Romo, one of the UK’s longest established and most respected names in the world of interior décor, has enhanced its production capabilities with printing and finishing equipment from CMYUK. The company has installed a Canon Colorado M5 UVgel printer, Neolt Jumbo XY Matic Plus, Neolt Rewinder, Neolt Stacker XY Matic Plus 165, Neolt Unwinder, and a Neolt XY Matic Plus.
Founded in 1902 and now into its fifth generation of family ownership, Romo stands as an impressive example of British manufacturing resilience and innovation. With a stunning headquarters in Nottingham and known for its legacy of serving interior designers and furniture manufacturers, the business continues to raise the bar through strategic investments that reflect both heritage and modernisation.
Damian Easom, Manager of Romo’s sampling department emphasises the company’s ethos, “Romo has always valued quality and efficiency. Bringing new technology in house is key in strengthening these fundamentals, keeping us at the forefront of our industry, and best serving our loyal customers.”
The sampling department
The new equipment suite sits at the heart of Romo’s sampling department, an operation that underpins fabric and wallpaper sales by producing the physical tools customers rely on when specifying products. The department is responsible for everything that helps convert inspiration into purchases: pattern books for furniture stores and interior designers, swatch cards, and cut samples ordered through Romo’s website.
It’s a substantial operation. The department employs around 90 staff and runs at high volume, producing approximately 1,100 samples books per week across six standard book sizes, selected to suit various fabric types and designs. Every book and sample needs to be consistent, correctly labelled, and ready to withstand frequent handling by customers, retailers, and specifiers.
The challenge
The crucial element in this workflow is the white paper frame mounted on the back of each fabric sample. This frame holds the sample securely in place and carries essential technical data such as width, pattern repeat, performance, rub test details and other vital specification data, ensuring every sample is both sales ready and technically informative.
Historically, these frames were produced externally using litho printing, then delivered back to Romo in large batches organised by page numbers (page one, page 2 and so on). While effective in principle, this created friction in practise as the department had to manually collate frames into the correct sequences for each pattern book, adding time and labour to an already intensive process. The limitations were even more pronounced for large-scale designs. Where a small swatch couldn’t display a full pattern properly, staff were required to hand apply photo stickers so that customers could see a complete motif.
Material constraints further compounded the problem. The paper stock used for the frames is heat reactive with an adhesive backing, meaning many conventional printing technologies that rely on heat have the real potential to cause melting, jamming, or inconsistent results. This consideration narrowed the range of viable in-house printing options, increasing reliance on external supply. At the same time, an existing internal trimmer was reaching the end of its working life and becoming increasingly unreliable, adding risk to the daily output.
Overall, the external production of these custom printed frames, despite being central to every pattern book, swatch card, and sample was proving to be expensive and operationally restrictive especially when specifications changed or demand spiked.
Canon and Neolt: The in-house solution
After rigorous evaluation Romo selected the Canon Colorado M5 paired with Neolt bulk handling and finishing equipment to create an in-house end-to-end solution. By bringing the frame production in-house, not only will Romo gain greater control, but anticipates initial savings of around £85,000 per year.
“Quality and consistency are paramount,” says Damian. “With the Colorado, we know that the first print that comes off the printer will be identical to the thousandth even when the work runs through the night unsupervised. That reliability gives us peace of mind and a significant competitive advantage.”
Automated workflow boosts speed, precision and output
The new workflow is designed for high volume, repeatable output with significantly reduced manual intervention. The Neolt system enables the Colorado to bulk print on 500m rolls. It supports automated overnight running, to provide seamless unwinding, rewinding, and stacking. It significantly reduces touch points, helping the department to maintain steady throughput.
The integrated workflow also improves finishing. The addition of Neolt’s XY trimmer allows material to be cut accurately and consistently, producing finished output that is ready for immediate use. The overall result is a smoother production line and a more dependable supply of frames that underpin Romo’s entire sampling operation.
For a department producing thousands of customer-facing items every week, the impact is clear: faster turn-around, greater flexibility when product information changes, removal of manual collation and hand applied visuals, and a step change in repeatable quality helping Romo’s sampling team support sales with speed and confidence.
“We’re only scratching the surface of what the Colorado can do,” says Damian. Its versatility means we’re already exploring other avenues, especially in wallpaper production, where we see huge potential for bespoke, short-run jobs that will set us apart in the market.”
CMYUK top customer support
CMYUK’s team led by Sue Hayward, Group Commercial Director and Neil Roberts, Service & Demo Centre Manager, ensured the smooth transition and efficient problem solving as the equipment was integrated into Romo’s workflow.
“Our experience with CMYUK has been excellent,” says Damian. “Any challenges we faced were met with prompt knowledgeable assistance. Their commitment to customer service has been second to none.”
Romo’s directors are already planning for new applications. With significant volumes of wallpaper already sold, the ability to offer custom designs on a variety of base papers represents an exciting growth opportunity. “We envisage customers being able to select any design from our vast library and have it printed on the wallpaper of their choice,” Damian says. “Over the coming months, trials will begin at our Nottingham site, with a view to expanding services before the end of the year.”
The collaboration between Romo and CMYUK is a positive partnership rooted in a shared commitment to excellence and innovation. As Romo takes its next steps exploring bespoke interiors and refining its British-made quality, CMYUK stands ready to provide the best in print and finishing technology, advice, and support.
