FREMONT, California --  Image Options is the site of one of the first U.S. installations of the EFI™ VUTEk® Q5r roll-fed UV LED superwide printer from Electronics For Imaging, Inc. The Foothill Ranch, California-based company has built a reputation for not only providing unparalleled surface imaged display and visual communications solutions, but also for creating comprehensive, immersive brand experiences for its clients.

Image Options executives worked with EFI’s inkjet team to test various substrates with the 208-inch-wide printer and were impressed with the results. Among the standout differentiators were the Q5r printer’s overall quality, thin ink film, sustainability and efficiency, technical options, speed, and improved versatility. Image Options is taking advantage of white and clear ink options available for the printer as well. And, with an upgrade scheduled for this quarter, Image Option’s VUTEk Q5r printer will be one of the first in the world to receive EFI’s new in-line visual inspection system.

Over the many years the company has partnered with EFI, Chief Technology Officer Dave Brewer estimates more than 20 EFI machines have helped drive the business forward over the years. “EFI solutions have been woven into Image Options’ production floor from its early days,” according to Brewer. “We began looking into options to alleviate our aging EFI VUTEk GS5000r. It’s been great, but it was a limiting factor for our production.

“We are very loyal to EFI, but we are not blind to EFI,” Brewer said about evaluating options for new equipment. “We looked at competing available products currently on market as well, as we did our due diligence.” According to him, nothing Image Options looked at reached the same level of capability that the new EFI VUTEk Q5r superwide roll-to-roll machine promised.

Better quality on more applications at faster speeds

With top throughput up to 7,233 square feet (672 square meters) per hour, speed is the name of the game with the Q5r, a printer developed to go beyond printing to provide a complete print-to-finished-graphic workflow. The Super Duty Winder and Motorized Winder available for the printer enable continuous printing with minimal supervision with multiple media handling solutions for large and heavy rolls. Additional capabilities, such as automatic inline monitoring that can identify various print imperfections and alert the operator, enable superior productivity and quality.

The auto-backlit, auto-blockout, and x- and y-axis cutter and slitter options on Image Options’ new printer automate processes and minimize waste, while extending the company’s capabilities. And, the printer’s UltraDrop™ Technology, with native 7-picoliter printheads and true multi-drop addressability, on the printer deliver high-definition image quality, outstanding smoothness and superb text quality. Plus, EFI’s industry-leading “cool cure” LED technology requires much less energy usage compared with traditional UV or latex inkjet printing while extending the range of media that Image Options can use.

“We are always excited to see the advancements and opportunities long-term customers like Image Options create for themselves by staying on the leading edge of innovation,” said EFI Chief Revenue Officer Frank Mallozzi. “Image Options has also been a very helpful customer, providing valuable feedback to help us continually advance our products. We strive to always be a positive factor in Image Options’ success, and we look forward to even more collaboration in the future.”

For more information about VUTEk superwide format printers and other advanced print solutions from EFI, visit www.efi.com.