Fleet Livery Solutions increases service flexibility with Epson SureColor SC-R5000 resin printer

Epson’s new resin ink large format printer will enable leading fleet graphics specialist to offer next day service.

Fleet Livery Solutions has had a new Epson SureColor SC-R5000 resin ink large format printer installed, enabling it to deliver a next day service and win more business locally.

The SureColor SC-R5000 produces vibrant prints with a fully water-based ink set that supports the production of recyclable output onto uncoated media. This helps minimise environmental impact. The resin printer, complete with a permanent printhead, also boasts high reliability, great ease-of-use, and low running costs.

Ashley Gloyn, Fleet Livery Solutions founder, and owner, set up the leading UK fleet graphics specialist in 2010. After working as a fitter for a number of years he decided to go out on his own. As the business grew Ashley was asked if he could start producing graphics.

“From there it grew exponentially,” he explains: “I invested in a printer and moved from working in a double garage to what is now the biggest unit on our industrial estate. I also bought a multitude of production machines, cutters, and laminators.”

Today the operation is one of the UK’s leading fleet graphics companies. It has nine employees and its pre-Covid turnover was £1.2m.

His first investment in Epson was made at the 2019 Sign & Digital show. He states: “I went there with the assumption I would be buying a printer but I didn’t know which one. I met with Rob Weissenberger from Epson. We had been talking for a while and he knew what I was looking for. He knew my biggest consideration was colour consistency and sent me some samples from the SureColor SC-S80600.”

He continues: “Then I saw it in operation for ten minutes at the show and bought our first one straight away. Two weeks later I bought a second. We produce the wraps for nearly 4,000 AA vehicles and consistently match the colour. The only variation is down to UV and fading. We now have four Sure-Color SC-S80600s. They keep us continually operational.

“When it came to our first SC-S80600 being replaced we discussed the new SC-R5000 but it hadn’t quite launched yet and we needed something immediately. When it became available, we were seeing an increase in demand for more ad-hoc work. This was not always easy to manage on the SC-S80600s and often meant interrupting jobs and changing roles of stock over. This is something we wanted to avoid in the future.

“Adding the SC-R5000 gave us the ability to offer the capacity to manage ad-hoc signage for local companies. We now offer a next day service. It fitted the purpose we needed a machine for, which is utterly amazing.”

He adds: “Because of today’s on-demand lifestyle it gives us the opportunity to be more responsive. We can turn jobs around a lot quicker. It offers us that speed we were looking for. We can also be more flexible with our planning and our application options.”

The 64-inch SureColor SC-R5000 is Epson’s first resin ink large format printer. It produces accurate, colour-consistent and fast drying prints on a wide variety of substrates with environmentally friendly, outstanding results.

Rob Weissenberger, Pro Graphics Account Manager at Epson UK, said: “The SureColor R Series addresses the existing industry challenges of working with resin-based inks, and draws from Epson’s years of innovation in imaging, colour management and substrate control. Its unique PrecisionCore Micro TFP printhead offers print service providers with high service demands, such as fleet livery, the same excellent print performance and colour control that we’ve proven with the SC-S80600. It boasts a 6-colour, UltraChrome RS ink set that is odorless and water-based, and is suitable for use in any environments such as schools, hospitals, hotels and indoor facilities.