The 3.2m-wide printer, launched at Fespa this year, has an in-built IR fixation unit and is made in Portugal by specialist textile printer manufacturer POD Iberia. It was installed at the Birmingham-based print business two weeks ago. Hollywood Monster sales director Simon McKenzie said: “When customers ask for a particular kind of print, like dye-sub for example, we have to listen. Demand has increased in the past six months and the MTEX 5032 ticked all the boxes for us.” The kit is an addition to existing equipment such as two 5m-wide HP Expedio roll-to-roll machines, a Vutek GS3200, a Mimaki JV33 and an HP Latex machine. Wide-format work by the company, with around 50 staff, includes jobs for museums and vehicles. McKenzie said the firm planned to start by “keeping it simple”, using the MTEX to print onto backlit, display textile and black-out polyester-based textiles. It will be used for short bespoke work, exhibition and retail displays, mostly indoor but a few outdoor applications as well. Features include a printing speed up to 58sqm/hour and a 1,440dpi maximum resolution. One of the first jobs, last week, was for the Birmingham REP Theatre for a production called Tartuffe. A 30m x 9m back-wall graphic had to be lightweight and free of creases. The job took round seven hours to print and five hours to sew together. McKenzie said: “The only way we could do the job was on a 220g fabric and on dye sub so there would be no creasing or UV cracking in the material. Print quality was an important factor and the vibrant colors work really well with the rest of the set.” McKenzie added the wide-format direct-to-textile work perfectly complemented the company’s existing wide-format business and he saw it growing as demand for flexible, lightweight and re-usable visual graphics became commonplace. The MTEX 5032 has four Epson DX5 print heads, a two-litre ink bulk system and four individually controlled temperature sensors, in addition to the IR fixation unit. DPI managing director Stewart Bell said: “No longer do you have to buy a printer and separate calendar – essentially halving production time compared with traditional digital methods. The inbuilt fixation unit saves time, money and wastage. The 5032 offers good quality for the price.” DPI has also supplied an MTEX 5032 to c3imaging in Liverpool and has an order for two at a large-format printer in the south Midlands. Prices range from £65,000 to £140,000 and models also include a superfast 1.8m version and an MTEX 500 adapted for polyamides and lycras....

The 3.2m-wide printer, launched at Fespa this year, has an in-built IR fixation unit and is made in Portugal by specialist textile printer manufacturer POD Iberia. It was installed at the Birmingham-based print business two weeks ago. Hollywood Monster sales director Simon McKenzie said: “When customers ask for a particular kind of print, like dye-sub for example, we have to listen. Demand has increased in the past six months and the MTEX 5032 ticked all the boxes for us.” The kit is an addition to existing equipment such as two 5m-wide HP Expedio roll-to-roll machines, a Vutek GS3200, a Mimaki JV33 and an HP Latex machine. Wide-format work by the company, with around 50 staff, includes jobs for museums and vehicles. McKenzie said the firm planned to start by “keeping it simple”, using the MTEX to print onto backlit, display textile and black-out polyester-based textiles. It will be used for short bespoke work, exhibition and retail displays, mostly indoor but a few outdoor applications as well. Features include a printing speed up to 58sqm/hour and a 1,440dpi maximum resolution. One of the first jobs, last week, was for the Birmingham REP Theatre for a production called Tartuffe. A 30m x 9m back-wall graphic had to be lightweight and free of creases. The job took round seven hours to print and five hours to sew together. McKenzie said: “The only way we could do the job was on a 220g fabric and on dye sub so there would be no creasing or UV cracking in the material. Print quality was an important factor and the vibrant colors work really well with the rest of the set.” McKenzie added the wide-format direct-to-textile work perfectly complemented the company’s existing wide-format business and he saw it growing as demand for flexible, lightweight and re-usable visual graphics became commonplace. The MTEX 5032 has four Epson DX5 print heads, a two-litre ink bulk system and four individually controlled temperature sensors, in addition to the IR fixation unit. DPI managing director Stewart Bell said: “No longer do you have to buy a printer and separate calendar – essentially halving production time compared with traditional digital methods. The inbuilt fixation unit saves time, money and wastage. The 5032 offers good quality for the price.” DPI has also supplied an MTEX 5032 to c3imaging in Liverpool and has an order for two at a large-format printer in the south Midlands. Prices range from £65,000 to £140,000 and models also include a superfast 1.8m version and an MTEX 500 adapted for polyamides and lycras....

