Metal supplies the aluminium sheets, which are then printed onto using a newly-installed Epson Sure Color F7200 printer and a Monti Antonio Maxi MOD200 industrial heat press. The aluminium is 1mm thick and can be displayed flat, curved or folded after printing, and the sheets have a different make-up to the average metal, and has a specially developed polymer coating for dye-sublimation.

Nick Collinson, managing director of Bang Tidy Clothing, comments: “We have worked with I-Sub for many years, purchasing a large range of equipment from them and we have a strong a mutually supportive relationship. They told us that with the new Monti Antonio Maxi MOD200 heat press we could be a trailblazer in the UK for the metal aluminium solution. We carried out extensive testing and were very impressed with the quality of the finished product and could immediately see that this could open whole new markets for our business.”

Simon Lymn, sales manager at I-Sub, who suggested the solution to Bang Tidy Clothing, explains: “Bang Tidy has built an excellent business based on high-quality dye-sub textile printing, embroidery, and screen printing. The company has fully embraced digital technology and we have supplied them with printers, heat presses, and more for several years. I was very pleased to be able to offer Metal to them and help them to move into this high-value market for large aluminium displays.

“There isn’t anyone else that has the equipment to produce 8 x 4 (2.4m x 1.2m) edge to edge, beautifully glossy, scratch resistant aluminium sheets. We are also helping them identify and target appropriate new markets.”

Bang Tidy Clothing uses Epson technology to create its prints on the aluminium, and the Sure Color F7200 has proved successful for the metal-based printing because of its print heads and software technology and integrated heater. It prints a reverse image onto transfer paper, which is then put through the Monti Antonio and sublimates onto the specialised coating of the Metal aluminium sheets.

The Epson Sure Color F7200

Collinson adds: “The Epson is a great value printer and one that we were very happy to choose. We have used other Epson’s supplied by I-Sub for many years and have always been happy with their quality and reliability, as well as the support that I-Sub has delivered. That consistency is very important to us.

“Here at Bang Tidy Clothing,” concludes Collinson, “we are very excited by the potential opportunities that Metal opens up for us. We firmly believe that there are strong markets for printing large-format aluminium sheets and are very pleased to be the first company to provide this in the UK. We will continue to work with I-Sub to target these markets and aim to build a profitable and successful new dimension to our business.”

If you have an interesting story or a view on this news, then please e-mail news@signlink.co.uk

Follow Genevieve on: