Printer Review: Noritsu MYTIS-1
By Denise M. Gustavson
For
print shops servicing the southwest United States, sometimes their biggest
enemy is the temperature of the environment. According to Ardy Sheer,
owner of Photo Digital Imaging (PDI), a full-service imaging bureau
in Irving, TX, the temperature in some of the lightboxes he provides
graphics for in South Texas can reach nearly 200°F. “The media
in the lightbox has to be able to withstand the heat. Temperature is
the enemy.”
For Sheer, the new Noritsu printer, the MYTIS-1, was perfect. “We found the Noritsu equipment,” he says, “and the media has to go through 400°F during the printing process so it is able to hold its color well, even in the hot Texas weather. We did an outdoor lightbox test in 10 stores from Austin to Phoenix in July and the graphics did great. Our customers were very pleased with the results.”
Although PDI had its start as a one-hour photo lab, things have changed since its founding in 1984. Technology has evolved dramatically and so has PDI. “Nothing we do now has anything to do with photofinishing in the traditional sense,” he says. “We used to offer photo finishing, C41, and related products, but as the business changed—because of technology such as PhotoShop—we changed, becoming a digital business. We had to change to survive.”
PDI started out in the early 1990s with a 36-inch printer from LaserMaster after they saw it at the PMA show, and the company continued to grow from there, purchasing other printers including several X2s from Xerox. “The Xerox was one of our better investments,” says Sheer. “The Noritsu equipment is perfect for outdoor work, especially menu boards and lightboxes, but it can also be used indoors.”
Sheer uses the annual trade shows as an opportunity to see the newest products on the market, and makes it a point to check out the Noritsu booth. He’d previously used only Noritsu equipment and had been pleased with their products, but once the company changed to digital, so did its equipment.
During one of his visits, there were sample prints available from Noritsu’s new digital printer. “My first thought was, ‘Isn’t this a little late?’,” Sheer says. “The first printers came out nearly 13 or 14 years ago, but the quality I saw in the samples was outstanding.”
Sheer began asking questions. What breaks on the machine? What problems are there? Are there any issues with banding? With his extensive background in wide-format, Sheer knew exactly what questions to ask.
They purchased the printer and it was installed just after July 4, 2004. It took approximately two to three days to set up, and within a week they were up and running. Training, according to Sheer, was minimal, but the staff had to get used to the software. The MYTIS-1 uses a Raster Graphics front end, while the shop had been using Onyx’s ProductionHouse software for its other printers. “People are used to working with different software, so it was just a matter of adjusting to the new one,” says Sheer.
One consideration, however, is the speed. “Speed can be an issue because it’s not fast, but we knew that and were looking at the quality. For us, 10 outdoor graphics a day is plenty, and we’re still not working the machine all day. We knew our costs and it made sense to us to purchase this equipment. It’s better to have the customer happy and not have to re-make the signs and graphics.”
The outdoor signs PDI produces are customized for each of their customers. PDI has developed software that enables each branch of a national company to customize the retail displays for their stores. For instance, when fast-food chain menus needed to be changed, in the past, owners would simply get the signs from the corporate office and then add stickers to reflect the local prices. PDI developed a system whereby the corporate office designs various graphics and the individual stores can go online into this system, add the appropriate prices for their region and market, and submit the job. A PDF proof can be viewed 30 seconds later and, once approval is given, the job immediately goes to the MYTIS-1 printer and a job ticket is created. “This process eliminates mistakes and gives us nearly hands-off operation,” says Sheer.
According to Sheer, if your market is right, then this is a great piece of equipment to own and use. “Noritsu has always been a king in the industry. Their equipment hardly ever breaks and the MYTIS-1 is a workhorse. Once their name is on a machine, you know that they’ll take good care of you,” says Sheer.
Since PDI purchased the printer, the price has come down, according to Sheer, and the prices of the consumables have also been adjusted. “Noritsu is trying to establish the right price and find the right market for this printer. There are 11 in the world, and acording to Sheer, PDI has the only one in production in the US. It’s a great printer, perfect for indoor and outdoor graphics. But each shop has different criteria and markets, and you have to keep that in mind when making a purchase.”
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