Hardware - Industrial Print

swissQprint's new 2.5 × 1.6 m Impala flatbed UV printer is now available with the latest generation of print heads that push its top printing speed from 130 to 180 m2 per hour while delivering quality well above par for practical needs.  Impala, the mid-sized model in the swissQprint range, is now more productive than ever, courtesy of the latest generation of print heads.  An existing Impala in draft mode can print up to 130 m2 per hour with highly acceptable quality. The new print heads do away with draft mode, bringing finer resolution that will print substrate cleanly at 180 m2 per hour – a twofold benefit for users.

The second model to get faster print heads
The new print head technology has been in use since May 2014 with the recently launched Nyala 2 model. This 3.2 × 2 m UV large format printer has become the most-ordered item in the swissQprint portfolio, with 50 units sold to date. As of now, Impala systems can also be ordered with the latest print heads – a highly appealing option for purchasers with heavy production needs but limited space and budget.

Large formats and roll stocks on a compact flatbed
Despite its modest dimensions, the Impala can print formats up to 2.5 × 4 m in flatbed mode. The secret lies in the board option. And like all other swissQprint models, the Impala can also be expanded using the roll to roll option. Setting up a roll is easy, a job that machine operators advantageously save until late in the workday. Afterwards they can go home secure in the knowledge that the swissQprint system is doing a reliable job.

Freely configurable colour channels
The Impala has nine freely configurable colour channels. Standard CMYK is readily supplemented by white, effect varnish, primer, or other colours. Those may be light colours – for nuanced shading – or orange, green and violet for a massively expanded colour gamut. The standard inks adhere to many commonplace as well as not-so-conventional substrates, so experimentally-minded sign makers and their customers can give full rein to creativity.

swissQprint machines are available in more than 30 countries worldwide. Selected sales partners ensure full service with local presence.

The UK's first order for EFI VUTEk's GS3250LX Pro with UltraDrop Technology, incorporating the company's latest 7 picolitre greyscale print head technology, has been placed by Derby-based MX Display Solutions. The 3.2m wide-format flatbed and roll-fed printer also benefits from "cool cure" LED technology and greyscale quality, and supersedes an existing VUTEk QS3200 that has performed faultlessly for the past five years.

The new printer will triple the production capacity at MX Display Solutions, as well as upping the standards required for its growing number of close-viewed applications. Finer droplet quality, true greyscale capabilities and fast job changeover from rigid sheets to rolls are complemented by the advantages of LED curing with greater versatility across a broader range of materials.

 

 

MX Display Solutions was founded 18 years ago and boasts a blue-chip client list that includes many leading design agencies. With its ability to produce creative, fine quality results, the company has moved into the interior décor segment with growing demand for prestigious applications from consultancies, architects and leading construction companies.

"Our five years of experience with the VUTEk QS3200 has given us confidence in the brand and, after researching the different types of machines available today, we opted for EFI's new UltraDrop Technology and its proven energy-saving LED curing," states Adrian Rushton, general manager at MX Display Solutions. "We realise that this printer will put us at the forefront of the market and provide future-proofing on our investment. Additionally, the high quality of service we have received over the years is another important consideration when running a machine on which so much of our production depends."

Wesley Small, territory manager UK North at EFI, adds: "MX Display Solutions is set to benefit hugely from this forthcoming installation. The versatility and huge power savings of the LED curing plus the greyscale printing and 7 picolitre UltraDrop Technology means that the company can move up to higher production speeds and finer quality while benefiting from lower energy consumption and a greener environment."

With a staff of 25, MX Display Solutions concentrates on high quality applications, including bespoke jobs, which contain highly creative, innovative elements. Since its formation in 1996, its main area of focus has been on wide-format digital print, which has led it to become highly specialised in this field today.

Those visiting FESPA Digital in May this year in search of a high-performing flat-bed to add to their wide-format printer stable were right to identify the Screen Truepress Jet 3200UV HS as a valuable addition. Five companies placed orders for the machine immediately at its début in Munich – and each specified Caldera as the RIP to drive it.

