Wall stickers are at the heart of Somerset-based Chris and Rachael Parkins’ business. Parkins Interiors now employs six people and has grown into one of the UK's leading suppliers of wall stickers and accessories geared towards the domestic market.

Having originally created its output on a Canon machine, the company decided to upgrade to an HP Latex 360 from Stanford Marsh Group Graphics in order to boost its productivity and the designs on offer on their website.

Chris Parkins explains: “I found SMGG online whilst searching for a solution to our printing needs. Much of our work involves the creation of stickers for children's rooms and therefore eco-solvent was out of the question due to the long gassing out process and the solvent elements of the ink.

“Similarly, aqueous printers were not up to the challenge as the prints were not durable and would not stand up to sticky fingers. We wanted a printer which could produce durable, scratch-resistant prints that would stand up to toddlers. We needed an alternative solution and SMGG came up with the amazing new HP Latex range.”

Parkins Interiors currently prints onto self-adhesive vinyl to produce a range of wall stickers, which include designs for families, girls, and designs with flowers and twirls, while developing a mural and wallpaper range with a view to selling the products wholesale to other retailers.

“What's great is the print is suitable for outdoor applications—thereby affording our business greater opportunities in the future,” says Chris. “Furthermore, there is a huge range of suitable media for these inks and the print quality is far greater than the equivalent eco-solvent or solvent printers.”