Taking Roland DG to the High Street

Having spent over a decade selling Roland DG machines from his dealership, last year Wesley Clemson turned his invaluable machine knowledge and experience into a business reality when he launched Of a Kind.

The innovative business utilizes a unique tablet-based software and Roland DG VersaUV LEF-20 printer to provide a personalized retail offering to its customers. Using a tablet app, customers are able to create their own customized design by adding doodles, emoticons, and uploading images from their phone, before sending the finished artwork to be processed and printed by the compact Roland DG printer. Popular items that can be personalized instantaneously, including mobile phone cases, large wall prints and portable chargers.

Wesley Clemson, founder of Of a Kind, came up with the idea whilst working alongside the VersaUV series of printers as a Roland DG dealer. Speaking about his newly formed business, Wesley said: "There is an experiential element to a Roland DG commercial printer that I felt had not been exploited before. The printing process is theatrical and visually impressive but it is rare that consumers are able to experience this due to the business-to-business sales nature of the industry. I formed Of a Kind with the vision of creating an experiential retail concept that brings internet-style customization to the High Street."

The LEF-20 is a fast and versatile machine that is able to directly print onto virtually any substrate up to 100mm thick, making it the perfect business solution for the Wigan-based company's unique user-led personalization offering. The unrivalled reliability of the Roland DG brand, coupled with the high efficiency levels of the compact machine, perfectly positions the LEF-20 to cope with the fast-paced and busy retail environment. Furthermore, the printer boasts a protective UV-safe lid to ensure both the machine and prints are protected from dust and other outside elements, guaranteeing a quality output every time.

"Once the business idea was born, the Roland DG VersaUV LEF-20 was the obvious choice of printer to make it a reality. The speed, flexibility and power of the Roland DG machine meant it was able to easily adapt to serve a retail environment. The LEF-20 is also an extremely cost-effective and reliable machine, which as a new business was key in enabling us to increase our profit margins," Wesley added.
To accompany the LEF-20, Wesley utilizes Roland DG's advanced ECO-UV inks in CMYK, White and Gloss to produce both gloss and matte finishes to create a unique, embossed effect. Roland DG's innovative patent-pending system controls the release of white ink during the printing process by monitoring its usage, which drastically reduces ink waste and reduces overhead costs for Wesley.

As well as bringing Roland DG's print technology to the high street through department stores and shopping malls this summer Wesley has taken his business to festivals across the UK, including the renowned Goodwood Festival, using a portable tuk tuk.

Looking ahead to the future, Wesley has strong ambitions for Of a Kind, adding: "I want to continue progressing the project, and so naturally we will soon need to expand our family of Roland DG printers. My ambition is to scale the business up to a stage where we are operating with multiple printers in different locations across the country."

For more information on Of a Kind products CLICK HERE.