The Durst Rho 800 Presto Large-Format UV Inkjet Printer – the versatile, efficient 98-inch-wide “hybrid” platform with continuous board printing for unprecedented productivity – has been voted the “Top Flatbed Printer” for 2008 by the readers of an influential commercial imaging trade magazine in the United States.

Officials from Wide-Format Imaging magazine presented their “Readers Choice” award to Durst’s representatives last week during the International Sign Association’s Sign Expo 2008 in Orlando, where Durst displayed a fully equipped Rho 800 Presto in its exhibit booth. One of the most advanced production printers available, Durst’s innovative platform offers:

• Continuous board printing – an industry first – for unprecedented productivity
• VOC-free UV inks: light colors, special-effect varnish, and the industry’s best white
• Highly efficient workflow driven by an advanced intuitive user interface
• Exceptional image quality from Durst’s Quadro™ Array printing technology
• Versatile, precision media handling for the widest range of media and applications

Wide-Format Imaging, with a circulation of more than 17,500, enjoys a reputation as a keen observer of the commercial imaging industry. Among its readers are the owners and operators of the top imaging shops in North America. Asked to vote for the best flatbed printer available – a “breakthrough” platform that vastly improves the imaging process and would be an invaluable asset to their operations – the readers of the magazine selected the Rho 800 Presto.

“The Durst Rho 800 Presto and our other ‘Reader’s Choice’ products deserve special attention for their technical merit as well as their marketing achievements,” said Wide-Format Imaging Editor Denise Gustavson. “We salute Durst and all those suppliers who have brought us these ‘top products’ and are doing great things for their customers’ bottom lines.”

“We’re very proud of this recognition, especially since it comes from some of the most knowledgeable people in the imaging industry,” said Christopher Howard, Senior Vice President of Sales and marketing for Durst U.S. “We designed and equipped the Rho 800 Presto to be a premier printer for the production environment that also emphasizes creativity. This award from Wide-Format Imaging’s readers indicates that we were successful.”

A growing number of commercial imaging businesses around the United States are finding the Rho 800 Presto to be as exceptional a printing platform as the magazine’s survey indicates:

“Many of our clients are progressive marketers who rely on SFC to help them deliver innovative marketing solutions to their customers,” said Paul Clark, President of SFC Graphics in Toledo, Ohio. “By adding the Rho 800 Presto to our equipment mix, we’ve increased our flexibility in terms of satisfying their unique requirements. SFC’s variable print manufacturing capability, from our online ordering through short-run production to fulfillment, have all been upgraded with to the Rho 800 Presto. When buying equipment at this level, you have to be diligent in your choice of who’s backing it, and in our case Durst is a good investment. They can innovate and support at the same time, and that’s what SFC likes to do with and for its customers, too.”

“The Durst Rho 800 Presto is one of the few machines that truly runs at that 'fewer pass' high-speed rating with excellent results,” said Scott Minnette, President of the Image Mill, In Redmond, WA. “The efficiencies of the new software interface are pretty amazing – they allow us to prep jobs and just dump them into the queue so the print heads never have to stop when running in roll-to-roll mode. And the flat-out reliability is what made us decide to get a second one. I've never had a large-format printer run like this out of the box.”

“We chose the Durst Rho 800 Presto for several reasons: its continuous board feed capability, its Quadro™ Array print technology, the precision workmanship, the availability and reputation of the Durst service team, and the long history that Durst has as an expert in its field,” said Michael Ryan, Founder and CEO of Sampco Companies, headquartered in Pittsfield, MA. “The Rho 800 allows us to add to our current large-format print capabilities, but with greater speed and width. In addition, Sampco will have the ability to print both roll-to-roll or direct to a variety of substrates and media using the new continuous feed option. Our national infrastructure, including six strategic locations, serving an international client base, will allow us to capitalize on Durst’s new technology. And we’re well positioned to serve emerging global markets of the future.”

“We took a hard look at all of the flatbed printers available,” said Reg garner, Vice President of Triangle Reprographics in Orlando, FL. “Our decision to go with the Durst Rho 800 Presto was based on three things: its overall image quality, its white ink capability and its true speed. We’re very satisfied with its productivity and its versatility. The Rho 800 met all of Triangle’s needs the best.”

For the Rho 800 Presto to achieve its high-productivity, continuous board printing, materials are registered at the leading edge using mechanical front stops. The next series of boards are positioned against the first, whereupon the transport system takes over and ensures continuous printing without interruption. Durst’s flagship flatbed UV inkjet printer also can print on multiple narrow boards across its full 98-inch width on materials up to 2.75 inches thick, at a top speed of 1,200 sf/hr (draft mode). In addition, it is compatible with Durst’s heavy-duty roll feed/take-up accessory that easily handles roll media up to 80 inches wide and 440 pounds.

The Rho 800 Presto prints white ink, special-effect varnish, light and spot colors with no loss of speed. Quadro™ Array print head technology ensures sharp images, crisp text down to 4-point type and high color density in solid areas. The printer combines a compact, robust design with its innovative continuous printing process and exceptional image reproduction – all to provide a level of productivity, efficiency and quality previously unattainable in commercial printing.

About Durst
Durst Phototechnik AG is a leading manufacturer of professional digital imaging systems for graphic, pre-press, signage, commercial / retail display, packaging, industrial and photographic applications. Headquartered in Brixen, Italy, the company operates manufacturing facilities in Brixen and Lienz, Austria; has major offices in the U.S., France, United Kingdom, Germany and Mexico; and partners with exclusive agents in 120 countries. Durst’s reputation for quality, precision, innovation and reliability spans more than 70 years.

Durst Image Technology U.S., LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Durst Phototechnik Group, is exclusive distributor and service provider for all Durst professional digital imaging equipment in the United States and Canada. Durst’s professional imaging products include the renowned Lambda laser imagers, Rho large-format UV inkjet printers, Theta roll-to-cut print photo imagers, Sigma high-speed film scanners, photo album creation systems, and other products.

Contact
For information on Durst Image Technology U.S., LLC or any of Durst’s products and services, contact Christopher Howard, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing: phone (585) 486-0340 ext. 5250, fax (585) 486-0350, e-mail choward@durstus.com. Or you can visit Durst U.S. online at: www.durstus.com.