Thanks to Johannesburg company wallPress, South Africa is now home to one of the latest global print innovations: vertical printing. Pioneered by German company wallPen, the press offers print service providers the opportunity to print any image, directly onto almost any vertical surface, without the need for pre-treatments, vinyl or wallpaper.
WallPen opens up new markets for print service providers trying to expand their businesses and revenue streams, and offer unique services to their clients. One major advantage is that the wallPen liberates printers of their dependence on media suppliers and media substrates, and the resulting price increases on those substrates. These price increases put margin pressures on businesses and makes them less sustainable. With wallPen, print service providers are no longer restricted by costly media or media size limitations, and can offer their clients an entirely new way of creating full-colour prints, directly onto any vertical surface, quickly, cleanly and cost effectively.
Johannesburg company wallPress, founded by South African print industry veteran Shaun Prinsloo, has been appointed as the exclusive distribution partner for wallPen in South Africa. According to Prinsloo, the new technology is one of the biggest disruptors to traditional printing, because it offers something very different to what’s currently available, and helps solve many of the creative challenges companies continually encounter with mainstream printing technology. Three units have been installed in South Africa since the printer’s launch in March.
‘The combination of wallPen and a blank vertical surface is not only cost- efficient, but because it’s unique, the opportunities in the local market are virtually untapped,’ said Prinsloo. ‘From a commercial perspective, it’s a first of its kind for the African continent, especially the SADC region,’ he said. ‘It’s an ideal revenue stream opportunity for print service providers because they would no longer be at the mercy of the ever-increasing cost of substrates and consumables such as vinyl, paper and glues used during the application process.’
With the new wallPen E2, the product that wallPress is offering locally, the technology has now matured to the point where mainstream commercial viability is assured.
Dubbed as the gold standard in vertical wall printing, the wallPen e2 can print on almost any vertical surface, even rough, textured surfaces. Built into the head are two laser sensors that scan the surface more than 500 times a second as they move up and down. If unevenness is detected, the head automatically retracts and moves closer to the wall in order to keep the nozzles the same distance from the surface as it sprays the ink.
The built-in laser sensors compensate for unevenness, up to a distance of 10cm, by measuring the largest and smallest distance to the wall. Using this information, the wallPen e2 optimally adapts the printing process to the conditions, and ensures seamless performance with impressive results, even on vastly uneven surfaces such as brick.
WallPen use a specially formulated UV ink that hardens immediately under the integrated UV curing lamps and can be used on almost all substrates. Thus, plaster, wallpaper, wood, brick, concrete, stone, clinker, plastic, metal, glass, most tiles and many other materials can be printed on with ease. The press features print resolutions between 300 and 1200dpi, and the printer can print from 2 to 16sqm per hour, depending on the quality a customer wants to achieve and the type of image.
Keep Printing Even During Loadshedding
South African users concerned about the ongoing power crisis can take comfort in the knowledge that wallPen uses only 280W of power in full printing mode, and can therefore be reliably powered with portable power backup solutions for continuous operation for larger jobs, switching between backup and grid power when available. WallPress offers the EcoFlow Delta Pro backup solution as an optional extra.
‘Power issues aside, wallPen is perfectly adapted to South African conditions,’ said Prinsloo. ‘There’s zero post-print maintenance required, such as wallpaper peeling, even if the sun beats down on a wall, since it uses highly-robust UV ink that’s resistant to scratches and water, and ensures colour longevity and instant drying.’
Portable And Easy To Assemble
Six transport bags, hand-sewn in Germany, protect the wallPen during transport and storage. These bags can fit into a mid-size car, so they can be easily transported. A user only needs one tool, 12 screws and 5 minutes to set up for the whole assembly process.
There is full local support for the printer with wallPress’ technical support service, as well as local stock of all spares and consumables. Image optimisation software is included with the printer, as well as three days of training, although wallPress is always available if a customer needs advice.
WallPress guarantee that prints will last 12 years indoors and 2 years outdoors (if transparent UV paint is placed over the print, that guarantee will extend to between three and five years).
Creative Customer Showcases
This world map was recently done for a home owner by Wall Printz. This map was printed using magnetic paint, so that the client could place magnets on the countries and places she has travelled to.
This print was done for a construction site office. The wall is six metres wide and the entire print was done in four and a half hours by Wall Craft Designs.
Wall Craft Designs’ print for the SPCA.
This article appears as the front cover feature in the November/December issue of Sign Africa Journal. Download here.
WALLPRESS
+27 12 006 5525
info@wallpress.co.za
www.wallpress.co.za
