Recently featured in an article on Wide Format Online, Total Image Supplies and Mutoh want to highlight the partnership with Singleton Moore Signs (SMS) through successive machine upgrades starting with SMS’ entry into the braille space.
A requirement for braille was the catalyst, with accessibility demand rising across SMS’s varied client base, founder Rod Moore says the company needed a practical way to produce tactile signage in‑house without disrupting operations.
“With such a large and diverse client base, we found that the demand for Braille signage was increasing significantly. Part of our philosophy is to provide our clients with a turn-key solution to all of their needs. After much research, we determined that Mutoh’s XpertJet 661UF would be best suited to our needs. The price-point allowed us to enter Braille manufacture without an exorbitant outlay, and the machine's compact size meant easy setup without disrupting our existing workflow. Manufacturing Braille in-house also gives us greater control over meeting our deadlines.”
Installed in mid-2022 after rigorous testing for a specific SMS project at the time, Total Image Supplies installed the Mutoh XpertJet 661UF to deliver both the tactile output capabilities and the flexibility to handle other signage, aligning with SMS’ “concept‑to‑completion” service model.
SMS’s experience with Total Image Supplies and the Mutoh UV printer paved the way for further investment to modernise and streamline production. The business added a Mutoh XpertJet 1641SR eco‑solvent printer alongside a Mutoh VC2‑1800 vinyl cutter.
Moore explains the reasoning behind the expanded fleet:
“Our first experience with Mutoh printers and Total Image Supplies had been exceptionally smooth and our existing wide-format printers were reaching the end of their lifecycle. Total Image Supplies answered all our questions and provided samples on various materials, giving us peace of mind. Consolidating our print machinery to one supplier has streamlined purchasing and maintenance.”
He added that the additions have delivered the quality and accuracy needed across diverse applications:
“The XpertJet 1641 Eco-Solvent Printer and the VC2-1800 cutter have been excellent additions to our fleet, offering impressive colour gamut, print quality, and accuracy in cutting shapes.”
When demand reached a peak SMS’ then looked at the, newly released at the time, Mutoh XpertJet 1462UF, again supplied by Total Image Supplies. The larger 1420mm x 700 bed size paired with the same ability to produce compliant braille signage as their existing 661UF opened new possibilities in applications.
Moore details the impact of the larger platform:
“Whilst the 661 model has exceeded our expectations, large-scale projects often require significant quantities of signage and the additional bed size of the Mutoh XpertJet 1462UF, which has a 1470mm x 700mm print area, has significantly improved our capacity again and increased the range of what is possible to UV print, especially now that we have the two UV printers running in tandem.”
Beyond the hardware, SMS has leaned on Mutoh’s workflow tools to coordinate jobs across the fleet:
Moore is also an advocate of Mutoh’s proprietary VerteLith RIP software which he says “has been instrumental in helping us to handle jobs and workflow across all three Mutoh machines”. The ease of the software meant that when SMS added two more Mutoh machines, this time to the Melbourne production facility, the custom media profiles and settings could be added in with ease.
Total Image Supplies Hardware Manager, Jason Graham adds “The team coming back for a second & third machine, then a fourth for their Sydney HQ, followed by a fifth and sixth into Melbourne is the best review we can get.”
The combination of equipment reliability, media support, and service responsiveness has kept production lines moving:
Moore confirms: “Between them, Total Image Supplies and Mutoh have met our demands in terms of quality, throughput, material supply, and servicing. Throughout our journey, we have experienced minimal downtime, outside of scheduled maintenance - even at high capacity and both Mutoh's UV and eco-solvent ink performance has been great. The adhesion and colour on acrylic and painted panels are exceptional, and we've also successfully printed on stainless steel and anodized sheets."
With full manufacturing in both Sydney and Melbourne, SMS continues to offer a tightly controlled, end‑to‑end service, backed by ongoing investment in printing and metal fabrication technologies.
Moore’s closing remarks capture the company’s direction:
“We have invested in the latest technology, including printing and metal manufacturing and our proposition includes all types of signage. With the strong relationship established with Total Image Supplies & Mutoh, we're confident our partnership will continue well into the future.”
Total Image Supplies Director, Tyson Buechler, says now is the best time to look at a Mutoh printer:
"We're currently offering other 661UF and 1462UF at the best price we've ever advertised, alongside even bigger discounts on some of our existing demo units."
Quotes from article on Wide Format Online - Mutoh Braille capability underpins Singleton Moore Signs purchase strategy
