One of the UK’s leading printing companies, Hollywood Monster, has taken delivery of a new world-class printer that is helping to change the face of events. With two large-scale projects already under its belt, the MTEX 5032 is proving to be a popular addition to the Hollywood Monster printing mix, with event managers choosing its new easy-to-install options.
At 3.2m wide, the MTEX 5032 is a ‘monster’ addition to the company; bringing with its £250,000+ investment a new way for event planners, retailers and set designers to create engaging spaces. The direct-to-textile printer enables Hollywood Monster to create visually stunning graphics that can be posted out in a jiffy bag and installed by shop staff the next day. This means that in-store and on-site personnel can change seasonal graphics and new set designs, without the need for professional installers every time.
Simon McKenzie, Sales Director at Hollywood Monster, said:
“This truly is a ground-breaking piece of equipment for the printing industry. Multi-national retailers and venues want managers and in-store personnel to be able to change their own banners, flags and stage sets, and now they can! Whether this be seasonal fashion displays or theatre designs, we can literally print the design and send it overnight to be installed by someone at the other end. It’s simple and elegant, and saves time and money. We’re looking at a range of markets to approach including hotels, theatres and galleries. The trend for retailers is also moving towards voiles and drapes for signage and window dressing and moving away from more rigid displays.”
With the MTEX 5032 causing a stir, Hollywood Monster very quickly secured two key contracts.
The Creating Balance Project is a collaborative project between Angelpoise, Strong Island and the University of Portsmouth. The year-long project features contributions from 10 artists and designers twinned with 10 photographers and an Anglepoise light. Using the MTEX 5032, Hollywood Monster have helped create an interesting and creative space for the exhibition. Using grand format graphics, hanging kits and fret cut vinyl lettering for the internal walls, the space now provides the perfect backdrop for the stunning work on display.
“For the job, we sourced a specific printable material, known as Knitted Satin Polyester. This versatile material was printed with eye grabbing graphics using our new dye sublimation MTEX printer. The beauty of Knitted Satin Polyester is that it hangs extremely well, which was perfect for creating epic backdrops scaling from the floor to the ceiling. Furthermore, due to its light weight quality, we were able to create the perfect fluid movement that the University of Portsmouth were looking for,” continues McKenzie.
Added to this, the Birmingham-based printing company also recently landed a project on home turf, for a newly-refurbished theatre. Not long after the MTEX 5032 arrived, Hollywood Monster were tasked with creating and printing the backdrop for production ‘Tartuffe’ at The REP; working with the set designers to produce the entire set, from the backdrop, to structure graphics and flooring.
One of the only machines of its kind in the UK, the MTEX 5032 was launched at FESPA London earlier this year and has been a hot topic on the printing scene. Designed for printing applications such as lightboxes, exhibition displays, light walls, flags, and interiors, it boasts the best investment:quality ratio in the market today. The machine has an integrated heat fixation unit; meaning waste is reduced to a minimum and the whole solution has just one footprint, saving space, time and money.
“Here at Hollywood Monster, we are invested into providing the latest state of art machinery, to ensure our work remains of the highest quality. The growth in employment opportunities that have come as a result of the MTEX are particularly exciting. We have taken on three new sales people and the diversification of services has safeguarded around eight jobs. As well as the machine itself, we’ve gone all out and built a brand new dedicated digital textile print room, complete with eye-grabbing graphics from floor to ceiling. The light and airy dust-free room separates the printed textiles from other traditionally “dirty” signmaking methods such as welding, cutting and routing. This comes in addition to a new state-of-the-art sewing and finishing room, complete with three new purpose-built sewing machines for flag finishing, hemming and sewing on silicone keder edge,” McKenzie concluded.
The ground-breaking MTEX 5032 facility is manufactured and developed in Portugal by specialist textile printer manufacturer POD Iberia and sold in the UK by specialist digital textile distributor, Digital Print Innovations Ltd (DPI). DPI also specified and installed the new sewing machines.
Steward Bell, Managing Director of MTEX distributor DPI says of the machine:
“It’s clean, easy, fast and affordable – that’s why we know that MTEX have cracked it with their range of textile printers and that’s why companies like Hollywood Monster are investing in this technology now.”
For more information and to see the Creating Balance Project and Tartuffe set designs, visit www.hollywoodmonster.co.uk
ENDS