Roland DG Australia Blog

And the Grand Prize Winner Is...

Thu, 03 May 2012 01:27:00 GMT

Roland DG employees, affiliates, customers and friends from all over the world gathered last month at the company's headquarters in Hamamatsu, Japan to celebrate three decades of Roland innovation and creativity.

The week-long 30th anniversary event included a day of fun and festivities at the company's headquarters, followed by tours of Tokyo and Kyoto. Throughout the event, all eyes were on the 16 attending regional finalists in the company's recent Roland Creative Awards international contest, whose work was recognised as the world's most creative and innovative from 1,193 contest entries. Australian Regional winners, Ted Congdon and Tony Truong from Whites Law Bindery, were among the delegates who enjoyed the festivities and sightseeing and a exclusive tour of the Roland Headquarters including the manufacturing facilities.

"Our eyes were opened to the careful detail given to the manufacture of each individual machine to a just in time work flow order system,' said Ted, Owner of Whites Law. "As hand bookbinders with exacting requirements for craftsmanship we would regard the workers in the Roland factory as craftsmen, rather than process workers, like we have seen in other factories we have visited. It is obvious that this is the foundation for Roland's detail and quality of manufacture."

Ted continued "This quality and detail was also reflected in the 30th Anniversary Celebration and Award night. Well done Roland DG, and Thank you for a wonderful week filled with style."

Whites Law Bindery took out the South Pacific Regional Prize with their impressive 'Mahogany Room Menu Folder', which was executed with precision and clearly demonstrated how Roland technology can work together to produce innovative and highly creative works. Along with 16 other finalists, Whites Law were in the running for the Worldwide Grand Prize, to be announced at the Inaugural Awards night and 30th Anniversary Ceremony.

The highlight of the celebration came Tuesday evening when Roland DG President Masahiro Tomioka awarded the contest's grand prize to the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts in North Eastern China. Accepting the award were Du Haibin and Jiao Hongwei, industrial design professors at the university. As the grand prize, Haibin and Hongwei have selected a Roland EGX-360 gift engraver for the university.

"Our entry, a scale model tunneling machine, was part of a transportation-themed project that teaches students how to transform a 2D design into a 3D prototype," Haibin said. "Winning the Roland award is important to our school as it provides visibility to our efforts and assists us in attaining funding for future projects."

The elaborate winning prototype was produced on a Roland MDX-540 milling machine and is comprised of several sections that were each milled separately from a variety of materials. Along its surface are many intricate contours, textures and details made possible by the precision of Roland subtractive rapid prototyping (SRP) technology.

The Roland Creative Awards invited Roland businesses from more than 120 countries worldwide to submit their best work as produced on the company's wide-format inkjet printers, vinyl cutters, engravers, 3D milling machines and other production tools. Entries spanned industries and applications, and included everything from signage, banners and vehicle wraps to personalised accessories, jewellery designs, decorated apparel and even tattoo art. The entire gallery of entries can be viewed online at www.rolandcreativeawards.com.

More than 75 prizes were awarded throughout the contest, which ran from Sept. 2011 to Jan. 2012. In addition to being a showcase of creativity, the contest illustrated the breadth of Roland's technological achievements, developed and advanced over the past 30 years.

"It is a privilege to be part of such a dynamic, accomplished organisation and to be here among friends and colleagues for this very special event," Mr. Tomioka said. "When I look back at the company's origins, it's hard to imagine how far we have come and how many lives we have touched. The tremendous work of our customers on display through the Roland Creative Awards really says it all. When you empower creative professionals with innovative tools and technologies, the possibilities are endless. To that end, we will continue to pursue excellence, and we look forward to inspiring our customers' creativity in the future."

Review Your Options Wisely

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:55:00 GMT

DON'T MISS OUT ON THE DEBUT NEW PRODUCT AND ALL THE LATEST SOLUTIONS FROM ROLAND DG AT VISUAL IMPACT IMAGE EXPO - GOLD COAST CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE 19 - 21 APRIL 2012.

In the current economic climate you need to make smart decisions, think creativity, seek new opportunities, and develop efficiencies to make your business a success. When it comes to purchasing new equipment we are all looking for value - we need the best tools available for the lowest cost and with the quickest ROI. With the rate that technology changes these days the options can seem endless.

You need to review your options wisely.

