The Proof is in the Prototype

After 25 years in the industry, Steve Coy, prepress color specialist for Wynalda Litho, has produced a lot of prototypes. "We do extensive work for the entertainment industry," said Coy. "We need to provide our clients with high quality, accurate prototypes that really demonstrate our concept."

Wynalda Litho is a commercial printing and packaging company founded in 1970 with production facilities in Belmont, Michigan and offices across the country. Their clients include many media and entertainment companies, as well as specialty food, retail and industrial manufacturing corporations.

To help them cost effectively produce realistic prototypes of their products, Wynalda Litho recently invested in the Roland DG VersaUV LEC 30" UV inkjet printer/cutter. In the past, Wynalda had used its final proof machine for prototyping. "Running prototypes on our final proof equipment was very expensive both in terms of operating the machines and the cost of the specialized media," said Coy. "The VersaUV lets us print directly on foil stocks and plastic media. It's paid for itself quite rapidly."

“The VersaUV has been a very good fit for us," said Coy. "We now have prototyping and proofing capabilities we've never had, at a lower operating cost than we thought we could achieve.”

Wynalda also values the VersaUV's ability to print in white and gloss clear coat. "To be able to lay down white ink on foil stock is crucial for us," said Coy. "A lot of our packaging for the entertainment industry is designed to be run on foil." Additionally, Coy noted that before purchasing the VersaUV, Wynalda had no way to simulate UV spot coating on its prototypes. "Demonstrating spot UV coating makes the prototype look much more like the finished product," he said.

Wynalda also uses the VersaUV to create proofs on substrates which their other proofing equipment cannot run. "The VersaUV accepts such a wide range of media that it can perform a variety of functions for our company," said Coy.