Needlecraft and cross-stitch accessories suppliers require greater capacity
CMYUK Shrewsbury: A Mimaki JFX200-2513EX flatbed has been purchased by Pip and Chip, a Gloucester-based company. This UV LED flatbed, 8×4 feet, joins the existing Mimaki UJV-6042MKII printer as well as 2 x Trotec Speedy laser cutting and engraving machines. Both Mimakis share the work of producing acrylic bobbins for cross stitching. They can hold a wide range of colours.
Pip and Chip is Craig and Debbie Wanstall’s idea. The move to a niche printing business was driven by Debbie’s frustration with her accountancy day job. The couple wanted to do something, but weren’t sure what. They purchased a Trotec Speedy 35 laser cutter and placed it in their garden shed.
After exploring a variety of products, they decided that the World of Cross Stitch was the best. This isn’t as random as it sounds, as although Debbie had dabbled with cross stitch herself, mother-and-sister-in-law (both of whom now work for the business) were very proficient in this craft, which is a form of embroidery in which cross-shaped stitches are sewn in a tiled patterns to form a picture.
The business has been running for 5-years and for the first three, produced decorative thread holders – beginning with a simple hedgehog-shaped bobbin initially cut from MDF on the Trotec Speedy 360.
“It was just a flat piece that had some eyes laser cut into it to make it look cute,” says Craig.
The couple was successful in the crafting world and soon the demand for these products increased, leading them to purchase additional equipment. To meet increasing demand for cutting, a Roland UV printer was purchased to produce various shapes of thread and floss holders. A Trotec Speedy 400 was also added to the mix to make it easier.
Debbie and Craig moved their business to a small industrial facility in April 2021. They designed and produced their own flat acrylic bins. The substrate was printed directly to match the 500 colours available from DMC, the most trusted supplier to the Cross Stitch community.
Mimaki performance
The Roland UV printer was switched out for a Mimaki-6042 MKII in order to obtain a more consistent and high-fidelity colour match.
“The white on the Mimaki is spot on because of the way the ink circulates. It’s just so good and stopped any yellowing or grey on our sheep bobbins,” says Craig.
Chip and Pip have fitted a robot to their Mimaki 6042 MKII, which automatically loads the printer 24 hrs a day. “However, we got to the point with Robo (as we call it) that even that wasn’t enough. Occasionally it goes wrong, and you’d arrive in the morning and find that no printing had been done overnight and then you can’t just play catch up in the day,” he says.
To share the work load and keep up with Trotec productivity, the Mimaki JFX200-2513 EX printer was purchased in June. Both Mimaki printers can be used to print numbers and colours directly onto acrylic bobbins. They match the thread that is being wound onto them.
Bobbins are available in standard sizes (40mm x40mm) that can hold approximately 8 metres of thread. Bobbins are usually stored in special drawer storage cabinets and are therefore measured carefully. Chip and Pip also create the foam inserts to house them.
“We print onto the bobbins themselves with their number and the colour, so when you put them in a drawer lined with foam, they all look very pretty,” says Craig.
High quality colour matching
Colour fidelity is a key component of the entire Pip and Chip venture. “As a colourblind man, I learned how to calibrate colour accurately using a spectrometer,” he says.
Craig uses a separate color management server. After colour processing, files are sent to the RasterLink Rip on the Mimaki.
The Mimaki JFX200-2513 EX prints 12 acrylic sheets at a time – providing a real uplift to productivity. Each sheet yields an average of 84 Bobbins. Pip and Chip also has their own jigs.
Pip and Chip, a quirky company, has modified its Mimaki technology to suit its unique niche. “Traditionally, we wouldn’t have looked at the JFX 200-2513 EX because it’s really a signage printer. However, we’ve adapted it, turned all its quality settings up, and slowed it down. It produces very precise colours and high definition. We’ve fiddled with it to get it just how we want it and it’s absolutely brilliant,” says Craig.
Next steps
Pip and Chip continue to provide premium quality direct-to–substrate premium Bobbin production. However, these bobbins are still available in sets. The business is exploring stock control and fulfillment as they have noticed a growing demand for individual colours.
It also has plans to further utilise its extensive colour profiling experience running its Mimaki equipment to produce high quality, high tack stickers for other manufacturers’ bobbins and thread storage systems.