BarkerBlue, Inc. of San Mateo, CA, had a swissQprint Nyala 4 flatbed printer installed in early February 2023. The company is a leading provider of high-quality printing signage, displays and graphics in the San Francisco Bay area. Gene Klein, CEO of BarkerBlue, talks about his ambitions and goals related to this investment.

“This acquisition positions us as the preeminent provider of the highest-quality large-format printing solutions in the market,” said Gene Klein, CEO of BarkerBlue. The company’s goal is to further solidify its position as the leading innovative high-quality print producer in the Bay area and to achieve an even stronger reputation as a sustainability expert. Gene Klein added: “We envision swissQprint enabling us to further support our current clients with additional capabilities as well as unlocking new markets for us such as fine art reproduction.”

Meeting high expectations
BarkerBlue produces signage, displays, and graphics for Bay Area-based companies who need to extend their brand internationally including Fortune 500 tech and retail companies, event management professionals, interior designers, general contractors, and museums across the region. “Our clients are among the most brand-forward companies in the world,” Gene Klein explained. The ability to replicate corporate colors and themes accurately and produce immersive visual experiences for all types of spaces was paramount in his team’s decision-making.

1350 dpi resolution, 9 color channels
The Nyala 4 flatbed printer features the latest print head technology enabling resolutions of up to 1350 dpi. The Swiss-made machines have a reputation for their high accuracy. In fact, prints rival offset quality. The Nyala 4 offers nine color channels, which BarkerBlue had configured to their needs. In addition to CMYK, the Nyala 4 prints light cyan and light magenta for smooth gradients. It also runs orange to further expand the large color gamut and to match corporate colors. The Nyala also runs white for transparent media and effect varnish for tactile and optical embellishment.

Contribution toward sustainability
The inks are solvent- and VOC-free, and Greenguard Gold certified. The machine itself is certified for outstanding energy efficiency. Like all of the Swiss-made printers, Nyala 4 is low maintenance and expected to have a service life of at least twelve years, keeping its environmental footprint small. All of these aspects contribute to BarkerBlue’s sustainability goals.

Gene Klein emphasizes: “The Nyala 4's capabilities are unmatched in the industry. It has been the leader in its category for seven consecutive years in Europe.” BarkerBlue’s strong intent is to harness the machine’s capabilities to help their customers express their messaging and branding with vivid clarity, as Gene Klein concludes. The company is holding an open house event on March, 15th to demonstrate the new possibilities.