Why Green and Orange are the New Colors of Print Production | Roland
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Why Green and Orange are the New Colors of Print Production

There’s a reason why TrueVIS printers and TR2 inks keep picking up industry awards. It’s hands-down the best large format printer technology available for sign and graphics professionals who want exact results or the kind of color that immediately turns heads. You could accuse the News Views and How To’s blog of being biased, and you would be correct, but this belief and confidence in TrueVIS products comes from using these machines on a daily basis, listening to what our customers and dealers are telling us, and closely watching the industry reaction to our latest generation of TrueVIS technology and the latest Green and Orange ink additions.  

The following customer quotes and opinions from our Roland DGA experts explain how TrueVIS technology and Green and Orange inks are the new colors of print production. 

No More “Near Enough” Color with Green and Orange Inks
Almost overnight, Green and Orange ink has shaken things up a bit in large format printing, and not just for Roland DGA, but for the industry as a whole. It is allowing companies like 180 Decals in Red Bluffs, California who create custom graphics for racing bikes to get the color results they always wanted from a large format printer. It enables them to hit specific brand colors like Honda red, Yamaha blue, Kawasaki green, KTM orange and other motocross colors for motorsport racing teams who love their bikes and quite rightfully don’t want to dilute the consistency and impact of the brands they represent with “near enough” color or “it’ll do” color. 

When speaking about his TrueVIS VG2 printer/cutter, owner of 180 Decals Bryar Perry explained that it not only provided better results for his major graphics applications but allowed him to expand his output with integrated printer/cutter flexibility, saying, “With the expanded color gamut on the VG2, oranges like those on the KTM bikes are easy to hit.” He continued, “The versatility of our Roland DG printers means we can say yes to a wider range of projects.”

Motorcross bike graphics

The many splendid colors that the TrueVIS VG2 printer/cutter hits to ensure brand recognition and maximum impact for professional motocross teams.

“With the expanded color gamut on the VG2, oranges like those on the KTM bikes are easy to hit… The versatility of our Roland DG printers means we can say yes to a wider range of projects.”

Another graphics company creating “camera ready” vehicle graphics are RCR Graphics Center who create NASCAR vehicle graphics for Richard Childress Racing. Long time Roland DG machine users, they are taking advantage of the latest TrueVIS VG2 printer/cutter technology to get a whole new level of color output for all their latest vehicle wrap output, including the hugely popular throwback wraps with eye-candy color. Nick Woodward, Creative Manager at RCR Graphics Center told us about the impact that VG2 has had on their vehicle graphics output, ““The reds, oranges, yellows and other colors are so incredibly bright and vibrant on the TruVIS VG2 printer/cutter. It has helped our wraps become more visible on TV each week.” He added, “We also don’t have to spend a lot of time using different color management systems in VersaWorks 6 or building special media profiles.”

Nascar wrap RCR throwback

The stunning yellows, oranges and blue color results that RCR Graphics Center got from the TrueVIS VG2 printer/cutter for Tyler Reddick’s throwback “Cat Power” scheme.  

“The reds, oranges, yellows and other colors are so incredibly bright and vibrant on the TruVIS VG2 printer/cutter. It has helped our wraps become more visible on TV each week.”


The True Color Output Benefits of New Generation TrueVIS 

Roland DGA Print Production Manager, Bryan Ballreich who has worked with Roland DG print technology and many other large format printers for over 30 year’s is in a unique position to speak about the change in the large format print industry that TrueVIS, TR2 inks and VersaWorks 6 RIP software represents in terms of color management and output. He believes that it’s the best print output he’s ever achieved with a large format printer. When discussing the benefits of Green and Orange inks, he breaks it down into the three key advantages: Being able to broaden your spectrum of color; gaining more color control of your prints; and growing your ability to simulate Pantone colors. He said, “We’re hitting ninety-to-ninety-seven percent of the entirety of Pantone color space. This is a critical benefit to shops that rely on Pantone color for matching their output.” 

Bryan’s job as Print Production Manager means that he prints hundreds of large format jobs every week and he can’t be constantly repeating jobs to get the right color output. This is why the ability to map color so faithfully on the VG2 is helping him to be more efficient. He also puts this added efficiency down to the latest VersaWorks 6 RIP that works seamlessly with TrueVIS machine technology to offer next-level, True Rich Color 2 results, “The people in charge of creating our VersaWorks 6 RIP are doing a phenomenal job. It is one of the best and easiest tools for mapping color— there’s programs that cost thousands of dollars that don’t do as good a job, and ours is still free-in-the-box!”

