The large Co-startup Space & Community FUSE is located in Hamamatsu City, Japan, where Roland DG headquarters is based. It runs a co-working space and fabrication studio that are jointly operated by startups and local companies. Roland DG’s UV printer and other devices are used in the fabrication studio.

The pandemic inspired Angela Bernal, who works at Roland DGA, Roland DG’s U.S. sales and marketing subsidiary, to start a home-based business with the easy-to-use BT-12 desktop direct-to-garment (DTG) printer.

Located in Otemachi, Tokyo, Inspired.Lab serves as an open innovation hub that operates beyond traditional company confines to assist users in coming up with fresh new products and services. It consists of an open office area as well as a work area for bringing ideas to life. Roland DG’s UV printer and milling machine are set up in the work area.

Roland DG’s inkjet printers were featured in TV programs and YouTube videos where they were used to create merchandise for a girl band story franchise created by Victor Entertainment.

We recently had the opportunity to interview AIMARK, a fabrication company in Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, Japan that began using a TrueVIS VG2-540 wide-format printer/cutter to produce nameplates and signs for various applications ranging from shipping to industrial equipment.

In autumn, Zou-no-hana Park in Yokohama Port, Japan, was illuminated by the Hikari no Mi (Shining Smile Fruit) light-based installation that featured trees adorned with smiling faces drawn by children. Visitors normally take part in person during the annual event to create drawings. Since this was difficult to achieve this year, however, the event took on a new online approach, where Roland DG's UV printers were utilized for the event.

Renault DP World F1® Team, previously featured in this blog, spoke about how Roland DG’s remote printing has helped them manage a busy print room from home.

In the world of motocross, sports gear is dominated by vibrant, powerful brand colors like KTM orange, Kawasaki green and Honda red. Netherlands-based motocross graphic expert WLM Design has beta-tested the new Roland DG TrueVIS VF2-640 printer, finding its green and orange ink invaluable in matching these bold, branded spot colors.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread around the world, a mythical Japanese spirit called “Amabie” has become a popular character in Japan. Reputed to ward off sickness and viruses, images of Amabie have been shared widely on Twitter and other social media platforms — you may have already seen them! According to legend, Amabie comes from Kumamoto in southern Japan which is also where a Roland DG customer became one of the first to launch a service for creating custom Amabie-themed key chains using UV printers, making it a great way to boost the #AMABIEchallenge.

Colegio Hogar, a vocational school located in Vigo, Spain, has produced more than 40,000 adults face masks, 1,500 children’s face masks and 15,500 protective face shields in record time thanks to the initiative of its graphic arts department and the latest Roland DG digital technology.

Family business Elite Signs, an inkjet printer user from the UK, responded to an urgent call for easily readable name badges for National Health Service (NHS) staff treating COVID-19 patients. In addition, the Bridgend, Wales-located graphics specialist is helping children and their parents with a colorful challenge.

The COVID-19 virus is impacting all our lives and will undoubtedly continue to change the way we work for years to come. With that in mind, it’s important for sign and graphics shops to pivot their businesses to adjust to this new reality. In this blog, Roland DGA, Roland DG’s sales and marketing subsidiary for the Americas spoke with our inkjet printer user from Canada who is helping their local community by producing COVID-19 related signs.