Before you make any decisions about wide format this year, make sure you visit the Roland DG stand at VIIE Gold Coast to see the debut new product release - it may just make you re-think your options. Available soon, this latest generation device is the best value Roland ever, loaded with advanced features and the state-of-the-art Roland technology, all backed by comprehensive warranty and support. Review your options wisely.

We all look for value, but we also need to 'value-add' to our business to be successful. The latest 'value-add' solution from Roland DG is the new white configuration - available in double white for the VersaCAMM VS Series and newly available to the VersaSTUDIO BN-20 printer cutter. White ink will open up a range of new opportunities for your business including labelling, packaging, window films, T-shirt transfers and much more. Make sure you check out the new BN-20 and VS series white machines on display at VIIE.

Utilise what you've got. You don't always need to buy new equipment to improve your business. You just need to know what your equipment is capable of to make sure you are getting the most out of it. At VIIE, Roland DG will showcase a range of textile and fabric applications, demonstrating the wide range of soft signage solutions available using Roland DG print products. So visit the stand or contact us to find out how to run cost effective and environmentally friendly soft signage applications directly from your existing Roland device.

The most successful businesses get advice. Roland DG will have qualified technicians available on the stand at RolandClinic to answer any questions you may have or give advice and tips for your day-to-day printing workflow. Marian from Roland Rental will also be available on the stand to help you work out the best way to get hold of your next Roland device sooner.

HOW TO: Troubleshoot Cutlines from Adobe Illustrator

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 22:35:00 GMT

In these "How To:" posts we will share tips and give instructions on how to complete various tasks and operations using Roland devices. We hope you find these useful and perhaps learn something new that you can apply in your day to day workflows.

This video shows how to troubleshoot print & cut files from Adobe Illustrator for Roland VersaWorks. The Print & Cut workflow is a good thing to master to get the most out of your Roland device. Here you will find useful tips and common mistakes or problems people can encounter when attempting to create a print & cut file from Illustrator.

If you have a specific question on this tutorial or need support with how to achieve a certain process with your Roland device, leave a comment below or fill out our support form and one of our technical experts will contact you to help you out.

The Future of T-shirt Printing?

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 23:59:00 GMT

New technology always brings new processes and with the advancement in printing and ink technology in recent years, the way T-shirts are produced is now being challenged. Not only is technology driving change in the industry, the designers, influencers and also the customers are changing what to expect in a T-shirt these days.

As part of the NEXT Exhibition, one of the biggest T-shirt exhibitions in the world that looks into the heart and soul of T-Shirt culture, curator Eddie Zammit asked over 50 of world’s leading T-shirt designers and influencers what they think is in store for the future of T-shirt industry. Many of the artists commented on the changing printing techniques, the move to more digital print, and also the imminent rise of customised and short-run T-shirts. Here are a few quotes from these designers:

“The future will have more to do with the technology in inks and screen-printing than any particular graphic style” - Joshy D - REBEL8, (San Francisco, USA)

“Consumers are moving away from the mass-produced ‘Made in China’ tees and are moving towards a personalised product.” - Jimmy Baxter, King Of Nothing, (Sydney, Australia)

“The future will see every cultured man and woman designing their own personal wardrobe of hipster T-shirts. The DIY ethic can thrive when it is cheap and easy to do small runs of a unique graphic.” - Ben Brown, (Sydney Australia)

“If I had the equipment I’d print a new one whenever I felt like it.” - Brett Chan, (Sydney, Australia)

“Clean designs applied with more advanced printing techniques. I think we’ll see more specialised printing methods. The printers are constantly evolving and mastering the craft now, which will elevate the industry.” – Dave Gee, (NY, USA)

“T-Shirts will become easier to design and make…” Nima Neems, (LA, USA)

“…we may see some innovative new printing techniques…” – Nick Joblin, (Melbourne, Australia)

“The future will be based on quality materials, advanced printing methods and smaller editions.” – Numbskull, (Sydney, Australia)

“The production of tees will get more sophisticated and people will demand to have a one-off item.” – Vince Frost, (Sydney, Australia)

When it comes to advancements in printing technology and the ability to deliver quality short-run personalised T-shirts, Roland DG has a range of solutions to deliver exactly that, in order to equip these artists with the tools to adapt to change and shape the future of the industry.

