‘Who wins when you run a Digital Printer “Shootout”?’ asks Independent Photo Supplies marketing manager, Bruno Polito. And his answer: ‘The customer, of course!’
The Independent Photo Supplies (IPS) Digital Printer Shootout was an outstanding success, as for possibly the first time ever at an Australian trade show, IPS had virtually every dry lab brand set up on one stand, all networked to three Dakis online & eCommerce kiosks, allowing the lab owner to simultaneously output prints to:
· Epson Surelab D-3000 12in
· Epson Surelab D-700 8in/ A-4
· Kodak 6850 6in Dye Sub
· Fuji Xerox Phaser 7800 SRA-3
· Kodak 4600 Duplex 8in Dye Sub
· Noritsu QSS Green Duplex 10in
In fact, the IPS software (developed in-house by ‘Professor’ David Slade) can connect to any printer now available in the market (wet or dry)! Our customers were able to bring their own test files and test print on Epson, Noritsu, Kodak and Fuji Xerox ‘dry lab’ technology all on the one stand, comparing them to their current AgX print output.
The attendance, appreciation and positive feedback exceeded our expectations. Stand-out attendances included the PSPA (Professional School Photographers Association), who took advantage of the opportunity and attended a special before-show closed session. Camera House members also took the opportunity to re-evaluate their printing needs, with the ability to test print across the different printer options.
The ability to print to any (or all) Epson, Noritsu, Kodak and Fuji Xerox printers was made possible (and all the more easier) through a Dakis Kiosk. Patrice Hugron from Dakis Canada, quickly configured a Touchscreen PC Kiosk running the latest version of the Dakis Kiosk software (V3) to send images to any or all printers across our network, with just the touch of a touch-screen button
Amazing things happen when you work with amazing supply partners: many thanks to our participating partners Epson, Noritsu, Fuji Xerox, Kodak Alaris, and Dakis Online and eCommerce Kiosk Software solutions.
– Bruno Polito
IPS
So the winner was ??????
I guess it’s in the eye of the beholder, Yvonne. Is there anyone out there who attended and has an opinion? I guess the people at IPS aren’t going to put one printer from their portfolio forward as superior in every way to the rest.
Hi Yvonne & Keith,
Our concept from the outset was to offer our customers something what’s been missing in the Photo Industry, and that’s called “Choice”, by sampling most of the Major Dry Print Output brands & types available on the market today in one place at one time, through one Dakis network!
Lab owners compared their Ag-x sample prints using their own Test Files and had a ‘play’ with all these print output types and chose the brand that suited their business needs best, not the brand we had to sell!
Rather than just trying to sell just One Brand, IPS offered most Brands so, ‘The customer was infact the Winner’! based on their own needs…
In a completely and utterly biased opinion, I’d have to go with Dakis since the lab owners could order their test prints from the IPS Mobile Dakis Test Site, the IPS Desktop Dakis Test Site and the onsite Dakis kiosks! No matter what lab you wanted, interacting with the Dakis software was the quickest and easiest way to get the output out to all the machines at once!
We’re also the winner’s since I always have a great time when I get to visit Australia.
So in other words, if you couldn’t make it to the show to test these machines you’ve then got a fat chance of getting some unbiased and genuine feedback.
Hi Alex,
Sorry you couldn’t make it to the IDEA Show as the whole purpose of the Printer Shootout was to give you the customer the opportunity to test all these types of printer outputs “Live” at one time, in one place, with your own images to see what best suits your business – very unbiased I would say 🙂
However, as your ‘advocate’ with the Photo Equipment manufacturers, we at Independent Photo (IPS) would be happy to arrange any local testing at anytime at your convenience!