Printed giftware shines with Mimaki
Online agency Nerdy Banana has highlighted the power of custom print over the holiday season
Shining a spotlight on the industry
Friday, 20 Jan 2023 14:52 GMT
Nerdy Banana has embraced fun personalised gifts as the core of its business
Birmingham-based giftware company Nerdy Banana has discussed its success and expansion plans after recently investing in a Mimaki JFX100-160 to expand its range of unique printed products.
The company classes itself as an e-commerce agency focused on “memorable gifting experiences” offering items like socks, cushions, and pet products.
Nerdy Banana invested in its latest Mimaki machine in order to launch a new bespoke inflatables brand called Air Bod. Previously the company used sublimation printers but using UV LED technology opened new doors for the business.
Founder of the company, Charlie Rodman, says: “Sublimation is excellent but there are some things you can’t sublimate, which is why we approached CMYUK as it offers products across all ink technologies.”
An umbrella company for eight direct to consumer brands including Bunker Buddies, Super Socks, and Nifty Gifty, Nerdy Banana employs 24 members of staff and fulfils 20,00 orders per year to over 40 countries.
We’re constantly adapting and want to keep innovating. Gift giving is
fun. It’s nice to be able to give someone a laugh and a giggle.”
Holding licenses with a number of major companies for personalised gifts, Rodman is in the process of expanding in Australia and the US, the latter of which the company owns an office based in Santa Monica.
Rodman says: “We send lots of products out to these places, and with the high cost of shipping, we’re just not going to be competitive enough unless we’re out there on the ground. We’re constantly adapting and want to keep innovating. Gift giving is fun. It’s nice to be able to give someone a laugh and a giggle.”
Nerdy Banana has experienced success with retailers like Selfridges where the business operated a heat press operated for its brand Super Socks. “In Selfridges there were queues and people were waiting half an hour just to create this option. It was crazy,” adds Rodman.
The high 1200 dpi resolution of the Mimaki, plus its ability to support a range of materials like tarpaulin, PET film, and textiles, made it a perfect choice for the company to invest in. “We came up to CMYUK where we printed our materials on the Mimaki. We then took them away to wash and came back again. We really put the printer through the mill, and it was all good,” concludes Rodman.
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