Berlin PSP Switches To Ricoh’s Eco-Friendly AR Latex Technology To Boost Green Credentials─Print Whiter Whites & Cut Costs

PRESS ROOM

30 Mar

Written By Debbie Mckeegan

Based in Berlin, Germany, Rost Werbetechnik GmbH is a medium-sized print service provider that supports commercial clients from design all the way through to the delivery of finished items.

The company provides a wide array of products and services, including large format printing on flexible and solid materials, 3D stands, Point of Purchase displays, textiles, clothing, screens, banners, and vehicle wraps.

For more than 30 years, Rost Werbetechnik has helped companies to promote their brands, showcase their products, and make a positive impact.

Specialising in digital large format printing on paper, fabrics, and foils, the company works with retail businesses, advertising and marketing agencies, events companies and trade fairs, museums and galleries, and many more types of client

Previously, Rost Werbetechnik used large format devices that relied on solvent based inks, but this approach had several drawbacks.

Containing high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and with a strong odour, solvent inks are not an environmentally friendly technology.

Printed items require a one or two day drying and outgassing phase before finishes such as lamination can be applied, and production areas rely on dedicated ventilation systems to maintain air quality.

The inks also create significant maintenance workloads, with devices needing everyday cleaning using expensive specialist fluids — all leading to higher operational costs.

The Solution

Rost Werbetechnik chose to replace solvent based printingwith aqueous resin (AR) latex inks with low chemical emissions, before visiting the Ricoh Hanover site to view large format latex printers in action.

Impressed, Rost Werbetechnik selected a RICOH Pro™ L5160, which provides traditional four colour printing (CMYK) plus white as a fifthcolour, followed soon after by a RICOH Pro™ L5160e, with six colour hexachrome printing (CMYK plus orange and green) —which won a 2022 EDP Award, highlighting innovation and excellence in production printing.

Peter Rost explains: “The demonstration enabled us to trial some typical jobs on the Ricoh large format latex devices, with excellent results. We were especially pleased with the colour configurations and the performance of the white latexinks. We knew then that Ricoh was the right partner for us.”

Ricoh Show The Way

"Ricoh has been an excellent partner to us, delivering real expertise in the field of production printing, as well as state-of-the-art solutions and valuable ongoing support. With the RICOH Pro™ L5160 and RICOH Pro™ L5160e, we have implemented eco-friendly production methods that will enable us both to improve our business performance and to deliver superb quality graphics for our clients.” Peter Rost, Managing Director

Ricoh engineers worked on site at Rost Werbetechnik to install the devices and train users, before fine-tuning performance, preparing materials, and configuring ICC colour profiles to match the company’s requirements.

Ricoh also provided Rost Werbetechnik with access to the Ricoh eShop— enabling the company to log onto the online portal to purchase additional inks quickly and conveniently whenever supplies run low.

Today, the Ricoh large format latex printers sit at the centre of Rost Werbetechnik’s operations.

The company uses the devices to create a range of advertising and marketing and interior décor applications, printing onto materials such as monomer and polymer vinyl, transparent films, poster paper, and wallpapers.

Both short and long production runs are possible, with the option to complete jobs overnight using unattended printing.