Roland Solutions for the T-shirt and Custom Apparel Market

With all the versatility and advanced features of Roland’s latest inkjet printing technologies, the VersaSTUDIO BN-20 is a compact, affordable device designed for both experienced professionals and those just getting started in the digital printing business. It is a 500mm wide printer/cutter with CMYK + metallic + white colour eco solvent inks, ideal for a wide range of applications but, more specifically, the BN-20 is the perfect tool for producing one-off, customised or short-run T-shirt graphics. With a the BN-20, a standard heat press and a quality heat transfer material you can produce small custom T-shirt jobs or even large run orders for garment decoration on a variety of substrates including special effects such as adding white or metallic colours to your designs.

One of the key advantages of the BN-20 is diversification. With a minimum price tag of around $20,000, Direct To Garment (DTG) devices can produce fantastic T-shirts and apparel, but beyond this their application is limited. On the other hand, the low cost BN-20 allows you to add many products to your offering from durable outdoor graphics to photography, labels, decals, POPs, magnets and more. For example, a print shop is using BN-20 for producing T-shirts for the local high school football team and they use the left chest logo that is already all setup, to produce a few decals. The decals are then put in the box with the order, including a flyer outlining the various other products/services that the print shop offers. This little creative marketing activity could bring additional business and allows the print shop to bring the customer back again for many other products that the customer may have been getting somewhere else.

The BN-20 is certainly a moneymaking partner, well suited for use in a small or home office, design agency, print shop or kiosk. It is perfect for on-demand production, and can serve as either a primary printer or secondary device to support a growing business.

Real World Experiences

When EmbroidMe Mona Vale were looking to add another “in-house” option to their decoration methods, the Roland BN-20 was a smart choice for this growing franchise. “The size of the BN-20 was perfect for us and allows us to service our customers more efficiently,” says Peter Robertson of EmbroidMe Mona Vale. “It gives us a lot more freedom and confidence when approaching team wear or sporting clubs, and allows us to have greater control of the job and not rely on outsourcing. We are able to produce our heat transfers quicker and most importantly control the jobs ourselves.”

EmbroidMe Mona Vale will be using the BN-20 primarily for garment decoration and stickers in the short term, but plan on expanding their offering in the future. “I look forward to increasing business and giving our customers more branding options combined with better service,” said Peter.

Peter is not the only EmbroidMe franchisee who thinks that the BN-20 is a perfect machine for their apparel and embroidery businesses. Since it’s release in mid 2011, the BN-20 has been installed in a number of EmbroidMe stores throughout Australia, and was nominated as the ‘Best New Product’ by EmbriodMe Franchisees at the United Franchise Group Australasian trade show in late 2011.

The BN-20 is also making noise all over the world in the T-shirt and apparel industry. It was recently a hot topic on the popular T-shirtforums.com:

“I will admit that when I first heard about the VersaSTUDIO, I did not think it would do well and it would not meet the needs of most shops. After getting some time with both the machine and a couple of shops, I can honestly say that I have to eat a bit of crow on my stance.

There is a very large need for this type of technology in the apparel industry and the shops that are using right now have had great results.

Both shops were looking at the VersaSTUDIO as a way to get into the market on these projects and stop outsourcing while having better control on production times, colour control and most importantly, profit margin! … both shops have produced several jobs for customers and are very pleased with the machinery and the results they have gotten.

I will say that I feel this new printer cutter has a great spot in our industry. I am hearing from DTG users that want to add this to their shop to make up for the gaps there and to bring a larger list of products they can offer to their customers in shop. I am very impressed with the VersaSTUDIO and am happy to recommend it to anyone that has been considering it for their shop.” Steven Jackson from this post.

Custom T-shirt’s for Leading T-shirt Designers

Roland DG recently produced a special batch of T-shirts for T-World Journal with custom designed ‘NEXT’ logos. As part of the NEXT Exhibition, T-World commissioned a select group of leading T-shirt designers from around the world to create a logo based on their interpretation of ‘NEXT’ – As official print partner for NEXT, Roland DG then produced a T-shirt for each of these logos using Roland Print & Cut technology, a heat press and Siser heat transfer material.

These T-shirt’s are currently being sent out to the designers to showcase the Roland DG custom apparel solutions and help to promote the ability to produce custom short-run T-shirt jobs and demonstrate the advancements in printing technology.

