Business - Applications

Spandex is expanding its comprehensive range of print and print finishing equipment with the addition of Epson's SureColor SC-S30600 wide format printer.  Built for high production runs, the machine enables graphic professionals to produce high quality, long-lasting durable and photo-realistic prints for an increased range of both indoor and outdoor graphic applications with less impact on the environment.

It incorporates Epson's latest technology such as the MicroPiezo TFP print head and new UltraChrome GS2 ink technology, developed exclusively by Epson and set to deliver a new level of colour quality, production performance and durability to sign makers, graphics producers and commercial printers.

“We are very excited to include the SC-S30600 into our hardware portfolio as it´s the perfect answer to today´s fast-paced and highly demanding wide format print market. Due to its superb image quality, fast production speeds, environmentally friendly properties and affordable price, it provides the perfect printing solution for graphic professionals taking their first steps into the digital printing market or existing print businesses looking to expand their production capacity” explains Leon Watson, Director Sales & Marketing - Hardware at Spandex.  “In line with the great customer experi-ence of other Epson outdoor durable print solutions such as the GS6000, we are confident the new SC-S30600 will open up an even greater range of print applications.”

Kind to the planet, Easy on the wallet

The SC-SS30600 is all about being environmentally conscious. It produces no harmful VOC’s so no external dryers, special ventilation or air purification systems are required. It only uses nickel free inks and has a low (Energy star rated) power consumption while the advanced Epson Micro Piezo TFP print head delivers accurate dot placement and optimised ink usage, significantly reducing operating costs.

Superior quality and performance

The SC-S30600 is packed with various time-saving features such as automated nozzle checks, media feed adjustments, media tensioning and print head alignments, enabling unattended operation during long print runs. Using Epson’s Micro Piezo TFP print technology, a superior image quality of 1440 x 1440dpi (16pass quality) is achieved at print speeds from 7.3m2/hour up to 29.4m2/hour (depending on mode). Users also benefit from the exclusive Epson UltraChrome GS2 ink technology which includes a newly formulated yellow ink and is able to produce prints with up to three years of outdoor durability without lamination.

Increased application possibilities

Due to the superior image quality of the SC-S30600, print business owners will be able to enter the profitable market of high end imaging while simultaneously enhancing their service capabilities by offering their customers better prints at a shorter turnaround. The ability to print on virtually any standard coated and uncoated media make the SC-S30600 the ideal printing solution for a wide range of commercial or fine art printing applications such as vinyl signs, banners, car wraps, in- or outdoor signage, interior decoration, retail signage, canvas prints and more.

Improved Media handling

Epson’s SC-S30600 is equipped with a efficient take-in and Take-up Reel system (supporting wind-in and wind-out) and a manual EPSON LiftAssist which allows for easy loading and unloading of heavy roll media, enabling users to quickly and effortlessly switch media in between print jobs.

For further information on the Epson’s SC-S30600 or Stylus Pro GS6000, please visit www.spandex.com

Atech Ltd and FTC Ltd have just confirmed they are to exhibit at Sign & Digital UK 2012.  Atech is a specialist large format print and finishing solutions provider; FTC Ltd is a manufacturer of finishing products for the visual communications market.

Atech will be launching a new Bobis multi-applicator table with LED backlit table. The Bobis multi-applicator table offers an affordable solution to mounting and finishing large signs and can be used for all types self-adhesive applications including banners, signs, glass manifestation application, colouring of large areas and application on all kinds of substrates up to six centimetres thick.

The large flat bed provides an ergonomic work station and helps create a safer and healthier working environment for your creative team. The new LED backlit table makes more complicated jobs much easier and the LEDs are more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

Atech will also be showing the Cronos V industrial sewing machine for attaching Keder to fabric quickly and with ease. The Cronos-V is an ergonomic double needle, operator friendly sewing workstation that also creates professional seams on items such as flags and banners and it has a conveyor transport belt that is synchronized with the sewing. In addition, Atech will be selling the Handi range of Big Squeegee hand-held laminators for easy application of vinyl and their Handi range of eyeleting machines and the Sonicut 400 ultrasonic hand-held cutter & sealer for fabric.

FTC will also be demonstrating the Apollo vertical cutter which offers a high degree of performance and accuracy.  A truly affordable finishing solution for any sign making business, the Apollo is designed to cut cleanly, accurately, without dust and without noise. Its interchangeable tool cartridges (each cartridge can be changed in less than 10 seconds) mean that you only buy the tools you need.

The Apollo comes as standard with the utility blade cartridge (4160) and optional cartridges are available for cutting aluminium composites (4161), for 'V' grooving aluminium composites (4162), and for scoring acrylics (4163). The cartridge system means that new tools can be developed for new materials giving the Apollo virtually unlimited scalability.

FTC is also showing the ATC UV-24SR liquid coater and its new 1.6m wide laminator in addition to three straight edge cutters – the Artemis, the Kronos and the Europa.

The Artemis is a top quality straight edge that has been engineered in extruded aluminium and anodised for lasting protection. The Artemis has been shaped to help focus downward pressure on clamping the workpiece and to protect fingers against any tool slippages. The underside features two full length silicon inserts to assist gripping and to provide essential protection for sensitive surfaces. A full length dual metric/imperial scale is fitted along the front edge and a press-fit stainless steel bead helps to protect the aluminium edge from blade damage. The Artemis is an essential aid for cutting, scoring and pen lining, and is available in 6 lengths from 60cm (24") to 300cm (120").

The Kronos is Trimalco’s general purpose cutter.  The strong and stable anodised aluminium base incorporates a narrow groove that safely accepts the blade tip during cutting and provides the perfect foundation for your work.  The Kronos features a hinge and lift arm assembly designed to allow the cutter to accept materials longer than itself.  It is available in six standard sizes from 60cm (24”) to 300cm (120”).

