Creative print specialist Dayfold has installed a Duplo PFi Blade B2 digital cutting table, helping the company break into short-run and experimental work.

The Dorset-based printer, which produces litho and digital print, has already found the flexibility of a digital machine useful when collaborating with clients to produce more effective campaigns.

“We don’t simply take orders and process quotes,” said Del Simmons, managing director of Dayfold, which installed the machine late last summer.

“We develop the campaigns and ideas that the brands and creative agencies have, working hand in hand to deliver fantastic solutions to their projects. 

“This is why we made the move to look into digital cutting tables. The more we use the PFi Blade B2, the more we learn, the more we find new opportunities to get creative. It has provided us with various added value solutions to our offering.”

He added that Dayfold had considered buying the smaller B3 model, or a cutter from another manufacturer. The B2 model’s flexibility and opportunity for embellishment - with the ability to kiss cut, crease, and perforate - attracted the company to the B2 cutter.

“Our operators have been really impressed with the versatility of the machine and we already have comments such as ‘How did we do this before, without this machine?’,” Simmons said.

Duplo has been supportive with training and service, Simmons added, and has continued to help Dayfold develop new cutting ideas.

The Duplo machine has joined a range of other finishing equipment at the firm, which can foil, die cut, emboss, bond, fold and stitch in-house. The strong finishing capabilities at the firm complement its presses, which include HP Indigo and Ricoh engines on the digital side and conventional B2 and an SRA1 LED UV press on litho.

Simmons added: “We strongly believe that good print is about so much more than putting ink on paper, the combination of a good design with the right input and advice can lift the end result to a higher level. Whether it be printing on new materials or combining unusual finishes we are always up for a challenge and happy to push the production boundaries.”

“The global pandemic came at a difficult time for us when we were in the middle of a fairly large investment on kit and infrastructure. Thankfully, due to solid support from our clients and suppliers we are now above pre-pandemic and looking forward to the challenges ahead as we continue to grow our services and offerings to our valued customers.”

Last summer, 45-staff Dayfold signed back up to Tharstern MIS after five years away.

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