Communications, printing and design services company Zero Plus has unveiled the first EFI H1625 LED printer in South Africa, acquired from EFI’s sub-Saharan partner Bytes Document Solutions and its business partner Ivyline Technologies.
Francois Coertze, production manager at Pretoria-based Zero Plus, identified the EFI printer as the ideal catalyst for launching a range of new services for its discerning clients, particularly those looking for new ways of presenting display graphics.
“Compared to traditional printing technology, the EFI H1625 makes it possible to print on almost any solid or bendable substrate, including wood, glass, metals, cortex boards, acrylic, even bottles and paper bags,” says Coertze. “It even comes with a white ink option that lets us print on dark surfaces, or as a backing colour on translucent materials like glass, giving the final print a depth and richness that’s difficult to replicate with any other method, and certainly not at this price point.”
The EFI H1625 features hybrid LED technology which increases uptime and productivity while reducing maintenance and operating costs with instant on/off LED lamps. LED technology gives off very little heat, which enables printing on fragile surfaces like bubble wrap and cling film. It also uses 82 percent less electricity than mercury lamps and can print more vivid colours.
The large-format inkjet printer is ideal for short-run applications such as banner prints, packaging, textiles and clothing, windows and glassware, posters, and point-of-sale and shop front signage, where printing directly onto a wide range of substrates and materials saves time and money and opens new doors to previously untested applications.
“The highly competitive nature of the print industry means companies that don’t innovate quickly lose market share, so pushing the limits with the latest in printing technology is critical,” says Bytes Document Solutions digital print specialist Barry Hasleham.
“That said it’s not just a case of investing in new technology for the sake of it, it’s about keeping current and ensuring your business remains relevant with the type work your customers expect.”
Coertze concurs: “By helping our customers solve their display challenges and continually finding new and better options for their projects, we help make them more successful, which ultimately keeps Zero Plus front of mind when it comes to any and all communications work they entrust us with,” he says.
“Since installing the EFI, we’ve had customers coming over just to see what it’s capable of, and we have a list of ideas for new printing projects a mile long. That’s the sort of healthy and creative market disruption we were looking for, and through our longstanding relationship with Bytes, we made it happen with the EFI.”
In May last year Bytes became a strategic EFI partner for both the entry-level EFI H625 and the flagship EFI H1625 LED wide-format hybrid printers, and the regional distribution partner for EFI’s InkJet Division, supported locally by its extensive network of concessionaires, dealers, distributors and its direct sales force.
