2 minute read
NORITSU GREEN IV: QUALITY ON DEMAND
As we round off another busy year for PhotoXport we hear from a busy schools photographer who has moved from using dye subs to workhorse Noritsu dry labs, with eyes on a Noritsu wet lab for 2020
Leicester based PhotoXport continues to do a roaring trade in supplying Noritsu dry labs and wet labs, in turn helping to bolster the businesses of those for whom it carries out installations.
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A case in point is dance and schools photographer Carmel Jane (carmeljane.co.uk), who has two Noritsu Green IV dry labs installed. Noting that they have “helped change the game completely”, she is currently considering a Noritsu wet lab to help enable even higher volume print orders.
“I met PhotoXport MD Derek Fieldhouse at The Photography Show two and a half years ago,” recalls Carmel. “I had no intention of going there and spending £15-£20K on a printer, but had taken along a USB stick with some images so I could ask for sample prints.”
Needless to say the quality impressed so much – particularly in comparison to the seven little dye sub printers Carmel’s business had previously been using – that the rest is history. “Skin tones are a big issue for us, and our USP is that we do very beautiful lighting,” she notes. “Once we got the Noritsu’s installed we were able to achieve a greater consistency on skin tones as well as greater volume. They’ve been amazing workhorses – they’re working at full capacity 50 hours per week – and even if we’ve occasionally had a minor issue it’s been dealt with quickly.”
NORITSU GREEN IV: QUALITY ON DEMAND
It’s not surprising to hear Carmel Jane’s business had real need of large volume machines when she outlines that hers is the largest dance school photography company in the South East, photographing some 300 schools per year. When regular schools photography was introduced on top of that, upgrading to Noritsu became a necessity.
“The dye subs were fine for printing in black and white and colour images that are quite contrast-y. But to scale things up and maintain quality on individual photos – where skin tones are so, so important – there was just no way we would have grown the schools side without the Noritsu dry labs.
“Even though we’re dealing in fairly low cost prints at a high volume, schools are still pretty tough customers. We offer a 6x4, 7x5, 8x6, 10x8, and then a 12x16. Print costs are really reasonable compared to what you can market the print at, so there’s a chance to make a good margin.”
Though Carmel recognises the dry labs seemed “like a big risk to take” at the time, she now wonders why she didn’t take the step sooner.
PhotoXport MD Derek Fieldhouse concludes: “The Noritsu IV has been brilliantly received by the industry. It’s a cracker – I really believe it’s the best dry lab that Noritsu has ever made. It’s really solid, in terms of both features and build. It’s also a very well engineered machine and is in a very solid frame. People always tell us that they’ve never seen quality like it.” To enquire about availability and place an order for the Noritsu Green IV to grow your own business into the next decade, contact Derek now on 0116 2675907.
www.photoxport.com
