Business - Applications

Canon UK has sold an Océ Arizona 460 XT UV flatbed printer to UK-based print and graphic service provider C3imaging at Sign & Digital UK 2013. The new machine will replace the company’s current UV flatbed printer – the Arizona 250 GT – to enhance the quality, productivity and versatility of applications the company can offer and help it to expand into new profitable markets.

Albert Penninkhof, C3imaging Branch Manager, London, explains, “With the Arizona 460 XT, we will not only be able to offer a more diverse range of products but much higher quality. We can now offer bespoke office graphics, window vinyl, panels, exhibitions stands and more, all to the superior standard that top-end brands demand.”

Penninkhof continues: “The market is moving fast and our customers’ demands reflect that. We’ve seen an increase in demand for white ink printing and decorative varnish to create diverse and exciting applications that can make them stand out. We need a machine that enables us to take advantage of these business opportunities, which the Océ Arizona 460 XT does.”

The machine will complement C3imaging’s current wide-format printer portfolio, which already includes the Océ ColorWave 650 Poster Printer. Penninkhof adds: “With these two Canon machines, we now have the option to rationalise each job in terms of efficiency and cost-effectiveness.”

Meanwhile the Arizona 250 GT will relocate to the C3imaging’s Liverpool branch, where it will benefit from the machine’s capability to integrate with the branch’s Zünd cutting table and remove the need for mounting when producing applications such as panel work.

The 2.5 x 3.05m Arizona 460 XT prints on a broad range of substrates at 21 sqm an hour and has seven user-selectable vacuum zones on an oversized table, removing the need for masking on most graphic arts media. It comes equipped with six independent ink channels, including channels to apply varnish and white, or lay down a double white layer.

Penninkhof has vast experience in the graphic arts industry and is well-acquainted with the benefits of Océ technology, he explains: “I had previously worked with an Arizona 350 XT at another company and was very impressed with what it can offer – in particular what you can achieve with the white ink. You can print on MDF, glass, acrylics, metal and even venetian blinds – the list is exhaustive and there’s great scope to be creative and impress customers.”

Penninkhof continues, “Beyond the obvious quality and speed qualities synonymous with the Arizona range, we were blown away by the new Onyx Thrive workflow software, which enables batch jobs and a multiple layers at one time, all at a click of a button. This means the operator can go away and do something else for an hour, which further boosts efficiency. This deal enables us to continue to serve our loyal client base, while at the same time follow through with new business opportunities.”

Duncan Smith, Wide Format Printing Group Director, Canon UK, said, “C3imaging is a company moving in the right direction and we knew that the Arizona 460 XT would be the machine to match its ambition and help it to expand its business. Albert has a thorough understanding of the wide format market and what can be achieved by working with Canon and its Océ technology. At the Canon stand, we’re looking to inspire visitors by helping them to identify new business opportunities to grow their business and that’s exactly what C3imaging has done.”

US-based visual merchandising firm, Marketing Alliance Group, reproduced an eye-catching retro 50s-style pin-up mermaid on a wooden placard in stunning detail. The sign, printed in five colours on a poplar wood board using an Inca Onset S40, was commissioned by contemporary artist Brendan Coudal.

“It’s very important to our client, Brendan Coudal, that his artwork is printed to the highest standards,” says Jeanette Bender, Creative Director at Marketing Alliance. “After all, his name is on every piece! His customers are high-end boutique retail stores, national retail chains, restaurants and bars.” she adds, “so it’s critical that we, as a manufacturer and printer, share the artist’s passion and attention to detail.”

Coudal begins by painting his creations in oil on canvas. He then digitally photographs and proofs the pieces before making slight adjustments and typographical additions in Photoshop. After perfecting the artwork, Coudal sends the files to Marketing Alliance for reproduction on more challenging substrates than canvas. “Wood is difficult,” remarks Bender. “It has to be cut with the grain in the right direction, and we have to make sure that it doesn’t absorb any moisture, otherwise it will bow. We now have a specific storage location to prevent any moisture problems.” Beyond that, “we have to find the right balance of ink to lay down to meet our client’s requirements of vibrancy and quality.”

