crack when the balloons are inflated, and you get a much better end result. I love the quality of the HP Latex R2000 Plus; it’s now my favourite machine.’
The MD concluded by highlighting the environmental credentials of the HP machine. ‘All of our clients are expecting us to be as green as possible and there is simply nothing currently available on the market that even comes close to the credentials of the HP Latex R2000 Plus. Running the HP Latex R2000 Plus alongside the HP Latex 800W – which is also a real work horse, has incredible speed and quality, and is eco-friendly – is fantastic for us.’