Christchurch-based Adgraphix produces the full range of wide format printing, from signage, trade show and retail displays to vehicle graphics, soft signage, and old-fashioned signwriting as well as high-end print production.
Jeff Gibson, a screenprinter and Scott Shore, a signwriter, founded the company 25 years ago. They have built a solid reputation with quality printing and customer service. Jeff says, “We have diverse a range of clients, many local and several nationwide. Most of our clients give us print ready work so production is our core business. Many clients are designers themselves.”
Recently, Adgraphix installed the country’s first HP Latex 2700 printer, supplied through Aarque. Jeff says, “We have several HP wide format machines including an HP 800 and HP R2000. This is an upgrade. HP builds reliable machines and we really got a good run out of the HP printer that the HP Latex 2700 printer replaces.
“The installation went smoothly. HP flew an engineer over from Barcelona, Spain and one from Sydney. The HP Latex 2700 printer arrived on the Tuesday, and we were up and running on the Thursday. Our operators are quite well versed on the new kit. To start with, we will use it to mainly produce billboard and PVC-free banner products, as well as high volume self adhesive jobs.”
HP says its 3.2m wide HP Latex 2700 printer takes production efficiency to the next level, offering vivid colours at up to 89 square metres per hour via symmetrical double printheads, which come equipped with automatic printhead cleaning technology. It enables you to take on high-margin jobs with 30 per cent wider gamut at high speed, preserving media gloss and feel across a range of signage and décor applications including thin films, vinyl and paper.
The new printer takes HP Eco-Carton cardboard–based ink cartridges that reduce plastic by using one hundred per cent recycled and recyclable cardboard containers, as well as recycled plastics from HP’s closed-loop recycling process, including post-consumer beverage bottles and U-validated ocean-bound plastics.
Jeff says, “You can achieve so much with the latest HP digital technology. The HP Latex 2700 printer’s quality is up there with all of HP’s other platforms. We have high expectations in terms of the quality of products we deliver to our customers, and we spend a great deal of time and effort getting things right. We complete all our printing profiles and colour calibration in-house. The HP Latex 2700 printer falls in line with all our other HP gear, which means we have colour consistency across different machines.
“It is printing billboards right now and we are building our own profiles with it. So far, what we have seen of the machine is excellent and speed wise, it surpasses our older platform. The HP Latex 2700 printer offers so many benefits with operator functionality, which come from HP innovations in the new technology.”
Service and support
The HP Latex 2700 printer is not the company’s only New Zealand first. In 2018, Adgraphix installed the country’s first HP R2000 Latex wide format printer. Jeff says, “There was a time, we would have felt quite apprehensive about having the first printer. However, this no longer fazes us because we know we have the service and support we need.
“We have enjoyed a strong relationship with HP going back 20 years. For us, having the faith that if something goes wrong, they will back us up is important. We have a really good relationship with Aarque, having known Leo and Jason Bult from our early days. They gave us a lot of help then and we see them as good friends.
“When Scott and I started the company, digital was coming along and we took a punt. We are pleased we did, although looking back, the past 25 years seems a bit of a blur. It feels like we started out only yesterday.
“Aarque has quite a strong team and the local Aarque salespeople are definitely reactive to our needs. In this industry, everyone wants everything yesterday, so it is good have a strong supplier behind us knowing they will support us with everything from hardware to inks and from rolls to flat sheets.”