Luckily, Marketing Alliance’s Inca Onset S40 is more than up to the task of printing on poplar. “The actual printing part of it is nothing out of the ordinary,” says Bender. It seems, in fact, that the client has become accustomed to the consistent high quality of Marketing Alliance’s work. “We make colour proofs before we run the jobs, but they end up being for our own internal review. The artist trusts us enough to take responsibility for the printing. He doesn’t see the final results until production. We have a good relationship and print all of his art projects.”

The final product – aside from the eye-catching piece of retro signage, of course – is customer satisfaction. “He has been pleased with not only the vibrancy and overall exceptional quality,” reflects Bender, “but the consistency, care and craftsmanship in every piece. It directly results in happy customers and repeat orders.” In the case of this collaboration with Brendan Coudal, it also directly resulted in an Inca IDEAs Award in the Retail Interiors category for the Marketing Alliance Group.

HP has announced a new project with world-renowned designer, Karim Rashid, who used HP Latex Printing Technologies to help bring his creative interior design ideas to life in a project for the nhow Bar in Milan.

The  contemporary hotel, nhow Milano, part of the Spanish hotel chain NH Hotels, is located in the heart of Milan’s fashion and design district and is known for its elegant minimalist design and extraordinary architecture. Situated in one of the most dynamic and lively neighbourhoods in the city, the hotel has undergone a renovation project which now includes Karim Rashid’s work on the popular hotspot, the nhow Bar.

“When undertaking the redecoration of a bar or restaurant, doing it quickly is crucial as these venues cannot afford to remain closed for long periods,” said Karim Rashid. “My experience with HP Latex Printing Technologies taught me that decorative elements could be produced quickly and result in odour-free prints that could be installed immediately.”

Using HP Large Format Printing Solutions, including an HP Designjet L28500 Printer, Rashid created exuberant graphics as part of a refurbishment project at the uniquely-styled nhow Bar. The result is a completely new-look 50m2 bar area comprising eight tables that boast vibrant full-colour graphics printed by the HP Scitex FB500 Industrial Printer, as well as two large-sized mirrors that feature striking HP Latex-printed designs on self-adhesive transparent film.

Direct-to-rigid printing with HP Scitex FB500 Industrial Printer

The entire graphics package for the nhow Bar was printed in Germany by event services agency, TECSERVICEUROPE AG, which also has its own print department.

Thanks to the HP Scitex FB500’s direct-to-rigid print capability and improved ink adhesion on non-porous rigid media, TECSERVICEUROPE was able to print Karim’s vibrant design directly onto eight 90 x 90cm polypropylene Tak table tops. Each table was then laminated with a clear-coat varnish for ensured robustness and longevity.

TECSERVICEUROPE also used its HP Designjet L28500 Printer, which runs water-based HP Latex Inks, to produce two large format designs that were applied to the two mirrors. The graphics, which measure 540 x 90cm and 825 x 90cm, were printed onto Sihl glossy transparent media before being applied to the glass surface.

Odourless printed graphics

Importantly for the nhow team, odourless HP Latex-printed graphics mean that undesirable smells were not an issue that could have proved a problem for the bar’s clientele. Furthermore, the inks contain no Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs).

“The fact that the mirrors do not emit strong smells is something that we take for granted, but this would otherwise have been a serious problem and at the very least, would have delayed the opening of the bar”, said Elisabetta Scantamburlo, art director at the nhow Milano Hotel.

Strategically located in Via Tortona, widely-renowned as Milan’s artistic epicentre, the nhow Bar’s new-look graphics achieve the hotel’s aim of reflecting the area’s lively, avant-garde creativity.

“The graphics look outstanding and fit completely with nhow’s design statement, which harnesses different trends and styles to create a unique and original theme,” continued Elisabetta Scantamburlo. “As it was, the graphics were installed only a short time before we opened the doors to customers, many of whom have remarked upon their striking visual appeal.”