The Printing Charity will use the funds, totalling more than £17,000, to continue to provide bursary grants to students on courses related to printing technology and print business management. Set up in 2000, The John Crosfield foundation was registered as a charity by former employees of Crosfield Electronics as a means of keeping the Crosfield name and legacy alive in the printing industry. John Crosfield, who passed away in March 2012 aged 96, pioneered automatic register control and colour scanning technologies for the printing industry with his company Crosfield Electronics, which won 15 Queen’s Awards for Technology and Exports. The Printing Charity is backed by £25m of investments and has set of target of helping three times as many people as it currently supports through training and funding in hardship. Printing Charity chief executive Stephen Gilbert said: “Feelings are a little mixed because the foundation is winding up, but the reason we were chosen was because we are doing something with Print Futures. Last year we put £30,000 into the initiative. “We helped 612 people last year and aim to help 2,000 in 2017. We are very well funded and backed by £25m of investments, so we know we can deliver. Our issue is not raising money but helping more people; we know they are out there, we need to find them.” John Crosfield Foundation chair of trustees and former deputy managing director of Crosfield Electronics Lars Janneryd said: “Over the last 13 years, the foundation has helped 16 students through their degrees to go on to successful careers in the printing industry. We feel it is time to pass this charitable purpose to another organisation. “The Printing Charity, which was established in 1827 and last year gave away over £1m, is well able to do this. The Print Futures Awards, co-sponsored by the charity, give grants to young people aged between 16 and 30. This very much aligns with the aims of the John Crosfield Foundation.”...

A number of sources told PrintWeek that the locks were changed at the Deptford-based printer’s site on Wednesday, a day before wages were due to be paid, although this was unconfirmed. Speculation has been rife about The Colourhouse in recent weeks, with staff leaving, equipment being put up for sale and suppliers putting the company on stop. Meanwhile, a new company – Colourhouse 2013 – was registered at the same address as The Colourhouse on 1 October 2013. Colourhouse directors Randle White, Lee Reeves and David Arkell were all listed as directors of the new business, together with David Crowe and Michael O’Halloran. When contacted by PrintWeek on 16 October, Arkell initially denied knowledge of Colourhouse 2013 before stating that there were no plans to use the new company. Subsequent attempts to contact The Colourhouse went unanswered. PrintWeek understands that the company’s directors – Randle White, Lee Reeves and David Arkell – had attempted to save the business via a buyout or takeover. However, time appears to have run out this week after Bibby Financial Services filed a notice of intent to appoint administrators at the High Court on 29 October; at the time of writing an administrator had yet to be appointed. A source told PrintWeek: “The directors seem to have worked very hard to find a rescue plan but they have finally run out of options.” The firm installed a new Heidelberg Speedmaster XL106 earlier this year. It was at number 223 in last year’s PrintWeek Top 500 with sales of £10.6m and 83 employees (taken from accounts dated 31/12/2011)....

A number of sources told PrintWeek that the locks were changed at the Deptford-based printer’s site on Wednesday, a day before wages were due to be paid, although this was unconfirmed. Speculation has been rife about The Colourhouse in recent weeks, with staff leaving, equipment being put up for sale and suppliers putting the company on stop. Meanwhile, a new company – Colourhouse 2013 – was registered at the same address as The Colourhouse on 1 October 2013. Colourhouse directors Randle White, Lee Reeves and David Arkell were all listed as directors of the new business, together with David Crowe and Michael O’Halloran. When contacted by PrintWeek on 16 October, Arkell initially denied knowledge of Colourhouse 2013 before stating that there were no plans to use the new company. Subsequent attempts to contact The Colourhouse went unanswered. PrintWeek understands that the company’s directors – Randle White, Lee Reeves and David Arkell – had attempted to save the business via a buyout or takeover. However, time appears to have run out this week after Bibby Financial Services filed a notice of intent to appoint administrators at the High Court on 29 October; at the time of writing an administrator had yet to be appointed. A source told PrintWeek: “The directors seem to have worked very hard to find a rescue plan but they have finally run out of options.” The firm installed a new Heidelberg Speedmaster XL106 earlier this year. It was at number 223 in last year’s PrintWeek Top 500 with sales of £10.6m and 83 employees (taken from accounts dated 31/12/2011)....