HP Scitex FB7500 Printer Opens New Opportunities for Gigantic Color

HP has announced the first beta installation of the new HP Scitex FB7500 Printer at Dallas-based Gigantic Color, a wide-format print service provider (PSP) and the leading graphic producer in the Southwest.

Gigantic Color selected the printer over competitive offerings as a result of its unmatched combination of speed, versatility and quality. The HP Scitex FB7500 printer features a low cost per sheet, outstanding media versatility and efficient, three-quarter automated loading. The installation has allowed Gigantic Color to expand its offerings and secure new business opportunities that have traditionally been limited to screen printers.

"As a leading producer of large-format graphics and a company known for being on the cutting edge of printing technologies, Gigantic Color was an ideal fit for our beta program," said Santiago Morera, vice president and general manager, Large Format Printing, HP. "The work that Gigantic Color can now quote and produce confirms the HP Scitex FB7500 Printer is positioned to drive the analog-to-digital transition and cost-effectively take projects from screen printers."

Established in 1988, Gigantic Color has evolved from a typography shop with one employee to a large format printing enterprise with 65 employees and a wide range of high-profile clients. The versatility of the HP Scitex FB7500 Printer was a key selling point for the company, which commonly uses its flatbed printers on a variety of unique substrates, including wood and glass, and prints orders in quantities as small as a single sign and as large as 2,000 signs.

"The HP Scitex FB7500 Printer has been a valuable addition to our portfolio and an important investment for our company," said John Bowers, Sr., chief financial officer, Gigantic Color. "Once we saw the printer at the SGIA tradeshow, we knew we wanted to be the first company in our market to make this investment to differentiate our offering and create a competitive advantage. This printer gives us the flexibility to quickly produce real-estate signage and then turn around and produce a high-quality interior job, all in a matter of minutes."

Since adding the HP Scitex FB7500 Printer to its existing portfolio, which includes an HP Scitex TJ8300 Printer, two HP Scitex XL1500 Printers, and two HP Designjet Z6100 Printers, Gigantic Color has increased its ability to secure large opportunities with major sporting events and venues. Recently, the new printer allowed the company to easily quote a project to produce 400 4x8-foot sheets of signs to be hung in and around a stadium.

"With the HP Scitex FB7500 Printer, we are able to confidently pursue larger jobs and offer a faster turnaround time, helping us to capture significant new business opportunities in the sports market," said Bowers. "This new printer does the work of three of our previous flatbed printers and has quickly provided a full return on investment."

Launched at SGIA '08, the HP Scitex FB7500 Printer is a versatile UV flatbed printer designed for high-quality point-of-purchase/point-of-sale applications, exhibition graphics, signage, backlit displays and posters. With maximum speeds of up to 500 sqm/hr (5,380 sqft/hr) and three-quarter automated loading to reduce idle time between sheets by up to 85 percent with only one operator, the printer provides screen and wide-format offset PSPs an easy transition into digital printing.