Printer Profi le
why it costs so much? Well, it’s been articulately crafted by a French designer and has 24 carat gold leaf underneath the wood.
NEVER SAY NO
Another element to Mike’s skill set is his ability to never say no to a job – no matter the level of difficulty. He uses his expertise garnered over the years and takes on any challenge with gusto. In fact, he thrives off it. “I like the pressure. I like the hassle. And I love to accept the jobs that no-one else does or has the time to do. I love it when people say ‘that’s not possible’, I then like to prove them wrong,” says Mike. As previously seen in his career to date. Mike is a stickler for detail. Not just in his work, but in his equipment. “I calibrate my printers and their print heads all the time. Colour is very important to me. If the print heads aren’t perfect, I have to call in the engineers,” he says. “I run the printers at their slowest so the print quality is the highest it can be. When I look at new machines, the speed of them doesn’t concern me as our customers are happy to wait. I can’t compete with the big guys on speed – there is no point in trying – so I try to better them with the quality of the prints we produce.” And this is evident when you see some of the projects he has completed for his customers.
A GREAT LOVE One of Mike’s great loves in his job, is not the fact that he gets to tinker with technology all day long, but the fact that he can learn about the personal side of the jobs he does by talking to his customers. “It’s the memories and the memorabilia that set
me off,” says Mike. One project that Mike recalls is a customer who
wanted her brother’s World War Two medals framed. “Me being me, I try to find out as much about the customer as possible so I can see what their mind is like and what exactly they want the end result to look like,” he explains. At the time, Mike’s six-year-old daughter was studying WWII in school, and so a trip to the Imperial War Museum ensued. Mike took the medals with him on the off chance someone from the museum would be able to tell him more about the person behind them. Mike managed to walk away with photographs of the war hero, details of his burial site, and his war papers. The customer thought she was just picking up her brother’s war medals, but was overjoyed by the additional information Mike was able to provide. In addition to the personal jobs, Mike also counts among his customers, big clients such as Rolls Royce, Bentley, Porsche, boxer Anthony Joshua, F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, and numerous football clubs and their players. Mike concluded the interview by saying that he gets his kick out of print and this was clear from the minute I sat down with him. It’s so lovely to speak to a man who is so passionate about something he doesn’t even consider work.
One of Michael’s award-winning frames
A backlit vinyl sign
A corner frame for Costa Coffee
Wallpaper in Arsenal Football Club players’ tunnel
Some bus shelter posters
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