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Stand preview:  INTERTRAFFIC, Amsterdam RAI, 23-26 March 2010, Avery Dennison Graphics and Reflective Products, Hall 5, Stand 1.326

‘Smart at every angle’ is the theme introducing Avery Dennison® OmniCube™ prismatic materials --  a new development in reflective sheeting which will be unveiled globally at Intertraffic by Avery Dennison Graphics and Reflective Products Division.   Spearheading the broad portfolio of traffic and safety signage materials now offered by Avery Dennison for this demanding end-use marketplace, Avery Dennison OmniCube is said to offer benefits both for drivers and for sign converters in terms of both performance and cost-effectiveness.

NEW Avery Dennison Intelligent Cube Technology

Avery Dennison OmniCube’s intelligent cube technology makes it easier for drivers – of trucks, SUVs, vans, cars or motorcycles – to see and read traffic signs because more light is reflected back from the vehicle’s headlights hitting the sign.  OmniCube full-cube prisms are designed to be 100 per cent efficient and return approximately 60 per cent of available light back to the driver, compared to only about 40 per cent with other prismatic sheeting products. OmniCube is designed to provide uniform reflectivity,  allowing sign fabricators to ‘nest’ shapes and letters – eliminating waste – without affecting the reflectivity of the sign.

OmniCube exceeds all the requirements of ASTM D4956-09 for Type XI sheeting, and offers an applied life in excess of ten years.   It is designed to fulfill a broad range of engineering and commercial tasks.

Comments Kevin Brinker, Global Product Manager, Traffic and Safety, for Avery Dennison Graphics and Reflective Products Division:  ‘OmniCube was engineered with higher reflectivity to improve driver safety.  Its intelligent cube technology efficiently returns light to drivers of all types of vehicles, making it smart at every angle.’

More smart angles

While OmniCube is the lead Avery Dennison product at Intertraffic, ‘smart at every angle’ is a theme which Avery Dennison ascribes to its full portfolio of road traffic signage and safety products, incorporating traditional glass bead and prismatic reflective products for both engineering and commercial use – all of which are omni-directional.

Live digital sign conversion demos

Stand visitors at Intertraffic will also be able to watch live demonstrations of digital sign printing using the Matan  DTS 36”.

For details of the new Avery Dennison OmniCube retro-reflective sheeting -- commercially available in the second quarter of 2010 -- and all Avery Dennison products for road traffic and safety applications, visit the website at www.reflectives.averydennison.com

According to SEAL Graphics, a world leader in image and print finishing solutions, one way it is helping printers and print finishers combat the effects of the recession is by offering them lower-cost alternatives to some of its best-selling laminates.

Chief among these is 'PrintShield Pro Gloss Anti-graffiti'.  According to the company, the low take-up of anti-graffiti films has more to do with their perceived price than their suitability in applications.  So the company has come up with an obvious remedy: a lower cost film!  The new gloss film is a solvent-based, pressure-sensitive laminate for use with a wide range of digital media and is especially suitable for outdoor applications such as those using rigid PVC or aluminium composite panels.

In addition to providing excellent protection against UV exposure, this tough film also resists degradation by cleaners and chemicals commonly used to remove vandalism caused by marker pens and even aerosols.  SEAL Graphics claims the film provides an excellent bond when used with UV directly printable panels and offers a life expectancy of around 24 months.

Antalis Printall is the recently created display graphics division of Antalis, Europe’s leading distributor of paper, envelopes, packaging, and visual display products.

Launched last year following the merger of the James McNaughton sign and display division with Antalis Visual Communications, Antalis Printall can trace its origins back to the 1970’s to a family run firm, Printall Display, selling display consumables to the print market from offices in Ashford Middlesex.

Throughout 2010 Antalis will be undertaking a European wide investment programme geared towards making the company a truly viable alternative supplier for printing companies operating in the display, digital and sign markets. In the UK, Antalis Printall is bringing together the market knowledge and resources of one of Europe’s leading merchant operations under one roof and is coupling it with local industry expertise to forge a new kind of national supplier; one with a local attitude and a friendly approach.

Tony Marshall, Divisional Director for the newly merged company explains: “Throughout the years we have always been respected and valued by our loyal customer base, but we have never really had the momentum to carry these successes forward into the wider market. Now that we have consolidated our position following the merger, this is set to change. With the forecast for 2010 only showing a slight improvement on the gloom of 2009, the mood within Antalis Printall is increasingly buoyant, particularly as other merchant suppliers look to create cost savings through a programme of closing sales offices, warehouses and delivery routes, we are planning to expand our portfolio of products and increase staffing levels to support a projected significant growth in market share while offering much needed stability to the market. Our belief is that display and digital printers will regard us as a viable alternative to their current suppliers.”

By aligning themselves with the industry’s key manufacturers Antalis Printall has created a strong portfolio of branded and own label products which have been handpicked for their performance, printability and price. Key Brands include: Kapa; Forex; Dibond; Foam-X; Mactac; Foamalite; Palram; Lucprint; Symbio; Taurus; Libra; Nimbus and Penstick.

More recently, as part of its commitment to be the leading company far as corporate responsibility is concerned, the company has focused on providing the market with a range of environmental friendly alternatives as well as undertaking a range of initiatives to help reduce its carbon footprint.

The company’s environmental credentials were established from its James McNaughton Paper connections. James McNaughton Paper came 38th in The Times green list of companies in 2009 and today Antalis Printall is continuing McNaughton’s good work and is working with its suppliers to further develop a broader range of environmental services and products.

