Euro PLV is a Limousin-based full-service POS design and production specialist with sales outlets all over France. Its new Onset S20 printer from Inca Digital arrived a few months ago and is already bringing the anticipated results. Sold by Fujifilm France, installation of the printer and on-site training were handled by the Inca Digital team from the UK.

Euro PLV has just celebrated its 20th anniversary, which was marked by the investment in the Inca wide format digital printer. On his decision to invest in an Inca Onset S20, Christian Dijoux, CEO of Euro PLV, says: "I've been monitoring digital developments for some time, because digital is synonymous with the future of printing. For many years, I felt that there was not sufficient progress to invest in the field. Now, however, some high-speed printers have appeared on the market and I felt that it was time to invest, particularly at a critical moment when few companies were in a financial position to do so due to the economic crisis."

Consequently, as well as bringing significant technical benefits the investment in the Inca Onset S20 printer has given Euro PLV a competitive advantage in the market. The latest innovations incorporated into the innovative wide-format UV inkjet flatbed solution expand printing flexibility and increase quality perception through the use of Uvijet Ultratone ink combined with printheads delivering a 28 picolitre drop size. As a result, the Onset S20 can produce smooth colour transitions, reducing the graininess of light colours and producing even skin tones. This capability is critical for point of sale advertising and to meet Euro PLV's strict quality requirements.

The Inca Onset S20 prints on a wide variety of materials efficiently and very cost-effectively. With the capability to print edge to edge on substrates of 3.14 m x 1.6 m and 50 mm thick, at production speeds of up to 310 sq m/hr (62 beds/hr), it also features a selectable gloss control to produce finishes from matt, through satin to high gloss, depending on the application. This brings massive versatility in the printing of POS material for customers with screen printing backgrounds such as Euro PLV. By adding the Inca Onset S20 to its screen printing equipment, in particular its 2- and 5-colour Thieme presses, Euro PLV is now able to handle the cost-effective short-run production of a multitude of POS displays including totems, stands, cutouts, arches and shop windows displays.

"This is an interesting departure for the company, enabling us to produce new products and handle a wider variety of POS orders," says Christian Dijoux. "Our screen presses don't perform well on short and medium runs and previously we were forced to decline such jobs due to high production overheads. Now we can work with more materials and produce a wider range of products, and a wide range of volumes all cost-effectively and quickly. This all brings additional turnover to the company."

"We had two options: either move towards the retail market, where the quest for ever bigger orders leads to a constant race to maintain or increase turnover, or move towards digital - as we have done - which enables us to bring in a slightly higher margin than on the retail market," Christian Dijoux points out.

Euro PLV has been able maximise the benefits of their investment in the Inca Onset S20 very quickly and shortly after installation, the printer was already operating two, eight-hour shifts. The user-friendliness of the machine has contributed significantly to this very rapid commissioning, and Euro PLV is now seeking greater independence with maintenance training. Ultimately, Christian Dijoux says, "The Inca Onset S20 is exactly what we were looking for."