Signkiosk changing the face of signwriting with the Epson Stylus® Pro GS6000

For third generation signwriters Brett and Greg Bolan, the traditional hand-and-brush model of signwriting has been forever replaced; and together with Brett’s two sons, the introduction of a 64-inch Epson Stylus® Pro GS6000, the team at their company, Signkiosk.com Pty Ltd, means a radical change in the signwriting industry.

The search begins
The list of Signkiosk’s high profile clients reads like a who’s who in the Australian corporate community. Civic Video, Rent-A-Space, Iris Group, General Pants, Westfield’s, Turnbull Ossher Design and Diageo are only a handful of the companies that rely heavily on Signkiosk’s sign printing expertise and levels of excellence.

According to Greg, he first came across rumours of the Pro GS6000 in mid 2008. “We were looking for a printer that could take us beyond having to rely on outdated technologies, such as computerised vinyl cutting and the major health and environmental risks typically associated with solvent ink printers,” he says.

No surprise then, that within months of the Pro GS6000’s release to the Australian market, Signkiosk was running one in its Marrickville premises.

Pictured: The team at Signkiosk.

One printer for all applications
A major advantage of the Pro GS6000 for Signkiosk is that rather than operating three different printers to cover the distinct requirements for internal and external signwriting, it’s now one printer for all applications. In the Signkiosk offices, two older solvent printers and a water-based ink printer now lay unused since the Pro GS6000 was brought on board.

“It doesn’t matter what printing a client wants,” Brett says, “we know that with this printer we have the best possible solution. The durability required for external signage is there. The high print quality for business signage and exhibition prints is there. And the colour to meet virtually any corporate branding specifications is almost guaranteed.”

On the issue of durability, Brett says: “The durability we get on all media types with the GS6000 stands up against any other type or style of signwriting. We’re able to create banners and external signage that can be used anywhere in Australia, despite the heat, cold and wet they’re subject to.”

Massive savings on ink and media
Of particular note is that the introduction of the Pro GS6000 (pictured) has resulted in the company’s cost per lineal metre dropping by up to 90 per cent. Where ink costs were generally up to $35 per lineal metre with their 12 colour water-based printer, it’s now closer to the three dollar mark.

In regard to media, savings are just as marked. Greg explains: “Using a vinyl cutting system, there’s the need to have an enormous number of different coloured and sized vinyls on hand. Actually, it’s quite standard to have anywhere over 200 rolls; and with prices ranging from a couple of hundred dollars up to a couple of thousand, the investment that needs to be made is pretty extreme.”

With the Pro GS6000, that “extreme” investment is now a thing of the past. Instead of hundreds of different vinyl rolls, Signkiosk now works more with a handful of laminate, gloss, lustre and satin self-adhesive vinyl rolls.

Keeping business on the go… and safe
According to Greg, the combination of the Pro GS6000’s 950ml hot-swappable ink cartridges, automatic take-up reel and internal heating system establishes the printer as a unique unattended signwriting tool. “For Civic, we can easily be printing out several hundred lineal metres of signage per month,” he says. “The fact that we can load a full roll of media and know that there’s more than enough ink in the cartridges to see it through, means we’re able to set a job printing at the end of the day and have it ready and waiting when we come in the next morning.”

In commenting on the Pro GS6000’s nickel compound-free ink, Greg states: “For the first time the industry has a solvent ink printer that can be used safely without resorting to forced ventilation systems. We’re able to use the GS6000 in the office and, unlike with other printers, there’s absolutely no odour at all.

“What it comes down to is having a printer that delivers on quality, speed, durability, cost, health and every other signwriting requirement. Essentially, it’s the printer we don’t want our competitors to be using.”