Bringing digital cutting in-house to improve efficiency, reduce outsourcing and unlock new business opportunities.
Since 2004, Vivid Signs has built a strong reputation for quality, craftsmanship and responsive customer service. Based in Wiltshire and led by Managing Director Chris Newman, the company delivers a comprehensive range of signage, graphics, vehicle graphics, branding, displays and large-format applications for businesses and organisations across the region.
As the business continued to grow, however, digital cutting became an increasingly important area for development. Relying on external suppliers for cutting services introduced additional costs, restricted production scheduling and made it harder to respond to urgent customer requirements.
Investing in a DYSS X7 digital cutter gave Vivid Signs the opportunity to bring more production in-house, improve turnaround times and expand its capabilities. With advanced cutting, routing and specialist tooling options, the machine has become a valuable part of the company's strategy for continued growth.
Why Vivid Signs decided to bring digital cutting in-house
Before investing in the DYSS X7, Vivid Signs regularly outsourced cutting work to external suppliers. Although this arrangement enabled the company to fulfil customer orders, it meant production schedules were partly dependent on third parties.
For time-sensitive projects, this could introduce delays and limit the company's ability to react quickly to changing customer needs. Outsourcing also added costs and reduced direct control over the production process.
Bringing digital cutting in-house was therefore a strategic decision designed to improve efficiency, strengthen quality control and give the team greater flexibility.
Cost was an important consideration, but the company wanted a machine capable of delivering reliable industrial performance rather than simply choosing the lowest-priced option.
“Cost is a big issue,” explains Chris Newman. “We could have bought a new low-cost machine for the same price as the used DYSS X7, however we liked the industrial qualities of DYSS machines. We felt that they are better built and more able to handle production work.”
By investing in a used DYSS X7, Vivid Signs could access the production capabilities it needed while making effective use of its investment budget. 
Choosing the DYSS X7 digital cutting machine
Chris first encountered the DYSS range at a trade show in 2016. Although Vivid Signs was not ready to invest at the time, the machines made a lasting impression and remained on the company's shortlist when the opportunity arose.
Before making a decision, the team researched several suppliers and assessed alternative cutting systems, including machines from JWEI and Vivid (Veloblade). Testing was an important part of the evaluation, particularly when it came to processing thicker materials.
“We didn’t feel that these machines were man enough and couldn’t process thicker stock with the drag knife in a single pass,” says Chris.
Vivid Signs also compared the DYSS X5 and X7, using machine demonstrations to assess their capabilities against the company's production requirements.
Ultimately, the X7 stood out because of its additional router capability. This offered greater flexibility when processing demanding materials and provided opportunities to expand into new applications in the future.
With routing available alongside digital cutting, Vivid Signs could bring materials such as aluminium composite material (ACM) and acrylic in-house, reducing its reliance on external processing and opening up new possibilities for customer projects.
A Digital Cutter built around real production requirements
Vivid Signs needed more than a basic cutting solution. The company identified several essential requirements for its new equipment:
- Accurate digital registration for precise cutting.
- Conveyorised material feed for efficient large-format production.
- The ability to process thicker materials accurately in a single pass.
- Flexible tooling options to accommodate different materials and applications.
- Software compatibility to support additional production opportunities.
- The DYSS X7 offered the combination of features the company was looking for, with the added benefit of compatibility with KASEMAKE software.
This software integration has proved particularly valuable for packaging production, allowing Vivid Signs to create packaging designs and manufacture them on demand using the digital cutter.
Bringing packaging production in-house with KASEMAKE
Before installing the DYSS X7, Vivid Signs purchased packaging materials for some of the products it manufactured. Minimum order quantities typically ranged from 25 to 50 boxes or wrappers, requiring the company to store multiple packaging designs and sizes.
This created a need for additional storage space and limited flexibility when smaller quantities or alternative designs were required.
By combining KASEMAKE software with the DYSS X7, Vivid Signs can now produce packaging as and when it is needed.
Rather than holding large quantities of finished packaging, the company can keep standard corrugated sheets in stock and manufacture the required packaging on demand.
This approach reduces storage requirements, avoids the need to commit to larger quantities in advance and gives the team greater freedom to respond to individual customer requirements.
Fast installation and an immediate start to production
Minimising disruption during installation was another important consideration for Vivid Signs.
A pre-installation site survey enabled the company to prepare its production area in advance, helping ensure the machine could be installed efficiently. Chris reports that the installation went smoothly, with any minor issues handled professionally by the AG/CAD engineering team.
