looking to expand with solvent printing to do more exterior
printing, but without losing their interior printing jobs. On the
solvent side, we’re seeing expansion of the colors available in
the solvent spaces.”
Features and Benefi ts
Solvent printers may be a mature technology, but that doesn’t
mean innovation has been halted. Manufacturers in this category
continue making strides to improve effi ciencies.
“In addition to delivering a wide color gamut and improved
output, innovative inkjets such as Roland DGA’s TrueVIS
series models meet ever-stricter environmental standards,”
Maxwell explained. Th at satisfi es customer demand for
“greener” technologies. An example is the specialty-formulated
GREENGUARD Gold Certifi ed TrueVIS Ink used by these
printers.
Th e ink comes in cost-effi cient 500 ml. pouches that fi t into
reusable cartridges for clean usage and less waste, and require
no special ventilation or environmental equipment.
Roland DGA responded to the increased user convenience
trend by ensuring the TrueVIS series printer-cutters are not just
simple to use and maintain, but feature a Bluetooth-enabled
A lemur-themed vehicle wrap, image courtesy of Roland.
Roland DG Mobile Panel. Th is allows the user to operate the
printer remotely from a smartphone or tablet. “We are seeing
soft ware improvements as well,” Valade said. “Th ese are advancements
that also contribute to greater effi ciency, productivity
and ease of use. Roland’s VersaWorks Dual RIP features a
new core engine for better fi le processing, including fi les with
transparencies, plus a predictive ink calculator, built-in Pantone
and spot-color libraries, variable data printing, useful cropping,
tiling and nesting options and more. Th ese tools and resources
make using Roland printers and maximizing output quality
and productivity easier than ever before.”
At Mimaki USA, it is clearly understood customers want
faster turnarounds. “Th e Internet has been both the best and
worst thing that’s happened to our society,” Maxwell opined.
“Customers believe they’re more educated and don’t have as
much patience to have things produced. With solvents, you
have to take time for ink to cure. We’ve improved our ink
formulations to allow our inks to cure more quickly so PSPs
who use our equipment can turn around jobs more quickly. It’s
reduced the window of time from production to delivery.”
Mimaki USA is essentially giving users options, he added.
Roland’s TrueVIS series printers.
If the majority of their work is exterior, solvent’s the better
choice. But the company is narrowing the window of time
required to bring solvent closer to other printing technologies’
curing times.
Building profi ts
As for the perennial desire to add sales, revenue and profi ts,
several avenues are wide open to PSPs, Conrad said. One comes
through expanding existing customer bases by adding applications
such as vehicle and building wraps or building graphics.
Most of the market views solvent printing output as appropriate
for exterior use only. But Mimaki off ers GREENGUARD
Gold certifi cation on its solvent ink SS21, as well as GREENGUARD
Gold certifi cation on is latex and UV curable inks.
“Th at says once the job is produced, they can put up output in
some of these facilities without any harm,” he noted.
“Solvent has more versatility than just run-of-the-mill
vehicle graphic work. Th is allows PSPs to tap into other
printing markets they may not have looked at, giving them
the opportunity to bid on jobs they might otherwise not have
thought about.”
For his part, Valade reports PSPs can make the most of sales
and profi t potential by selecting printers or printer/cutters
that maximize effi ciency and productivity while keeping
operating costs to a minimum. It’s important, he adds, to select
an inkjet, like a Roland TrueVIS VG series printer/cutter, that
allows for a smooth, uninterrupted work fl ow as well as trouble
free unattended printing and low operating expenses.
“Wide-format eco-solvent models like those in the TrueVIS
series can also help any operation accept diff erent types of jobs
to increase its customer base and overall revenue. And the
environmentally-friendly aspects of GREENGUARD Gold-certifi
ed TrueVIS Ink will help attract those customers looking for
more environmentally-friendly output,” said Valade.
“And the fast print speed, advanced features and unsurpassed
production capabilities will help any shop deliver customer
pleasing work on time or even ahead of schedule.”
PrintingNewscom April 2018 Wide-Format & Signage 21
/PrintingNews.com