The Europa is Trimalco’s large format cutting system comprises a number of interacting products which together offer a high degree of performance and accuracy at a price unmatched by any other.  The cutting head, which is common to all Trimalco cutter rails, includes a magnetic blade magazine which accepts standard utility blades and standard scoring blades.  A 45mm (1¾”) textile cutting wheel and holder is included as standard.

For more information, on Atech, please visit www.atech.co.uk

For more information on FTC, please visit www.ftcuk.com.

Soyang Europe Ltd has announced that it will be exhibiting for the first time at Sign & Digital UK 2012 on Stand P120.

The full range of Soyang media will be on display, alongside green solutions from Endutex, the new and exciting Curvorama display and shell scheme graphics system and Adfloor.

The stand will be manned by Mark Mashiter - Managing Director, Andrew Simmons - Sales Manager UK, and Gareth Winders - Sales Manager - Ireland.

For more information on Soyang Europe, please visit www.soyang.co.uk

Nigel Toplis, the new owner of the Kall Kwik brand in the UK, visited the Great Titchfield Road centre in London recently to help celebrate Kall Kwik's 30 years trading in the West End.  The centre was opened in 1982 by Jeff Tang and became one of Kall Kwik’s best performing centres.

Nigel - who stepped in to buy the Kall Kwik licence last December - is delighted to be involved once again with the franchise operation he left in 2002. Since then he has become managing director of the Bardon Group whose stable of franchises includes Recognition Express, ComputerXplorers and the Zip Yard.

Nigel comments, “Kall Kwik has always been special to me. I am really looking forward to working with the centres again to strengthen the brand and restore Kall Kwik to its rightful position in the marketplace.  I have kept in touch with many of the owners during the past decade, and one of my first priorities is to get round all of the centres to get a feel for how the land lies. I have known Jeff Tang and his team at Great Titchfield for a very long time and it is great to see how well they are doing.”

Great Titchfield Kall Kwik is to be a training centre for new franchisees, which its manager Tony Plews sees as testament not just to the centre's financial success but also to the working practices and ethos of its management team.  He explains, “We are very lean – we buy slowly and carefully and never rush into any decision without thinking it through carefully first.   All of us wear several hats and multi-task effectively. We treat our staff well, and build lasting relationships with suppliers and customers. We may not necessarily be the cheapest but customers know that if they want something printed for 9am tomorrow morning it’ll be there.”

Great Titchfield is now fully digital having said goodbye to its last litho press last year.  The centre’s latest purchase is an HP Latex poster machine which is both state of the art and environmentally friendly for both the end user and employees.

Thirty years ago the company’s main business came from the rag trade, but as the West End fashion industry declined, the media world grew.  Now the bulk of Great Titchfield’s business comes from production houses and television companies.  However, no job is too small for the five strong team, most of whom have worked there for 18 years.

“Some print shops have a sign on the door saying minimum order £15  but we don’t do that,” said Tony. “We aim to impress everyone who comes in. Most people are connected to a business in some way or other, and the man who needs a quick copy of his passport one day is very likely to remember the service we gave him when his boss needs some large format posters printed.”

And Tony’s thoughts on the return of Nigel Toplis? “Nigel has been a good friend to us for many years. We worked well with him before and we look forward to working with him now. He’s just what Kall Kwik needs after the last few years of uncertainty. He always does what he says he’s going to do – just like us!”

Printing a true black for use in a light-box has always been a challenge. But Oasis Graphic Co has developed its own, cost-effective digital process to allow it to print a detailed, high-density black and colour image directly to large format polycarbonate sheets.

Oasis was commissioned to create a number of illuminated images for the Research in Motion (BlackBerry) offices in Slough. Using its recently-acquired EFI VUTEk GS3250 3.2-metre wide flatbed and roll-to-roll UV printer, Oasis was able to print directly onto sheets of polycarbonate up to 3m by 2m. The technique does not use a photographic process, but still produces high quality print. It employs flood and/or selective white printing in up to three layers.

Oasis Graphic managing director Simon Osborne says, “We ran tests over a number of weeks, experimenting with combinations of different brands and types of acrylic & polycarbonate, and different print settings and ink levels. This enabled us to create high-density and exceptionally detailed images with strong and vibrant colours and true blacks. We developed this technique, and were able to deliver to the client within a month of starting the project. Now that we have perfected this technique, we have used the same process on a number of projects since then, including one that we shipped to Singapore.”

[photo shows signage produced by Oasis Graphic Co for lightbox use by Blackberry]

As part of its re-branding programme, pensions administrator RPMI asked William Smith to produce a series of graphic artwork panels for their offices.

RPMI’s Head of Communications Jonathan Clark explains, “As part of the exercise to introduce the new brand into our working environment we produced the artworks to be positioned in corridors and office spaces at both our Darlington and London offices.”

The panels produced by William Smith were printed on 3M IJ25-10R Digital Printing Film with 3M 8937 overlaminate and mounted on Foamex ready for installation.

The larger scale pieces, which incorporate regional landmarks, were placed in communal areas to provide a visual link between the Darlington and London offices. Smaller pieces with RPMI’s corporate values and abstract patterns in brand colours were placed in office spaces. In total about 60 were produced.

“They have really helped bring a splash of colour to our offices and reinforce our core messages in a very engaging way,” says Jonathan.

William Smith was chosen for this project as RPMI had worked with the company previously to produce their regular signage.  Jonathan adds, “William Smith responded to our needs efficiently and delivered a value for money product within challenging timescales.”