by Matt DeLaere, Marketing
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On the seventh day of heat printing, my true love gave to me advice on the 7 vinyl cutters and print/cut systems available in Canada through Stahls’ DMS, 6 new Pre-Cut Number fonts, five uniform decoration videos, four Fusion™ heat presses, three cover sheets, two Heat Press Caddie™ Shelves, and the #1 athletic lettering material in the world.
My true love runs her own heat printing business in Canada, providing uniforms to hockey teams like the Baffin Island Bashers and curling squads like the Peterborough Poutine Partakers. She also provides apparel and signs for companies as far north as Grise Fiord, the northernmost town in the country (even my elves think it’s cold there).
In order to supply full color apparel logos, signs, banners, and more to such a wide territory, she employs seven elves, each of whom has a favorite vinyl cutter or print/cut system from Stahls’ DMS. So, on this seventh day of heat printing, she gave me each elf’s opinion on his machine of choice.
Print/Cut
For affordability and ease-of-use, the newest elf, Snowy, recommends the Roland® VersaStudio BN-20. This desktop printer/cutter can easily be configured for five-colour printing with white or metallic silver ink – plus the silver ink can be combined with other colours to create metallic tones. Printed graphics can be automatically contour cut, making the entire process simpler and easier.
The Roland® VersaCAMM® SPi Series comes highly recommended by Sheldon the digital media elf. The most versatile entry-level machine offered, it unites four-colour printing and contour cutting in one affordable machine. The series, available in 30″ and 54″ models, also features automatic maintenance, an integrated heater system, and up to 1440 x 720 dpi resolution. No wonder Sheldon loves it so much!
Concord (or “Conkie,” as his friends call him), uses the Roland VersaCAMM VS Series (his is a 30″ model – it’s also available in 54″ and 64″ sizes). It offers over 500 possible metallic colours by allowing you to combine metallic and CMYK inks, printed with the most advanced print head in the industry. As the “Versa” in its name implies, it’s also highly versatile, printing signs, banners, window graphics, stickers, transfers for garments, and more.
The Roland SolJet Pro III XC-540 is Darcy’s print/cut system of choice. It prints at up to 441 sq. ft/hr and allows photorealistic printing up to 1440 x 1440 dpi. Compatible with Eco-Sol MAX® inks, it can be configured as a five-colour model with the addition of white ink.
Garnet, the largest of the elves, handles big jobs with the Roland SolJet Pro 4 XR-640. It’s a big machine that can handle some of the biggest jobs around (trust me, I’ve seen it – it’s almost twice as wide as Garnet is tall). Nine (9!!!) ink colours (including white, metallic, and light black) ensure vibrant, high-quality prints whether Garnet is printing signs, decals, or banners. What he really loves about it, though, is the fact that he can print a design on the material of choice, remove it from the printer, laminate it, and reload it for precision cutting, thanks to integrated contour cutting with Roland’s Quadralign™ technology. Garnet turns red every time he talks about the XR-640!
Wide-Format Vinyl Cutters
Stanley, who has years of experience using vinyl cutters, loves the Roland GX Pro Series, which includes 36″, 46″, and 54″ models. With optical registration for contour cutting and the ability to cut pre-printed graphics, the GX Pro Series has won Stan’s little heart. And with 350 grams of force, sheet-cut functions, curve smoothing, and a mechanical resolution of 0.0005″ (that’s three fives, folks – four if you include the one before the decimal point), he can trust it on jobs that require high-precision cutting of thick materials.
Last but not least, Dudley handles large vinyl cutting jobs, so he loves the Roland Pro Series GX-640 vinyl cutter. It’s great for cutting designs for signs, banners, floor graphics, and vehicle wraps. Roland’s Quadralign™ technology allows the cutter to precisely read crop marks on pre-printed media, and an expanded grit roller system handles even the heaviest rolls of sign making materials. Plus, the GX-640 is compatible with Roland software like CutStudio™ and VersaWorks™, adding convenience and ease to Dudley’s workday.
Don’t forget that Stahls’ DMS offers Business Bundles, with available financing starting as low as $350/month. These bundles make it easy to start a new sign-making business or expand your operation. With four different bundles available, including items like print/cut systems, laminators, trimmers, and even a heat press (in Print Professional Bundle 1), they’re a great way to get your business off the ground, just like my true love did.
With all the options available, I’m really glad she gave me something useful instead of seven swans a-swimming!