Printrade accelerates production with Summa S Class 3 Tangential Cutter

For Printrade, a fast-growing Australian trade printer specialising in high-end wall coverings, stickers, and posters, production speed and quality are critical. As demand for peel-and-stick wallpapers and sheet stickers increased, their existing equipment became a bottleneck. To stay ahead, Printrade turned to Summa and its innovative S Class 3 roll cutter with tangential knife technology.

Trade-only large format and flatbed printing

Printrade is a fast-growing Australian trade printer, rebranded in 2022 from Complete Graphics. The company specialises in high-end large-format printing for resellers, with a strong focus on the home décor market, including peel-and-stick wallpapers, wall coverings, and premium sheet stickers. With a compact team of five, Printrade delivers reliable quality and fast turnaround, making it a trusted partner for resellers seeking more than just standard print.

To ensure consistent quality and minimal downtime, Printrade needs to invest in premium, industrial-grade equipment from global leaders. Every machine is selected for speed, precision, and reliability at scale.

The challenge: bottleneck for increasing volumes

For example, cutting a single roll of thick peel-and-stick wallpaper stickers could take as long as five to six hours. On top of that, the cutting process often produced inconsistent results, which meant extra testing and sometimes even reprints.

A key requirement to switch to Summa was to gain the ability to keep pace with Printrade’s Canon Colorado printers, creating workflow bottlenecks. To continue growing, Printrade needed a cutting solution that combined speed, cleaner cuts, and seamless integration with its printers to unlock higher throughput.

The solution: Summa S Class 3 with tangential knife technology

In 2024, Printrade turned to Pozitive, Summa’s Australian reseller, and invested in two Summa S Class 3 160 TC cutters equipped with tangential knife technology.  

“The reason why I went with Summa is the tangential knife,” says Paul Ilieski, owner of Printrade. “As we often have to cut thicker materials, this technology helps us achieve a cleaner cut.  It offers more efficient, better quality, and more throughput.”

The cutters immediately proved their value: smart sorting and paneling allow cutting speeds up to 50 percent faster, while the tangential knife delivers cleaner cuts and extends blade life for consistent output. Operators appreciate the high usability, with intuitive controls and minimal setup required. At the same time, the machines integrate seamlessly with Printrade’s printers and Caldera RIP software, keeping the workflow smooth and bottleneck-free.

The impact: faster turnaround and seamless workflow

Since adopting the Summa S Class 3 cutters, Printrade has achieved:

• Higher throughput: Cutting times reduced from 5–6 hours to just 3 hours per roll. Printrade can now cut and deliver up to eight rolls of peel-and-stick wallpaper per day, compared to just two before.
• No more bottlenecks: The cutters keep pace with the printers, ensuring an uninterrupted workflow.
• Cleaner, more consistent cuts: Tangential knife technology eliminates reprints and cutting issues.
• Ease of use: Operators required just 10 minutes of training to get started.
• Business growth: Expanded capacity allows Printrade to serve a growing customer base and boost customer satisfaction.

“Now there’s no bottleneck at all,” says Paul Ilieski. “The printers and Summa’s S3 cutters work hand-in-hand. We can comfortably take on more jobs without delays. It’s safe to say that the cutters have paid themselves off very quickly.”

Looking Forward

Printrade is committed to sticking with Summa for its vinyl cutters and is considering future investments as volumes continue to increase. With the S3’s unmatched combination of speed, precision, and ease of use, Printrade has positioned itself as a reliable partner for high-end trade printing in Australia.