For the best part of 20 years, Genix Imaging UK has pioneered the way digital imaging has been used in retail and display environments. Always at the cutting edge of technology and always focused on delivering solutions that meet the specific needs of their customers, Genix enjoys a well-deserved and unrivalled reputation in this industry.
It all started in 1992, when Roger Bull, MD of Genix Imaging UK, identified the digital imaging potential of the Apple Mac platform and applied it to print. “We took an early Apple FX2 and enhanced it to better handle large image files. At that time, printing was done using electrostatic technology, but we were also amongst the first to incorporate the new breed of inkjet printers into our workflows.”
Today, with so many companies providing print, Genix continues to succeed because it offers so much more than simply a print-for-pay service. As Bull explains, “We deliver complete solutions for clients that need much more than a set of prints. We provide consultancy, creative designs, layouts, prepress, colour matching and a hugely responsive service that ensures clients achieve the results they are looking for. We control printing costs through an effective and efficient workflow, but our profitability comes through the added value we deliver in terms of creativity, commitment and quality.”
The Genix studio is a hive of activity, with hundreds of square metres of print being produced every day, as well as creative design, touchscreen display content development and finishing services. With sales, marketing and administration also based in this popular central London location, being inside the Genix office you know you are in a capable, vibrant and hugely productive organisation.
Introducing the ColorPainter H-74S
In the production area, banks of inkjet printers are constantly churning away. Laminators, finishing tables and cutting systems also fill the space and print is passing through each station on its way to despatch as deadlines are being met. Further back is a separate room and it is here the new Seiko ColorPainter H-74S has been installed. “We already had six of the older ColorPainter 64S machines to provide solvent-based ink solutions. These machines had served us well, but with demand increasing, these machines could no longer keep up,” explains Roger.
The new H-74S was supplied by Colourgen reseller, Landor UK, and has replaced four of the old 64S printers. “Before purchasing the new printer, we carried out a very detailed analysis of all the potential options, but there is nothing in this price range that comes anywhere near the Seiko. The colour space it provides is broader than the aqueous printers we use and it is more efficient in terms of energy and maintenance. We can leave this printer for long periods completely unattended and since installing it around 10 months ago we have had very few issues,” he adds.
The new H-74S has been installed to provide a high quality, production solution for a specific range of applications. Roger explains, “The new Seiko is ideal for window vinyls, vehicle graphics and outdoor hoardings. We have also used it for interior wall coverings with great results and successfully tested a broad range of materials on it. To get that level of image quality at high speeds on durable output adds an important dimension to the range of services we can offer our clients.”
At the Nike Town store in Oxford Circus, Genix recently printed onto an engineering grade Vinyl so that a cut out graphic could be stuck onto a painted wall. We also recently printed a large Nike graphic onto grey backed self-adhesive vinyl so that there was no show through form the image underneath. “This project was briefed at 6:30 in the evening and printed and installed by midnight that same day – something that only the speed of the HS74 could have allowed us,” says Bull.
He continues, “The printer itself tells us when it needs attention and the maintenance routines are simple and effective. So far it has been very reliable and it seems that the more you print, the better it works and we have certainly been printing plenty on it. In addition, we always have the excellent support of Landor UK and Colourgen to help us outwith any issues we have.”
In conclusion, Roger Bull looks to the future, “As we get more of a requirement for this sort of print, I can see us investing in another ColorPainter. Genix is always looking to deliver the broadest possible range of solutions for its clients and the H-74S is a valuable addition to our workflow capabilities. It is a fast, reliable and high quality printer that has delivered real improvement to our business.”
[Photo shows window graphics for Niketown produced by Genix on the Seiko ColorPainter H-74]
