We live in an environment that operates at the speed of now, but what does that mean? Let’s start with a question: after you’ve ordered a product online, how soon do you expect it to be delivered—overnight or within the same day? We, as a global community of consumers, expect this type of fulfillment schedule for nearly everything we purchase. All of us want things delivered at the speed of NOW!

Here at Epson, we are committed to meeting or even exceeding our customers’ expectations! According to a survey of attendees at the 2019 APPPExpo event in Shanghai, the top three reasons for choosing a print service provider (PSP) include excellent quality, low prices, and fast turnaround/delivery.

In addition, a 2018 survey of FESPA attendees that represented a global view of 102 countries indicate that the top three customer demands were faster turnaround, shorter print runs, and just-in-time manufacturing. Versioning and Personalisation rounded out the top five responses. Not only do customers want their products faster, they want them to be personalised.

Environmental responsibility is another driving factor that impacts consumers’ decisions. In the wide format industry, customers are actively seeking out environmentally conscious companies. When asked to rate the importance of environmentally friendly products and services, 35% of customers specified a requirement for sustainable manufacturing processes as well as environmentally friendly products.

An increasing number of customers are demanding high quality, affordable, customisable, and environmentally friendly products that can be delivered within twenty-four hours. As a result, it is more important than ever for PSPs to seek equipment solutions that can fulfill as many of these requirements as possible.

Let’s match up these demands with Epson’s SureColor SC-S60670L & SC-S80670L printers to see how the features of these devices can help PSPs grow their businesses in these challenging times.

Demand for Excellent Quality

Epson’s PrecisionDot technology delivers flawless output across all media types, even at fast print speeds. Epson’s image processing technology incorporates three components, including a Halftone module, a Look-up-table, and Microweaving. These features make it possible to lay down the perfect ink pattern without sacrificing speed.

The Wide CMYK Profile is an ICC profile developed by Epson to maximise the colour gamut of the printer, harnessing the quality of Epson’s UltraChrome GS3 series inks as well as its PrecisionDot Technology.

Epson’s PrecisionCore TFP printhead produces exceptional image quality at high speeds by precisely controlling the shape and volume of droplets fired from the nozzles, each of which is capable of firing up to 50,000 droplets per second.

Demand for Lower Prices

Epson’s bulk ink system 1.5-litre ink packs are sold at a price that is 35% less than their 700 ml cartridge counterparts. Additionally, the system minimises user intervention with automated head-cleaning, enabling longer uninterrupted print runs. In addition to delivering greater convenience, this helps to lower ink costs. Epson is able to pass off these savings to its customers without impacting its own profitability.

Demand for Faster Turnaround

Epson’s SureColor SC-S60670L and SC-S80670L are fast and reliable high-volume printers that can provide up to 20 hours of unattended and uninterrupted prints.

Representing the next generation in high performance eco-solvent signage printers, these devices have been developed to maximise productivity. With a 1-pass max speed of up to 95.3 m²/h (360 x 720 dpi) and a 4-pass production speed of up to 31.6 m²/h (720 x 720 dpi), these devices can tackle even long run jobs in a short amount of time. The UltraChrome GS3 ink is also formulated to enable a faster drying time for same-day finishing.

Demand for Customisation

The SureColor SC-S60670L and SC-S80670L machines both come with bundled Epson Edge Print RIP software. Edge Print provides a simple and effective tool for production imaging in environments that do not require advanced workflow management.

With the demand for short run, customised applications on the rise, Edge Print has some compelling features that make it possible to streamline preflight production. The software works in conjunction with the Epson Edge Dashboard to enable printer and fleet management complete with downloadable media and print profile settings. It supports spot colour replacement as well as auto image nesting, step & repeat, tiling, and hot folder operation. It RIPs images quickly and processes visual adjustments even faster. Each copy will drive up to 4 printers, and up to 4 copies can be loaded on a single PC.

Demand for Environmental Responsibility

The SureColor SC-S60670L and SC-S80670L incorporate a variety of new features that are designed to be more friendly to the environment. The eco-friendly UltraChrome GS3 inks have been developed to produce less waste and minimise the impact on the environment. Using a safe pigment formula free from nickel and fluorine compounds while producing low chemical emissions, the UltraChrome GS3 series eco-solvent ink is UL GREENGUARD Gold Certified. Additionally, it meets the AgBB and French-VOC A+ Class criteria for low chemical emissions and is suitable even for indoor applications.

Incorporating the new bulk ink system with 1.5L ink packs, the devices produce less waste than those with traditional ink cartridges. This also enables an 80% reduction in weight and a footprint that is up to 90% smaller.^[1]

As the pace of the world continues to speed up and customer demands for faster, affordable, environmentally friendly products increase, it is nice to know that companies like Epson are partnering with PSPs to provide tools that enable them to be competitive and profitable at the speed of NOW!

^[1] Data is based on Epson’s calculation. Actual space reduction ratio could be different from the data above.