Distribution is handled by the company’s internal distribution company GM2 who warehouse and distribute some 12000 products from across the company’s entire range. GM2 has earned a distinguished pedigree distributing display materials for over 15 years operating through three central super warehouses (with a collective 1.1m sq ft of warehousing) and 17 regional centres. A fleet of some 280 vehicles allows truly national coverage with next day delivery as standard, and in some instances even same day delivery dependent upon location.

Mr. Marshall believes that the current economic climate is creating a market where his  customers are looking more to their suppliers to be knowledge brokers with the ability to add value to their businesses through correct product selection and effective account management and is confident that Antalis Printall has the team in place to make your business more successful.

“We have an abundance of quality throughout the business,” he says. “Our team contains a rich mix of staff from differing backgrounds, some of whom have been with the company since the origins of Printall Display, while others have experience from a print background or from other merchants within the industry. All of our staff are extremely knowledgeable in their field and all share the common goal of ensuring that the customer is given the best possible information to make the correct product choice with a service to match.”

In this rapidly evolving market sector Chris Green is responsible for ensuring that the product range is continuously updated with innovative and leading brands. He has spent his whole career in the industry having previously worked at Robert Horne and James McNaughton Paper. He is keenly attuned to the needs and wants of his customers having run the Printall Northern office, before being appointed Product Manager for large format digital, point of sale/screen products.

When you are looking for quality branded and own label graphic display products sourced from only the best European suppliers, or reliable environmental product solutions backed up by friendly and knowledgeable customer focussed sales personnel with a national next day delivery service; take a fresh look at Antalis Printall.

Fujifilm has added some new products to its range of large format papers.

The first is a 255gsm paper, available with either a satin or gloss finish. This micro-porous coated paper is capable of producing fast drying, high quality photo images on dye and pigment inkjet printers, and with selected UV ink printers.

This competitively priced, water resistant paper enables prints with vibrant colours with a broad tonal range. Available in 30.5 metre rolls, either 24" or 44" widths.

This paper features in several of Fujifilm's popular Greenbox Bundles together with 24” and 44" Epson printers.

The company has also released Premium Lustre large format paper, this new addition complements Fujifilm's photo papers and has similar qualities to the acclaimed Pearl range and is a lightweight and easy handling paper. Premium Lustre is 245gsm and comes in 30 metre rolls, in either 24", 44" or 60" widths.

In a further product progression, Matt Bond paper has been enhanced to give improved image quality and is now known as Premium Matt Bond.

Email greenbox@fuji.co.uk for further details.

To compliment its existing range of canvas products, Fujifilm is marketing PremierArt Eco Print Shield, a revolutionary new water based protective coating designed specifically for water resistant inkjet media.

As Eco Print Shield is water based there are no toxic or hazardous solvents to worry about and it is environmentally friendly. The coating utilizes a unique combination of acrylic resins with a new cross-linking technology.

Easily applied by brush, roller or spray gun, Eco Print Shield protects canvas prints from moisture, light, abrasions and even fingerprints. It is quick-drying and its advanced polymer technology will not yellow, crack or go brittle under stretching so canvases will remain protected.

Print Shield and Eco Print Shield are the only coatings to be awarded a Wilhelm Certified Seal by the world famous Wilhelm Institute.

Eco Print Shield is available in Gloss, Satin or Matt and comes in either quart or gallon containers. A sampler kit is also available that includes everything you need to get started.

Peter Hayward, commercial manager from Fujifilm made this comment: "We are delighted to be able to offer an environmentally friendly coating solution to our customers. Eco Print Shield will enable photographers and framers from the hobbyist right up to the production canvas framer to produce long-lasting, high quality canvas wraps time after time."

Combined with Fujifilm's selection of canvas media, the Wunderbars framing system and the wide range Epson printers, the addition of Eco Print Shield means Fujifilm now provides the complete canvas stretching solution - from printing, to coating, to stretching.

For further details on Eco Print Shield contact greenbox@fuji.co.uk

In the eight weeks following its release in September of last year, Wunderbars - the revolutionary framing system for canvas prints – out sold all expectations. After proving such a success, Fujifilm has announced a new range of these exclusive stretcher bars.

The new Wunderbars 'Red' package is now available. The stretcher bars in these packages are constructed of high quality pine rather than the usual tulip hard wood. They still feature the same unique self tensioning corner blocks that ensure there's no more sagging canvas, it always stays taught and will contract and expand to the room's temperature and humidity.

The Wunderbars Red range is available in packs of 12 and comes in the following sizes - 12", 16", 18", 20", 24" and 30" and will list with a saving of 20% compared with the original Tulip wood bars.

Visitors to Springfair and Focus will be able to see stretching demonstrations using Wunderbars system that will show the full process of easily producing a canvas wrap, including printing, coating and stretching.

In addition to the Red range, a new sample pack of the original Wunderbars, including two of each 12", 16", 20" and 24" stretcher bars, is also now available.

Wunderbars' constant tension stretcher bars are even easier than standard stretchers to construct and stretch canvas prints. Wunderbars are precision machined so there is no need to measure the frame to get it square or constantly hit the frame with a mallet to keep it square during stretching, it will always remain square. There is no requirement for complicated or overpriced stretching systems, machinery or devices, the only tool necessary is a staple gun.

Check out www.wunderbars.com for further details or email greenbox@fuji.co.uk