The Truepress Jet 3200UV HS, featuring six colours plus white, is manufactured by Screen subsidiary Inca Digital. The company's experience in engineering outstanding productivity solutions for a wide range of interior and exterior applications, including retail, signage and décor, is reflected in this High Speed (HS) model, which uses original Truepress inks to guarantee a broad colour gamut, even on heat-sensitive and other tricky media. For British wide-format house Lexon Group, these features were key to help sustain its 40 percent growth over the last three years; its 150sq m/hour top print speed will complement two existing Truepress Jet 2500UV to expand its output capabilities and retain profitability.

Screen now offers printers the choice of four Truepress solutions, each of which delivers superb flexibility, reliability and a rapid return on investment. But while Screen's engineering is paramount to make these options commercially compelling, the part played by the front-end RIP software is every bit as critical in today's increasingly complex, multi-faceted print production environment. Not only must the RIP generate the precise colour information, job tracking, imposition and finishing control required by the modern print house, but it must do so for a multitude of devices and across an abundance of media types.

Although Screen supports all mainstream front-end software options, Caldera scores consistently highly amongst its users with ease of use and powerful functionality being cited as reasons choosing the Screen/Caldera combination.

In addition, the ability of GrandRIP+ to process one file while another is printing is a great way to maximise the Truepress’ blistering output speed as well as making the most the operator's time. This rapid data processing is vital to ensure efficiency throughout the production environment.

Screen users can also choose a number of modules to help exploit the full functionality of the Truepress Jet 3200UV Series. EasyMedia, for example, allows users to specify the colour gamut for any print configuration with a given media, and incorporates X-Rite's i1Prism V2 state-of-the-art profile builder. Its step-by-step wizard calibrates transition, linearization and ink use, enabling printers to fine-tune their colour processing for exceptional stability and consistency when translating files for output.

"Caldera is proud to support the Screen Truepress range, and the 3200UV in particular," emphasises Jeremy Spencer, OEM Director, Caldera. "Wide-format printers around the world are using the Truepress series to create lush output for a range of situations, from corporate fit-out to retail and fine art. We're here to make sure they're equipped to harness the full power of this fantastic engine, no matter what their production requirements."

Screen’s vice president of sales Bui Burke is equally positive about the benefits of the Screen Truepress Jet W3200UV being used in conjunction with the Caldera software: “With a top speed of 150 metres per hour, we need a RIP that can optimise our press’ performance and with Caldera we are confident that this can be achieved. Plus, our customers appreciate Caldera’s strong pan-European network which gives them fast-response front-end support whenever they need it.”

Order book swells and production extends following successful European launch of Hollanders ColorBooster CB250

Following the introduction of the ColorBooster 250 fully modular digital textile printer into Europe at FESPA Digital earlier in the year, Hollanders Printing Systems has reported an unprecedented number of orders for the new machine. As a result, the company will be extending its manufacturing capabilities to keep up with demand which has continued throughout the summer period and is set to increase towards the end of the year.

The ColorBooster CB250 is a 2.5m wide-format system that is designed to fit the market requirement for a robust, sensibly priced and versatile digital textile printer. Although its concept is new, the modular machine is based on the established reliable technology developed by the Eindhoven-based manufacturer whose early models have long proved their durability by still being in daily use even though they are now more than ten years old.

“Market trends showed us that there is demand both from first-time users and longer term textile print businesses that need a rugged 2.5m wide-format printer that has the characteristics of a high-end system but is priced sensibly,” states Jacco Aartsen Tuijn, CEO of Hollanders Printing Systems. “This makes the ColorBooster 250 ideal for anyone wanting to produce high quality, durable output onto polyesters and mixes. In addition, the modularity of the machine’s design and construction means that we can adapt it for specific production requirements, and we even offer the ColorBooster CB250 Carpet Edition for customers wanting to print direct to flooring materials.”

