How one printer replaces two others.

A number of premium retail brands in the sports and fashion sectors as well as department stores and leisure parks are among Hataya's regular customers. The experienced team handles sign and display projects from A to Z: from concept and design to production, finishing, and installation. "Our mission is to make life easier for our customers," explains Mr Yoshikawa, President.

When one of their existing UV printers reached the end of its life cycle and no longer met today's standards and expectations, Hataya invested in a new swissQprint roll to roll printer. In fact, they soon realised that the Karibu would replace not one but two printers and still increase productivity.

The most professional bundle

"As a matter of principle, we invest in state-of-the-art equipment to meet our customers' needs and beyond," says Mr Yoshikawa. In their search for a new printer, the Hataya team looked at different well-known brands. swissQprint impressed them in several ways, as Mr Yoshikawa recalls: "The quality and productivity of the Karibu were outstanding."

Not only did the printer tick all the technical boxes, but swissQprint's service also stood out: From the sampling and testing process to the machine presentation and response time. "Everything was very professional, which gave us the confidence that we had found the perfect printer and the most suitable partner."

Helpful features reduce stress

Mr Shimada, the production manager, saw the effect of the Karibu very soon after it was installed. The team was immediately productive. "The machine is very user-friendly and the operators' stress level has dropped significantly." Loading material is quick and easy thanks to the cassette system. Once set up, the Karibu runs reliably and unattended, regardless of the material: banners, window film, wallpaper or mesh. Mr Shimada explains that since they started using the Karibu, they have been confident to experiment with new materials. "There's so much potential."

Hataya had the dual roll option installed which has already paid off several times: It processes two narrow rolls at the same time, doubling output. "This is particularly helpful when delivery schedules are tight," explains Mr Shimada. He recalls a challenging project that Hataya would never have been able to complete with the previous equipment: "We printed 800 square metres of wallpaper, including relief printing, in a very short time."

The integrated Mesh Kit is another time-saving feature. There is no set-up time at all when changing from conventional roll to roll printing. There is also no cleaning required after mesh or full-bleed printing.

Special effects attract new customers

The Karibu has enabled Hataya to expand its application capabilities. Varnish effects have won over several new customers for poster and window film projects. Another new feature is haptic effects, which the Karibu produces with the highest precision. The printer is also equipped with light colours. These are key when it comes to printing natural skin tones and smooth colour gradients. In addition, one of the nine colour channels runs orange. "This ensures that we can match corporate colours," explains Mr Shimada.

Mr Yoshikawa concludes: "Because swissQprint has a good reputation in the market, it has helped us gain the trust of new customers." He also believes that Hataya's reputation has been enhanced by investing in this Swiss machine.