Mimaki Dye-Sublimation Investment Creates New Business

Appleton based printed table cloth specialists, Harberson Ltd has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with the corporate linens industry, with the business transforming itself from simple supplier to now offering bespoke dye-sublimation printing of tablecloths and linen for the exhibition industry thanks to its investment in a Mimaki to launch TS34-1800A dye sub printer. 

Harberson Ltd began its life 20 years ago when Eric Hargreaves set up Chemi-Clean – a company dedicated to supplying bed linen to the health and care sector. Since then, the company has responded to customer demand for branded linens and moved into providing a dynamic and creative printing service, whilst retaining its original passion for linens. Eric has since retired, but the business is still directed by his daughters, Lisa Webber and Caroline Richardson and son-in-law, Karl Richardson, who acts as print manager. 

“In 2010 we went Limited under the name of Harberson which was chosen as a culmination of the directors’ surnames – Hargreaves, Webber and Richardson,” explains Karl Richardson. “We wanted a new name to reflect the changes the company was going through as we made new investment in technology and moved to bigger premises.” 

Harberson Ltd made the investment in a Mimaki TS34-1800A Dye Sublimation Printer after seeing the product at Sign & Digital UK; “The 1.8m width of the Mimaki TS34 was pivotal in our decision to purchase as we wanted to develop our table cloth printing side of the business. We were given great advice from specialist reseller RA Smart, who supplied us with the TS34 and a Transmatic heat press and have had great results from both, both in terms of the print quality and end result, but with productivity too.” 

Discussing the purchase by Harberson, RA Smart Managing Director Magnus Mighall comments on the success of the TS34; “Mimaki’s TS34-1800A has continuously delivered a competitively priced solution at a popular width and with powerful production capabilities. Using aqueous ink to print to polyester ensures the Mimaki printing solution has excellent green credentials. It was the perfect choice for Harberson with their table cloth printing requirements.”