Durban North-based Haddon's Images has invested in an Epson Stylus Pro 7600 large format printer with a view to growing the scope and nature of its printing business.

Carole Robinson, of First Graphics' Durban branch, says "This customer needed a set-up that would meet his current requirements while allowing him to expand his business in the future."

The company currently carries out general printing, specialising in short runs, from business cards and invoice books to colour brochures up to A3+ in size, and is now looking into the signage and poster market, in anticipation of a possible increase in customer demand for digital imaging. The Epson Stylus Pro 7600 is suitable for this application, offering high quality large format digital colour printing at low cost per print.

Haddon's Images is using the Epson 7600 to print colour proofs for customer approval before going to final print. According to owner George Haddon, "We are now able to guarantee the accuracy of the colour matching from proof to press, using an Xrite densitometer also supplied by First Graphics."

The Epson Stylus Pro 7600 offers high-quality photographic printing with its seven-colour ink system that includes light black - a world first. This enhances the grey scale gradations, producing smoother tonal variations in colour and greyscale image. Three different black ink modes optimise black ink density for various media types and printing applications.

Haddon says the addition of light black now gives the same result that one would achieve from a printing press when printing black and white. He adds that the new Epson printer is very simple to use and has already changed the way he does business: "Showing the client a colour proof makes him more confident of getting the same result as the proof he signed off, hence more orders are anticipated. The nesting feature is a big plus on the smaller size jobs as it saves on the usage of paper." In order to minimise media costs, the Epson 7600 comes with BestColor Medium software that enables the printer to hold jobs in a queue so that different jobs can be printed on the same sheet of paper.

For more information contact First Graphics, 011 799 3800, fgraphic@firstgraphics.co.za