Livermore, California-based Evron Graphics, a full-service sign and graphics shop, has become the first company to install EFI’s new Pro 16h hybrid roll/flatbed inkjet printer, according to the Fremont, California-based manufacturer.
The new printer installed this month is the company’s third EFI wide-format printer in the company’s portfolio and it gives the company twice the production capacity it had before.
The 31-year-old, 6-employee sign and display trade shop produces point-of-purchase displays, overlays, decals, testing templates and more. A long-time EFI customer, Evron Graphics often serves as an early adopter of new technology to maintain a strong competitive edge.
“We started out as a screen printer doing front panel overlays, metal printing and direct screen printing,” says Chris Root, the company’s president. “We switched to digital due to shorter runs and an increased demand for four-color process printing. Our first EFI printer was the H652, for which we were a beta user. We also were a beta site for the EFI H1625. We needed more capacity, and were pleased to be able to again be a beta site for EFI with the Pro 16h hybrid inkjet printer.”
Root says he chose this newest EFI printer to produce even higher-quality imaging for jobs such as the POP signage his company produces for Sephora and other premium retail brands.
“While a lot of sign work is designed to be viewed from a distance, most of our work is viewed from less than three feet, so we need a tighter, cleaner print,” Root says. “Plus, we were over capacity on our H1625 LED. With the new Pro 16h, we will more than double our capacity. It is 30 percent faster and has other new productivity features as well.”
The reduced energy consumption of the Pro 16h was another strong selling point for him, Root says.
“We can run the printer 10 to 12 hours per day,” he says, “and it uses about half the power of previous generations. That’s a huge savings in energy costs over the lifetime of the printer.”
All of Evron Graphics’ printers have used EFI Fiery digital front ends, but the company’s newest addition has the added advantage of an embedded Fiery proServer for even faster RIPing, according to EFI.
“Fiery has been a good, user-friendly solution,” Root stated. “It has excellent color management built in and is a powerful solution for color matching, layouts and impositions.”
EFI says the Pro 16h offers users the lowest total cost of ownership, superior image quality, and access to a wider range of substrates, including rigid media up to 2 inches thick.
Aside from the company’s now-three EFI printers, Evron Graphics also employs a Thieme screen printing machine; a Kern HSE laser system; and a Blackman & White MCT digital cutter/router.