Roland – Machinery Manufacturer Spotlight

Roland was founded in 1972 in Japan by Ikutaro Kakehashi as a manufacturer of drum machines, synthesisers, and electronic musical instruments.

The company launched Amdek – a manufacturer of pen plotters – in 1981, which became Roland DG the same year and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, becoming the number one provider of wide-format inkjet printers in Japan.

By the 90s, inkjet printing was the default technology, with Roland cementing its position as one of the innovators in 1997 with the CAMMJET CJ-70, the world’s first wide-format inkjet printer/cutter that printed water-based pigment ink.

The Roland Hi-Fi JET FJ-50, the first 6-colour 1440-dpi wide-format inkjet printer, was launched in 1998, transforming high-res printing.

A decade later, in 2008, Roland introduced the VersaUV LEC-300, a UV-LED inkjet printer/cutter that marked a shift toward UV technology for multi-layered printing.

Roland then brought out the first inkjet printer that could print metallic silver ink – the SOLJET PRO ⅢXC-540MT in 2009.

Roland’s flatbed UV printers—the TrueVIS range—were released in 2016 and have some of the industry’s fastest print times.

Recent innovations include the ER-642, a 64” eco-solvent printer in the DGXPRESS series of wide-format inkjet printers – it prints at speeds up to 76.1 m2/h in 600 x 1200 dpi mode for banners and 46.8 m2/h for PVC media.

Inks

Most of Roland’s roll-fed and print/cut printers use eco-solvent or UV inks. Their latest iteration is ECO-UV EUV5 ink for the CO, CO-i, LEC2, MG, BD, and LG series printers – it has fantastic scratch and abrasion resistance.

Printer range

Roland’s large-format printers include inkjet and digital printers to handle all print shop requirements, from vinyl and films to posters.

The VersaOBJECT CO-i Series is a premium wide-format printer for direct-to-object and substrate prints. It is one of the newer models that supports embossing. It prints the latest ECO-UV EUV5 inks, including white with high opacity.

A desirable feature of Roland printers is that most models are available in two or more sizes without stripping away any technology—the aforementioned VersaOBJECT CO-i Series is a prime example, available with a 1,612 mm print width (CO-640i) and a 749mm print width with the smaller CO-300i to suit all media types.

Popular models:

Roland TrueVIS VG3 Series

Roland’s TrueVIS VG3 printer/cutter series combines high-production capabilities with premium image quality.

Available in 64″ and 54″ models (VG3-640 and VG3-540), they feature intuitive touchscreen operation and integrated take-up units.

TrueVIS TR2 ink pouches provide an expansive colour gamut with CMYK, light colours, white, orange and green options. The included VersaWorks 6 RIP software maximises its full potential.

Roland TrueVIS LG & MG Series

The TrueVIS LG and MG UV printer series from Roland brings a new dimension to graphics printing. Offered in 64″ (LG-640), 54″ (LG-540) and 30″ (LG-300) sizes, they merge print/cut flexibility with UV-LED’s advantages and Roland’s renowned quality.

High-definition output meets speciality printing for unique textures and effects across a broad media range. White ink produces an unmatched density while fast-curing prints enable rapid finishing. Multiple ECO-UV ink combinations cover CMYK, gloss, white, orange, red, and primer to meet virtually any demand.

Roland TrueVIS SG3 Series

The TrueVIS SG3 Series includes the SG3-540 (54-inch) and SG3-300 (30-inch) printer/cutter models for wall graphics, stickers, and films.

Both have plug-and-play setup, intuitive drag-and-drop operation through the advanced VersaWorks 6 RIP software, flexible job management with multiple queues and hot folders, rapid native PDF processing, onboard cut line editing, and unlimited presets.

Piezo inkjet technology offers a maximum resolution of 1,200 dpi and supports TrueVIS 500ml ink pouches in CMYK colours. Integrated print/cut functionality and media handling capabilities streamline production workflows.

Roland VersaOBJECT EU-1000MF

The VersaOBJECT EU-1000MF is a powerful direct-to-object UV printer capable of printing high-quality graphics directly onto substrates up to 2,440 mm wide, 1,220 mm long, and 95 mm thick – including PVC panels, foam panels, corrugated cardboard, and aluminium plates.

Available in four-colour (CMYK) or six-colour (CMYK+White+Gloss) configurations, this printer delivers fast printing speeds using high-density, low-cost E-US inks.

Advanced features include a liquid-cooled LED lamp system, a four-zone vacuum bed, printhead protection, automatic media and printhead height positioning, and an anti-static ionisation system.

Manufacturing information

Roland DG printers are made in Samutsakhon, Thailand, and nearly all components are imported from Japan. A recent site expansion saw production capacity increase by 40% to support Roland’s latest inkjet models.

Innotech supplies a complete range of flexible wide and grand-format print materials for Roland printers. Browse our complete range of digital print media here.