Launched on 7 March and available for immediate shipment, the GR series supercedes the GX series and has been redesigned “from the ground up”, according to the manufacturer, with improved speed and accuracy, increased media options and additional cutting features. 

“It's the same sort of format but with new components making them more powerful and more versatile. As far as we're concerned they're the greatest thing since sliced bread," said Roland DG (UK) head of marketing, Rob Goleniowski.

The GR models are available in 42”, 54” and 64” widths, priced at £3,999, £4,250 and £4,750 respectively. They can cut at a top speed of 1,485mm/s with up to 600g of downforce and they feature electronically adjustable pinch-rollers with 10 variable pressure settings to deal with different substrate types. 

The GR series is a complete overhaul of the GX series, incorporating a new cutting carriage and blade holder design, amongst other core functions, and features a new L-shape stand design creating a more stable structure. The cutters can read crop marks on pre-printed data to align graphics accurately while the overlap cutting function allows for up to ten times overlap cutting for difficult-to-cut substrates 

"The newly designed cut carriage means we can cut faster, cut tougher and cut more accurately as well," explained Goleniowski. "The greater downforce gives a greater range of materials that can be cut so in turn a wider range of uses and potential ways of making money with the machine. The accuracy is amazing and the robust chassis really gives the ability to work with hard to cut materials," he added.

Goleniowski highlighted the GR range's two blade-holding positions, one for kiss-cutitng and one for perforated-cutting, as a particularly useful new feature for Roland vinyl cutters. "The perforated feature particularly lends the GRs to the packaging market where people might want to produce packaging mock-ups or proofs," he said.

"Sometimes companies overlook vinyl printers but more often than not they are the foundation that a lot of sign making and digital print companies are built on. You can do a hell of a lot with a vinyl cutter so it's well worth taking a look at what would be an investment for probably the next 10 years."

The 64" version will make its UK debut at Sign & Digital UK next week.