FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VUTEk® races to the finish at each Molson Indy Canadian Grand Prix- - VUTEk® printed graphics are targeted as quality souvenirs

PCL Graphics Limited, of Toronto, Canada, has used its VUTEk® UltraVu® 2360 SC and UltraVu® 3360 EC to print racecar and sponsorship graphics for two three-day events, in Toronto and Vancouver. CASCAR races and Indy car heats took place in the first two days of each meet, with the final day culminating in the much-anticipated Molson Indy Grand Prix.

Producing high quality vehicle graphics for a PCL sponsored stock car, and sponsorship material for Indy car trucks, team vehicles and other banners and posters, PCL utilized its VUTEk® two and three-meter printers to produce over 15.5 miles (24.9 km) of high quality, durable graphics for a number of different applications. So attractive were the VUTEk® printed graphics, that they were targeted by souvenir hunters and smuggled out of the track.

The PCL sponsored stock car, called 'Schick Xtreme 3', raced in a series known as the 'Canadian CASCAR'. Sporting a body shell wrapped entirely of graphics printed on the UltraVu® 3360 EC, the adhered substrate was Avery Lino, with a clear coating for extra protection.

Having installed the stock car graphics prior to the event, PCL was then on hand during each race to re-apply graphics in case of a crash. Armond Shahinian, Partner, PCL Graphics, explains, 'If the stock car should crash, and it often does, we are required to replace the ruined graphics immediately, while the driver re-joins the race in the spare car.

'In order to do this on site, we print spare graphics on individual car panels prior to the race. As stock cars often require multiple side panels to be replaced, we are lucky that the UltraVu® 3360 EC is very economical, and that the cost of graphics doesn't prohibit doing this.'

Supplying graphics for the fourth year running, one of the biggest jobs was the production of all sponsor graphics. For the Toronto rally, more than 15.5 miles worth of 8ft x 24ft banners were printed, for use in and around the track. These included trackside graphics adhered to fences, and other grandstand and hospitality promotions.

In the past, the event organizers weren't able to place billboards in certain prime racing locations, because of viewing obstructions to spectators. But by using its UltraVu® 3360 EC, PCL solved this problem by printing on a unique, clear substrate, that could be used as a 'see through' billboard advertisement. Twelve banners were printed in total, each measuring 8 x 24 ft and taking less than an hour to print.

Armond continues, 'For this job we used the VUTEk® UltraVu® 3360 EC, which printed strong, vibrant colors that looked fantastic on TV cameras. In fact, the VUTEk® printed graphics looked so good, that spectators were jumping from their seats to try and take them home.

'Not only did the banners look great, but for safety reasons, they also had to be strong enough to withstand the effects of a racecar driving past at 200 mph. Previously, the event organizers were not able to put seats behind these graphics because of viewing obstructions and safety issues, but with the UltraVu® 3360 EC and our new substrate, we were delighted to find a solution to these problems.'

PCL purchased its UltraVu® 3360 EC in 2002. It claims that its three-meter, 360 dpi printer has been key in completing the Molson Indy car job this year. Armond comments, 'Having the UltraVu® 3360 EC to print large, high quality graphics, and the UltraVu® 2360 EC for slightly smaller work, our workflow for this job was perfect. We are very pleased with our UltraVu® 3360 EC, it is very fast, can work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and produces better quality work than any of its competitors.'

PCL Graphics has done such an outstanding job in producing the graphics for the Molson Indy Canadian Grand Prixs, that it now does work for other Indy Car sponsors including Sony and Dodge.

Armond concludes, 'We believe that the combination of our VUTEk® printers and our 20 years of industry experience is the key to our success. With our knowledge, we are able to get the best out of our equipment, and deliver outstanding results to customers. We expect our next purchase to be a VUTEk® flatbed printer.'

About VUTEk® Inc.

Founded in 1988, American manufacturer, VUTEk® Inc., is the leading worldwide supplier of superwide format inkjet printers to the graphic arts market. VUTEk® pioneered superwide format printers, and sets the standard for superwide/grand format and specialty printing, using inkjet technology for out-of-home advertising applications including billboards, fleet graphics, banners, bus shelters, point-of-purchase displays and posters. Its current product portfolio includes the UltraVu® product range, for high quality, high speed superwide flexible printing in 2-, 3-, and 5-meter formats; and its PressVu® family of digital inkjet flatbed printers, capable of printing on both rigid and flexible substrates.

All trademarks noted herein are either the property of VUTEk® Inc. or their respective companies.

VUTEk®
189 Waukewan Street
Meredith, NH 03253
Phone: +1 603 279 4635
Fax: +1 603 279 6411
E-Mail: jcedrone@vutek.com
Website URL: www.vutek.com