Although Hollanders Printing Systems now has a full order book for the ColorBooster CB250, production capabilities are being extended to handle the increased demand for this new machine. Interest following FESPA Digital 2014 has continued throughout the summer break, with initial orders being placed from companies primarily based in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

“The timing is right for the ColorBooster CB250 as general awareness of the potential for digital textile printing is really beginning to impact on the sign-making and display segments,” continues Aartsen Tuijn. “Typical customers are those who know that they want to produce greener applications and work with light-weight materials, but want to invest at a realistic pricing level. At Hollanders we have always helped businesses transfer successfully to textile production, and this new 2.5m machine now opens the doors to companies that want a solid and reliable print engine that is designed to grow with them as their needs increase.”

The ColorBooster CB250 is the latest in a series of highly efficient digital textile printing machines from Hollanders Printing Systems, and joins the ColorBooster XL 3.2m heavy-duty unit and the award-winning ColorBooster DS which prints simultaneously onto both sides of the material. Complementing these are the ColorWash and ColorFix systems that are designed to enhance the finishing process and enable users to increase their workflow efficiency.

EFI today announced the installation of a new, hybrid roll/flatbed EFI H1625 LED printer at a Kansas City, Missouri, US-area FASTSIGNS franchise. The Gladstone, Missouri, FASTSIGNS centre is now growing its business with the 65-inch wide printer by producing high-quality, flatbed-printed parking lot signage, backlit signs and other display graphics.

The FASTSIGNS centre, which does a significant amount of flatbed printing on aluminium and aluminium composite substrates, needed the printer to accommodate challenges its previous equipment could not handle. "The older hybrid printer we had in our facility was not performing the way we wanted it to, and the manufacturer had discontinued the service warranty for that model," said Gregg Kruse, who is a co-owner of the franchise location along with his wife, Diane.

Kruse was on the verge of purchasing another hybrid UV printer from his former print technology vendor until he learned about the EFI H1625 LED printer at the annual sales summit for FASTSIGNS franchisees. The EFI printer's white ink capabilities, combined with its single-pass, multilayer printing and its true eight-level, variable-drop greyscale printheads, provided a competitive quality advantage in flatbed production throughput that Kruse did not have before.

Unlike many other entry-level, wide-format production printers, the EFI H1625 LED printer has white ink loaded all the time. Kruse's printer operators do not have to remove inks, clear ink lines, and install white ink every time it is needed for a job, a process that involves significant printer downtime, waste and labour cost.

Faster, more accurate printing with EFI's LED technology

"The EFI H1625 is faster than our last hybrid printer and it prints more accurately," Kruse said. "Plus, I love the fact that it prints white whenever you need it to. I know other franchises that have white ink capabilities on their printers but do not use it because of the time they lose switching to white ink. Our new EFI printer solves that problem."

FASTSIGNS International based in Carrollton, Texas, is aware of the printer's competitive benefits as well. FASTSIGNS International has just completed its own evaluation of the EFI H1625 LED printer and has designated it as a recommended production device for its franchisees.

LED productivity for greener, efficient, cost-effective graphics work

The new EFI H1625 LED printer helps companies grow with more creative business opportunities by printing on a broader range of substrates compared with UV or latex inkjet printers. The printer's grayscale printheads produce near-photographic image quality, with saturated colours and smooth gradations.

The printer's "cool cure" LED technology handles roll or flatbed media that cannot withstand the heat of other curing or drying processes. Plus, its instant on/off LED lamps provide more consistent imaging with fewer wasted prints. The lamps also last longer than the lamps employed in traditional UV inkjet printers, reducing users' consumables costs.

The printer also is a greener option compared to other print methods, printing with virtually no VOCs. Plus the printer's LED lamps can significantly decrease power consumption.

The Gladstone FASTSIGNS franchise operates its new printer using an EFI Fiery® XF workflow software package offering advanced colour and print management capabilities.

"With its proven, industry-leading LED inkjet imaging technology and its low total cost of ownership, we are confident that the EFI H1625 LED printer will prove to be one of the very best hybrid wide-format production options available for FASTSIGNS franchises and other signage and graphics operations," said Scott Schinlever, senior vice president and general manager, EFI Inkjet Solutions.

The EFI H1625 LED printer and Fiery XF software will be among the many innovative EFI technologies on display in booth 1902 next month at Graph Expo, 28 September- 1 October in Chicago. For more information about EFI Wide Format and Fiery products, visit www.efi.com.

