The wide format hybrid Anapurna LED series is a perfect fit for sign shops, digital printers, photo labs and mid-size graphic screen printers that want to combine board and roll-to-roll print jobs. Belgium based company Die Keure recently invested in an Anapurna H2500i LED hybrid printer.
Die Keure has been around since 1942 and is active in offset, digital, screen printing and finishing. They operate Agfa’s Avalon N8-90 platesetter with the Arkana smart processor and Energy Elite Eco printing plates, all powered by Agfa’s Apogee workflow.
Initially specialising in government printing, the company has gradually evolved into a print publishing house with an emphasis on educational, legal and business economics publications. In addition, Die Keure also enjoys worldwide recognition for producing high-quality art publications for renowned art galleries and museums, as well as top-quality magazines and other printed matter.
What is less known, however, is that Die Keure also has an extensive large format printing department, where they carry out the most diverse assignments in both screen and digital printing. Denis Rau, large format manager, added, ‘Years ago, a loyal customer asked if we could also print stickers for them, and we purchased a screen printing installation. If you have such a machine, you can also do other things with it, such as improving book covers, and that’s how the ball started rolling. Today we have a production hall of 2500sqm and we have further evolved from one screen printing device to digital printing, as well as finishing with a Zünd cutting solution. We recently purchased a fully automatic screen printing press, because screen printing is still the best solution for some applications.’
However, Die Keure soon realised that there were also opportunities for digital printing in addition to screen printing. Rau explained. ‘When the same customer then asked whether we could also make POS and other promotional material, the step to digital was easily made. We acquired the first Anapurna about 15 years ago. In the meantime, we are on our fourth machine with the new Anapurna H2500i LED, so that says something about the confidence we have in both Agfa and the equipment. It is again a hybrid solution, with which we can print on rigid substrates as well as roll media. We are on our fourth Anapurna, which shows our confidence in Agfa and the printers.’
The Anapurna is mainly used for small runs of self-adhesives and other promotional material. Rau said, ‘Special items are no problem for us. For example, we helped plate manufacturer Unilin in the promotion of a new type of MDF board, whereby we printed, milled and sent personalised samples to all architects in Belgium. We mainly rely on quality, fast service and word of mouth, because we don’t have a sales team, but our large format department still runs in two shifts.’
To conclude, Rau said the following about the Anapurna and Agfa, ‘The Anapurna printers are robust production machines that do what they are supposed to do. But as with all equipment, sometimes things go wrong and it is good to know that you can count on Agfa’s top service. They have a team of good technicians, and if there happens to be a problem, it gets solved very quickly. For us, that is worth gold.’
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