The Printed Gift House has taken delivery of a 7-colour Mimaki UCJV300-160 UV LED roll-to-roll printer to extend its services to a B2B customer base through its new brand, Printing X. The company also has plans to move into a new business park premises, where its physical presence will help support its sales focus in this area.
“The new Mimaki printer will help us to target businesses with large-format banners, Sign boards, canvasses, wall murals, and stickers. We offer a very wide range of services such as promotional gifts, engraving, T-shirt printing, workwear, and embroidery. Whatever our customers want we can provide it,” said co-owner Ravi De Silva Lindamoulage.
The Printed Gift House is a B2C on-demand, personalised gift company formed seven years ago by Lindamoulage and his wife Achala Wannipuge. Initially working from home, they produced phone cases and cushion covers using sublimation printing and a small heat press. Two years later, in order to expand their product portfolio, they invested in a Mimaki UJF-3042FX flatbed – both this and the new Mimaki having been bought from CMYUK.
“We really liked our Mimaki flatbed. We do lots of research and join forums to keep abreast of new tech. Jason McNulty [senior digital sales consultant, CMYUK] sold me our first printer, and gave me a really good offer on our new 1.6m wide printer.
“The UV inks on the new printer will propel us into the promo and gifting markets. It can print onto any materials and the five-layer printing will allow us to present really unique creative finishes,” said Lindamoulage.
“We’ll be offering a whole range of services that target the small business community from banners to posters, sign boards, decals, stickers, and promotional items such engraved pins. We’ve also started T-shirt printing, workwear, and embroidery, there’s not that many places that can offer the versatility of services that we can, which also includes in-house design. We really have such a large range so it’s really a case of you name it, we can print it.
The Printed Gift House is currently situated in Newcastle-under-Lyme in premises that has a physical shop as well as a production space fulfilling its online ordering, which accounts for 95% of the business. The company has three full time on-line staff as well as three full time staff working in the store. Seasonal part time staff are also employed over the busy periods that are traditionally Christmas, Valentines, Mothers’, and Fathers’ Days. In addition, the business operates another brand called Ellipse that is dedicated to personal items and engraved jewellery.
The physical shop has flourished through local word of mouth, while its online business has a regular client base as well as new customers. However, its owners are keen to iron out the seasonal peaks to create equitable year-round offerings. “We’re moving into new markets now such as weddings and are developing summer products,” added Lindamoulage.
