“For us, this is a strategic purchase based on the quality and production speed of the VUTEk. The quality rivals or surpasses any other printer on the market, and it does that at true production speeds, which is amazing,” said Troy McGinnis, Phase 3’s Executive Vice President, Print Production and Marketing Logistics. “The other selling point is the inline finishing option. When you’re dealing with 5-meter material, having the ability to cut on the fly speeds up our finishing three fold. That was huge.
 
“This purchase solidifies our position as an industry leader and allows us to continue to deliver the best quality and values to our clients,” he added.
 
Premium-quality imaging, fast throughput, maximum performance
 
Featuring EFI’s 7-picoliter UltraDrop™ Technology, the VUTEk 5r printer offers the highest image quality and resolution, as well as the fastest rated throughput speeds (up to 4,896 square feet per hour) for a superwide-format printer in its class, giving Phase 3 and Gigantic Color the ability to maximize performance, efficiency and quality for continued growth.
 
Phase 3 and Gigantic Color’s printers will have premium-color output capabilities including white ink. And, they will be fully loaded with productivity-enhancing finishing including in-line slitting, trimming and integrated sheet collecting. The printers will be used to drive high-volume productivity for premium signage and graphics work in the retail, restaurant, manufacturing, architectural, interior decor, special events and entertainment industries.
 
Installing multiple VUTEk 5r printers will allow the companies to leverage the synergies created by numerous production locations. “We are putting two machines in to create redundant capabilities and create a similar customer experiences in both locations,” said McGinnis. “We’re able to treat our multiple locations as one, with software that ties them together in the front end, so it’s a much smoother experience for our clients.”
 
Phase 3/Gigantic Color, a long-standing EFI client with two VUTEk GS5000r roll-to-roll printers and a VUTEk HS100 Pro hybrid roll/flatbed press running in its production facilities, has expanded at an impressive rate for some time. Sales grew to $30 million from $3.5 million over 12 years as the company’s client base extended nationally. McGinnis credits his company’s ability to continue its rapid growth to the support from partners like EFI.
 
“To achieve that kind of growth we have to constantly rely on our technology and manufacturing partners to support us. It’s exactly why we chose EFI. We consider ourselves to be a very consultative company and we look for that in our partners as well,” said McGinnis. “We’re continuously pushing ahead and developing solutions that raise the bar for our clients’ expectations, and we have to have partners like EFI that can do the same.”
 
The EFI Fiery proServers installed with the presses provide superior color management as well as efficient processing, RIPing print jobs up to 60% faster than previous proServer versions.