Consumables

A combination of exceptional optical clarity, ease of installation and impressive environmental credentials has prompted John Lewis to specify Lintec’s Vitrocolour UV films for new graphics at the Womens’ Fashion Advice Suite in five branches, including Peter Jones, Brent Cross and Bluewater. The other locations are at Cheadle and Welwyn Garden City.

UV-printed with a subtle chain-link pattern, the graphics enhance half-width floor-to-ceiling glass screens at the entrances to the Womens’ Fashion Advice Suite at each branch. A spokesperson for John Lewis said: “Vitrocolour’s near-perfect optical clarity makes it the ideal vehicle for the high standard of graphics we demand, while the film’s high scratch-resistance means there’s no compromise on the graphics’ longevity. And because Vitrocolour is a non-PVC film, it conforms to our environmental guidelines.”

Andy Voss, Managing Director at Lintec Graphic Films, comments: “Vitrocolour has the edge over competitive products because it has been specifically developed for the task – it isn’t a rebranded security film, for example. This hard-coated product delivers significant benefits, including reduced film thickness and superior ink adhesion. The combination of its optimum glass-like clarity, as well as scratch resistance to prevent haze from cleaning gives designers enormous scope for transforming glazed environments.”

The Vitrocolour range includes films to comply with a range of performance requirements in flat-glass applications, from short-term point-of-sale to long-term architectural applications.

The graphics were printed and installed by specialist supplier Window Film Solutions (WFS), Chesham.

Bordeaux Digital PrintInk will present its diversified portfolio of ink solutions on SuperLink's stand at Fespa Digital Asia, taking place at SUNTEC, Singapore, from 25 to 28 October, 2011. SuperLink will be located on stand E15.

Displayed at the show will be a comprehensive range of quality and innovative inks for the wide and super-wide format digital graphics industry compatible with Mimaki, Roland, Mutoh, HP and Seiko printers. These solutions, available in bulk, cartridges and bags, are suitable for most applications and the majority of piezo electric printheads currently present on the market.

"Bordeaux's high-quality ink and vast experience have enabled us to gain an impressive market share in most continents around the world. Via our partners and OEM agreements, we offer high-quality, highly competitive value-added products to our customers on a global basis," said Dror Mualem, VP Sales Bordeaux Digital PrintInk. "Bordeaux's solutions, produced  using the latest milling and blending equipment to ensure consistent high-quality ink, will give customers excellent performance unlike, many of its competitors in Asia."

Bordeaux's Mix & Match solutions, such as the popular Eco Solvent PENR will be demonstrated at Fespa. The company's Mix & Match inks were developed to minimise waste and save money and time by enabling seamless changeover from original ink and eliminating the need to dispose of remaining OEM inks or create new ICC profiles. UV and UV LED inks will also be demonstrated at the show.

INX Digital International has announced an agreement to partner with preferred vendor Advantage Sign Supply and supply its TRIANGLE EDX inks for Sign-A-Rama franchisees with Roland printers.  The deal was announced in INX Digital’s booth at SGIA 2011 in New Orleans.

Both Advantage Sign Supply and Sign-A-Rama have been in business for over 20 years.  Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Advantage Sign Supply is known for its specialised service and national coverage to the sign and graphics industry.  With over 90 employees and 10 regional facilities, it provides equipment, supplies, software and computer systems.  Sign-A-Rama is the world’s largest sign franchise with over 800 locations in 50 countries.  The company offers a broad range of services for businesses from full production to design and digital printing, and its franchisees produce signs, banners, vehicle wraps and decals, among other products.

Since INX Digital introduced the environmentally conscious EDX inks in 2010, company President Ken Kisner says the marketplace has responded very positively and presents an ideal solution for specialty imagers.

“We are very pleased to announce this dealer agreement with Advantage Sign Supply,” Kisner said. “The North American marketplace is looking for more green initiative products like EDX because they are safer to use and better for the environment.  I’m confident that it’s the right product and the right time.  Advantage Sign Supply is a terrific and innovative partner. Our hope is that Sign-A-Rama franchisees agree EDX is the right solution for them.”

“Advantage Sign Supply is thrilled to be able to bring the Triangle ink solution to all Sign-A-Rama franchisees.  The ability to hot swap cartridges from OEM inks to EDX and not see any change except in cost savings is a powerful solution for all Sign-A-Rama locations,” said Javier Mahmoud, Advantage Sign Supply National Accounts Manager.

Sign-A-Rama corporate evaluates and tests inks through R&D and in-field testing. Many franchisees are looking to consider alternative inks as an option in their locations. The test results are available to their franchise owners on their private on-line intranet.
 
