Hardware - Wide Format Print

EFI has launched its new EFI VUTEk® QS2 Pro UV hybrid printer which has been developed to meet the increasing demands from display producers, photo labs and sign makers wanting higher image quality capabilities at production level speeds.

This competitively-priced, two-metre printer, driven by the Orion OS platform, combines greyscale print quality with VUTEk production-level speeds for customers looking to take on more colour critical and higher-premium jobs.

Fine art and P-O-P image quality are delivered through true variable drop greyscale technology, six colours plus white, and multi-layer print capability all in line. Greyscale technology delivers high image quality at production speeds while maximizing ink yield for a lower cost per print and low total cost of ownership.

"Customers visiting the EFI stand at drupa have commented that the image quality, speed and overall performance of the new QS2 Pro are impressive," stated Ken Hanulec, vice president of marketing for EFI inkjet solutions.

Flexible EFI UV inks offer a wide colour gamut for greater PMS colour matching and consistency, and ensure the maximum reliability and performance of the printer. The ruggedly constructed VUTEk QS2 Pro is designed for extended operation and has an optional roll-to-roll feature for even more throughput.

The VUTEk QS2 Pro is supplied with the Fiery  XF proServer to increase productivity, performance and efficiency of every job. It comes with an expanded set of Fiery RIP options, a high-performance hardware platform, JDF integration to EFI Web-to-Print and MIS/ERP solutions, and a complimentary 13-month support and maintenance plan.

Kenton InStore Ltd, based in Birmingham, UK, has today confirmed an order for an Inca Onset S40i on the Fujifilm stand at drupa, making it one of the first companies in the World to invest in this new printer. The company has over 50 years of point of sale (POS) experience, with origins in screen printing, and has evolved over the years to the world class provider of POS it is today. Two years ago, when it first stepped into the digital world, it invested in an Inca Spyder from Fujifilm, and as business has taken off the company decided that the time was right to make another high speed digital investment.

Peter Hughes, MD of Kenton Instore, comments, “We are a screen printer specialising in the production of corrugated board displays. In order to realise our aim of migrating print from screen to high speed digital we needed a printer that could obviously produce the work at the required speed, but more importantly at the required quality, particularly where solid line colours and colour accuracy is concerned.”

He continues, “In the Inca Onset S40i from Fujifilm we found the printer that ticks absolutely every box. The combination of speed and quality is unrivalled and the latest upgrades to the printer and the Uvijet OZ Inks will really benefit anyone who, like ourselves, prints high quality graphics onto corrugated board.”

The Inca Onset S40i supercedes the Inca Onset S40 and includes many new intelligent features that increase productivity and reliability. It meets the high-volume, fast-turnaround production needs of specialist display print companies, using 168 new-generation, user-replaceable printheads (28 per colour) on a full width print array delivering a 28 picolitre drop size.

Key new features of this latest Onset family member include reduced bed masking, an innovative UV sensor system, and a sophisticated substrate height detector. Combined with a new Fujifilm Uvijet ink system which has also been launched, these are all additions that persuaded Kenton InStore that this printer was the most appropriate on the market to fulfil its needs.

The Inca Onset S40i is being shown publicly for the first time worldwide on the Fujifilm stand in Hall 8b at drupa 2012.

EFI has launched its latest UV-curable digital press that represents a true replacement for analog equipment with the productivity of screen and image quality approaching offset. The 3.2m EFI™ VUTEk® HS100 Pro is a versatile high-speed digital UV press with productivity and image quality that will appeal to screen printers and the commercial sector wanting a cost-effective digital platform to produce longer sheet runs at a low total cost of ownership.

EFI's Pin & Cure imaging technology, driven by the Orion OS platform, delivers precise ink lay-down for critical colour accuracy and consistency, gloss control and a increased colour gamut — all with the productivity and digital efficiencies to accommodate more versioning and localisation. With impressive throughput speeds at rates of up to 100 boards per hour and up to 50 boards per hour in P-O-P mode, the VUTEk HS100 Pro comes with true greyscale print head technology and up to eight colours, including white and specials, for maximum ink yield and a low cost per print over analog.

