Before investing in its SolJet Pro III XC-540, an integrated printer and cutter, London-based Woodrow Press had a solid portfolio of clients whose typical requests included lithographic and digital production. It was the desire to cater to these larger demands, and to evolve its services into a one-stop offering, that has given Woodrow the true hybrid mantle it can claim — and nobody has been more receptive than the clients, who can now take advantage of the company’s wide-format, precision cutting capability.
Being able to offer a broader range of output methods means that Woodrow Press has extended its range of chargeable services for customers, who are mostly marketing outfits who require campaigns across several formats and media. Extending into wide-format has helped the company accrue more of their spend, with its ability to produce indoor and outdoor banners, signs, vehicle wraps, decals and POP displays to a phenomenally fast and accurate standard.
“The Roland SolJet PRO III XC-540 is an excellent extra source of revenue and has turned out to be a very successful investment,” explains Paul Ramsay, Sales and Marketing for Woodrow Press. “It was a natural extension for us. We’re heavily experienced in digital and offset print and feel there’s no sense in restricting ourselves to a single output method. On top of that, we have always found that our clients appreciate being able to buy their print from a single supplier that they trust and have an established relationship with.”
“The majority of the work we produce on the SolJet is for point-of-sale purposes and this is where the cut function really comes into its own,” adds Ramsay. “Profile cutting graphics adds a lot of value in the eyes of the customer and it will cut to almost any shape.” With the print and cut functions integrated on the XC-540, the need to incorporate a separate printing unit is avoided, and has speeded up Woodrow’s production process.
In taking advantage of the SolJet’s ROI capability, the printer has discovered the cost-effectiveness of wide-format and its ability to plug in next to existing services. Wide-format is a lower capital outlay than lithographic and other digital production technology and starts to make its money back immediately — a vital and necessary advantage to have over competitors in belt-tightening economic times.
“The SolJet PRO III XC-540 is reputable for its ease of use and we recommend it as an ideal first wide format machine for commercial printers,” advises Mat Drake, Print Product Manager at Roland DG (UK). “Printers with experience in the digital and off-set markets won’t find the learning curve extraordinary but those keen to get the absolute best from the machine should investigate the complementary Introduction to Digital Print course at the Roland DG Academy, which is included with each purchase.”
Woodrow Press is one of several XC-540 owners who has taken advantage of a free upgrade to Roland’s Intelligent Pass Control technology. The addition allows for enhanced gradients and flawless image quality at greater production speeds, lending new versatility to an already gutsy unit. Automatic take-up and advanced media feed can be upgraded with an optional dryer/blower unit, and the printer itself can be supplied as a 5-colour model. This configuration equips the SolJet with white ECO-SOL MAX ink, creating bold white graphics for packaging comps, window graphics and POS purposes.
“Woodrow Press is proof that wide format inkjet provides commercial printers with the perfect opportunity to increase revenue and move one step closer to becoming a true one-stop solution,” offers Drake. “The demand from an established customer base is already there for commercial printers. In an industry where profits are being squeezed relentlessly this technology presents a real opportunity for improved margins through genuine growth rather than stringent cost cutting.”
“The output quality is exceptional and the machine has been able to do everything that’s been asked of it, with absolutely no hint of any downtime yet,” considers Ramsay, whose machine was supplied with Roland’s standard one-year silver warranty. “Simply put,” he concludes, “the XC-540 has allowed us to offer more to our existing clients and thus resulted in a significant boost in revenue. ”
Find out more, and calculate the running costs of the Roland SolJet PRO III XC-540 printer, at www.rolandpro.co.uk