For more information on Roland DG Custom Apparel and T-shirt solutions visit www.rolanddg.com.au/solution/custom-apparel

Creativity, Innovation and Execution

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:00:00 GMT

It was no easy task to pick 3 winners from over 100 entries in the South Pacific region of the Roland Creative Awards, but after several hours of judging it turned out that only 7 votes separated the top 5, and only 1 vote between the top 3! Going over each entry with a fine tooth comb, judges were particularly looking for creativity, innovation and execution. So what set the winners apart from the rest? Let's take a better look at each winning entry to see why they stood out...

Where to start with the stunning folder from Whites Law Bindery that took out the Regional first prize? On the surface it could look like just another classy menu folder which you see around nice restaurants and bars these days, but if you look into the detail, particularly how it was produced, you will quickly see that it is a more a work of art. Let's take a look at the process involved - demonstrating the VersaUV's versatile media compatibility and accurate colour production, white luminescent cloth was printed and colour matched to a specific PMS colour giving the folder a beautiful gold 'luminescent' appearance. To enhance both visual and tactile appeal, a raised (or embossed) wine glass texture was printed over the top of the gold, again showing off the amazing special effects possible with the VersaUV.

Next the logo in the middle of the folder was printed on the XC-540MT, laminated, then returned to the XC-540MT for die cutting, demonstrating the accurate print & cut workflow of the Roland printer/cutters. To top all this off, a third Roland device, an EGX engraver, was used to create a custom mould (or die) to deboss the logo into the cover. Three Roland devices and multiple processes later, you get a beautifully crafted folder, perfect for the high end application it was designed for. It's clear to see that this folder was very well planned, elegantly designed and as for the judging criteria - it clearly demonstrates creativity; is uniquely innovative in both design and process; and is perfectly executed - hence why this entry was a clear winner.

"The Versa UV LEC gives us a considerable advantage in a competitive market. It really helps us execute innovative and creative ideas that exceed our client's expectations." Julian Gordon, Whites Law Bindery

A hard act to follow no doubt, but the two honourable mentions are both worthy winners. With vehicle wraps dominating the entries in the South Pacific, for these two entries to stand out they needed to really catch the judges eye, and both managed to do this with creative designs and meticulous execution. It is by no means an easy task to design, print and wrap a vehicle, and do it well - it takes plenty of planning, highly accurate and detailed designs, well planned and executed printing, cutting and laminating processes and finally a well executed application of the graphics.

Coming in second place, Shane's Autoglass van wrap stood out the the judges for the attention to detail in both the designs and the application. Signs QLD precisely executed this full body wrap (except the roof), and the colours and graphics flowed very well around the whole vehicle - a tribute to both design and application. A worthy second place and no doubt grabs some great attention for Shane and his autoglass business!

Just one vote behind 2nd place, the 'Holyoake Captiva' once again grabbed the judges attention - firstly for the amazing eye catching designs, and then looking closer, for the great execution. It's clear that this partial body wrap was very well planned from design to application, with great flow of graphics around the vehicle without being overwhelming - a great use of perforated window film and attention to detail covering side mirrors and also flowing onto the roof. You couldn't miss this vehicle driving down the road, and the judges certainly didn't miss the creativity and execution of this entry.

Good luck to Whites Law Bindery who are now off to Japan to compete for the worldwide grand prize! They honestly have a good chance of bringing the grand prize home to Australia with this fantastic entry - so stay tuned for the announcement on the 17th April this year, and in the meantime, head over to www.rolandcreativewards.com to get some inspiration and view all the winning entries from around the globe!

Creative Awards Regional Winners Announced!

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:27:00 GMT

Impressive Boat Wraps, Lego Figurines and More Vehicle Wraps

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:57:00 GMT

The December round of the Roland Creative Awards showcased another swag of nice car wraps, but most interest and votes were drawn to different types of entries this month. One of the most creative and unique entries to date, 'Doctor Who Lego Figurines', came in second on the People's Choice voting, but eventual the winner was an impressive wrap of a Camero Ski Boat. Congratulations to Get Displays of South Australia!

