Roland DG reaps rewards of new approach to Sign & Digital UK

Roland’s radical approach to the exhibition â€" erecting a welcoming and informal café instead of the traditional sales-focused stand â€" paid dividends at the UK’s premier signage trade show

The Roland Café formed the centre of a hub of Roland dealers and hundreds of new and existing customers stopped by to meet informally with Roland Business Managers and staff, proud Roland users and other signmakers.

Record numbers signed up to the Roland Forum community (and were rewarded with complimentary refreshments!) while Roland’s signmaking and personalisation technology attracted plenty of attention. In particular, the new double white ink configuration option now available with the VersaCAMM VS and the VersaSTUDIO BN-20 printer/cutters proved incredibly popular.

Said Brett Newman, Technical Director, Roland DG (UK): “It was fantastic that the opportunity just to meet with us and other users drew so many visitors to the stand. We’re proud to be so close to our users and the show was a valuable opportunity to connect with them and develop a mutual understanding of the direction they want to go and the solutions they need to succeed.

“Some visitors were understandably cautious about the immediate future but the prevailing attitude really was positive. Many arrived keen to explore new technology that could help them to expand and improve revenue streams and, in that respect, the BN-20, the flexible and reliable VersaCAMM VS series and the desktop VersaUV LEF-12 inspired visitors with the sheer range of possible applications.”

Proud Roland customers Jayson Godridge, Freestyle Designs and Fraser Moore, Compass Graphics (both VersaCAMM users); and Pete Colman, Classic Lines Plus Signs (VersaCAMM VS-640 metallic, SolJet SC545 white, EGX-350 and Metaza MPX-80) were all on the stand sharing their Roland experiences with visitors.

And RolandCare also had its own dedicated space, with a number of people signing up to Extended RolandCare warranties over the three days, and receiving the gift of a new Nikon digital camera at the same time. This offer remains open until camera stocks last and any new Roland customers in need of an Extended warranty, direct from the manufacturer should visit www.rolandcare.co.uk to find out more.

In total there were nine authorised Roland dealers at Sign & Digital UK 2012. With nearly the entire Roland portfolio of products represented: SolJet, VersaUV LEJ-640 and LEC-540, VersaCAMM SP’s and VS’s, VersaArt RS-640, VersaStudio BN-20 and Roland EGX engravers line at the show there was something for everyone, whether printed signage or engraved products.

The streamlined workflow of the integrated print and cut set-up proved as popular as ever and the VersaCAMM VS-640 machine is continuing the tradition of being productive, easy to use and affordable. The latest generation features a gold print head for the highest print quality and highest speed of any VersaCAMM. Owners can choose from a variety of ink configurations for greater flexibility: 4-colour for high speed, 6-colour for high quality and metallic for high value. Roland has also recently announced a new double white ink configuration and there is still time to take advantage of Roland’s VersaCAMM VS special offer. Every VersaCAMM VS-640 purchased before the end of April will come with a two year Silver RolandCare warranty, a 12 month full-membership subscription to isignstock.com and a take-up unit, essential for unattended printing.

The VersaSTUDIO BN-20 is a 20” wide desktop sized complete production studio for display graphics, stickers promotional goods and garments and, with a low price point but high performance, it is fast becoming one of Roland’s best-sellers. Now available with a white ink option and now prints at almost double the speed saw the BN-20 affirm its position as the latest Roland best-seller. This clever solution, which combines high quality, vivid and durable print with integrated precision cutting, comes bundled with all the necessary software to bring new levels of versatility to a signmaking business. Its ability to print metallic ink quickly and easily also gives graphics and promotional items added “wow” factor, with integrated contour cutting simplifying nested and step-and-repeat designs.

Finally, the VersaUV LEF-12 printer places lucrative customisation and personalisation opportunities within reach of businesses of all sizes. As straightforward to use as an ordinary desktop printer, it is an extraordinary machine that enables printing of logos, images and text directly to a huge range of materials and objects up to 100mm deep, including wood, card, papers, films, glass, polyesters, metal, leather and plastics. Users can add value to a vast array of popular consumer items including mobile phone cases, USB sticks, pens, diaries and notepads. Using Roland’s Eco UV-curable ink, the CMYK palette of the LEF-12 is complemented by LED curing, white ink and clear varnish. This latter feature not only enables special textures and effects, but is also ideal for three-dimensional textures, gloss or matte embossing including Braille.

Missed the show? Visit www.rolanddg.co.uk or call 0845 230 90 60 to arrange a personal demonstration on any Roland machine at a showroom near you.