After years of digital printing on 5 meter wide format machines, we have recently installed a printer for panels and a cutting machine. 

We opted for a Protek after we went to see a demonstration of one directly at the factory in Pescara (Italy). The Protek is extremely precise and has very powerful tools, making it possible to work fast and with great precision. Moreover, in some cases the machine's output equals that of a laser cutter, for example on plexiglass it is possible to have transparent, polished edges. No laser involved.

We received several days training which was very useful because we had little experience in cutting. Right now we are getting better every day and appreciate the machine more and more for what it can do.

One hears talking a lot about digital printing, but what is it really?

Digital printing was born a few years ago, after many years in which the only way to print, was by using the offset technique. Offset printing is still in use today, but is mostly convenient for large numbers of flyers/posters and other products that are printed on paper.

The advent of digital printing has strongly changed the whole printing industry. We ourselves have had to change and reinvent ourselves due to this new technology. Dardanelli worked successfully in the pre-prining sector for many years (the offset printers would use our services to prepare the printing work and obtain high quality printing plates they would then use) and we saw first hand how our industry almost disappeared overnight. We have managed to turn around and start a digital printing business, specialised in the extra large format prints.

Digital printing is a kind of printing where the information that needs to be transmitted to the printer, is all in a file and no longer on plates. The digital printers interprete the files and can print these directly to the material that is in the machine.

It is always interesting to see where certain words come from ... The word ?digital' comes from Latin 'digitus', meaning finger. In English digit means number and this is because we use to use our fingers to count. Since machine language is in 0s and 1s, it was called 'digital'.

Digital printing is stillis development, with printers that are ever becoming more fast and more accurate. We are following all developments in the large format printing industry very closely both regarding the new types of materials that are being invented and brought to market, as well as regarding the new large format printers.

This was a moment of great happiness, after we finished the first sign in plexiglass with our new printer and CNC machine. We are rapidly learning how to use these machines and in the meantime we have been doing other cutting work, like very big letters in plexiglass of 15mm.  

Anyhow ... it was a god occasion to make a picture of us all!

The past months have been very intense here at dardanelli.

We have moved to Calenzano and now we have a modern and very light workshop. You are welcome to come and visit!

Next we have bought two new machines. One machine can print on rigid materials and the other can cut and shape these. A new world is opening up for us! We are very happy with the machines and are testing and experimenting to fully understand the capabilities. We are making letters in thick plexiglass (15 mm) but also simply printing panels and cutting them to size.

We have just launched our new website, this one you are now looking at. We are also working on an e-commerce website to be able to sell directly to the public.

During all this ferment and our new activities, we are obviously still, and with great pleasure, following our habitual clients like we have always done!