Some of the best news to come out of December was that the deadline for entering has been extended to 29th January, giving everyone an extra chance to get their entries in for their chance to win! Already January has seen some fantastic entries, making competition for the grand prizes even hotter! With only 9 days left to enter, we are looking forward to collating all entries from the past 5 months and deciding on the Honourable Mentions, who will each recieve and iPad2, and also a Regional winner who wins a trip to Japan and is in the running for the worldwide grand prize of a new Roland device.

Make sure you visit www.rolandcreativeawards.com to view the latest entries, vote for your favourite, or if you own a Roland, don't miss your chance to go in the running for the Grand prizes - get your entry in today!

Vehicle Wrapping Dominates Entries

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:27:00 GMT

With the Roland Creative Awards in full swing, now in it's 4th month (including half of September) and over 500 entries later, it has been interesting to observe the type of entries coming in both locally and across the globe. Without a doubt, vehicle wrapping has dominated the entries to date! All manner of vehicles have been submitted from vans, ute's, trucks, buses, cars, and even an off road buggy and a tank!! Add to this a range of creative boat wraps and a few motorbikes and you have an amazing collection of wraps!

The November People's Choice winner in Australia was no exception to this - congratulations to Zentarah Visual Creations for their 'Bob The Blindman' van entry which proved to be popular, taking out the November round with 104 votes, well ahead of the next entry.

Outside of the vast amount of vehicle wraps, there are some unique entries that demonstrate the amazing creativity you can achieve with a Roland device - here are a few that are definitely worth a mention:

So whatever Roland device you own, or even if you don't own a Roland, we hope that you are inspired by the amazing range of applications on display with the Creative Awards. If you own a Roland device, here's your chance to show off to the world what you can do with it - simply submit photo's of your best work produced with your Roland, and you could win a range of great prizes including a brand new Roland device! Even if you don't enter, make sure you keep up to date with all the new entries and stay tuned for the announcement of the Winners in 2012 - join our Facebook and Twitter account for all the latest!

www.rolandcreativeawrds.com

Making Money with Metallic Printing

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:38:00 GMT

A hot topic of 2011 was undoubtedly 'Metallic Ink' with the introduction of ECO-SOL MAX Metallic ink, the world's first eco solvent metallic ink, and the printers that followed - the XC-540MT and the VS Series. While the attraction to this solution is obvious, there has certainly been some hesitations surrounding the cost and speed of printing with metallic. No doubt for this premium solution the cost is higher, and the print speed is definitely reduced to produce such a spectacular result...

So is there a real benefit to this solution or is it not really a viable business option? Based on the sales and success of the VS Series alone, we would have to argue 'Yes it is certainly a viable business solution', but to back this up with some hard evidence, our partners in the US have conducted a comprehensive survey of their customers who have 'metallic capable' devices. Check out the article below from the Roland DGA blog to get all the facts (note: all figures relate to the US):

***************

We recently conducted a survey of our users who have “metallic capable” devices from our lineup, and we found some amazing nuggets I’d like to share. The survey was sent to 500+ users, with a 29% response rate, enough that the results are statistically significant.

For starters, 61% of those units are set up to run our metallic Eco Sol Max inks.

Labels & decals topped the application list, as we would have expected for two reasons. One, it takes advantage of print & cut capabilities of our devices, which our users know how to do better than anyone. Two, that decals are typically smaller and would be viewed at closer range – where you’d really be able to see the metallic effect. I also find it interesting to see that photographic & canvas prints made the cut, telling me that our users venture out into some profitable applications vs. traditional sign/screen core applications.

What was really amazing was that 81% of these customers charge more for these jobs (Or is it amazing that 16% don’t?) Almost 50% of them charge a premium of 21% or more for every print!

Need more evidence that award-winning metallic ink (product of the year in 2009) is a moneymaker? Here’s a post from Signs101 (membership required). I like that the user hits on two key issues, pricing and how he manages the workflow. For example, print speed wasn’t an issue since he set up to operate metallic jobs overnight.

If you’re interested in learning more, we have a barrel of resources on our website:

An inspirational metallic ink video
An instructional metallic ink video Creating Metallic Silver Graphics with Adobe Illustrator.
Upcoming Roland Academy webinars on printing metallic with a variety of software.
Metallic solutions web page has lots of information on everything metallic from Roland

If you’re not considering metallic printing to increase your profitability (& differentiation), then maybe you should. But I’m biased, I always see a silver lining.