Following installation and comprehensive training, the DYSS X7 was quickly integrated into the company's workflow.
“We had nylon blanks being cut on the same day,” says Chris.
The rapid transition into production meant Vivid Signs could begin benefiting from its investment almost immediately, with minimal disruption to ongoing work.
Improving productivity, accuracy and labour efficiency
Since installing the DYSS X7, Vivid Signs has seen improvements in several areas of its production process.
One of the most significant benefits has been labour efficiency. Jobs that previously required two people to measure and cut can now be processed using the digital cutter, allowing one member of the team to concentrate on other production tasks.
This helps the business make better use of its existing workforce while supporting a more efficient production workflow.
Accuracy has also improved, particularly when working with materials that were previously difficult to process consistently.
The machine's conveyorised feed has been especially valuable for large-format applications. Vivid Signs can now process panels up to seven metres long, sometimes without registration marks.
“The join up when the conveyorised feed is used is perfect,” says Chris. “No touching up is required.”
Reducing the need for manual finishing saves time while helping the company maintain the high-quality results its customers expect.
Together, improved accuracy, reduced manual handling and increased production flexibility have helped make digital cutting a more efficient part of the business.
Expanding material capabilities with advanced tooling
The DYSS X7 has also given Vivid Signs greater confidence to explore materials and applications that were previously more difficult to accommodate.
“We can now offer new materials to our customers, with complete confidence that the DYSS will deal with them,” says Chris.
The router capability allows the company to process materials such as ACM and acrylic in-house, while the expandable tooling system supports an increasingly diverse range of production requirements.
Since the original installation, Vivid Signs has invested in additional tools, including the Rotary Blade Tool (RBT) and XVT tool.
Processing porous fabrics and specialist materials
The Rotary Blade Tool is used to process porous fabrics and other materials that can be difficult to hold securely using a vacuum system.
This additional capability gives Vivid Signs greater flexibility when handling specialist materials and developing new applications.
Cutting triple-wall corrugated and honeycomb boards
The XVT tool provides further versatility when working with triple-wall corrugated and honeycomb boards.
It enables the company to create V cuts and angled cutting edges that can be folded to the required angle, supporting the production of more complex structures and packaging designs.
These tooling investments demonstrate how the DYSS X7 has developed beyond a solution for outsourced cutting work. It has become a flexible production platform that can evolve alongside the company's changing requirements.
Opening up new markets beyond traditional signage
The additional capabilities provided by the DYSS X7 have given Vivid Signs greater confidence to consider work from sectors beyond its traditional signage and digital graphics customer base.
By combining its existing creative expertise with in-house digital cutting, routing and packaging production, the company can respond to a broader range of project requirements.
The ability to process more materials, create packaging on demand and maintain greater control over production schedules offers opportunities to work on new applications while continuing to serve established customers.
Greater control over quality, costs and lead times also helps Vivid Signs remain responsive in a market where customers increasingly value flexibility and dependable delivery.
For Chris, the opportunity to expand production capability and create room for future growth was central to the investment decision.
Why seeing the machine in action matters
For businesses considering digital cutting equipment, Vivid Signs' experience highlights the value of carrying out thorough research and comparing machines in real production conditions.
Chris recommends that prospective buyers see the equipment first-hand and evaluate it against their own requirements.
“I would definitely recommend the DYSS X7,” he says. “People looking to invest in digital cutting need to see the machine and compare it with others.”
He adds: “The testing that we carried out was very positive. Whilst carrying out my due diligence, I visited AG/CAD on a couple of occasions. The demonstrations were a good experience, seeing the machines and software first hand.”
Evaluating cutting performance, material compatibility, software integration and tooling options can help businesses understand how a digital cutting system will support their current production needs and future plans.
The DYSS X7: supporting Vivid Signs' next stage of growth
For Vivid Signs, investing in a used DYSS X7 has delivered the industrial capability, flexibility and reliability the company was looking for.
By bringing more cutting work in-house, reducing reliance on subcontractors and improving labour efficiency, the business has strengthened its production process. The addition of routing, specialist tooling and on-demand packaging production has also created opportunities to work with new materials and explore new markets.
Most importantly, the DYSS X7 gives Vivid Signs greater control over its production schedules and the confidence to take on new challenges, while continuing to deliver the quality, craftsmanship and responsive customer service on which its reputation has been built.
Looking to expand your digital cutting capabilities? Discover how DYSS digital cutting technology and KASEMAKE software could help your business improve production efficiency, process new materials and unlock further growth opportunities.
