Wide Format Imaging

One of the hottest topics in the wide- and grand-format industry has been white ink. But is it all just hype? It really depends on whether you think you need it or not. But according to Kevin O'Connor, owner of Pleasantville, NY-based Enhance a Colour, the call for graphics with white ink hasn't caught on as quickly as he originally anticipated.

O'Connor installed the VUTEk PressVu UV 200/600 W+ on March 15, 2005, which has been a welcome addition to his business. "We purchased the VUTEk 200/600 W+ for a dual purpose. Because of the close ink set and color gamut of the 200 and our VUTEk 180/600, the new machine gives us the ability to transfer jobs to the 200 if we need to," says O'Connor. "Also, the ability to print white gives us a lot more options."

Enhance a Colour, located about 40 miles north of Manhattan, has evolved into a complete graphics shop boasting several VUTEk printers, including the VUTEk 2360 and FabrbiVu along with a Mutoh printer, a Durst Lamba, a 3M Scotchprint 2000 printer running dye-sub estat with Hilord inks, a Zund cutter, a MultiCam 3000 cutting system, two Orca 3 laminators, a heat press, and a Miller Weldmaster seamer. "We've been at it as early as the 1990s and we've lived through all of the heartaches in the wide-format graphics world," says O'Connor. "The industry is as good as it's been in 35 years, but we work at lot harder than before. The technology is constantly changing and there's always some kind of learning curve, but you have to keep evolving with it to stay in the business."

So, when Enhance a Colour's VUTEk 180/600 was getting too booked, O'Connor decided that the new PressVu UV 200 was the perfect compliment for his shop, giving him the ability to print both roll-to-roll and rigid with an ink set nearly the same as his 180.

Because of his familiarity with other VUTEk equipment, the learning curve for the machine wasn't a concern. At the end of the first day they were already up and running. The training that day centered primarily on the white ink. "We had to learn what to do to print white. You have to set the white files up differently. White has to be on a different layer in the file?and this is with any white used, even just as a small spot color," says O'Connor. "When you go to white you have to consider the hourly rate because it takes time to preflight the file?and you have to look at the file before you can even price the job out. Plus, you have to consider the extra time on the printer. You can't just jump into it." According to O'Connor, the printer considerably slows when you print white. The white nozzle is bigger and it tends to clog. The curing also takes time. But according to O'Connor, the real question is: can you get the customer to pay the money for white and the increased on press time?

Enhance a Colour has been using the new 200 primarily for regular printing while they try to find the right application and customer for the white ink option. "We thought more people would jump on the white, but they haven't taken to it yet. We need to wait until it becomes a little more established."

O'Connor would highly recommend the VUTEk PressVu UV 200/600 W+. "It works everyday. It is very reliable and it prints well. The sales representatives have been very helpful, even returning calls at eight at night if I had a question. The customer service and tech support has been very good."