Thanks for reading,
Rick

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If you have any questions or comments on metallic ink solutions, please contact Roland DG Australia.

The Future of T-shirt Graphics

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 02:04:00 GMT

As part of Outpost Project, a first of its kind Street Art festival, NEXT is an exhibition that looks into the heart and soul of T-Shirt culture. Held on the famous Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour during November and December, the Outpost Project will see over 150 renowned international and local artists transform this industrial space into an "explosion of urban art".

As the official print partner of NEXT, Roland DG produced over 500sqm of print on the powerful AJ-1000i, to produce a 50 panel display of leading owners and artists in the T-Shirt culture from around the globe.

This project showcases the print quality and reliability of Roland's wide format printers. It has been an amazing project to be involved in and great opportunity to expose the Roland brand to the general public and also to leading designers and artists.

NEXT curator and T-shirt connoisseur, Eddie Zammit, travelled the globe with photographer Nicole Reed, to capture portraits of the world's leading T-shirt designers and influencers, which make up the 50 panels of the exhibition. "This has been an amazing project to work on, a culmination of years of travel, photos and interviews," said Eddie. "The panel displays for NEXT were an ambitious concept and the printing was always going to be a big task. Working with Roland was fantastic and we were amazed with the print quality and the overall result! People have been commenting about the quality of the photography in addition to the printing since opening. You really need to go see it for yourself."

Check out some of the photo's below - and keep in mind that even the best photographer can't really capture the ture nature of this space - you have to see it with your own eyes to really appreciate the scale and feel the atmosphere of the whole project.

This job was bread and butter for the AJ-1000 printer, however the real star printer of this T-shirt exhibition is the new Roland VersaSTUDIO BN-20. This versatile 20” (500mm) printer/cutter is ideal for a range of applications from durable outdoor graphics to photography or stickers but more specifically, the BN-20 is the perfect device for producing one-off, customised or short-run T-shirt graphics.

The whole NEXT exhibition is about the future of T-shirt graphics and each of the 50 artists and designers were asked what they think was the future. So many of the artists commented on the changing printing techniques, the move to more digital print, and also the imminent rise of customised and short-run T-shirts. Here at Roland, we couldn’t agree more, and hope we can help these artists to shape to future with devices such as the BN-20. For any artists or creatives keen to give the BN-20 a test drive, just get in touch with us at Roland.

For those of you interested in Street Art or T-shirt culture, be sure to check out Outpost Project and NEXT on Cockatoo Island. Entry is free.

NEXT: The future of T-shirt graphics from T-world on Vimeo.

About T-World

T-world is the only journal dedicated to T-shirt culture globally. T-world is a biannual printed journal dedicated to T-shirt art. Our mission is to be proactive in promoting T-shirt labels and artists from across the globe.

Get in touch: www.t-world.com.au or www.facebook.com/Tworld.Journal

Colourful MIni Bus wrap takes out first People Choice Award

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 03:35:00 GMT

The colourful 'Kids Club' mini bus wrap has taken out the first South Pacific People's Choice Award for September/October in the Roland Creative Awards. Roland DG Australia would like to congratulate NR Signs who submitted the entry, gaining a total of 89 votes for it's vibrant colours, fun designs and no doubt popular with the kids!

Proving the lasting reliability and quality of Roland devices, this wrap was printed on a Roland SC-540, and used 3M 380C Car Wrap and an Oracal one way vision. NR Signs wins a $500 Roland gift certificate for their winning entry.

Congratulations to all the other entries who submitted in September/October with special mention going to Pivot Creative who came in a close second for their impressive Rapid Plans ute wrap, and also to Comfleet Graphics in third place for their Hughes Transport Rebirth. All of these entries are still in the draw for the major prizes including an iPad, a Trip to Japan or even a new Roland device.

Entries are now open for the November round of the People Choice prize, so be sure to collect photos of your best work produced on a Roland device and submit them today – the earlier you submit the better chance you have to get more votes! Visit www.rolandcreativeawards.com to enter or simply browse the collection of hundreds of submissions from around the globe.

HOW TO: VersaWorks Settings for Integrated Print/Cut with a Take-Up Reel

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 03:44:00 GMT

In these "How To:" posts we will share tips and give instructions on how to complete various tasks and operations using Roland devices. We hope you find these useful and perhaps learn something new that you can apply in your day to day workflows.

