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Wide-Format Imaging, Feb 2009 by Schiffner, Bill

Not too many output providers can back up the claim that they have been in business for more than 100 years, but Seattle, WA-based Rainer Displays can. When the company first opened for busi- ness, they were making supplies for prospectors heading for the big Yukon gold rush of the 1890s.

“Rainer was previously known as Puget Sound Tent & Awning and was established in 1896, where at the time they were specializing in making tents and camping supplies for prospectors headed north for the Alaskan gold rush,” says Charlie Rueb, display division manager at Rainer Displays.

“We’ve come a long way since then, today we specialize in visual merchandising and digital wall coverings,” he adds.

Rueb says that the company had a recent gold strike of its own when it purchased the Rho 320R UV inkjet printer at SGIA ‘08. “We were looking at adding a roll-toroll UV printer to our shop so we could increase our production capabilities. And, being located in the northwest, the green options a UV printer offers is also a good selling point for perspective clients. We already had some Durst equipment in house and after some research we felt that for the durability and the quality of output that the Durst 320R was the best machine for us,” he says.

Rueb reports that they first saw the printer in action at the SGIA ‘08 in Atlanta and they purchased the floor model at the show. “We had the second 320R in the United States. The printer was shipped to us right after the show and we were up and running in about three days. The unit prints on a wide range of coated and uncoated media up to 10.5 feet wide at speeds up to 1,440 sqft/hr.”

“Durst’s 126-inch-wide Rho 320R large -format UV printer really sets raises the bar for pro- duction inkjet roll printing