65 www.printmonthly.co.uk A New Player Part of the shake-up that has led to so much innovation in wide-format in recent years is due to increasing market competition from a growing range of countries, including India and China. None understand the increasing prevalence of Chinese wide-format solutions more than Scott Clutton, managing director of China Print Supplies (CPS). As the name suggests, CPS is a distributor that sources the latest printing technologies and supplies directly from leading manufacturers in China, including SinoColor and Gongzheng. For Clutton, the incorporation of new technological innovations is key to keeping on the cutting edge of the industry and maximising your output. As he states: “Print companies should evaluate several key aspects, including the incorporation of new technologies. Examples of these technologies include AI-driven smart positioning cameras, plasma surface treatment, and simultaneous double-sided printing.” In Clutton’s opinion, the influence of China in the wide-format market is both significant and growing. “The wide-format sector has seen significant innovation and evolution in recent years,” he comments. “In large part, this is due to increasing competition from China, which is gaining a reputation for introducing the latest advancements before other markets. Our business is built on identifying these advancements and bringing them to the UK market to give customers unprecedented quality and value.” CPS has recently introduced a new highspeed roll-to-roll printer to the UK market, the Gongzheng ThunderJet AQ1800UV. The 1.8m roll-to-roll UV solution has been developed for multi-layer printing on a wide range of substrates, with both white ink and varnish options. Its Epson i3200 printheads deliver print speeds of up to 58.5sqm/hr. The solution comes with a range of additional features designed to simplify the print process, including a water-cooling platen designed to enable printing on heat-sensitive substrates without wrinkling. It also offers a white ink recirculation system that operates during idle time to prevent pigment sedimentation. The ThunderJet joins CPS’ range of solutions including DTF, rotary, and flatbed options as well as a variety of consumables and finishing equipment, representing a varied arsenal for PSPs to choose from. This includes the Sinocolor FB-2513S flatbed printer, which was recently purchased by Welsh speciality printer, Custom Print Solutions, as part of expansion plans that included purchasing a fourth factory in its hometown of Caerphilly. The 8 x 4ft flatbed offers eight printheads as standard, with six heads for colour and two for white. The press can be upgraded to up to 11 colours, with a 2400dpi resolution, a 75 m2/h printing speed, and variable dot printing capabilities. Simon Green, director of Custom Print Solutions, comments on the purchase: “It’s the first time we bought a machine from China Print Supplies, though I know Scott Clutton well. Scott went through all the details with the boys. “My guys were excited that it was an eight head flatbed printer. We do a lot of research before we make any purchase, and they did some trials with us on some specialist materials, which the machine passed.” Finishing Strong Alongside its range of print solutions, CPS has partnered with Graphtec GB to resell July / August 2025 - Issue 355 WIDE-FORMAT PRINTERS ▼The ThunderJet AQ1800 allows for printing on a wide range of media including vinyl, backlit textile, and PVC film The Iris Graphics Model 3047, introduced in 1989 and considered by many to be the first digital wide-format inkjet printer, sold for $126k (£223k) upon release Factoid
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