Nex Media • Vol 5 Issue 3
19
All too often the focus of our daily lives is in getting the job done at the lowest possible price and the
highest possible profit, with little consideration for external factors such as the environment, the health
of the people who we deal with or who work for us. While these factors appear in things such as our
mission statements, they are often empty words on a wall.
F
or Fineline Design there is no room for empty words. All the words –
and images – which the company produces speak volumes about its
consideration for the world around it. Founded in a garage by Manny
De Souza in 2003 the initial focus for Fineline Design was on graphic
design and conventional DTP services. The company expanded into large
format printing in 2005 in response to market demand. Manny commented,
‘At that time all large format printing was based on solvent machines.
Working with those inks for extensive periods of time was not nice, the
fumes were not only harmful to your health and to productivity but also made
you feel ill. Not only that, but the prints can take a long time to flush the
solvent smell. In the case of wallpapers this can last quite some time leaving
the odour in the room, affecting the people who use the space.’
Wallpapers have rapidly become one of the main service offerings of the
company, whether for corporate or domestic markets. In order to be able to
offer a better and more user- and environmentally-friendly product, Fineline
Design required a print solution which did not rely on harmful solvents for the
production of its prints. In 2006 a new division was added to the company.
Specialising in the wrapping of vehicles and in vehicle branding, Wrap
Vehicles brought a new dimension to the company and expanded the need
for high-quality printing. Here too, user-friendliness was an important factor.
The solution to both requirements came from HP with the introduction of its
range of Latex printers.
Latex printing added the vital element to meet the company’s needs, the
ability to create prints which were not harmful to the staff working with it
and to the clients who bought it, but which also provided an environmental
aspect. ‘Latex’ should not be confused with the natural polymers found in
things such as latex rubber. Rather, it describes a stable, aqueous dispersion
of microscopic polymer particles. These synthetic polymers used in the HP
Latex Inks are non-allergenic making them suitable for use in wallpapers
which have lengthy lifespans in close proximity to people.
The launch of the HP DesignJet L25500 in 2009 saw Fineline Design
becoming one of the early adopters in the South African market. Manny
commented, ‘Perhaps the most noticeable thing about the latex prints, both
for wallpapers and for vehicle wraps, was the vibrant colour which you can
achieve. It is far better than the prints done on solvent-based printers. This
along with the fact that there is no smell and that it is easier to handle and
more flexible results in prints of overall better quality.’
One of the most significant features of latex printing is the ability to
handle the prints as soon as they come off the printer. Latex inks are water-
based which means that the built-in drier on the printer instantly cures the
ink. Latex inks are also far more flexible than solvent-based inks and can
stretch without tearing – making them ideal for the use on vehicle wraps
where the print has to be manipulated into the required shape. Solvent-
based inks can also influence the structure of the substrate affecting the way
it acts when it is installed or applied.
Sean Greer, marketing director at local HP distributor Midcomp
commented, ‘Manny and his team at Fineline Design were one of the first to
install the HP Latex technology and have continuously upgraded to the latest
version over the years. This has given them a competitive advantage both in
their signage and wallpaper business and in the vehicle wrapping business.
Continuous investment combined with the developments which HP has
made into the technology over the years has seen Fineline Design grow from
strength to strength.’
The success achieved by Fineline Design with its successive latex printers
has resulted in the company expanding into new market sectors such as
mainstream signage and point-of-sale marketing materials such as standees.
This has seen the installation of two HP DesignJet L570 Latex printers to
handle the required volumes of prints, as well as other solutions designed
