A case study of Flower Co., Ltd. which has installed the JV330-130, was published in the sign industry magazine “Kanbankeiei” , Vol. 34 (August 2024 issue).

The following is the published article in its original form.

Colors that commercial print company can give their stamp of approval, JV330's performance astonishes professionals
- The reason why it is chosen for new business startups -

Headquartered in Sumida, Tokyo, Flower is a printing company that originated in light offset, and since its establishment in 1989 has consistently used its ability to handle small lots and spot color as its own weapon. In 2011, the company introduced on-demand printing presses to enhance full-color printing, including photographs. The company has received high praise from clients for its technological capabilities, including the use of digital printing to achieve gold and silver foil stamping, and has taken on numerous jobs from other printing companies in the same industry. In April 2024, the Sign Media Division was created to try new business areas. The whole set of a printer, cutting plotter, and laminator were installed. We will follow the first step of the new business under the "All Mimaki System".

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— Please tell us about your new entry into the sign market.

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With demand for printed materials continuing to decline, we wondered what we could do to expand the scope of our business and make the most of what we have been doing. We turned to the field of signage. When we were asked by one of our major clients if we could be entrusted to handle their event-related decorative materials, we felt that we had to make a decision at this point in time.

When installing the equipment, we wanted to have a complete lineup of machines essential for sign production so that we could maintain the short delivery times that are one of our strengths and be able to respond to unexpected projects. That is why we decided to go with Mimaki, a company that can provide everything in-house and has a wealth of experience. I contacted Mimaki immediately, and was impressed by their very thorough and detailed explanations.

— I see, because it is a new business, you wanted to ensure that the equipment was made by the same reliable manufacturer.

That's right. We had heard from our competitors that Mimaki is very generous with their support, so we relied on that, but the results were beyond our expectations. After the introduction of Mimaki, they interviewed us about our business and suggested "you can do something like this", and we quickly achieved the in-house production of stickers that we had previously outsourced. I was surprised at how much they contributed, as if they were an employee of our company lol.

Although we were unfamiliar with the solvent machine, we are now very comfortable using it because of this extensive support. Compared to commercial printing, there are really many types of media for sign-related work, and their profiles are innumerable, but they even help us with these troublesome settings as a matter of course.

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— Now, how do you feel about the JV330-130 when you actually use it?

To be honest, I was surprised at how fast it is lol. It is just a feeling, but I have the impression that an A1 poster can be printed in about 5 minutes. At first I thought it could have taken 30 minutes, but it was many times faster than I expected. In addition, the colors are outstanding, which is very refreshing for someone like me who is used to seeing offset prints. We feel that we are able to reproduce the same graphics as on a computer screen, with colors close to RGB. In particular, skin tones come out very smoothly.

Currently, as an extension of our existing business, we are printing large posters on photo-glossy paper. First of all, we would like to have many of our existing customers become aware of the excellent color reproduction that cannot be achieved with offset, and then, starting with posters, we would like to expand our business to signage and car wrapping. In that sense, I am confident that the XY slitter will become indispensable as poster orders grow and the three media changers will eventually come in handy.

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— So you are highly regarded by commercial printing professionals for your ability to express color.

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The colors on the JV330 are incredible. The larger the size of the poster, the more noticeable its quality is. The image quality is also excellent, and I don't notice any roughness at all compared to the printed materials I've handled and seen at eye level. I may be giving it too much credit, but it can be used as a proof. I have been working for many years adjusting color balance based on color swatches, but I think this is the first time I have encountered a machine that prints so smoothly, including the feel of operation.

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