Designed to create a sense of energy, Rashid’s theme for the nhow Bar draws upon inspiration from a design theme that represents Spain, Portugal and Italy.

“With colours, form and materials that reflect the digital age, the design is intended to bring a sense of connectivity, like a conduit for meeting, deal making, engaging, and flirting,” said Rashid

“nhow Milano has a consistent theme of orange within the hotel branding. I chose to highlight this theme throughout the bar by keeping a minimal colour scheme of white, orange, chrome and gold with an accent of lime,” he continued.

Ruth Quindos, Sign and Display Production market development manager, EMEA, HP, added, “This particular interior decor project exemplifies how, by using HP large-format printing technology, designers can express their creativity and create customised, one-off pieces to match the demanding needs of today's design-conscious buyer.”

More information is available at www.youtube.com/hpgraphicarts

[photo caption: The nhow Bar in Milan was decorated with creative interior design ideas by Karim Rashid, brought to life with HP Latex Printing Technologies (credits Giuseppe Creti)]

The meeting room in the new offices of Sussex-based full-service digital agency Bozboz fully exploits the potential of Lintec Graphic Films’ Vitrocolour® non-PVC process colour film to realise vibrant, eye-catching glass surface treatments.

On the room’s 3-metre-high glass wall, richly-coloured, robot-like marine creatures swim in and out of a coral reef composed of USB sticks and headphone jacks — an arresting fusion of the technology focus and ‘thinking-out-of-the-box’ creativity that Bozboz prides itself on. The concept complements the equally stunning underwater-themed wall murals that stamp the Bozboz brand on other areas of the offices — the work of artists (and Bozboz clients) Goldie and Tats Cru.

Founded in 2008, initially to provide creative services to mostly local businesses, Bozboz’s expanding client-list now includes major brands such as Virgin, Skint Records and Pets Corner. Under the broad heading of web design and digital strategy, the agency provides a wide variety of digital marketing services, from bespoke support for single components of a project to end-to-end digital strategies.

The agency’s new offices are in a striking Victorian corner building — formerly a bank — in Church Road, Hove. Says CEO Mike Hollingbery, “We wanted a unique space that we could customise. It took a while to find Church Road, but with a wealth of 200-year-old architectural features, like the 20-foot ceilings, it fitted the bill perfectly. Our business is built around people and ideas, and we want a visually-inspiring workplace.”

Removing the interior walls exposed the original central pillars and restored the space to its original proportions. To display these while also dividing the space into useable office and meeting areas, Bozboz specified partitions consisting of three-metre high single panels of toughened glass.

Health and safety mandated that the glass walls had to be demarcated, and the all-important meeting room area also had to have a significant degree of privacy — but Bozboz didn’t see why these relatively functional requirements shouldn’t be realised with the same creativity displayed in the rest of the space. Mike continues: “We wanted something that complemented the rest of the design, creating a seamless blend with the other visual elements and in keeping with the look and feel of the overall environment. The answer was a bespoke design and high-end printing.”

Bozboz’s in-house graphics team came up with the USB-and-headphone-jack reef, and after extensive research into environmentally friendly process colour films on the market, Vitrocolour from Lintec Graphic Films was specified for the meeting room walls. “We looked at a lot of film samples,” says Mike, “but nothing matched the quality and colour intensity of Vitrocolour. It was the only film that could match the striking colours in the office.”

Lintec Graphic Films’ Vitrocolour is a UV-printable gloss polyester with exceptional scratch-resistance, which is especially beneficial for any unprinted areas. The non-PVC film combines exceptional optical clarity, ease of installation and impressive environmental credentials. Capable of being printed with any number of colours, Vitrocolour allows designers to devise vibrant, eye-catching glass surface treatments. Light transmission, colour and positioning can all be varied to provide bespoke treatments tailored to the nature of the space.

Fading can also be applied to all parts of the film, to create see-through, privacy of manifestation as required. A high-specification self-adhesive coating ensures both installation and removal are quick and clean, causing minimal disruption to the working environment and enabling cost-effective rapid re-brand and ‘refresh’ programmes. Vitrocolour films are cleanroom-manufactured to avoid contamination by dust particles, and hard-coated for scratch-resistance and durability.