Image in versaWorks 6

Printing complex color files, like the hummingbird oil-painting-style design above with a myriad of purples, reds, yellows, greens and blues is made easier in VersaWorks 6 with True Rich Color 2 Settings and Orange and Green ink additions— dramatically broadening your entire range of color and making difficult-to-reach colors that much easier.

“We’re hitting ninety-to-ninety-seven percent of the entirety of Pantone color space. This is a critical benefit to shops that rely on Pantone color for matching their output.”

The Design Benefits of Green and Orange Ink
As a print design professional, Lead Graphic Designer at Roland DGA, Julian Arellano, is also greatly benefitting from TrueVIS TR2 inks and TrueVIS output. He described the advantages as a designer of being able to design with Pantone spot color more confidently and accurately, saying, “Being able to create and design in a large color space that’s easily translated is liberating as a designer. I know that I can create a design with distinct spot colors, use a photographic image, and add text elements without worrying about “bland color elements”— the printed version will reveal the neutral, bright, and dark colors, and achieve those subtle differences.”

As well as having specific advantages, Julian also described the overall enhancement that TR2 offers designers and their print output, “You'd be surprised at how much brightness and color can be enhanced with TR2. Blacks and greys also tend to be richer and deeper, so that details in photographs aren’t washed-out in the print.” He also described the difference to the color output on a more visceral level, saying, “In terms of color in real world scenarios, you're competing with nature, city lights, neon signage and a whole landscape of natural and unnatural color. As a print designer, I feel that I need to be able to push the boundaries of colors on signs and graphics to make them brighter and more saturated than their surroundings.”

Orange and green tr2 ink applications

A brand design that calls out the specific pantone spot colors (top) and a real-world application (bottom)— designing in a TR2 color space means that you can make spot color design decisions and execute them effectively.

“Being able to create and design in a large color space that’s easily translated is liberating as a designer. I know that I can create a design with distinct spot colors, use a photographic image, and add text elements without worrying about “bland color elements”— the printed version will reveal the neutral, bright, and dark colors, and achieve those subtle differences.”

The Difference that Green and Orange Makes to Your Business
The advantages of Orange and Green ink that we’ve discussed from a design, output and branding perspective are obvious. However, there’s also a distinct business advantage of being able to print in this larger color space. Quite simply, the huge color improvement in your graphic output can set your work apart from your competitors. Not just because you can recreate brand colors easily, but because the designs coming off your machines are altogether brighter, more vivid, and exciting, and accurate results can be achieved on a broad range of substrates. 

As Roland DGA Digital Print Manager, Daniel Valade put it, “The addition of Orange and Green inks to the TrueVIS lineup has allowed brand owners and PSP’s to push the color and image quality boundaries on dozens of applications and still maintain overall color accuracy from substrate to substrate.” He concluded, “Users are able to make their output stand apart by not only offering a new range of oranges and greens, but also yellows, reds, purples, while maintaining smooth gradients and natural skin tones.”

“The addition of Orange and Green inks to the TrueVIS lineup has allowed brand owners and PSP’s to push the color and image quality boundaries on dozens of applications and still maintain overall color accuracy from substrate to substrate.”

  • New TR2 inks, the True Rich Color” preset on TrueVIS VG2 printer/cutters and VF2 printers is redefining product performance for the wide-format inkjet category. They have earned high acclaim from both customers and industry organizations, including a coveted “Innovation Award” at the 2019 ISA International Sign Expo, a “Best Print & Cut Solution” in the EDP (European Digital Press Association) Awards competition, and SGIA “Product of the Year” Awards in multiple categories. Find out how you can build your business with award-winning color and next generation TrueVIS technology.

Ben Fellowes

Ben Fellowes

Ben Fellowes is Sr. Copywriter and marketing expert at Roland DGA. He's designed and produced content for some of the world’s top agencies and marketing companies. He's currently working (and getting his fair English skin burned) in Southern California! He loves art, punk rock, horror films, comic books, real beer, cooking, and eating too much!

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