Projektor chooses Epson’s Stylus Pro series

Printing and producing material for a show or exhibition means working close with the photographer to find the best “look” for the image. You need to find the right material for the print and decide how to mount and frame it for the best appearance. Every little detail is important. The decision of choosing a matte or glossy paper can make a world of difference. And, when technology allows you to choose between paper, glass, metal or cloth…well, then the demands on the printer are even higher.

Projektor

You can see the work of Stockholm-based Projektor just about anywhere. Since 2004 they have been the ”go-to guys” of photographers and artists from all over Sweden. Their work can be seen hanging in the Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm as well as Millesgården and Kulturhuset. And sometimes the prints embellish the facade of a large building or the wall of an up-and-coming restaurant.

”Being able to choose your material is great. It can really enhance an image. But we also need to find a material with the right durability for the project,” says Projektor’s leading light, Stefan Ohlsson, whose experience comes from a background as a professional photographer and being the chairman of the non-profit organisation, the Association for Swedish Professional Photographers, for many years.

Their work can, for example, be found in the HQ of Tyréns – one of Sweden's leading consulting companies in urban and rural development. They have a large wall covered in the work of artist Ann-Sofie Axelsson. Printed on 2.80x8m non-woven wallpaper on Epson's GS-6000.

Di Luca & Di Luca in Stockholm are importers of food and beverages from the Mediterranean countries. For their reception area they needed large format billboard-style posters. Projektor used the SP-11880 to help them out and used the prints as wallpaper.

Projektor operates in three different parts of the industry. Alongside producing material for exhibitions and shows, they carry out a number of popular classes in retouching, printing, converting images and colour correcting. They also act as consultants for photographers who need help to install printers and set up a system for proofing and calibrating.

Paper perfection

”I remember our first exhibition back in 2004 in Stockholm, with renowned photographer Stina Brockman. We printed her black and white photos on Epson's magnificent paper: Smooth Fine Art. They came in sheets of 500g back then,” says Eva-Teréz Gölin, smiling at the memory. ”The prints were hanging unframed from the ceiling. It was perfection.” Eva-Teréze is the Photoshop guru of Projektor and works closely with Stefan.

Exhibitions, shows and black and white photos in particular have become their speciality. And, since they bought their first Epson, the black and whites have been their main focus. Stepping into Projektor’s offices you will find Epson printers ranging from 17 to 64 inches. ”Our very first Epson was a 9600. Unlike its competitors it didn't have a problem with metameric failures, a phenomenon that affects most prints to a greater or lesser degree. In Epson’s case – less. ”We could count on things coming out the same way they looked going in!”

”Epson’s printers come with a solution called Advanced Black and White which means that even an amateur can create really good black and white prints,” says Stefan. ”People should take some time to learn more about using their printer before sending their images off to the printers. It isn't that hard, and they will know exactly what to expect.”

Today’s printers have come a long way. Eva-Teréz remembers printing Stina Brockman's images for the 2004 show. ”We printed them on the Epson SP-9600 and loved the result. Later we used the exact same files and printed them on Epson's SP-11880. And the difference is remarkable.”

The above mentioned 11880 is actually Stefan’s favourite out of all the models they have. ”When it was launched things really improved; faster and sharper prints and larger formats than ever.”

Larger formats wanted

And the real challenge for Stefan and Eva-Teréz today is the large formats they work with. Not really the printing part but handling the media. ”People want to go bigger and bigger,” says Eva-Teréz. ”And the nature of our assignments calls for larger formats.” Being faithful to the Epson brand just makes this challenge easier. They started out with Epson because the RIP they used only works with Epson. Regardless, it was an obvious choice. ”When we started out, the competition wasn't that significant. Today there are more choices but we still haven't seen anything that makes us doubt our combination of RIP and printer. We will stick with Epson.”

In Stockholm City, Projektor has worked with the department store Åhléns. Their facade consists of over 700 pieces of glass in formats from 10x50cm up to 1.5x2m. Every piece of glass holds part of a large image. "We used a solvent printer to print the images. The prints are then laminated between glass,” Stefan explains.

When decorating the interior of Danderyds Hospital, the artist Helena Byström turned to Sven Westerlund, the third part of the company. He is the print master of the company. ”We created a feeling of looking out a skylight. We printed the image on an Epson SP-9900 using a backlit film mounted on glass.” The result is astounding.

Whether the artwork is being exhibited outdoors or indoors, backlit or not, Projektor has a printer that is just right for the occasion. Thanks to Epson.

Epson products at Projektor:

• Epson Stylus Pro 4900 17-inch
• Epson Stylus Pro 7880 24-inch
• Epson Stylus Pro 9900 44-inch
• Epson Stylus Pro 11880 64-inch