5 minute read
CASE STUDY: EVAN EVANS INSTALLS NEW CANON COLORADO M5W AT COLBURG FACTORY
Evan Evans installs new Canon Colorado M5W at Coburg factory
Is this the best value printer in the market? Sonya Cameron at Evan Evans says she would consider a second purchase two weeks after operating her first. ProPrint asks why this is Canon’s machine of the moment.
“Honestly, I don’t know why you’d buy anything else,” exclaims Sonya Cameron as we enter the Evan Evans print room to check out her two-week-old Canon Colorado M5W Series.
“We did a project yesterday that would have taken us 24 hours to do, and we printed it in two hours on the Canon,” beams Sonya of her new purchase. “It’s been smashing out the small jobs and has already completed three major projects.”
She says the company is better off regarding production capacity and power usage – a bonus considering the recent increase in energy prices.
The Canon M-series saves Evan Evans around 10 production hours per day. It pulls less energy from the grid during drying and, according to Sonya, uses the same energy as ‘a kettle’.
The Canon’s productivity and ease of use has also positively impacted her staff.
“I did a well-being check on Dale Greedy (the Canon operator) yesterday, and he said the current job was already complete and out the door – the client only signed off on it the night before,” she says.
“The productivity increase it can deliver from a long-term perspective is amazing,” Sonya says. “For us, it’s been the best move.”
Based on her experience, would Evan Evans consider investing in another one?
“Absolutely. Look at the footprint of it. You can buy a larger machine for six times the price that does the same thing, but this is reliable, better and more efficient,” says Sonya.
Dale says the Canon is easy to use and fast, and he trusts it enough to print and walk away.
“Loading is really easy; everything’s simple. It has automation and has self-correction, so there is no need to stop it,” says Dale. “There is no skill in the set-up. It’s so easy to operate, and I needed less than an hour of training. It’s pretty impressive.”
Dale demonstrates loading the roller. Blink, and you’d miss it. Fortunately, we caught that moment on video for playback. See for yourself here (QR). The machine is also connected to Canon if there are any major problems and includes maintenance software.
Evan Evans’ new Colorado M Series has increased the business’s product range.
“We would never have produced a vinyl banner in-house because we couldn’t have efficiently and effectively printed on it. Now we are in the space where we can compete with others printing on vinyl,” explains Sonya.
As the reseller for Canon Production Printing Australia, Currie Group’s Business Unit Manager for Sign & Display, Paul Whitehead, said Evan Evans has been an important customer since purchasing an EFI in 2021. When Sonya contacted Paul for roll-to-roll solutions, Canon was the obvious recommendation.
“We suggested the Canon Colorado M5W, so Evan Evans proceeded with a demonstration and loved the output,” said Paul.
“The versatility of output you can produce on the Canon Colorado for the footprint is unparalleled.”
Some Canon Colorado technology originated in the office environment and was made for people who are not printing experts, hence why it is so easy to operate.
“That ease of use has now translated into the graphics market,” explains Paul.
One of the unique attributes of the Canon Colorado MSeries is the patented UVgel ink. Back in 2016, Whitehead was part of the original R&D project to develop the technology at Canon. He launched it globally as Canon’s global marketing manager and knows the technology better than most.
The Colorado represents the fourth generation of UVgel ink technology, and according to Whitehead, the industry is feeling more confident about the technology. He says businesses are experiencing an increased acceptance rate as awareness of the benefits spreads.
UVgel has the consistency of hair gel. Because it doesn’t disperse the way liquid ink does, it’s extremely accurate and delivers punchier colour using less ink than alternative technologies.
“From a technology standpoint, the UVgel is not only extremely productive, but the colour consistency is strong, and the versatility is wide,” says Paul.
“The cost to run the system in terms of per page is lower than other technologies because it uses far less ink. It would probably use less than half the ink of Evan Evans’ previous system, which was a latex system,” says Paul.
Word is getting out about Canon’s ease of use, remarkably small footprint, UVgel technology, speed, quality and value for money. CMYKhub is also an advocate for the Canon Colorado M5W.
“The aim is to have that quality and speed technology available in every state,” says CMYKhub’s Alan Nankervis.
“We’re a trade printer. We print for everyone else. That’s what we do. We take several small orders and print a gang of them together. We make lots of stock changes, and that can be time-consuming. On these Canons, the roll change is seconds.”
“Printers love this machine. Anyone who has one loves it. Nobody is negative about it. You’ve sold me,” says Sonya.
