Sawgrass Technologies has announced a long-term, private-label OEM purchase agreement with Ricoh Company, Ltd. to bring the first fully integrated high-definition product decorating system to markets worldwide.
Sawgrass’ new Virtuoso HD Product Decorating System is designed specifically for the digital decorator looking for a smaller footprint without sacrificing productivity, efficiency or quality. This complete system delivers improved yield performance, faster speeds, higher print resolution and increased gamut that makes it easier to hit those tricky reds and blues.
“Our collaboration with Ricoh has launched Sawgrass into a new era,” said Darcy Mauro, Sawgrass Technologies’ Consumer Division President. “For more than 20 years, Sawgrass has sold after-market, patented digital sublimation ink for use in desktop printers. Now, we will deliver purpose-built printers under the Sawgrass label that will produce even better finished products. Our new private-label solution offers our customers a stable and predictable road map of future product development, which we are proud to provide.”
The Virtuoso HD Product Decorating System includes a purpose-designed printer with innovative and environmentally friendly water-based inks. The newly formulated ink is now even brighter and works intimately with the printer using specially designed cartridges. An enhanced PowerDriver color management application and the new CreativeStudio online design solution will also be bundled with system at no additional cost. Together, these components will help decorators create and print beautiful designs quicker and more easily than ever before.
“We are very excited to be working closely with Ricoh’s engineers to leverage their proprietary print head technology and bring a complete HD product decorating system to market,” Mauro said. “Virtuoso brings together Ricoh’s successful desktop line of GelJet printers, Sawgrass’ newly formulated SubliJet-HD ink, advanced color management and online design/production solutions, and vast offering of sales, support and marketing resources. This collaboration, along with the support of our global network of distributors, will empower businesses to create and grow like never before.”
Though Sawgrass intends to grow its Virtuoso brand in the coming years, this first solution will focus on the sublimation market.
The new Virtuoso SG 400 8.5” x 14” (A4) and SG 800 13” x 19” (A3+) printers will be sold through Sawgrass’ global distribution network. The system will be introduced in January 2015 at ISS Long Beach in California and SGI Dubai 2015.
Sawgrass Technologies, Inc
www.sawgrassink.com