“We’re delighted with the end result,” concludes Mike, “and our clients are equally impressed. It’s got a lot of attention, thanks in no small measure to the way Vitrocolour helped us bring our ideas to life. We like finding new ways to create lasting impressions, and in our new offices we’ve done just that.”

Crews from Oxford and Cambridge university boat clubs stepped out on uniquely printed walkways this year as they made their way from the boathouse to the Thames slipway for the BNY Mellon Boat Race. The unmissable branding opportunity was made possible thanks to a development in floor applied graphics by Applied Media, and viewed around the world by millions of spectators.

The large format graphic panels were printed using a digital flat-bed with flexible UV cure inks which proved ideal for the polymeric base media.  The printed graphics were then protected with a laminate.

 

The remit was for a highly durable floor applied graphic to cope with a wet environment. The system had to be inherently safe and slip resistant for the crews and spectators to walk over and withstand some vehicular traffic. It also had to be installed quickly within a fixed timetable, stable in situ, easy to remove and be reusable.

The stringent criteria, in common with many branded sports environments, were driven by a limited window in which to apply the graphics, and the demands of heavy pedestrian footfall. In this instance the graphics also had to cope with the rigours of a tidal river and public highway environment.

The solution from Applied Media was to adapt their proven surface graphics system to provide two branded walkways, each approximately four metres wide and sixteen metres long. The panels boldly displayed the name of BNY Mellon, the global financial services provider.

Applied Media’s graphic panels have a slip resistant surface and the ability to be lifted and changed or easily removed without damage to the underlying surface. Additionally the heavy duty product is fully cleanable and highly durable even to withstanding vehicular traffic.  Offering a wide range of applications the graphic system is easily installed indoors or out on all sound surfaces.

Business development director for Applied Media, Larry Walsh, explains, “Our parent company working with TfL delivered the 120 kilometres of temporary games lanes for the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics last summer. The base technology and experience gained in that type of environment has been the inspiration behind the overall development of this branding system”.

“The graphics are usually applied internally or externally directly to the substrate and easily removed after use. In this instance though the graphics were adhered to a rubber backing enabling them to be rolled out very quickly and later cleaned and rolled up to be used again.”

Larry Walsh concludes, “With Applied Media, also a national media owner of outdoor space, there are now more exciting locations for horizontal branding and advertising. This provides brand owners and sponsors with new unmissable opportunities to engage with their target audience.”

For more information, please visit www.appliedoutdoormedia.com

[Picture caption: With Applied Media, the branding opportunity was unmissable at the BNY Mellon Boat Race.]

A chance meeting in an Italian coffee bar last summer ultimately led to PPS's Managing Director Noel Palmer supplying and fitting a series of Acryliart sunflower panels into a restored traditional olive farm in Puglia. “Acryliart” is a PPS brand of directly printed images onto 10 mm clear acrylic widely supplied to restaurants and up market establishments for interior displays and wall art.  The owner, who was nearing completion on a traditional Puglian cone shaped trullo had been discussing wall art for the property and wanted something modern, yet reflecting traditional Italian images and style.

In conversation, Noel suggested the printed acrylic route, which with polished chrome, stands off on the rugged interior walls. Upon Noel's return to England, PPS sourced numerous images of sunflowers, sunsets and traditional Italian landscapes for a total of 12 large acrylic displays. In addition some matching acrylic exterior signage was also produced along with the design and production of a special historical display reflecting the restoration and local primitive symbols associated with this type of dwelling.

Aimed primarily at the hotel, hospitality and commercial sections of the marketplace, Acryliart panels add an intriguing sparkle and metallic depth to graphics.  All panels were shipped out to southern Italy with Noel flying out to personally supervise the installation at the olive farm and the hand over to the new owner who had been extremely supportive throughout the entire project and enthusiastic enough to place the order with an English company.