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Delivering designer colour
London-based Colouration has a strong footprint in producing retail and store displays for the fragrance and cosmetics industry. In the quest for quality, creativity and speed, it has become the first company in the UK to install a high speed Océ Arizona 550 GT UV flatbed printer.
Océ claims this, its latest Arizona UV flatbed, is the fastest yet. Printing at twice the speed of other Arizona models, it can produce more than 40m2 of high quality printing per hour, with prints suitable for closely-viewed signage and point of purchase thanks to Océ’s VariaDot imaging technology.
Colouration first saw the new system during a trip to Océ headquarters in Venlo, The Netherlands. Managing director, Tony Dennington, said: “We liked what we saw. We did some tests of our own, and the quality was as good as, or better, than anything else out there. There are more expensive machines, but this is better. It was by far the best machine we looked at.”
Dennington reveals that the Océ Arizona 550 GT printer, which was installed in late January, will have a significant impact on the company’s business. Colouration produces a lot of visual merchandising for retail and department stores – anything from magnetic wallpaper to backlit display units to hanging banners. Clients have included brands such as Thierry Mugler, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein.
Before installing the Océ Arizona 550 GT printer, the company had to print onto rolls and then mount the substrate onto board or perspex. Now Colouration can print direct to a variety of media, including metals, woods, acetates and acrylics. The system has been installed with a roll media option and a white ink option, to augment the four-colour output with under- and over-printing capability.
Dennington added: “This is going to open the door to so many new ideas, things that we hadn’t even talked about in the past. Our creative team are falling over themselves coming up with new applications. For visual merchandising, the Océ Arizona 550 GT printer is a dream, with regard to quality, detail and speed.”
The Océ Arizona 550 GT printer is designed to help print companies take on peak demand and rush jobs with confidence, due to its productivity and image quality. Developed as a true flatbed, it can print on rigid substrates up to 1.25 by 2.5m and roll media up to 2.2m wide.
Business group director, display graphics and imaging supplies, Dominic Fahy, said: “The initial response to the Océ Arizona 550 GT printer has been overwhelmingly positive, as companies like Colouration have found. Océ is proud of its reputation as an innovative company that’s continually bringing new products and services to market. This is a major step forward with another addition to one of our best selling product families.”