This video demonstrates the VersaWorks Settings for Integrated Print/Cut with a Take-Up Reel - a feature that many people have requested and many others aren't even aware that Roland Printer/Cutters can perform this handy operation!

The Wash Up from Final Major Trade Show for 2011

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 01:12:00 GMT

Roland DG recently attended The Visual Impact Image Expo (VIIE), held at Melbourne Exhibition Centre from 13th – 15th September 2011. Here is a quick 'Wash Up" from what was the last major trade show for 2011 for the Signage and display market...

The show was co-located with GASAA PrintCOMM, POPAI Marketing at Retail, and Retail Expo 2011 which no doubt helped to boost numbers - although the flow of people was fairly slow over the 3 days, with the mornings being the busiest. Though numbers were not spectacular, the visitors that did attend appeared to be keen and genuinely there to do business. There were plenty of people doing their research for new products, perhaps looking to next year, and also some ready to buy, with several sales of Roland equipment reported just on the first day alone!

The Roland Stand:

Once again, in support of the industry, Roland DG took up the Platinum Sponsorship for VIIE and also had a great presence on the floor with a big stand full of product and also another dedicated to Roland DG Care solutions such as RolandClinic and Roland Rental.

As expected, most interest surrounded the new products - the VersaUV LEJ-640 and VersaSTUDIO BN-20, while the VersaUV LEF-12 grabbed plenty of attention and surprised many with it's unique technology. The EGX Series engraving solutions were ever popular, proving signage engraving industry is still alive and well!

The Roland Creative Awards were also officially launched at the trade show where people were encouraged to get their entries together for the impending contest opening on the 21st September. Of course, the contest is now officially open for entries, so make sure you head over to www.rolandcreativeawards.com and submit your best work done on a Roland device for your chance to win great prizes!

We also used the trade show as an opportunity to officially hand over the BN-20 to the winner of our Melbourne Open House competition a few months back. Congratulations again to Shaun Jesse who was excited to receive his new Printer/Cutter!

The Wash Up

Unsure what to expect from this show, it seemed like visitor numbers were low, however this is often the case with this show in Melbourne. In saying this though, the quality of visitors was high, and the new Roland products generated great interest, particularly the LEJ-640 and BN-20. Overall, it is always good to see the industry come together and support events like this and together keep the industry moving forward!

The next Visual Impact show will be on the Gold Coast in April 2012 - stay tuned!

HOW TO: Vectorize Using Roland Engrave Studio

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 04:56:00 GMT

In these "How To:" posts we will share tips and give instructions on how to complete various tasks and operations using Roland devices. We hope you find these useful and perhaps learn something new that you can apply in your day to day workflows.

This video demonstrates how to vectorize a raster graphic using Roland Engrave Studio to output to any of the Roland Engravers.

The (not so) new 'Word of Mouth' - Tell us what you think...

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 05:43:00 GMT

'Word of mouth' is no doubt one of the most powerful factors in the purchasing decision and someone's opinion is always more valuable than even the best marketing campaign. While word of mouth still goes on, these days 'word of mouth' could be probably be called 'click of mouse' or perhaps even 'Facebook like'... as more people look for opinions and personal reviews for products and services online. This has been going on for many years now, but has really taken off in recent times with the rapid growth of social media.

Social media has transformed the way we now relate, so it is no surprise that people now go online and turn to Facebook, Twitter or the like to find out what people think about a certain product/service. You find that more & more consumer products now have the Facebook Like button attached to the listing and even a comments or review section where people can leave feedback.

At Roland, it's no different - we love to know what our customers think of our products. We have been listening and learning from our customers for 30 years now, and we will keep learning so that we can make products that efficiently and reliably do what customers want them to do.

This is what some experts think of some of the latest Roland products...

If you are one of the lucky ones to get hold of these hot new devices then we would love to know what you think. Or if you own any Roland device then tell us what you love about your Roland! Click here and leave your review.

As a manufacturer it can be a dangerous thing to encourage customers to review and leave feedback, however at Roland we are keen to listen and do our best to take on the ideas and comments from our customers to ultimately develop better products. So we encourage you to join our social media communities on the Roland DG Facebook page or Twitter stream, to leave your feedback and product reviews, and also to keep up with all the latest news and happenings at Roland DG.