EPSON SA hosts first Large Format, Commercial & Industrial Printing Exhibition

Epson South Africa hosted its first large format, commercial and industrial printing exhibition in Johannesburg in late 2013, with various specialist resellers demonstrating the capabilities of various units on display to channel guests, media and end-users.

“Epson hosted the exhibition to showcase its leading large format, commercial and industrial printers to resellers and their customers,” said Vernon Mellors, business account manager at Epson South Africa. “We made it possible for visitors to experience the superior colour production, versatility and speed of our printers on display, first-hand, while discussing their individual business requirements directly with experts.”

Printers on display included:

• Epson SureColor SC-T7000 printer, which offers fast, reliable printing on media up to 44-inches wide (1118mm), showcased by Digital Distributors;
• Epson SureLab SL-D3000 printer, a professional dry lab that offers a complete printing solution for retail photo labs, presented by ImageMed;
• Epson SureColor S-Series, signage printers that produce everything from signage to wall paper, with the SureColor SC-S30610 printer exhibited by Eco Alpine, the SureColor SC-S50610 printer displayed by Antalis and the SureColor SC-S70610 printer put on show by Colour Corporate;
• Epson Stylus Pro Range, a 17-inch printer for pre-press, packaging, design, commercial photographs and fine art reproduction. The Stylus Pro 4990 was demonstrated by Colour Corporate and the Stylus Pro 7900 by Kemtek;
• Epson SureColor SC-F7000, designed to produce a wide range of soft signage, sportswear, apparel, accessories and promotional items, exhibited by Chemosol; and
• Epson SureColor SC-F2000 T-shirt printer, a new printer that prints directly onto a wide variety of garments and fabrics, introduced by Chemosol.

Each demonstration included insights into the Epson’s new printer technology, with particular focus on cost efficiency, energy efficiency, print quality, and versatility.

Product samples were then printed by each reseller, giving visitors the opportunity to see the sharpness and clarity of the images produced on various materials.

Burger Terblanche, owner of the LinkMed pharmacy and photo printing shop in Lichtenburg was in the market for a new photo lab.

“I met George Rosa from ImageMed at the exhibition. He had the Epson SureLab SL-D3000 on display so was able to demonstrate the speed, efficiency and colour clarity of the unit right there and then. I was sold!” he said.

Designed for easy use, the Epson SureLab SL-D3000 includes Epson’s UltraChrome D6 dry lab ink technology which produces images of a far greater quality than traditional chemical lab printers. The ink penetrates the surface of the paper used in printing, producing water-resistant prints that has excellent archival properties and will last for years.

The Epson SureLab SL-D3000 also includes Epson’s high performance Epson MicroPiezo Variable Size Droplets (VSD) print head which produces up to four different sized ink droplets during production, with droplets as small as 1.5 picoliters producing crystal clear, high resolution images of up to 1440 x 1440 dpi.

This ink technology is also much kinder to the environment and to photo lab operators than chemical labs, because there are no harmful chemicals or smells associated with them – in the printing process.

Epson’s dry lab printers also use less electricity than chemical labs, and they have a smaller footprint too – an important consideration in the retail environment, where rental rates are at a premium.

All of this added even more to the already compelling value proposition of the Epson SureLab SL-D3000 to Terblanche.

“Further meetings with ImageMed and the Epson team resulted in my purchase of the SureLab. Their attention to details, and after sales service and support are second to none, and I know that the photo printing side of my business will flourish now that I have a machine that is simple to use while at the same time producing perfect images time after time,” he adds.

In a professional printing environment, it’s not just quality that’s top of mind – it’s the speed at which that quality can be produced that is crucial. The Epson SureLab SL-D3000 can produce up to 650 4”x6” prints per hour at 720x720dpi.

Importantly, the Epson SureLab SL-D3000 cleans itself automatically, identifying and fixing possible nozzle clogs before each print is processed.

“Our new Epson SureLab photo printer is just one side of our business, which includes a busy retail pharmacy too,” says Terblanche. “We need to be reassured that we can expect absolute minimum down time, and in the unlikely event of anything going wrong, that repairs will be quick and effective.

“I am also reassured by the Standard Epson Preferred Limited Warranty that accompanies the printer, which includes a one year on-site service, parts and labour warranty. The fact that ImageMed has trained abroad to manage repairs on the SL-D3000 gives me even more peace of mind, knowing that someone I trust will be on hand when I need him.”

“Collaborating with our specialist resellers made our first large format, commercial and industrial printing exhibition a great success,” said Kelvin Reynolds, general manager at Epson South Africa. “They are our brand champions in the marketplace and we valued this opportunity to work with them to showcase these products, a tricky task due to their sheer size and complexity, with the intention of growing our market share in this sector.

“The fact that ImageMed concluded a significant sale after the event is proof that this collaboration was a success, and provides the impetus for similar events in the future,” he concludes.