Lollipop Print installs a Canon Colorado M5W from CMYUK to eliminate roll-to-roll bottlenecks and drive growth
Lollipop Print, a four-site digital print operation based in Crawley, West Sussex, has announced the installation of a Canon Colorado M5W from CMYUK. The investment marks a strategic shift for the business, which has evolved from its origins in the late 1980s as a lithographic and microfilm specialist into a multi-sector digital provider.
Today, the company serves a diverse client base across the retail, engineering, defence, and medical sectors, producing a mix of small-format brochures and wide-format displays. While the business previously utilised an Arizona flatbed for rigid work and an older roll-to-roll system, increasing volumes led to significant production bottlenecks.
Dan Patience, Head of Print Services at Lollipop Print, identified the need for a dedicated, high-speed roll-fed solution to balance the company’s 50/50 split between rigid and flexible substrates. Patience noted that previous roll-to-roll jobs could require up to 16 hours of machine time, often leading to restricted schedules and overtime.
The transition to the Canon Colorado M5W has addressed these constraints through its UVgel technology and unattended printing capabilities. Patience said, “When we saw the Colorado, it was obvious it was a different animal. The speed and the quality, especially the white ink, are exactly what we needed. We leave it running when we go home at night and it will happily work away. With the Colorado, you really gain a lot of production hours by running unattended.”
The operational impact has been immediate, with the company reporting that jobs previously taking 16 hours are now completed in less than half that time. The Colorado’s white ink capability has also streamlined the production of layered and double-sided window graphics. Patience added, “On things like layered white jobs or double-sided window graphics, the speed difference is night and day. What you used to allow two days for, you could now rattle through in an afternoon.”
Lollipop Print is also utilising the system’s ability to switch between matt and gloss finishes to differentiate its offering for event and campaign work. This versatility is supporting the company’s expansion into new areas, including bespoke packaging and specialised mailers.
The investment follows a long-standing relationship with Shrewsbury-based distributor CMYUK, which previously supplied the company’s digital cutting technology. Regarding the partnership, Patience said, “Working with CMYUK has been very positive. They helped us find the right solutions at each stage and the Colorado M5W has been a game changer for our roll-to-roll work. It’s a proper workhorse and it’s allowing us to grow.”