Transforming print on demand of large format graphics

Warsaw, Wola. One of Poland’s largest business centers. Its significance is symbolised by the skyscrapers rapidly rising where old industrial plants and makeshift car parks once stood. Here, in the heart of the district, Comers Printing Works has been operating for twenty years. Alongside standard orders like flyers, posters, and business cards, the print shop frequently handles “urgent” requests. After all, big business has big demands.

“Eighty percent of our customers are regular business partners,” emphasises print shop president Krzysztof Wyziński. “Operating in a dynamic business environment means we’ve had to erase the word ‘impossible’ from our vocabulary. It’s common for customers to need a print job ready by the next day. That’s why we needed a machine to support us in these sensitive situations,” says Wyziński.

In the past, fulfilling these fast orders wasn’t physically possible, even with the best intentions. “Large-format prints used to take hours, even days, to dry,” recalls Wyziński. “For example, you couldn’t cover a PVC board with a fresh print because the ink would still be wet. Once out of the printer, the print had to be gently rolled and placed in storage, which was time-consuming, cumbersome, and took up valuable space.”

That changed when UVgel technology came on the market.

UVgel has sustainability and economical benefits. The technology uses a special gel ink cured by UV light, which consumes up to 40% less ink compared to legact technologies. But for Comers, the biggest impact has been the immediate readiness of prints for dispatch.

Comers has reaped the benefits of UVgel technology for five years, initially using a Canon Colorado 1640. In autumn 2024, the company upgraded to the latest Canon Colorado M model to leverage its advanced features. “In just five years, technology has significantly improved, offering us more possibilities,” notes president Krzysztof Wyziński. The new model’s flexible, robust ink allows for prints that won’t crack, even on complex shapes—perfect for the unique designs in demand for indoor and outdoor advertising. Additionally, Canon’s FLXfinish⁺ functionality enables striking matte, glossy, or mixed finishes, making ads and posters more eye-catching than ever.

In addition to the Colorado plotter for large-format printing, Comers also uses a small-format sheetfed printer. “Our company also uses the imagePRESS V1000 with satisfaction. Its installation has allowed us to increase our printing capacity both in terms of print volume and the quality of the documents we prepare. It has allowed us to expand our customer base, which has an impact on our turnover and, consequently, our revenues.”

The new Colorado models offer ongoing expansion possibilities for Comers, thanks to the Colorado's modular design. This allows Comers to add features like white ink printing or FLXture technology for spatial relief prints as needed, without purchasing new equipment.

This means that in the future, the company can offer its customers revolutionary new forms of printing. Such as the aforementioned relief graphics, backlit prints or printing on transparent or tinted substrates.

For Comers, part of the mission is to introduce nearby businesses to UVgel's potential, guiding clients to the best solutions. UVgel technology has transformed printers from craftsmen to creators, opening a world of creative possibilities.