OUTPUT

London-based Coloursonic has reported that it has opted for a Rastek H650 UV-curable flat-bed printer from EFI, citing its versatility and competitive price point as the main reasons for its purchase.

Coloursonic is a 'thriving, family-owned' business situated in Maida Vale, north London and has been a wide-format house since 1995, producing both general and specialist display work. However, the company says it needed to respond to its clients' needs for better durability, as well as more 'adventurous' projects.

The company cites the Rastek H650's vacuum bed, which can also handle flexible media, the robustness of the machine’s build and high output quality as key reasons for choosing it. Producing onto canvas, glass and other art materials for artists and photographers, Coloursonic also outputs for mounting onto boards; however, it says it has reduced finishing times since being able to print directly to rigid substrates.

"The idea of a solidly built flat-bed printer, which featured a strong vacuum table appealed," says Michaela Chandler, director of Coloursonic. "Many of the substrates we use need careful handling and probably wouldn't produce such good results with a typical hybrid machine.

"Although we produce point-of-sale and retail applications, as well as general displays for all types of end use, we also specialise in fine quality output of one-offs and runs of up to around 50. Because of this, our requirements are geared to versatility and fast change-over from job to job – and all our work must meet the exacting standards expected by our clients," she adds.

The Rastek H650 has a maximum printing width of 1.62m and can handle media up to 4.6cm thick. It features a high-opacity white ink, allowing users to over- or under-print as necessary, while greyscale and binary print modes mean that the operator can select the best combination of resolution and speed for the job at hand, according to EFI.

YPS Print Supplies, which signed an exclusive distribution agreement with EFI in 2009, is based in Tyne and Wear and supplied and installed Coloursonic's Rastek H650. "Coloursonic is a great example of a company which needed excellent quality and all the versatility of a flat-bed printer without a huge price tag," says Garry Brown, managing director of YPS. "Since we installed the EFI Rastek H650, it has performed flawlessly producing a vast variety of high quality prints on a wealth of different materials."

"For a relatively low investment our EFI Rastek H650 is a reliable work-horse, helping us to build on our relationships with designers, agencies and end customers," Chandler concludes. "With this new investment, we can produce outstanding quality on a diverse range of end materials with the fast turn-round our clients expect."

EFI adds that the Rastek H650 has helped other printers diversify into new applications, which include industrial work, producing membrane switch panels and specialist component prototyping.