Roland DG Announces VW-S1 Densitometer for Easier, Less Costly Color Matching

Hamamatsu, Japan, September 16, 2020 – Roland DG Corporation, a leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and printer/cutters, today announced that the worldwide release of its proprietary VW-S1 densitometer for making color matching between printers easier.

Roland DG’s inkjet printers are bundled with its VersaWorks 6 RIP and print management software that provides a broad range of functions to streamline users’ printing operations. According to Koji Takahashi, Project Manager at Roland DG Digital Printing Business Division, one of the important functions of VersaWorks 6 is color matching*, which accurately controls color differences between printers. Its process involves printing a color chart for each printer that needs to match colors, then measuring the results with a spectrophotometer to generate individual values that are compared and automatically adjusted for. Using a spectrophotometer is considered essential for this process. “Until now,” Takahashi said, “users needed to purchase their own commercially available device. With such devices often costing around $1,500 or more, customers complained about the cost and the difficulty of learning another device.”

“In response to customer feedback,” Takahashi said, “our new VW-S1 densitometer was developed for VersaWorks 6 based on the concept of being affordable and easy to operate for anyone. The VW-S1 specializes in density measurements required for color matching, yet at approximately a third of the price of ordinary spectrophotometers, it’s designed to be easy to operate by simply tapping the tip of the VW-S1 against the relevant color in the color chart specified by VersaWorks 6 and pressing the button.” Measurements can be completed quickly, with a 4-color chart taking approximately one and a half minutes, and a 6-color chart taking around two minutes. “The device is also ultra-compact,” Takahashi added, “with a size similar to a penlight, which makes it easy to use and store just about anywhere.”

“If you produce volume work from one client with multiple printers, or print a large, combined graphic with two printers, the final output from each printer needs to be as consistent as possible,” Takahashi said. “The VW-S1 makes it easy for anyone to do color matching with reliable printing results. It can also be used to match the original color of a printer that is slightly off compared to when it was installed due to aging or replacement print heads, which provides peace of mind to clients when printing repeat jobs.”

“We will continue meeting the specific requirements of our customers in order to increase the quality and efficiency of printing operations,” Takahashi said, “and we hope to contribute to the development of even more creative business opportunities in the future.”

* The color matching function between printers is valid only when using the same model printers with the same ink type and configuration. Files must be printed with the same print settings including “Media Type” and “Print Quality.”

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For more information, contact:

Roland DG Corporation
PR/IR Unit
+81 (0)53-484-1400
E-Mail：rdg-ir@rolanddg.co.jp