Demo Day

By Sifiso Majola, MD

A quick floor note on demo-day test prints, nozzle checks and media loading before visitors arrive.

A proper printer demo needs more than a machine switched on and a bright file on the bed. Shops want to see media behaviour, colour balance, print mode and cleaning condition in plain view. Demo Day is our note for running a useful large-format demo on FastJET, Stormjet or Skywalker equipment.

Demo Day notes stay focused on what visitors can verify at the printer. We record nozzle condition, the media loaded, and the print mode used for the sample sheets shown on FastJET, Stormjet, or Skywalker equipment in Gauteng, KZN, and the Western Cape. Say which topic you were reading so we can answer in context.

Checks to finish before doors open

• Demo media stacked and cut square
• Fresh nozzle test printed and kept beside the machine
• RIP preset selected for the exact vinyl or board
• Ink set and carriage height written on the sheet

The swatch sheet and the nozzle test should be viewed together. One shows whether colour is landing evenly, while the other exposes missing jets, misting, or a weak channel before guests start judging the print. That pairing matters more on a demo table than a bright artwork alone.

Visitor prints that read honestly

Demo Day covers the small checks that make visitor prints look normal on the floor. Run test prints, confirm nozzle health, and load the intended media before anyone arrives to watch the machine.

A proper demo sample must match the stock the shop plans to run after installation. PVC banner, self-adhesive vinyl, wallpaper, PET film, and rigid board can each react differently to heater values, vacuum, and pass count. In Johannesburg, dry dust often shows up in the first sheets, while Durban humidity can alter drying and handling during the same morning.

Keep the first acceptable print from the session instead of binning it. That sheet gives a fair reference for skin tones, solids, fine text, and edge sharpness when the next visitors ask to compare modes or materials. It also helps when someone questions whether a later shift in colour started before or after cleaning.

Showroom conditions that affect output

South African demo rooms do not all behave the same way. OR Tambo delivery timing, Bellville dispatch planning, Crown Mines dust, and mall trading hours can all shape when a machine is prepared and how long prints sit before visitors handle them. For a FastJET, Stormjet, or Skywalker session, separate the showroom objective from the normal queue of paid work.

Coastal sites often need closer attention to wiping, drying, and media storage before a demonstration starts. Inland sites tend to battle static, dust, and marks that only appear on dark solids after the first few passes. Power interruptions also matter, because a restarted print can look different from the sheet that sold the machine ten minutes earlier.

Operated by Astros Marketing (Pty) Ltd from 2 Makro Place, Sunnyrock 1401.