Based in the Hawkes Bay, dye-sub specialist CPS Marketing recently installed an Epson SureColor F560 printer, supplied through Fujifilm Business Innovation.
Clive Scotton, director at CPS Marketing, says, “We had an Epson 4880 which was fantastic, but it needed replacing, so the new F560 came out at an opportune time.
“We purchased the very first unit in the country. In fact, we flew it in because we had a lot of work just before Christmas. It is a great machine and very easy to operate.”
The Epson SureColor F560 printer features the latest Epson print head technology and has a media handling system that supports operation with sheet and roll stocks. It uses advanced Epson dye sublimation ink. The engine supports production speeds up to 21 square metres per hour while an integrated auto cutter enables sheet-based output for operation with a variety of third-party heat presses.
Scotton founded CPS Marketing in 2011. The company produces dye sublimation printing on many different substrates such as glass chopping boards, t-shirts, hardboard products like placemats, coasters, picture frames, aluminium, mugs, mouse mats, phone covers, iPad covers, metal business cards, name tags and so on. It also produces canvas prints from 6×8 to A1 and bigger if required.
He receives strong support from Fujifilm Business Innovation. He says, “It is is a great company. It offers great back up and the Fujifilm Business Innovation team members are always happy to help with any issues and problems.”
Ideally placed to comment on the future for short run, on demand dye sublimation printing, he sees the industry in good shape and the nascent small market for dye sublimation having great potential for growth. He says, “There are a lot of promotional products being done via dye sublimation but generally those are large quantities. So, really speaking for smaller numbers, we are still in our infancy in this industry, considering all the different products which are available that can be sublimated. With low overheads one can compete successfully, which we do.
“You tend to find the same items get done such as mugs, t shirts and mouse mats but there are many other items available. The big trend overseas is aluminium prints, which started nine years or more ago. You get far better colour reproduction on metal than you do on canvas and there has been a large shift away from canvas overseas.”
“The Epson SureColor F560 gives great colours for a CMYK printer and its low running cost helps to reduce costs overall. It also gives us ease of operation. We get real satisfaction on doing a great job and we really enjoy the people we deal with.
CPS Marketing faces the same challenges that other smaller print shops face. He says, “It is a challenge to break new ground and to get new customers. We must keep ahead of the opposition and we are developing a better website to expand into further different products. Fujifilm Business Innovation continues to assist us in our efforts for which we are grateful, and we look forward to continuing this relationship.”
The Epson SureColor F560 printer offers a range of benefits including:
Superior quality – Epson PrecisionCore print head and UltraChrome Dye Sub ink deliver precise imaging with superior colour at resolutions up to 2400x1200dpi coupled with Epson Precision Dot Technology for prints with fine gradation and an expanded gamut with low grain.
Superior reliability – designed to minimise dust and moisture intrusion, the print head has an integrated crash guard.
Superior flexibility – supports rolls up to 610mm and multi-page A4/A3 sheet feeder with auto-switching, offers a range of print modes to suit different production and output requirements.
High productivity – produce an A4 print for rigid sublimation or A1 for fabric in around a minute; the tank-based ink system can be refilled while printing is underway; it also incorporates an auto-cutter.
Low running costs – low power and ink consumption; ink tanks refilled using inexpensive bottles; ships with Epson accounting software for job costing.
Easy installation – compact design, desktop mountable, ships with media and over one litre of ink, optional floor stand with media basket, simple setup, flexible WiFi/Ethernet/USB networking.
Easy to operate – all top-loaded consumables, large touch-panel display with in-built help and an advanced driver enables operation with standard graphic software.