The debut of EDX nearly a year ago marked the first time INX Digital’s TRIANGLE brand offered a colour and chemically compatible ECO product for the alternative market.   EDX is a fast drying ink with low odour and can be seen in action in booth #733 at SGIA.  It offers significant cost savings compared to Roland Soljet series printers ECO inks.  When compared to OEM wide format inks, EDX typically represents a 30-50 percent savings.

[photo shows Javier Mahmoud, Advantage Sign Supply National Accounts Manager; Ken Kisner, President of INX Digital International; Jim Tatem, President of Sign-A-Rama; and Chip Vielhauer, INX Digital International North American Partner Sales Manager.]

Large-format inkjet print using high-performance, environmentally-friendly latex inks is now possible with the Avery MPI 1900 self-adhesive cast films range from Avery Dennison.  

This enhancement to the product formulation is, says Rachel Oakley, Product Marketing, Avery Dennison Graphics and Reflective Solutions Europe, "another good reason for choosing Avery MPI 1900 films for top-quality, durable, conformable applications – especially printed vehicle wraps.  The characteristics of latex inks, including high-quality imaging, odour-free finished prints, and durability are ideal partners for our versatile Avery MPI 1900 cast films."  

A range of options

The Avery MPI 1900 cast films range offers a choice of a standard permanent adhesive as well as the patented Avery Easy Apply repositionable adhesive technology.   A special quality, Avery MPI 1906 AP, has been developed to give strong adhesion on low-energy, apolar surfaces such as PE and PU.   Used in conjunction with the Avery DOL 1400 Cast Digital Overlaminate series, Avery MPI 1900 films deliver the conformability needed for demanding vehicle wraps, even on three-dimensional surfaces.  

Enjoying the security of coverage through the Avery ICS Performance Guarantee programme, Avery MPI 1900 films are available from Avery Graphics distributors throughout Europe.  For more information,please visit www.europe.averygraphics.com

Visitors to this year’s London Design Festival will have been impressed by a pop up shop made entirely from a durable, sustainable material.

The pop up, called ‘ShedShop’, created by London based designer Shell Thomas, was constructed from Dufaylite’s UltraBoard and used to sell souvenirs from the Design Museum Shop to the public at Tent London - one of the largest design trade shows which took place during the festival.

The shed form has been chosen to symbolise "home-grown" products, as everything available in the shop has been created by young up-and-coming designers. At 1200mm wide and 2400mm high, culture vultures couldn’t miss the ‘ShedShop’ pop-up at various locations across London during the festival.

"I loved working with the Design Museum Shop to create this temporary shop solution,” says Shell. “Once we’d agreed on the requirements, making it out of UltraBoard was the obvious choice.  It’s super-light, 100% recyclable and extremely versatile."
 
“I created a variety of storage solutions to suit the range of products on sale which includes books, home-wares, prints and postcards, and the lightweight nature of Ultra Board means that it’s completely portable so could quite literally ‘pop-up’ anywhere."

Tony Moscrop, Chief Executive of recycled paper honeycomb manufacturer, Dufaylite, said: “Shell has used our product in the past to create other designs and it’s great to see Ultra Board being used so imaginatively.  Hopefully attendees of the Festival will have been impressed by Ultra Board’s versatility and may even come up with other ingenious ways to use it.”

Dufaylite Group is the sole UK manufacturer of recycled paper honeycomb – a 100% recyclable, robust and versatile core material that has become an innovation in the signage industry and is used in many industrial applications. Major suppliers to the retail and manufacturing industries, Dufaylite now exports to Europe, Australia and the US.

MACtac has launched IMAGin ROODLE RO628 media for the production of removable wall graphics.  The new product is a robust removable vinyl with a thick facestock that eliminates the need for a laminate for handling. It is ideal for wall murals, posters, point-of-purchase (POP) displays, removable decals and other large graphics on smooth, flat surfaces.

Mary Ann Kucera, marketing manager, MACtac Graphic Products, comment, “We’re pleased to introduce an easy to install vinyl wall media which is great for borderless graphics.  IMAGin ROODLE removes the limitations associated with some vinyl wall graphics and opens the door to a wide range of possibilities.”

A specialty wall vinyl, IMAGin ROODLE RO628 is a 6.0-mil matte white, semi-rigid calendered PVC film. It features an aggressive removable acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive and a 90# SuperFlat polyethylene-coated kraft liner. It is also designed for wide-format , eco-solvent, solvent-based, latex, UV-cured inkjet, screen printing and off-set printers using UV inks or plastic/oxidising inks.

IMAGin ROODLE RO628 has an outdoor durability of up to three years. In addition, it can be cleanly removed from most surfaces up to two years after application.

For more information, please visit www.mactac.com