Liverpool's Kirkby Signs has diversified into mobile advertising vans following the recent installation of a 64in-wide Roland Pro 4 XR-640 and Nazdar inks supplied by Quality Print Services. The company also operates a five-year-old, 54in-wide Roland SolJet Pro 2 with Nazdar 2000 inks.
Thanks to the extra width provided by the latest printer and cost of the Nazdar inks, Kirkby Signs printed bespoke banners for four advertising vans, which it hired out to small local businesses. The success of the venture means an additional two advertising vans are currently being converted.
"We're bridging a gap with the new ad vans," said Terry Furlong, owner of Kirkby Signs. "It's a low-cost option that enables small companies to try mobile advertising, which they could never have dreamt of trying before."
The van’s banners are printed with Nazdar 202 Series digital inks, developed specifically for Roland Soljet Pro4 XF-640 and XR-640 and Roland VersaCamm VSi wide-format printers.
Furlong said: "Initially I wouldn't risk anything other than OEM inks on the first Roland because of the cost of the printer, but Chris Bailey from QPS gave really good advice so I tried Nazdar and found no difference at all – and I'm saving money. I'm not as frightened to try full-colour jobs now because the ink costs so much less; I'm printing more elaborate and better designs."
Kirkby Signs also intends to expand into e-commerce with a new website and is now bringing more work in-house.