Consumables

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.

After extensive field testing across a range of Mimaki and Uniform wide-format solvent-based ink-jet printers, Tech8 has accepted Colorific inks onto its approved product programme. This brings user benefits that remove warranty issues and the opportunity for extended cover for these machine and ink combinations.

Colorific is now the second leading supplier to be granted approval by Tech8, a status only granted when the product matches warranty specifications. Already in place is support for wide-format printers using Sun Chemical’s Streamline ink series.

Available from specialist distributor, IGS UK, the Colorific products which now meet the criteria required by independent warranty specialist, Tech8, include Bio-U, Elite, Fresh and ProJ3 inks. The first three of these products are being used increasingly in Uniform Grenadier and Cadet printers whilst the ProJ3 version is growing in popularity amongst owners of Mimaki JV3 machines.

Tech8’s warranty schemes encompass most of the wide-format printers currently in use today, with manufacturers including Roland, HP, Mimaki and Mutoh’s own and private label products. Where investors in printing equipment have wanted to reduce ink costs by changing to a reliable third-party solution, existing manufacturers’ warranties are usually invalidated when an after-market alternative is used.

The approval by Tech8 of Colorific inks means that full warranty cover can be maintained, including mechanical, electrical and electronic components. Standard on-site response time is eight hours, and additional services include full installation and training on common hardware and software plus ICC colour profiling for most common RIPs.

Full details on the Tech8 service and warranty registration information is available by visiting www.tech8.eu. More information about IGS UK is available from www.igsuk.net

 

 

 

The latest additions to the Colorific range of inks suitable for Roland, Mutoh and Mimaki solvent-based printers now confirm these products as being the most widely available for the most popular ranges of machines in everyday use. Available through IGS UK’s approved reseller network, these inks are produced from the highest grade chemistries, catering for users who want lower cost alternatives which meet the most demanding standards in terms of colour gamut and durability.

Since its introduction to the market as a reliable and consistent after-market range of inks, Colorific has continually grown its portfolio of solutions to encompass the majority of eco- and mild-solvent printers currently in use today. Additionally, there are products now available for the majority of machines using popular print-heads such as those from Epson, Seiko, Fujifilm Dimatix/Spectra, plus Xaar and its licensees which include Konica Minolta and Toshiba Tec.

Because the formulation of Colorific inks match or are identical to their original, more expensive counterparts, some printer models are able to switch products on the fly. This mix and match capability means that Colorific Pro versions can be used alongside original products, thus saving time and money when transferring from one to the other.

Unlike the majority of third-party inks on offer, the Colorific brand encompasses probably the most comprehensive families of solvent products on the market, with a growing portfolio of UV-curable options being added to the portfolio. Fully tested on every available printer and print-head configuration prior to availability, these inks are formulated and manufactured from the highest grade ingredients to guarantee accurate colour, consistency in use and longevity on the finished print.

For further information about Colorific inks, contact IGS UK via www.igsuk.net or visit www.colorificink.com

 

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.