"This next generation EFI VUTEk press should win every side-by-side comparison with existing digital presses in terms of offering the best combination of speed, output quality and return on investment," said Scott Schinlever, senior vice president and general manager of Inkjet Solutions at EFI. "The printer brings greater flexibility and workflow integration, with streamlined and versatile production on longer run lengths. Combined with advanced production features, warning and detection systems, and the Fiery XF proServer, the HS100 Pro is a true 24/7 solution ideal for the most demanding production environments."

Epson has announced the expansion of its new SureColor wide-format printer line-up with the global launch of three cost-effective, high-speed, 4-colour printers for CAD, GIS and POS applications. The Epson SureColor SC-T7000, SC-T5000 and SC-T3000 offer fast, reliable printing on coated and non-coated media up to 44-inch (1,118mm), 36-inch (914mm) and 24-inch (610mm) wide respectively.

Designed to fit seamlessly into the office environment, the printers feature sleek styling, small footprints and low noise levels and are operated from the front to allow convenient placement against a wall.

The SC-T7000, SC-T5000 and SC-T3000 are ideal for applications where speed and economy are paramount, such as printing architectural designs and plans, maps, presentations, posters and indoor signage. The printers take just 28 seconds to produce an A1 print in draft mode on plain paper, and offer optimised running costs with a choice of 700ml, 350ml and 110ml ink cartridge sizes.

Further improving efficiency, the printers are quick to set up, with automatic photo and matte black ink switching, and are so easy to use that operators do not need special training. All controls are at the front of the printers, while media is fed in at the top. The finished prints emerge at the front, stacking neatly into a basket. Tracking how much paper is left on a roll is simple thanks to media barcode printing.

Martin Johns, market development manager, pro-graphics, says, “When developing a new printer, we always ask our customers what they need. Our customers told us they want a printer that fits easily into their current production environment, so we’ve added an HP-GL emulation mode. Another popular request was an HDD drive for print spooling, so we’ve given all three printers an optional 250GB HDD.”

The printers use Epson’s new UltraChrome XD Ink, which has been specifically developed to produce high-quality, durable prints with deep blacks, a wide colour gamut and crisp, dense lines with a minimum width of 0.02mm. Epson's Variable-size Droplet Technology brings clarity to fine detail while delivering optimum efficiency for larger areas of colour.

Helping to reduce impact on the environment, the SC-T7000, SC-T5000 and SC-T3000 use water-based inks and are qualified by ENERGY STAR for their excellent power efficiency.

FUJIFILM Corporation and Inca Digital Printers have unveiled the Inca Onset S40i flatbed UV inkjet printer at drupa. The new printer supercedes the Inca Onset S40 and includes many new intelligent features that increase productivity and reliability. Supplied by Fujifilm, Inca’s exclusive global distribution partner, the new Inca Onset S40i is being shown publicly for the first time worldwide on the Fujifilm stand in Hall 8b.

The Inca Onset S40i, like the Onset S40, meets the high-volume, fast-turnaround production needs of specialist display print companies, using 168 new-generation, user-replaceable printheads (28 per colour) on a full width print array delivering a 28 picolitre drop size.  Key new features of this latest Onset family member include:

Reduced bed masking: A new 15-zone vacuum table reduces bed masking requirements for substrates thinner than 3mm. This reduces setup times and increases overall machine productivity. 

Innovative UV sensor system: Printheads need regular maintenance but this varies depending on the type of substrates used and the volume of work produced. The Onset S40i’s auto sensor system constantly monitors the machine condition and informs the operator when automatic cleaning is required.

Sophisticated substrate height detector: Sensitive mechanical substrate height detectors deliver accuracy and reliability to provide enhanced substrate and printhead protection.

