Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 28

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CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY

THE ART OF PRINT
Coupralux is a digital pioneer that is absorbed in the artistic side
of digital printing. The shop's specialties: digitizing of artworks
and fine art printing. The Nyala 2 flatbed printer has simplified
the process, set new quality standards, and made printing operations more profitable.
Mike Bowers' relationship with his Nyala 2 resembles how
some people cherish, care for, and show off their sports cars. "It
must look immaculate all the time," he emphasizes. The largeformat printer is not only his workhorse, but also a marketing tool.
"Telling the story of the printer and my company is one of the primary ways we develop new business," he explains enthusiastically.
DIGITAL PIONEER
The company indeed has industry roots that go especially deep.
Back in the '90s, Coupralux was the digital pioneer for all of Texas: the first and only one in the business to offer digital prepress
with both image scanning and digital proofing. Originally, Mike
Bowers and his team processed photographs. Coupralux eventually added print services to the prepress capabilities. Today,
artwork has moved up to the forefront.

January/February 2018

FINE ART PRINTING
Sixty percent of business comes from artists and photographers.
Interior decoration elements make up the other 40: mostly wallpa-

SEVEN COLORS
The ink configuration of the swissQprint flatbed printer is largely
responsible for photorealistic rendering. Mike had his Nyala
2 outfitted with light cyan, light magenta, and light black in
addition to the standard CMYK process colors. Light black in
particular was crucial to the investment decision, since this ensures the finest rendering of detail. "Our customers don't want to
see dots," of this Mike is certain. The remaining color channels
carry white and effect varnish.
QUALITY UNDER CONTROL
Coupralux has offered UV printing for several years, but until late
2016, this was always outsourced to different providers. "We
were seeing massive fluctuations in quality," Mike recollects.
Procedures were cumbersome as well, and it was hardly a
profitable business. "With the Nyala 2 in house, we've now got a
grip on everything," says Mike. The team has established quality
and process standards, and works strictly according to them.
Workflow is now consistent, leaner by far, and above all, steady.
"Word of this advance quickly spread around," Mike reports.
Order volumes for UV printing doubled, if not tripled, within six
months of the Nyala 2 taking up residence.
RELIABILITY HOLDS PROSPECTS
"I get to stay late and work really hard since the Nyala 2 arrived,"
says Mike with a laugh. This he willingly accepts, provided the
machinery works as reliably as the Nyala 2. Mike's strategic principle is to operate multiple machines wherever he can - for safety
backup reasons. But when it comes to swissQprint, capacity
considerations are the main driver behind thoughts of acquiring
an additional printer. Yet whatever the future may hold, top
quality remains his prime goal. "From this angle too, swissQprint
is perfectly in line with the concept," concludes Mike.

BIG PICTURE
28

pers and other custom wallcoverings destined for public buildings
such as hotels, hospitals, and office complexes. Other popular
media used are aluminum composite panels, wood, mirrors, acrylic,
glass, and canvas. "We place high demands on ourselves and
print every job to the highest quality," Mike emphasizes. Coupralux also profiles each and every print substrate used to ensure
optimum color reproduction. "Taking this level of care every step of
the way gives us an edge on the competition," Mike sums up.

The Nyala 2 must always look immaculate: for Mike Bowers, it is a workhorse and a marketing tool.

swissqprint.com


http://www.swissqprint.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Big Picture - January/February 2018

Big Picture - January/February 2018
Contents
Insight
Wide Angle
Upfront
Business + Management
Inside Output
Ideas
Step-By-Step: The Art of a Building Wrap
R+D
Job Log
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - Intro
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - Big Picture - January/February 2018
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - Cover2
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - Contents
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - Insight
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 3
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - Wide Angle
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 5
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - Upfront
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 7
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 8
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 9
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 10
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 11
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 12
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 13
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 14
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 15
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - Business + Management
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 17
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - Inside Output
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 19
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 20
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - Ideas
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 22
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 23
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 24
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 25
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 26
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 27
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 28
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 29
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 30
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 31
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 32
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 33
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 34
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 35
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - Step-By-Step: The Art of a Building Wrap
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 37
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 38
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 39
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - R+D
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 41
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 42
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 43
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 44
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 45
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 46
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 47
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - Job Log
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - Cover3
Big Picture - January/February 2018 - Cover4
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