3 August 2016

SEDO chosen to grow Agfa’s presence in technical and CAD markets

South East Drawing Office (SEDO) is expanding its wide-format print equipment portfolio after its appointment today by Agfa Graphics to join its UK sales channel. The vendor’s experience and excellent standing with businesses in the public sector were of particular interest to Agfa, whose Anapurna range of wide-format print machinery are now available via SEDO’s online and direct sales channels.

“The diversity of print needs in the public sector is expanding,” explains Andy McGuinness, Director, SEDO. “Our clients in government, educational and technical print departments have signalled to us that they need to move beyond plan printing and CAD into new production areas. As a result they’re looking to bring back out-sourcing costs for internal and external signage, or exhibitions, which is driving demand for hybrid and flat-bed wide-format printers in equal measure.”

Steve Collins, Product Marketing and Channel Manager for Agfa UK and Eire, recognises that advances in digital ink-jet now enable wide-format to serve a new user base. “Over the last decade we have seen print houses diversify from wider to narrower formats and vice versa,” he observes. “Agfa is delighted to welcome SEDO, a vibrant and growing business, to its reseller channel, to introduce a new set of businesses to the huge creative potential of the Anapurna series.”

Now available to these customers through SEDO are the Agfa Anapurna H2050i LED and H2500i LED hybrids, at 2.05 and 2.5m respectively, offering highly accurate six-colour imaging at impressive throughput speeds. The LED-based UV-curing provided by these machines extends production onto a broad range of roll-fed and uncoated rigid media, including heat-sensitive substrates that can’t be used with traditional mercury arc curing lamps. Automated board feeding and a multi-board print facility provide significant efficiency to the print environment, supporting the robust build quality and exceptional media handling for which the Anapurna series has become renowned.

For those customers seeking a true flat-bed option, the Agfa Anapurna M2540i FB extends these benefits into a dedicated platform with a top production speed of 93sq m/hour. As with other Anapurna models, the M2540i allows for under- and over-printing of white and other inks in a single run, opening a wealth of niche applications, from hoardings and promotional items to personalised objects, fine art reproductions and decorative products. These materials can be as diverse as aluminium, DVDs, plexiglass, wood, mirror and almost any other material up to 4.5cm thick, creating endless opportunities for creativity for owners.

The Anapurna M2540i is one of the best representations of Agfa’s engineering capability, providing the stability required to achieve flawless registration and dot placement. “The superb structural engineering seen across Agfa’s wide-format range will be of real interest to our public sector customer base in particular,” adds McGuinness. “These are clients with no margin for error, so the consistency of the printer is absolutely key to delivery.”

Also available through SEDO are the 3.2m roll-to-roll Anapurna M3200i RTR and RTR3200i LED and the Anapurna M2050i and M2500i hybrids. For those seeking a more productive, industrial-type solution, SEDO will also be able to direct customers towards the Jeti Mira, sold directly by Agfa. This true flat-bed engine reaches a top speed of 227sq m/hour and carries Agfa’s Print & Prepare technology, whereby operators can load new media to one side of the table while a job is already printing. Available in 1.6 or 3.2m table depths at a width of 2.69m, and with one or two rows of print-heads, the Jeti represents some of the most advanced production capability on offer in the wide-format space today.

“Agfa clearly understands the production demands of a variety of businesses and that shines through the Agfa Anapurna and Jeti ranges,” McGuinness concludes. “Bringing these machines into our portfolio shows that new companies are looking to broaden their creative output. We’re confident that SEDO and Agfa will be a superb partnership, supporting this creativity in the public sector, technical print departments and beyond.”

For more information, please visit http://sedoltd.co.uk/