Advanced Graphics Adds EFI Nozomi C18000

Advanced Graphics, a Layton, Utah-based manufacturer of standees, wall graphics, displays and more, purchased an EFI Nozomi C18000 direct-to-corrugated, single-pass LED inkjet printer from Electronics For Imaging, Inc.

The company, founded in 1984, is a manufacturer of a wide range of life-size corrugated displays, folding cartons and wall graphics serving retail operations, trade houses, small businesses and end consumers.

“When my brother Todd and I bought the company from our father in 2010, we started to evolve from being a distributor to being a manufacturer,” Advanced Graphics co-owner Craig Henderson said. “By the end of 2012, 100% of our revenues were generated from our own printing operation, where it was only 10% to 15% in 2010. In the last couple of years, we have also gotten more into packaging and that’s when we started seeing the need for something like the EFI Nozomi C18000.”

Before acquiring the EFI Nozomi, Advanced Graphics’ production platform consisted primarily of flatbed digital inkjet printers. “We looked at a lot of different products on the market that would allow us to expand and grow,” Henderson said, “but everything felt like a downgrade from what we already had – until we learned about Nozomi. It was the very best fit for what we wanted to do and the criteria we had.”

The 71-inch (1.8-meter) wide EFI Nozomi printer operates at speeds up to 246 linear feet (75 linear meters) per minute, printing up to 10,000 35×35-inch (890×890-mm) boards per hour two-up. Its single-pass, piezo inkjet imaging system delivers accurate, high-fidelity color, including excellent, consistent reproduction on solid areas. Advanced Graphics’ new printer includes a six-color configuration of Genuine EFI Inks (CMYK, orange and violet) for superior-quality, expanded-gamut imaging with matte, satin or glossy finishes.

“With Nozomi, we are able to deliver shorter turn times. In the past we were shipping orders within about a week and a half, now we can ship within 24 to 72 hours,” Henderson said.