FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE SCORES WITH EPSON COLOUR ON-DEMAND LABEL PRINTER

Singapore football’s governing body turned to the Epson Colorworks™ C3510 label printer to produce high quality collectible tickets for football fans

FOOTBALL fans have reason to cheer when the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) recently rolled out high-quality, smudge-resistant tickets of higher collectible value.

Since early 2016, FAS has been printing such tickets using an Epson ColorWorks™ C3510 colour on-demand label printer at the Jalan Besar Stadium, which hosts a multitude of football matches every month, from the S.League to international matches.

Rikram Jit Singh, FAS’ Assistant Director (Commercial and Business Development), says the newly-minted tickets are also more cost-effective than pre-printed ones, since FAS no longer needs to incur additional cost whenever it needs to amend ticket designs, such as including additional sponsor logos.

“We’ve been pre-printing our tickets in bulk using thermal printing for the longest time but this method presents some challenges,” Singh says. “But with Epson’s C3510 label printer, we can now do on-demand printing. This allows us to make simple changes on the fly without reprinting the entire ticket roll. Due to the frequency of our matches, and keeping our fans’ interests in mind, on-demand printing is a cost and time efficient solution.”

Designed to meet the requirements of organisations producing low-volume labels with high-mix applications, the Epson C3510 makes it possible to print multiple label variations in a jiffy, improving business productivity.

Singh says: “The Epson C3510, with print speeds of four inches per second, is capable of printing 500 tickets per hour on the fly. That’s a big plus for us since we can quickly print the exact volume of tickets based on the number of spectators per match, which ranges between 1,000 and 5,500”.

High speed printing, however, does not mean a compromise in quality. That’s because Epson’s patented MicroPiezo inkjet technology, together with DuraBrite Ultra pigment inks, ensures FAS’ tickets are printed with crisp, clear and easy-to read text and images. The tickets are also long-lasting, fade resistant, and are quick to dry.

In addition, the C3510 sports an auto nozzle check system and sensors that can detect ink clogs and quickly clean the nozzle, so FAS is always assured of professional quality labels.

Further, with individual colour ink cartridges, FAS only needs to replace each cartridge when it gets used up. “This leaves no wastage of ink and gives us the ability to print huge volumes for longer periods,” Singh says. “It not only offers greater savings but also reduces production time”.

The C3510 label printer also prints on a wide range of media and on-demand colour labels in any environment. From plain, synthetic and matte paper to glossy stock, the C3510 ensures labels of superior print quality, producing sharp photos and graphics. The printer also handles roll, die cut, continuous label and fanfold media.

Built with usability in mind, the C3510 is easy to install and offers low maintenance cost, according to Singh. “So far, maintenance of the printer has been minimal; installing and operating the printer has been straightforward and hassle free.”

Besides supporting major label applications, the C3510 also comes with the free BarTender Ultralite software that is easy to use and does not require additional tweaking or know-how to design match tickets.

The C3510 is also an eco-friendly workhorse: its MicroPiezo inkjet technology uses no heating components, unlike a thermal printer that produces images by heating coated thermochromic paper.

That means the energy consumption of the C3510 is kept to the minimum, whether the printer is in use or in standby mode. It also complies with RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) standards, thus contributing to the protection of environment.

In summing up the business benefits of the C3510 to FAS, Singh says: “With the Epson C3510, we are able to print quality colour labels on demand with improvements in time and cost efficiency.

“Different types of tickets can be printed in varying volumes within a short amount of time with no cost difference. We are now able to produce collectible tickets and pass savings to the fans to catch their favourite football game.”

CHALLENGES

FAS had been incurring additional cost whenever it needs to amend ticket designs, such as including additional sponsor logos on pre-printed tickets supplied by its service provider. It also had to wait for at least a day for the amended tickets to be delivered.

SOLUTION

With on-demand printing enabled by the Epson C3510, FAS is now able to make simple changes on the fly without reprinting an entire ticket roll. Due to the frequency of football matches, on demand printing has been a cost and time efficient solution.

BENEFITS

• Eliminates additional costs incurred for changes in ticket designs
• Improves business productivity, with ability to print different tickets on-demand <
• High quality, smudge-resistant tickets of high collectible value
• Easy to use and maintain
• Supports wide range of labels