Darkstar Digital

Fine art printing specialist expands capabilities with OKI

Sydney-based Darkstar Digital is a bespoke printing firm providing services for professional photographers, aspiring artists and graphics arts students. Since 2014 the firm has specialised in one-off and small-run jobs for clients seeking top-quality digital print output at a realistic price.

“We pride ourselves on our attention to print quality and on working hard to understand exactly what our clients need,” says company founder Richard Crampton. “Our end goal is to make the final output of our client’s work the strongest possible display of their creativity.”

An evolving demand

About two years ago the company noticed increasing demand for prints on a variety of non-conventional substrates. Clients were keen to make use of heavier papers and a range of other materials including everything from timber sheets to cloth.

“While our existing printers could deal with many of our jobs, we realised we needed to expand our facilities to increase our capabilities,” says Crampton. “We needed a printer that could accept a wide variety of materials while producing a very high quality of output.”

After reviewing a range of printer options, Crampton and his business partner, Christian Davis, decided to purchase a C941 LED graphic arts printer from OKI channel partner Global Print Management. The machine was delivered in late 2014 and was quickly put to work producing a wide range of prints.

“There were a number of reasons that led to us choosing the OKI C941 including the fact that it gave us the potential to create output using a fifth colour,” says Crampton.

The C941 was the world’s first digital A3 LED printer to combine a fifth colour in either white or clear gloss, with the capability to print the full range of standard CMYK colours. This allows much greater creativity and provides clients with extra options when they are specifying their final products.

Crampton says another appealing feature of the printer was its ability to handle a wide range of substrates. “We can now work with papers in weights of up to 360gsm single-sided and 320gsm duplex,” he says. “This would not have been possible with any other printer currently on the market.” Media sizes can range from A6 to SRA3 and banners of up to 1.3m can be handled with ease.

Delivering on customer requirements

Darkstar Digital is now well placed to capitalise on its strong relationships with art students at the University of New South Wales and at Sydney’s National Art School. The OKI printer has enabled the firm to increase its range of printing services and ensure fast turn-around times on print jobs. “We wanted to be able to offer printing onto a variety of coated and uncoated papers for different purposes and the OKI helps us deliver on this front,” says Crampton.

Customer service has also been heightened because of the reliability of the C941 printer. “It’s always up and running which is great as it means we can respond to client jobs even when they come with a very tight deadline attached,” Crampton added.

Crampton says the fifth colour capability of the printer has been particularly interesting for clients looking for ways to set their finished products apart from the competition. The printer enables cost-effective, short-run printing on coloured or even transparent stock. It’s even possible to reproduce vibrant colours on dark media by printing a white background and then overlaying the colour.

“Also, being able to print with a clear gloss lets artists draw attention to particular elements of their design and really add extra vibrancy to their finished product,” he says. “The OKI printer has helped us to round out our capabilities as a business and ensure we are able to continue to provide the full range of services that our clients are seeking,” Crampton concludes.

Graham Harman, Managing Director of Global Print Management says, “We provide expert advice on the best solution through an understanding our customer’s needs and their business. We have a strong and long-standing partnership with OKI. Their LED technology, 3 year warranty, and unique products like the C941, enable our clients to produce output with maximum flexibility and quality“

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