The Dreamjet 2400 is designed for short-run prints onto a multitude of 3 dimensional objects up to 120mm high and in Korea where it is manufactured, it's being used to personalise cellphones, cellphone covers, trophies, ceramic tiles and any type of promotional gift.
Digital Desktop director Aaron Wilcox says the Dreamjet will go down extremely well in New Zealand with the many promotional companies providing merchandise to corporate clients, and he believes it will fill a niche for printers wanting to offer a complete service to clients.
"Instead of having to out-source their 3-dimensional printing to screen printers and the like, the Dreamjet is priced so they can do it in-house. They can also use it to advertise their own services by providing clients with their own personalised gifts."
The substrates it can print on include paper, card, wood, stone, glass, steel, leather, plastics, pvc, and fabrics. Aaron says he's trialled it on a number of objects from ceramic tiles to golf balls and the image is just as crisp on everything it prints on.
The Dreamjet works on technology previously unheard of in digital print. Most of the flatbed digital printers are huge, this is a compact machine that prints on almost anything and can be used for short to medium sized runs, Aaron adds. It is extremely robust, having been built in steel and is compact enough to put on a bench in a corner of a printing factory, out the way until in use.
It operates on a height-adjustable flat bed print tray with automatic sensors to print via the high resolution and highly durable advanced Micro Piezo 8 colour system by Epson, with solvent based inks. It uses ink bottles instead of cartridges, a substantial cost saving in itself, Aaron says.
The machine comes with RIP software and is compatible with any computer software programmes on Mac or Windows PC.
Meanwhile Digital Desktop will stock the full range of inks and other consumables and is considering stocking popular items for print such as solid glass trophies, jigsaw puzzles and pens, though the range of products that can be printed on is extensive, says Aaron.
