A case study of N's Sign Co., Ltd. which has installed the JV100-160, was published in the sign industry magazine “Kanbankeiei” , Vol. 33 (June 2024 issue).

The following is the published article in its original form.

One of the best sign and display business startups.
JV100-160 approaches overwhelming cost performance

N's Sign is a sign production company in Sakura-shi, Chiba, newly established in July 2023. Co-presidents Daigo Nishio and Hiroaki Nemoto launched the company after their longtime exhibition and event decoration company went out of business, drawing on the personal connections they had cultivated in their previous jobs. "After the beginning of the year 2023, I was suddenly informed that the company was going to close, and I was at a loss as to what to do. At that time, a client asked me if I would take on a job as an independent contractor, and we decided to start a business with two like-minded people so as not to be confused our clients.," Nishio says. He says that since they had no equipment for the first six months before the company was launched, he really got help from the subcontractors he had been working with for a long time. The company was named N's Sign, taking the initials from both their last names.

Now, one year after starting up, the company is working with a number of design firms and design offices. Specifically, in addition to advertising materials for major department stores and commercial facilities and exhibition-related postings, the company has recently received an increasing number of orders for cut-out letters for office entrances. "With nearly 30 years of on-site experience, we are confident in our ability to finish even the most delicate pasting work." says Nishio. And because the two are a select few, they can handle everything from production to installation, even for unexpected projects, which has earned them the trust of their clients.

The company's first piece of equipment was an entry-level low-solvent machine JV100-160, a laminating machine, and a cutting plotter. All of them are Mimaki products. "From my experience in my previous job, Mimaki is very accommodating to any problems users may have. If we have any problems, they come to us immediately, and for a start-up company like ours, there is no other support as reassuring as that," said Nemoto. From here, we will ask them about the detailed background of installing JV100-160, its usability, and its most attractive features.

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― First, please tell us how you decided to install the JV100-160.

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Nemoto: When I first saw JV100-160 at the showroom of Mimaki's Tokyo office, I was surprised to see that the color reproduction was much higher than I had imagined, even taking into account that it is loaded with orange and light black.

Our customers include designers, and we often receive requests for PANTONE colors, and until now we had to tell our customers that we could not reproduce high-color yellow and orange. We had high expectations that this machine would solve all of these problems at once.

Nishio: We have many projects with short delivery times, so it was absolutely essential for us to bring production in-house as quickly as possible. We wanted to have a complete lineup of printers, laminators, and plotters, and Mimaki's "Three Sacred Treasures Campaign*" was a great opportunity for us. We had confidence in Mimaki, so there was no reason not to take advantage of their offer. Not only did they greatly reduce our initial costs, but they also took into consideration our desire to get the system up and running as quickly as possible, and we were happy that the complete set was ready in less than two weeks after we placed the order.

*Past promotion that offer reduced installation cost of JV100-160, the purchase of the CG-130FXII Plus and LA-140W Plus as a set of three offers even greater savings.

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― How is the usability of the machine after its introduction?

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Nishio: JV100-160 dries ink quickly and consumes less ink. In my experience, running costs are reduced by 30% or more. I think the reason for this is that compared to other companies' machines, JV100-160 can produce high density even with a smaller amount of ink in one shot. The smell also flies away quickly, otherwise it would be hard to explain.

Nemoto: In fact, since the introduction of the machine, we have not had to redo even one sample, and we have been able to easily obtain OKs from customers who are particular about color. I am relieved that I no longer have to say, "This color is the best I can do." It is a great thing that even advertisements in which the model's face is fully visible can now easily pass confirmation.

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― You feel that both initial and running costs are cost-effective.

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Nishio: About 70% of our clients are design office, so we cannot install a printer simply because it is inexpensive. Being able to provide output that satisfies the client is a prerequisite.

We want to do work that will please our clients, but at the same time, we want to keep our start-up capital investment low. We feel that JV100-160 is the one that can cover both. I don't think there is any other entry-level model in the sign industry with better specifications than this one.

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― What is the outlook for the future?

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Nemoto: With the recent price hikes of various materials, we are happy to be able to greatly reduce the cost of lining output materials. After all, there is nothing better than being able to secure profits without raising prices for customers. In addition to this, we would like to further increase the number of jobs related to exhibitions and events, where we have always been strong, by taking advantage of the potential of the JV100-160, which can output and install in a short period of time.

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