A year after the 162.5cm (64 inch) roll-to-roll printer began shipping commercially in EMEA, the Océ Colorado 1640 printer has been positively embraced by hundreds of print businesses, with over 400 placements.
Customer usage data from across the EMEA installed base shows that print service providers (PSPs) are using the printer’s capabilities to diversify and access new opportunities, by increasing overall productivity to handle growing output volumes, working with challenging heat-sensitive media, eliminating waiting time between print and finishing, and reducing the need for additional lamination.
Two-thirds of all output from Océ Colorado 1640 printers in the market is being printed at 40sqm per hour across a diverse range of substrates, and the applications mix is growing, with over 40% of all output produced across EMEA being self-adhesive applications. With printing speeds significantly faster than prevailing eco-solvent and latex technologies, productivity was expected to be a key driver for many graphics producers to invest in Canon UVgel technology and customer feedback reinforces the positive impact of this increased productivity on their day-to-day business.
German self-adhesive graphics and labels specialist, Siepro, has installed seven Océ Colorado 1640 printers. Director Michael Hiemann explain, ‘Within four years of our first roll-to-roll investment we had a line-up of 20 printers but still struggled to keep up with demand. With almost 10% monthly volume growth and same-day delivery for many online jobs, we needed a different scale of productivity. With Canon UVgel technology, we can produce the highest quality output at 40sqm per hour, compared with 6sqm with eco-solvent, and then go straight to finishing, with no delay for drying or outgassing. We now have only 12 printers but ten times more productivity than before. We’re printing 2500sqm a day on a range of self-adhesive materials, with absolute quality and colour consistency from the start of the roll to the finish.’
French customer, Armony, designs, produces and installs signage, retail decoration and point-of-sale graphics for clients including major supermarket and DIY chains. Production manager Franck Boehm commented, ‘While the initial capital outlay was higher than our previous equipment, we quickly saw how the Océ Colorado 1640 improves performance and reduces our production costs across a range of media, from self-adhesive vinyls to banner materials. In the past it was necessary to laminate 90% of our output, which added media and labour costs and lengthened job turnaround.
‘The durability of Canon UVgel ink means that we now only laminate about 10% of our work, mainly floor graphics and a few applications with a long lifespan. For these jobs, the instant-dry properties of Canon UVgel ink mean we can laminate immediately, rather than waiting 24 hours. This increased productivity is matched by superb quality. Our installers and clients regularly comment on the crispness and visual impact of the UVgel prints, the vivid colours and the performance of the graphics once installed, for example in resisting fingerprints.’
Madrid-based out-of-home media specialist, BBF, invested in two Océ Colorado 1640 printers, enabling the business to offer a fully managed service from production of graphics to installation. Director Carlos de la Cruz Pontvianne commented, ‘Seeing the Océ Colorado 1640 was a turning point in our philosophy towards print. We saw beautiful rich colours, zero dot gain, high resolution, uniformity across the print and from print to print, no banding, no media distortion and precise colour reproduction – all critical factors for our client base. The fact that we can produce the finest quality prints at 40sqm per hour, and with absolute consistency across two separate printers, gives us the capacity we need to deliver for our clients, even under pressure.’
Wouter Derichs, marketing director wide format at Canon Europe commented, ‘When we introduced Canon UVgel technology to the market in 2017, we were extremely confident of its potential to transform our customers’ businesses and put an end to their production compromises of the past. Now, with a year’s worth of real customer data at our disposal, and positive anecdotal feedback from hundreds of customers, it’s clear that the Océ Colorado 1640 is delivering dramatic productivity gains, optimising performance with challenging media and helping PSPs to pursue valuable new growth strategies.’
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