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Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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A UV Boost to Production at the Coors Distribution Center’s Print Shop

Printing signs with a UV curable inkjet printerIn 2011 the Coors Distribution Center (CDC) in Denver printed more than 100,000 signs, plastering the city and the Front Range surrounding Denver with its brand. CDC print shop manager Chuck Black says sign production has increased at least 110 percent and up to 140 percent over the past six years.

Some of that can be attributed to the merging of the Miller and Coors brands, but Black says it all has to do with simple demand.

Inkjet printing point of sale signs“We offer the high quality printing that a lot of our competitors aren’t able to do, so it gives us an edge. We get opportunities to put up signage where not many others can, just because they want that quality,” says Black.

An important component of the quality produced by the CDC’s print shop is keeping up with the latest technology it gets from LexJet. That way the CDC adds versatility to quality, winning on all fronts in Denver’s beer wars.

The print shop recently added CET Color’s X-Press 500H UV Hybrid R-T-R/Flatbed printer as well as a Canon iPF9000S to its lineup, both of which have helped boost production and meet the demand in the field.

Coroplast cut outs printed for special promotions“The new CET UV-curable printer has updated heads and the passes are a lot smoother in the overlap, which means you don’t see the same banding you might usually see in a UV printer. It’s running at medium resolution and it’s running faster than our older UV printer at its lowest resolution, plus it was a lot less expensive than our original UV printer,” says Black.

Since the printer’s a hybrid, it can print directly to flat, rigid materials like Coroplast as well as roll material like banner stock. Black says the UV inks provide a matte finish regardless of whether the print surface is gloss, matte or luster, so when something needs the pop of gloss to make it shine indoors, the Canon printer takes over.

Printing banners with an inkjet printerThe added speed and quality of the two printers allows the CDC to offer its accounts a wider range of signs, including creative Coroplast cut-outs (pictured) for special promotions. Also, and most importantly, the CDC’s beverage brands are front and center, dominating the point of sale in its market.

“The newer technology, with both the CET UV printer and the Canon, helps us win advertising space. When our reps put out our signs they really impress the owners of the businesses we serve,” adds Black.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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Creative Applications with Dee-O-Gee on the Windows

Dee-O-Gee is actually the name of the establishment that sports a creative application of inkjet printable vinyl to advertise and inform customers and passersby about its natural pet supply store in Bozeman, Mont.

Originally reported on this blog earlier this year, the project by Ink Outside the Box is ongoing and changed slightly depending on the season. As the photos show, Ink Outside the Box embellishes the original images, printed on LexJet Simple Low Tack White Vinyl with an HP Designjet 35500 flatbed UV-curable printer, with removable bits and pieces that coincide with the season.

“We thought it would be a great idea to print ornamental images on a repositionable material to dress up that same image. Then, they can peel those off and save the materials for the following year,” says Justin Lind of Ink Outside the Box. “The material we use from LexJet is perfect, because of the consistency you get for the price. Every time I get a roll of material, one roll is the same as the next. I like the adhesive with the 24-hour cure that you can pull back up and stick back down again during application and then it sets within 24 hours.”

Lind adds that this particular project has helped loosen up the sign codes in Bozeman a bit. He says it’s simple economics.

The original window graphics project for Dee-O-Gee before the Christmas additions by Ink Outside the Box. The dog photos are by Loneman Photography in Bozeman.

“This one client has increased his walk-in business by 35 percent just by having those murals on his windows. We took this information to the city and told them that we’re trying to help businesses survive during tough times, and this helps the city’s tax base,” explains Lind. “The way we advertise now is so different than what we did even five years ago. The window graphic is a great solution because it’s right there, it tells a quick story of who you are and what you do, plus it’s economical.”