Roland DG’s master distributor in Africa, Telpro Management, used the Africa Print Expo in September to show off new solutions, among them options for wide-format printing. Taking pride of stage was the 1 375mm SG3-540 standard model that generates premium print and cut results profitably.

According to Telpro marketing manager, Natalie van der Merwe, the model will suit sign and graphics businesses across the board. ‘Whether they’re looking for a device to get their business going with a wide variety of large-format graphics or they need to get further ahead in graphics customisation with an affordable solution, the SG3 series is a good bet,’ she states.

The system – for signage, retail graphics, decals, apparel and vehicle wraps – is designed around user-ease features such as business building accuracy and performance, automatic media gap adjustment, eliminating the need for manual calculation out of setup and enhanced media handling.

A one-touch lever locks the media in place in one motion, while an integrated fan keeps it steady during setup. A perforated easy-tear sheet-cut option reduces post-processing time between print jobs.

Other features, Natalie explains, include automated inner pinch rollers that raise during cutting, while outer rollers remain stable for accurate print and cut, and smart media clamps with integrated grooves that don’t hinder sheet-cutting or need to be removed. A malfunctioning printhead nozzle may be turned off without interfering with production. Custom crop software is geared for long print runs of stickers and decals.

This unit is the entry-level sibling in the Roland family, with new big brothers the VG3-640 and VG3-540 – the recently-launched third generation TrueVIS wide-format inkjet printer/cutters.

With more than 23 000 TrueVIS printers sold since 2016, the newcomers have large shoes to fill, but have the right credentials to pull it off, with president of Roland DG’s global sales and marketing division, Tony Miller, announcing at the launch that they represent a new platform developed from scratch. Body rigidity is four times that of the standard unit, and the dot shape and position of the ink droplets can be controlled more accurately and consistently than ever before, he added.

The VG3 series boasts an eight-colour ink set with a wider colour gamut incorporating special orange and green inks, and smoother colours with reduced graininess using light cyan and light magenta.

An easy-to-read colour LCD touch panel enables quick and easy access to check settings, obtain a real-time view of ink levels and media, and perform device commands.

Both VG3 and SG3 models feature a new setting support function that reduces media skew, and centre and side pinch rollers to hold the media in place for better print and cut quality.

The inkjets work with Roland DG Connect, a cloud-based service that links devices and shares information, which helps with profitability calculations and provides support to reduce downtime and bolster efficiency.

‘We live in an era where special experiences are required to excite people so print producers are challenged to work more efficiently and creatively than ever,’ Tony commented at the launch. ‘The VG3/SG3 series was developed to create exceptional value for the future of the printing business and provide the finest image quality to as many customers as possible.’

‘People are seeing that there’s still a spark in the signage industry,’ Natalie adds. ‘There’s no shortage of exciting technology and South African printers are increasingly taking the opportunity to create innovative things. Roland DG range is well placed to satisfy their needs.’