New Wide-Format Printer, Cutter Bring Work In-house at UNT

Bringing jobs back in-house is never a bad thing. For the University of North Texas (UNT) Printing and Distribution Solutions department, the addition of a Mimaki JFX200-2513 wide-format flatbed press in May and a Colex SX-1631 Sharpcut flatbed cutter in July let the in-plant do exactly that, bringing back work lost to overseas printers.

For years, hang tags for the UNT Athletics department were outsourced because the Denton, Texas-based in-plant simply couldn’t produce them. Now, the shop can print the hang tags double-sided and cut them on the Colex cutter. The Athletics department loves them because the turnaround time has decreased dramatically, Director Lora Connaughton says. 

“It was a plus for them because we turned them around in just a few days when they needed them for a football camp,” she says. “It’s bringing in revenue we wouldn’t have had because we couldn’t turn it as quickly with outsourcing.”

Chach Hernandez runs the new Colex cutter at UNT.

UNT Printing and Distribution Solutions has had wide-format capabilities for years, Connaughton says, and “ran the wheels off of” its latex printer. That process often required the finished product to be adhered to a sturdy backing, she adds, whereas the Mimaki can print directly onto rigid material, eliminating a step in the process.

“It’s going to save us a lot of time and labor,” Connaughton says. “And because the print on the Mimaki will hold up better for outdoor use, it adds that availability as well.”

With the addition of the new press and cutter, the in-plant can offer a wider array of wide-format products, including pop-up banners, table tents and canvas wraps.

“Anything anyone can do on wide-format, we can do it,” Connaughton declares. “The only thing we can’t do yet is vehicle wraps.”

Overall, Connaughton says the addition of the Mimaki press and Colex cutter has been effective for expanding capabilities and bringing in more work.

“We’re thrilled. They’re both going to be really great,” she concludes. “Wide-format seems to be booming everywhere.”

To learn more about wide-format technologies and opportunities, attend SGIA Expo in Las Vegas, Oct. 18-20.