parrotprint.com installs EFI Vutek Q5r

Wide Format Solutions

UK based tech start up parrotprint.com has invested in an EFI Vutek Q5r digital printer, making it the first tech brand in Europe to install the latest five metre roll to roll UV-LED printer launched by EFI in January this year.

Offering outstanding print quality for high volume output at low cost of production, this is the ideal vehicle for parrotprint.com, a personalised internet print service.

‘The EFI Vutek Q5r enhances our current and future production demands, enabling us to continue to offer our unbeatable, next day delivery promises, whilst retaining market leading print quality, as we continue to see rapid growth and scale parrotprint.com to new markets,’ said marketing director Dane Hamer.

parrotprint.com offers a service whereby customers can print any picture from anywhere in the world and have it delivered the next day. It was launched in March this year, founded by passionate photographers and entrepreneurs with a track record of building successful ventures.

‘As photographers in a previous life, we were unhappy with the quality produced by similar companies. Often seeing heavily pixelated or chopped prints, we saw the need for a more affordable premium service run by a knowledgeable and passionate team,’ said company founder, Matt Dahan.

Matt did the maths and developed the code to produce an automatic photo quality detection algorithm. This screens the quality of an image using an algebraic formula to determine a photo’s pixel density, on the fly. So, if a user is cropping their image, using the crop tool, it automatically calculates and assesses the image quality to ensure optimal print results. The company’s development teams’ imaging software uses AI that checks and auto corrects the creation and production workflow process to simplify the user experience and guarantee accurate and high quality prints.

All parrotprint.com products are printed on premium quality, heavyweight, museum archival grade canvas, suitable for fine art photography reproduction and allowing for incredible detail with vibrant colours.

The company evaluated several printers, but in the end went for the Vutek Q5r because, said Dane, ‘It has market leading production speeds that no other vetted printer can match, along with meeting our strict requirements for quality and running costs.’

The Q5r runs at speeds up to 672 square metres per hour. It features up to nine ink colours (standard CMYK and optional lc, lm, lk, white and clear coat), enabling exact customisation of each printer to application requirements. It also boasts EFI UltraDrop Technology, featuring native seven picolitre printheads with multi-drop addressability for high definition image quality.

UV-LED curing ensures not only cost savings but also a more environmentally friendly printing solution, consuming less energy and enabling the use of thinner, heat-sensitive substrates.

The company is now looking to expand the parrotprint.com offering into high quality premium framed gallery prints, posters, wall art and has plans to build an online marketplace expressly for photographers, setting new standards of e-commerce for both buyers and sellers.