For many of us, Christmas is all about traditions: enjoying the same food, singing the same songs, watching the same films -; and probably telling the same cracker jokes year after year. It gives us a sense of nostalgia, comfort and warmth, especially in the chilly winters of parts of the northern hemisphere. But everyone likes personal touches that make a Christmas unique, whether that’s a customised gift or special tree decoration. This year, there are more opportunities than ever for retailers and suppliers to offer their customers personalised products, thanks to new releases from Roland. And just like a box of your favourite chocolate bars, there’s a selection of different technologies and systems to choose from.
Personalising products with direct print
The Roland VersaUV LEF2 UV printer series has had a hi-tech makeover to make colourful customisation even faster and easier. The VersaUV LEF2-200 is great for versatile product personalisation while the larger LEF2-300 is ideal for higher-volume work. Both are truly benchtop machines that can fit into small workspaces and stores.
These power-packed printers use clever UV ink and digital technology to add vibrantly coloured designs and crisp text to practically any media or product, even flexible materials like leather and smooth surfaces like plastic. The punchy CMYK gets extra pep with white ink, and gloss, which can also be printed in layers to produce genuine textures.
Laser engraving
The perfect partners for VersaUV LEF printers are Roland’s new LV-290 and LV-180 laser engravers. Depending on the substrate – and there are plenty of compatible materials to choose from – these clever, compact machines can mark, cut or engrave your design for a unique gift. Cut acrylic to make some wintry Christmas tree decorations on the LV or engrave a premium wooden gift tag for that high-end finishing touch.
DTG printing
Forget about the Christmas jumper: how about a festive T-shirt, a personalised Santa sack or an outfit for your dog? The VersaSTUDIO BT-12 is Roland’s new direct-to-garment printer designed to let retailers add personalised images, text and designs directly to cotton products in-store. Another beautifully compact device, the BT-12 lets you print high-quality, high-resolution personalisation in minutes – while your customers browse your other must-have products.
In-store customer interface
All of Roland’s imaging systems are safe and easy to use, even with little prior experience of the technologies. With connectivity to VersaUV LEF, VersaSTUDIO BT-12 and other desktop systems, this innovative design and print management software package lets customers upload their own photos or images from their mobile devices, for the operator to use in the customer’s choice of personalisation.
There’s an intuitive interface that reduces the customisation process to just four steps: the customer selects a product to personalise from the retailer’s range; they choose a design; place their order; and the operator completes the decoration there and then.
Personalised and unique products are shown to be in high demand from consumers, who are happy to pay more for them. Using Roland’s latest devices, retailers and suppliers can make Christmas extra special for their customers and for their businesses.
Want to know how you can make a profit with personalised products? Contact Us!