In addition, a new Fujifilm Uvijet ink system has also been launched providing improved adhesion and finishing properties. Combined with Inca’s advanced software and the high precision ink drop placement of the Fujifilm Dimatix printheads, the end result is superb 600 dpi print quality with the option of four or six colours. With these enhancements across hardware, software and consumables, Fujifilm and Inca are able to prove that making an investment in the Inca Onset S40i will pay for itself in just six months, while providing unmatched quality and productivity.

The Inca Onset S40i produces superb POS-quality display graphics economically at throughput speeds of up to 470 sqm/hr, equivalent to 94 full bed sheets/hr (3.14 x 1.6m) and onto substrates up to 50mm (2 in) thick. A choice of uni-directional, bi-directional and super high quality print modes can be selected depending on the specific job requirements. As a result, it is ideal for the production of single and double-sided display POS, exhibition graphics, backlit/frontlit displays, outdoor signage printing and cosmetic/fashion graphics etc. The Onset S40i is compatible with Inca’s flexible automation system which offers customers the choice to operate manually or with semi or three-quarter automation from the same configuration. For those requiring the ability to incorporate variable data printing as simply as possible, the Onset S40i also supports Inca’s Print Run Controller (PRC) software module.

“The Inca Onset S40i incorporates several significant new features that combine to increase overall machine uptime and print quality,” says Heather Kendle, Inca Digital director of marketing. “Companies invest in Onsets for their high volume production capabilities and we continually evaluate new features that can make life easier by simplifying maintenance, maximising throughput, and reducing costs.”

“We continue to work closely with Inca Digital to ensure that the customer’s needs take priority,” comments Tudor Morgan, group marketing manager, wide format at Fujifilm. “The new features added to the Onset S40i are another huge step in increasing the efficiency of what are already the most productive UV inkjet flatbeds in the market today, and we look forward to demonstrating the capabilities of this model on our stand at drupa 2012.”

There are 18 different configurations available in the Inca Onset range, offering a choice of productivity levels and ink options. This enables companiesto pick the right model, at the best price, performance and, therefore, return on investment (ROI) for their business.

The Inca Onset S40i is commercially available from Q2 2012.

Screen has launched a new, high-speed, flat-bed wide format printer that brings new levels of productivity to the sign and display industry. The Truepress Jet W1632UV inkjet printer offers high productivity, outstanding image quality and the capability to image on a wide range of substrates. The printer makes its global debut at drupa (Hall 9/stand A40).

The continuous flow of new advertising media and market requirement for rapid response campaigns has stimulated the need for print-based promotions to be increasingly diversified and with reduced turnaround times. As a result, the sign and display print services industry are turning to output devices that deliver high speed coupled with high output quality - especially for POP and graphic display applications.

To meet the demand, Screen’s subsidiary company Inca Digital has developed the Truepress Jet W1632UV as the latest addition to Screen’s range of wide-format inkjet printing systems. It combines Screen’s outstanding imaging technology with Inca’s world-leading reputation for quality engineering and reliability.

This new printer provides a high throughput of 94 sqm (1,011.8 sqft) per hour, the best in its class, and supports media sizes up to 1,600mm x 3,200mm (63in x 126in) and a maximum 48mm (1.9in) thickness. The use of 12 picolitre micro-droplet printheads makes the Truepress Jet W1632UV one of the most advanced inkjet systems available for POP applications, giving razor-sharp 1200 dpi text, fine definition and smooth vignettes. In addition, since the Truepress Jet W1632UV supports the use of light cyan and light magenta, the system is ideal for photographic-quality and back/front lit display applications.  Together, these features deliver high-speed output of top-quality images for high-volume POP and graphic displays.

“The Truepress Jet W1632UV offers the optimum blend of productivity, quality and ROI demanded from the sign and display print market,” says Kees Mulder, President, Screen Europe. “Our wide-format inkjet lineup is set to continue to grow to offer a range of devices that precisely address the range of both interior and exterior sign and display applications.”