Reef Digital Media gets a new image

A Canon imagePRESS C7000VP holds the key to a bright future for Sydney company Reef Digital Media.

Originally operating in prepress, the company made the decision to move into digital printing. "Prepress is a diminishing area of the industry," explained general manager, Ian Dimmock.

"We needed to make a decision to go forwards. We chose digital printing as there are so many wide format printers out there already."

When it came it choosing a machine, Dimmock spent considerable time searching for the right equipment. It was the Canon C7000VP that he liked best. "What caught my eyes was the quality that comes off it," he said.

Reef Digital Media are the first company in Sydney to install a C7000VP and Dimmock admits that with this decision came a certain risk factor. "If we went with another company we would have technical support staff who know the equipment inside out," he said.

"Being a pioneer can be beneficial: we get good exposure and support, but when something goes wrong it might take longer to get fixed."

The C7000VP has been up and running for over two months now. Aside from a few small teething problems, Dimmock reports that all is going well and he is satisfied with his choice.

"It's all about getting to know the machine, which is normal for any new technology," he said. "Canon are very responsive to any problems and get on to them as quick as they can."

Digital printing will always have its critics, but Dimmock has managed to convert a few offset devotees with the quality of work his team has produced so far. "People look at it and can't pick the difference between digital and offset," he said.

"It's like digital has come of age - it's grown into an acceptable medium. People look at it as a valuable alternative."