Lintec Europe has installed a Mimaki UCJV330-160 UV printer cutter at its headquarters in High Wycombe to enhance its sample production, product development and technical support capabilities.
Part of the global Lintec Group, the company manufactures self-adhesive films for architectural window graphics used in commercial interiors, retail environments and corporate spaces. The new printer has been brought in to improve the quality and consistency of printed samples, which play an important role in helping customers evaluate and specify products.
According to Lintec Europe, the performance of the Mimaki system’s white UV ink was a key factor in the investment decision. The company says the improved adhesion, scratch resistance and opacity of the ink provide a more accurate representation of how finished applications will appear.
Andy Voss, managing director of Lintec Europe, said: “Our films are designed to perform at a premium level, so the print quality has to match. The adhesion, scratch resistance and overall punch of Mimaki’s white ink is a significant step forward. When customers are assessing our films, the printed sample has to be an accurate representation of the finished application. We simply cannot compromise on that.”
The importance of white ink reflects changing requirements within the architectural window graphics market, where demand has increasingly shifted towards white fades used to balance privacy and openness in workplace environments. Digital printing enables customised graduated fades that can be tailored to individual projects.
Mr Voss added: “In many contemporary interiors, it is the white layer that defines the design. It controls privacy, light transmission and visual impact. For that reason, the opacity, durability and scratch resistance of the white ink are absolutely critical, particularly when printing onto hard coated films where unprinted areas are designed to remain pristine.”
The UCJV330-160 will primarily be used to produce samples in-house, enabling Lintec Europe to respond more quickly to customer requests while maintaining control over print quality. Its integrated print-and-cut workflow will also allow the company to create finished samples that closely reflect real-world installations.
Lintec Europe will also use the printer to support product development, testing films developed in Japan before their release to the European market. In addition, the installation strengthens the company’s technical support offering by giving its team hands-on experience with a platform widely used by print service providers producing window graphics.
