Silver Banana, one of Cape Town’s best known digital printers, has upgraded its CBD operations with a new Xerox Versant 80 press from Cape Office and Bytes Document Solutions. The upgrade aims to greatly improve turnaround time, quality and reliability for walk-in and corporate customers.
“The majority of our work is now done on heavier paper stocks, and the equipment we had – while still meeting the quality standards we’re known for – was starting to show its age in terms of speed,” says Marc Wyner, owner of Silver Banana.
“We’ve always been a Xerox shop, trusting no other brand to give us the day-to-day reliability and quality this business demands,” says Wyner. “When Xerox launched the new Versant Press we took notice and put our plans in motion.”
Wyner says the relationship the company has with Cape Office was key. “Our business is built on the trust we have from the relationships we’ve forged over nearly two decades with customers, partners and suppliers,” he says. “Cape Office understands our business on a personal level, so they don’t bombard us with sales calls and unnecessary product info. They know how we work and understand our requirements, so when the time is right, they introduce us to technology to help us grow the business.”
Established in 1997, Silver Banana is one of Cape Town’s longest running digital printing businesses. Wyner and his team have built a reputation of on-time, on-spec delivery for hundreds of clients, including some of the city’s biggest blue chip companies and government agencies.
“No matter what, they get the job done, and they do it better and more cost effectively than most of their competitors,” says Cape Office’s Bryn Whithair.
“When we talk to established and successful companies like Silver Banana the equipment is often secondary; it’s all about the business – their customers, their ideas, and their vision,” says Whithair. “Invariably we find a solution because of the sheer breadth, depth and quality of the Xerox offering. In this case the Versant 80 was a perfect fit for what Silver Banana wanted from a new printing press: top speed with the heaviest paper stocks without any loss in quality at a lower cost per page. The Versant 80 delivers on every count, and more.”
The Xerox Versant 80 prints at full speed (80 ppm) on variable media types up to 350 gsm. With ultra High Definition resolution combining 2400 x 2400 dpi imaging and 1200x1200x10-bit rendering resolution (four times more pixels than the digital press standard) it provides exceptionally fine detail in graphic fills, sweeps, line art and text.
The press features a combination of technologies. For example, the Compact Belt Fuser Assembly and EA Low Melt Dry Ink, together print consistently on any recommended stock or media type – even synthetics and linens with uniform coverage and a smooth, offset like finish. Simple Image Quality Adjustment (SIQA) automates three critical processes. Automated registration control assures jobs meet the most exacting standards. The Density Uniformity Adjustment delivers consistent density across the page and the Image Transfer Adjustment optimises the printed image based upon the media selection.
With the new printer in place, Silver Banana can continue to offer a broad range of products – from print envelopes, labels, tabs and business cards to window decals, synthetic papers, greeting cards, textured stocks, polyesters and custom solutions – with any number of finishing options and same day or overnight turnaround, depending on the size of the job.
“The business printing market has become far more demanding as technology continues to improve,” says Wyner.
“Customers are expecting far superior quality at lower cost, and to have product in hand the same day or the next morning. They’ve also been spoiled for choice with the sheer number of digital printers and outlets opening up around the city, so for us to maintain an edge and continue to build up our loyalty base we need to have the backing of professional business partners and the right equipment.”
