PITTSFIELD, Mass., and ROCHESTER, N.Y., August 2, 2010 – Brilliant Graphics Group’s reputation as one of the leading large-format digital graphics providers in the nation can now be extended to the world. A panel of imaging experts at last month’s FESPA trade show in Munich presented two awards for technological innovation and image quality to Brilliant Graphics – the only U.S. company to be so honored. Both winning entries – Brilliant Hybrid Boards® displaying building materials – were printed on a Durst Rho 800 Presto Large-Format UV Inkjet Printer.
“These awards are a testament to the effort and creativity we put into the development of new customer applications for digital graphics,” said Michael O. Ryan, Founder and CEO of Brilliant Graphics. “To be able to compete and win awards at Europe’s top digital imaging show is an honor we don’t take lightly in terms of gauging our progress against the market. It’s something we’re very proud of.”
Just last October, Brilliant Graphics was awarded the Specialty Graphics Imaging Association’s coveted André Schellenberg Golden Image Award in the Trade Show Displays and Exhibits category, for an innovative brick paver image printed on carpet using its Durst Rho 800 Presto.
The sample boards Brilliant Graphics submitted are marketing tools used by building materials manufacturers to show products to homeowners and designers. These items incorporate actual building materials – flooring, tile, windows & doors, brick, shingles and stone to name a few. As a result, they tend to be heavy, costly to produce, and limited in the number of options they display. Brilliant Graphics has solved these challenges by using a proprietary 3D flatbed scanner, Rho 800 printer, and Zund cutter to produce lightweight, cost-efficient, comprehensive display “tools.”
Ryan said that while every process employed and every step taken to produce the entries was important, image quality was the key.
“Our customers are serious about color accuracy and image quality, and so was FESPA,” he said. “The judges were very strict with their criteria. They placed more weight on the technical aspects and image quality of the entry than they did on the design or look of the piece. Frankly, without the technology that drives Durst’s Quadro™ Array print heads, coupled with the software and hardware that allows the Rho printer to produce the image quality that it does, I don’t think we would’ve won these awards.”
Brilliant Graphics won the Silver award in the New Innovative Application category for its “Hardwood Hybrid® Fan Deck,” a 12-page fan deck used to show hardwood floor samples. The company also won a Bronze award in the Specialty and Industrial Applications category for a 20”x20” “Brilliant Stone Hybrid® Sample Board” for displaying manufactured stone.
“What makes this stone display board unique is that we’re using 90 percent less stone than a traditional board – while at the same time providing a 25-percent larger product representation,” Ryan said. “Not to mention the material and freight savings our customers are enjoying. Less fuel, less product, smaller footprint – the ‘green’ benefits are significant.”
The Durst Rho 800 Presto is the first large-format digital imaging platform with “continuous board printing” for highest productivity. Durst’s patented Quadro™ Array print head technology ensures sharp images, crisp text down to 4-point type and exceptional color density. The Rho 800 Presto also prints 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).
Compatible with Durst’s heavy-duty roll feed/take-up accessory for roll media up to 80 inches wide and 440 pounds, the printer can lay down Durst’s optional white ink, special-effect varnish, light colors and spot colors – with no loss of speed.
“We’re very pleased but not surprised with the FESPA awards that Brilliant Graphics has received,” said Christopher Howard, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Durst U.S. “We design and build our Rho printers to exacting standard, so every unit is capable of producing award-winning output. They allow innovative users like Brilliant Graphics to test the limits of imaging applications and raise customer satisfaction to new levels.”
About Brilliant Graphics
Brilliant Graphics Group, part of Pittsfield, Mass.-based Sampco Companies, is a national large-format digital graphics company specializing in graphic design, 3D high-resolution scanning, direct-to-media printing, fine art reproductions, photo laser imaging, digital die cutting, UV coating and film lamination. Sampco is comprised of five businesses operating nationwide, employing 300 dedicated employees, and servicing a variety of building materials industry segments – roofing, ceramic tile, brick, stone, flooring and architectural ceiling tile, to name a few.
CONTACT: For information about Brilliant Graphics Group or any of its products and services, call (413) 442-4200, e-mail info@brilliantgraphicsgroup.com, or visit Brilliant Graphics online at: www.brilliantgraphicsgroup.com.
About Durst
Durst Phototechnik AG is a leading manufacturer of professional digital imaging systems. The company operates manufacturing facilities in Brixen and Lienz, Austria and has major offices in the U.S., France, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Mexico and Singapore. Durst’s reputation for quality, precision, innovation and reliability spans more than 70 years.
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 visit Durst U.S. online at: www.durstus.com.
