Page 67 - Print21 Magazine May-June 2022

Profil
Flying the flag
There’s nothing like a real-time technology demo and when Patrick Howard made the challenge for
a Ukrainian flag from scratch, Ryan Warby was up for the job. Although the SureColor F2160 machine was not fired up and ready to go, he made sure the end result was a perfect example of the utility of the entry-level DTG technology. One of Epson’s best selling inkjets, it’s finding a home everywhere, from sporting clubs to boutique breweries.
SureColor R5000/R5000L
Epson has expanded into resin (‘latex’) production with its own ink, which has a lower curing temperature and extended durability. Media compatibility is also enhanced while production costs are reduced. Prints have more accurate colour and sizing to suit a wider range of applications, including premium tiled work.
SureColor V7000
Designed for the signage and package sector, the first Epson flatbed is able to produce durable images on a wide range of substrates up to 80mm thick. The V7000 will print on paper, film, cardboard, core-flute, canvas, tarpaulin, acrylic, metal, timber and more. New UltraChrome UV ink produces a wide gamut with additional white and varnish that can be applied as a flood or spot colour for enhanced expression and impact. 21
not an inconvenience to us. It’s about collaboration.”
An expansion of the original space is waiting for a makeover with printed walls –in inkjet, of course
– and Epson white boards, where different branding can be displayed. Epson is working on installing state of the art audio/visual technology.
“It’s important we get the right sort of ambience. We’ll have proper speakers around the room, panoramic artwork on the walls,
a billboard where we can have our projectors show anything we want. It’ll be a true Experience Centre.”
Virtual demos
will sell
The way the industry has approached buying and selling capital equipment during lockdown has put an increasing reliance on virtual demonstrations and remote presentations. This has engaged printers and sales staff to find better ways to communicate remotely. Warby is an enthusiastic promoter of the benefits.
“We’re investing pretty heavily in virtual demos here at the Experience Centre. It’s starting to happen. If you’re in Perth and you’re interested in the DTG machine, you have to ask yourself, ‘do I sit on a plane for three hours, and maybe not be able to get back in, or do I sit down and have a good demo online?’
“It’s an interesting new way of doing things, of changing people’s mentality about how they buy hardware. Usually they want to
touch it and feel it, but the key is, where can the guy get a good virtual demo?” said Warby.
He recalls the first SureColor V7000 flatbed sale to a Starleaton customer in Queensland. The
entire transaction was done at arms length, with a virtual demo of the customer’s files printed and videoed in Sydney. They were couriered north overnight. The eventual sale not only convinced Warby that virtual demos work but that the strength of the Epson brand is major factor in most buying decisions.
“The V7000 had just come out and the customer needed to spend some cash before the end of the year. We were up against tough competition. All the demos were done virtually from here. The customer had his counterpart in New York on the line. He was in Brisbane. I was in Sydney. It was very new to us at the time. “We did the deal, first one we
sold, and it came off smoothly. It was excellent. Fast-forward a few months later when it was settled
in, I said to him, ‘Why did you buy our machine, sight unseen, the first time we’ve done flatbed?’ He said, ‘to be honest, it was the brand, I’ve always gone with Epson.’ He was over the moon.”
Study the volume
If capital equipment sales proved hard to come by during the pandemic, it doesn’t follow that
all was doom and gloom. Warby maintains the true indicator of the strength of the industry is in the amount of ink sold and used.
“I don’t just look at how many printers we’re selling. I know we
have to sell printers, but they’re a big burn. What I look at is the ink. We’ve seen hardware numbers fall but ink volumes have increased. Product managers had to reassess their forecasts due to pandemic issues.
But all of a sudden, we’re doing more year-on-year than pre-lockdown, especially in the signage space, where a lot of production was happening. It was quite amazing.”
The continuing investment Epson is making in virtual customer communications is a vote of confidence not only in the industry but also in the future of technology sales. While face-to-face interactions will come back again, the Experience Centre is ready to be at the leading edge to meet a fundamental shift
in the way printers invest in technology. 21
Print21 MAY/JUNE 2022 67