Smartprint in Liverpool replaced a 10-year-old Roland printer-cutter with a new Lightbar VS-640i print and cut system for everything from banners and vehicle graphics to posters and labels.
Managing director Peter Kennedy, who sold his ageing Roland SolJet Pro II, said the Lightbar was the only print and cut system featuring new ink technology. He paid £18,000 for the new kit, sold by Roland DG as one of its Partner Solutions.
“I’d heard there were new types of inks on the market, some claiming to produce durable print that was ready to use straight off the machine,” he said.
“You can mount the vinyl on the same day as you print, and I'm getting tons of new banner work from schools that I didn't get before.”
Three-staff Smartprint makes around £100,000 turnover but Kennedy expects to double this within two years and may move into a bigger unit in the city.
Lightbar systems use solvent-UV inks, cured instantly by a stationary, low-energy, UV lamp unit that spans the width of the Roland printer or printer-cutter.
“The colour-rich print produced is incredibly durable and ready to contour-cut, finish, apply or ship to customers immediately. There’s no need to factor in additional time for drying or out-gassing.”
Lightbar inks contain just enough solvent to key the colour pigment to the media, which then passes through the UV light to fix the ink permanently.
Less carrier in the ink means more colour pigment in the cartridge. As a result, Lightbar ink covers more metres per litre than alternatives like latex ink.
Kennedy said: “Printing on our usual self-adhesive vinyl, Lightbar inks produce images that are so glossy and hard wearing you would think they’d already been laminated.
“We’ve cut back on laminating since we’ve had the new technology. Lightbar is saving us both time and money. We can now turn around jobs the same day when necessary.”
The kit's automatic take-up system was “brilliant”, he said: “I can start jobs running before I leave the office for the day and they’re finished and neatly wound up next morning.
“It’s a great feeling to know your printer’s busy earning you another five hundred quid when you’re sitting at home with the family.”
The Lightbar solvent-UV ink system was launched by British manufacturer Colorific in 2012 and was shown alongside Roland DG's VersaCAMM VS-640i print and cut model on its stand at Fespa in Cologne in May.
