Edinburgh-based signs and commercial graphics specialists, First Display, were one of the first companies in the UK to work with the new DURAUV ink technology now available for the Roland VersaEXPRESS RF-640 printer.
As one of Scotland’s premier suppliers of signs and commercial graphics, First Display has an enviable reputation that’s earned it an impressive customer base of well-known clients, both local and national. The company offers a comprehensive range of services; everything from initial design, through print production, to final installation. The First Display team, led by Managing Director, Jamie Bowes, offers many years of industry experience and this is complemented by a policy of ongoing investment in the latest production technologies. This combination of experience and investment ensures that First Display remains competitive and offers the most cost-effective solutions to its customers.
The availability of DURAUV ink technology came to the attention of First Display several months prior to its official launch in May 2018. UV LED ink technology can offer a number of advantages over other inks used for wide format printing. In particular, it offers instant curing and excellent durability. The use of UV LED light to ‘cure’ the ink means that no heat is involved in the fixing process. The absence of heat means that the physical integrity of the roll media being printed is never compromised. As a result, a much wider range of materials may be used with DURAUV printers, including specialist films and display fabrics unsuited to the high heat drying systems associated with conventional inkjet printers.
DURAUV ink technology utilises the popular Roland VersaEXPRESS RF-640 printer, professionally converted to UV LED by specialist suppliers, CSL Digital. The DURAUV version is presented in the standard 2 x 4 colour CMYK configuration, with mirrored print heads (CMYKKYMC) making it a formidable production printer for any sign and print business. The powerful but simple to use Roland VersaWorks Dual RIP is also included to make life as easy as possible for the operator.
Jamie Bowes was quick to spot the potential benefits of DURAUV ink technology for First Display as his business prints on a wide range of sign and materials, including self-adhesive vinyl, banner, wallpaper, materials and soft signage textiles. As an early adopter of new print technologies, Jamie was keen to sign up as s Beta test site for CSL Digital several months prior to the official launch
Jamie Bowes, Managing Director, First Display …
“Since the arrival of the DURAUV printer in January 2018, following test print samples, we have utilised the benefits of quick curing UV inks and the ease of use of it being based on a Roland platform. The DURAUV is great for several medias we use regularly, including monomeric and polymeric vinyls, banner and weather mesh, both coated and laminated. In particular, for us, it works well printing blinds, which is a significant part of our business. As we supply mainly to the trade, as well as long term retail clients, we face demanding deadlines on a daily basis.”
Jamie went on to say …
“The DURAUV printer has helped us increase our output in two ways. Firstly, it has removed the delays in production caused by the need to ‘gas off’ the print because the DURAUV ink is cured instantly. Secondly, many of our jobs that required lamination no longer do so thanks to the durability of the DURAUV print. This has resulted in savings in labour costs, laminates and resulted in increased service speeds for our clients.”
The feedback provided by Jamie and his team at First Display, along with several other beta sites, has enabled CSL Digital to optimise the performance of the DURAUV ink technology prior to its official launch date.
Nick Wintle, Managing Director – CSL Digital,
“We would like to thank Jamie and the rest of our beta test site customers for the valuable feedback they’ve provided. The ‘real world’ data of how DURAUV has performed in real working environments, producing real print work for actual clients, has reflected the results of our own product testing and exceeded our performance expectations in a number of key areas, most significantly, ink usage. Analysing the figures that we’ve received to date, the average ink usage costs associated with DURAUV are almost half that of conventional ink technologies at just 7 to 8 pence per ml. That works out around 80 pence a square metre. It’s certainly another very compelling reason to switch to DURAUV ink technology.”
DURAUV systems based on the Roland VersaEXPRESS RF-640 are now available from CSL Digital and can be purchased with a dedicated contour cutter if print cutting is also required.
Contact FIRST DISPLAY on 0131 443 416 www.firstdisplay.co.uk
Contact CSL Digital on 01628 560890 www.csl-digital.com
