In a move to update its printing fleet to meet larger workloads, Eyetonic has installed an EFI Pro 16h hybrid flatbed/roll-fed LED printer with EFI’s Australian distributor, Starleaton.
This is the first EFI printer for Eyetonic, a Sydney-based environmental graphics company specialising in premium commercial fit-outs. It primarily produces and installs corporate office graphics and signage.
“In the past, we have used Roland printers, and we still do use Roland printers. They were good with the moderate workload that we’ve had in the last 10 years, when things weren’t produced in such large quantities,” Eyetonic managing director Fraser McEwen told Sprinter.
“But as projects and workloads have gotten bigger, we’ve had to look for a more industrial-type large format printer; and the EFI Pro 16h meets that productivity need nicely.”
Eyetonic is an existing customer of Starleaton and has worked with the business in the consumable products and printable media space.
“We have a good working relationship with Starleaton and have now purchased the EFI printer from them. Getting both equipment and media from Starleaton is something that we’ll be buying off them for some time to come,” McEwen said.
“Darren Massey, sales development manager at EFI Australia, has been excellent with his information and sales service. Together with Ben from Starleaton, the three of us refined our ideas and the Pro 16h ticked the most boxes for Eyetonic’s requirements.”
According to McEwen, the speed-to-market was also another determining factor behind the purchase of the EFI Pro 16h.
“The speed of some of our existing UV ink printers was becoming too slow as there has been an increasing need for us to turn large projects around quickly,” he said.
“The ability to print onto rigid substrates was also an area that we wanted to pursue more and the
Pro 16h seemed to print much faster and on a wider variety of media, especially rigid substrates. Its speed of printing white ink, especially, impressed us.
“Since the installation was done in February, we have managed to run the printer to its capacity and have reached the speeds that we require to operate.”
Starleaton CEO Ben Eaton said the deal closely followed the EFI Pro 16h Open House that it hosted last year.
“Eyetonic was looking to upgrade its equipment from its existing technology, which it had for over five years and the timing was just perfect,” Eaton said.
“The main requirement was higher productivity, and opacity of white UV ink. The company saw the printer in production at the Open House and was able to see how the printer could address its needs. Since the installation in February, the Pro 16h has given Eyetonic a significant uplift.
“This installation is a good first-case for us to get this printer into businesses that target a specific end-application, as Eyetonic isn’t your typical sign business – it specialises in high-end graphics for office fit-outs for large corporates.”
EFI’s Pro 16h is a hybrid printer which provides the ability to print onto both rigid and flexible media with ease and speed.
Massey said Eyetonic was able to receive the versatility, quality and consistency of colour that was crucial in the printing of its high-end applications.
“The business is able to print a much faster print mode than before due to the technology advancements of the printer,” he said.
“EFI’s LED Cool Cure technology, combined with its white ink opacity, enables Eyetonic to print at a much higher quality level than before. The Pro 16h provides colour consistency from print to print, better ink adhesion to difficult substrates and incredible ink curing.
He added that the technology has now enabled Eyetonic to deliver on speed, quality and price.
“This has given the business a huge boost in speed and massively reduced running costs,” Massey said.
“For EFI, the fact that our client looked at every competitor and was about to commit to a dedicated flatbed with a roll media option (RMO) before deciding on the Pro 16h says a lot.
“It proves that hybrid platforms known as the Swiss army knife of printers are the future for most print and sign companies as it allows for a wider range of applications to be printed all on the one device.”
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