USA-based Dome Printing has purchased a pair of 3.2-metre wide EFI VUTEk printing systems. The recently installed EFI VUTEk HS100 Pro UV inkjet press and EFI VUTEk GS3250LX Pro LED inkjet printer are the centrepieces of Dome Printing's new, superwide-format graphics business.

Dome Printing, one of Northern California's leading independent commercial offset print businesses, is attracting new customers with its equipment investment - clients that did not purchase offset before but had specialised superwide-format signage and graphics needs. Many of the company's existing customers are also taking advantage of Dome Printing's new inkjet capabilities, expanding their current print marketing efforts to include superwide-format graphics applications. In those scenarios, the high-quality imaging available with EFI VUTEk equipment and the EFI Fiery proServers Dome Printing also installed with its new inkjet devices ensure accurate colour matching between offset and inkjet print jobs.

The company, a long-time user of EFI's MIS workflow software products, is effectively and efficiently expanding its business offerings with its new VUTEk purchases. Both machines are hybrid format devices that can print work on rigid substrates as well as banners, billboards and other graphics printed on flexible roll media.

"The white ink printing capabilities on our new VUTEk equipment was important, but the real deciding factors were the hybrid flatbed/roll-to-roll capabilities and the fast throughput," said Bob Poole, Dome Printing's co-owner. "The quality is exceptional, especially with the EFI Fiery proServer and its superior colour management capabilities."

Inkjet graphics growing 'by leaps and bounds'

Founded by Ray Poole in 1969, Dome Printing offers everything from creative services and digital printing to fulfilment and integrated business solutions, including custom client storefront solutions. Ray's sons Tim and Bob Poole have now restructured and built a next-generation business since purchasing the company from their parents in 2004.

"We grew 20% last year and expect that same level of growth this year," said Tim Poole, who is Dome Printing's CEO. "Part of that is attributable to the technology solutions we offer customers, but we are seeing the VUTEk business growing by leaps and bounds as well."

Installation of the new printers and their colour calibration went quickly. "We were already running a huge retail package on our VUTEk GS3250LX Pro the first week it was in our shop," Bob Poole said, "and it went off without a hitch. We could hardly wait to get our hands on the HS100 Pro the following week. We already needed the capacity!"

Prior to the installation, many of the company's local clients had to go to Southern California or out of the state to get the type of large-format printing they were seeking. "By adding that service to our mix," Bob Poole stated, "we are able to bring that business into the Northern California economy."

"We are very pleased that Dome Printing chose EFI as the partner it can rely on to get this exciting new business launched," said Frank Mallozzi, senior vice president, worldwide sales and marketing, EFI. "Dome Printing's clients will benefit from the superior versatility, quality and productivity these two EFI VUTEk products offer."

Powerful print solutions for roll and flatbed graphics

Both of Dome Printing's new VUTEk investments feature true, variable-drop greyscale imaging for higher image quality and accurate spot-colour matching. They also offer opaque white ink and a unique, multilayer printing capability for high-end visual appeal on backlit displays and other applications.

Operating at speeds up to 100 boards per hour, the EFI VUTEk HS100 Pro press gives Dome Printing a more-cost effective option to produce a wide variety of medium-run graphics jobs. The digital UV inkjet press represents a true alternative to analogue equipment, offering throughput comparable to screen printing with print quality that approaches offset. The press features EFI's Pin & Cure imaging technology, which offers precise ink lay-down, gloss control and greater imaging accuracy.

The EFI VUTEk GS3250LX Pro is a production-level LED inkjet hybrid printer. Its "cool cure" LED curing technology lowers operating costs and provides a greener alternative for graphics printing, with significantly less energy consumption and virtually no VOCs. LED also gives the VUTEk GS3250LX Pro the ability to print on heat-sensitive and less-expensive lightweight media that cannot withstand the heat of other drying or curing methods.

Complementing its installation of new EFI VUTEk printing equipment, Dome Printing also acquired an Esko cutting table for finishing flatbed-printed graphics jobs.

For more information about EFI VUTEk inkjet technologies, please visit www.efi.com