Hardware - Wide Format Print

In this end-user case study, Lance Britnell of Resource Print explains why the purchase of a Roland VersaUV LEC-540 was crucial to the expansion of the business into a broader range of applications...

One of the first things that colour print specialist Lance Britnell ensured when he joined his brother, Darren, in his innovative print and design business was to invest in a Roland VersaUV LEC-540 wide-format UV-curable print-and-cut solution. The idea formed by the duo was to set up a new arm at High Wycombe-based print services’ specialist, Resource Print, and provide a broader range of print applications using unusual finishes and substrates to print with an added interesting twist.   

Lance Britnell was formerly with specialist photographic, pre-press and ink-jet printer distributor Image2Output which, earlier this year, was appointed as an authorised dealer for Roland DG for the VersaUV LEC UV-curable and VersaCAMM solvent-based families of printers. When he decided to accept the opportunity of going into business with his brother, they decided to create a separate company called Resource Digital Graphics.

Complementing Resource Print, this new company gives Lance Britnell the opportunity to continue working with very high quality colour and output, with the intention of moving into more diverse and vertical markets. With accuracy being key to his operation, the decision was made to invest in the Roland VersaUV LEC-540 1.37m UV-curable solution which features 1440 x 1440dpi for the most exacting of jobs, with the added benefits of white ink and clear varnish. The combination of these versatile elements and its LED-cured UV-curable ink means that this print-and-cut solution is able to work with a broad range of unusual substrates and finishes for a variety of end applications.

“My brother and I have amassed 50 years of experience between us in print, and the opportunity to combine our skills was too good an opportunity to pass up,” says Lance Britnell on the formation of Resource Digital Graphics. “Having being involved in depth with the Roland VersaUV LEC-540 at Image2Output I knew it was an essential machine for my purposes and for the services offered by the new company.

“The learning curve for me was non-existent,” continues Lance. “I already knew the machine from its original introduction to the market and my extensive knowledge enables me to generate and produce output using industry-standard colour management and RIP products to gain excellent results every time.”

In addition to applying his skills to the production of proofing and prototyping, Lance is also using his Roland VersaUV LEC-540 to create banners and displays which benefit from additional effects. Both white ink and clear varnish have played a major role in the design and finishing of unusual jobs which cannot be produced using any other ink-jet process.

“This is a great example of the ‘man and machine’ interface with the VersaUV LEC-540 giving Lance Britnell the perfect, yet low cost, route to producing perfect colour output across a range of short-run displays and signs, stickers, window clings and point of sale items” adds Steve Chappell, Business Manager – Packaging, Proofing and Industrial Labelling at Roland DG (UK). “It’s the perfect one-stop solution for Resource Digital Graphics as its versatility and flexibility means it can be used to print, crease and cut countless different applications on a variety of materials.”

The LEC-540 is the larger of the two machines in the Roland VersaUV duo, with its versatile 1.37m width accommodated in a compact foot-print. As well as its high quality print and precision contour cutting, it utilises LED-curing long-life lamps which enable even the most sensitive of materials to be used. Incorporating Roland’s own flexible yet extremely durable Eco-UV inks, the system is rapidly gaining popularity with display producers, proofing specialists and prototyping specialists.

Further information about Resource Digital Graphics can be found at www.resourcedg.co.uk. Details on Roland’s VersaUV LEC-540 can be found at www.rolanddg.co.uk. 

 [photo shows Lance Britnell (right) and his brother Darren stand with their Roland VersaUV LEC-540]

Superior Creative has chosen an Inca Onset S40 from Fujifilm to accommodate its exponential growth and the additional work it has taken on over the past two years. The order was placed in August, and the Onset S40 was commissioned and installed at Superior’s Melksham, UK, premises at the end of September.

The company invested in its first large format device, an Inca Spyder V – also from Fujifilm – in 2009, when Superior started to win a large proportion of wide format work. Since then, the amount of digital wide format work coming through the door has continued grow as the company has responded to the rising needs of their blue-chip client base.

As a result of the company’s significant growth in wide format, the Spyder V soon reached capacity. After carefully researching the market for a flatbed digital press that would be able to meet the company’s immediate needs and future expansion plans, a decision was taken to purchase the Inca Onset S40, which will allow a five-fold increase in production.

Richard Blueitt, Operations Director at Superior Creative, comments, “We are very excited about the installation of the Onset S40 – it will allow us to bring all the orders we have had to outsource back in-house, while giving us additional scope in the materials we produce and the ability to take on more work. The Onset S40 is a ‘next generation machine’ that will allow us to stay at the forefront with our large format digital offering.”

The Onset S40 order is part of Superior Creative’s wider investment programme, which includes a new studio and a direct mail warehouse.

Artel Systems, based in Kiev, Ukraine, has invested in an HP Scitex LX800 printer to produce high-quality added value applications and to develop a range of interior décor products using HP Latex Ink technology.

Founded in 2010, Artel Systems decided to differentiate itself from its competitors, by investing in market leading technologies and offering innovative high-quality applications, to which it could add value and maximise profit. This strategy has proven successful and Artel Systems has grown rapidly. The company offers an extended range of services including design, production and installation and has won business from blue-chip companies to establish itself in the marketplace.

The company purchased the Ukraine's first HP Scitex LX800 Industrial Printer to enable its customers to benefit from the printer's wide media versatility with its ability to print directly onto an extensive range of substrates including banners, wallpaper and polyester fabrics. The six-colour printer offers a wide colour gamut - comparable to low solvent ink technology - for vibrant colours and eye-catching applications.

Artel System's new LX800 produces high-quality output with 1,200dpi resolution at production speeds up to 88m²/hr (947ft²/hr) for outdoor billboards and up to 45m²/hr (484ft²/hr) for indoor applications.

"When we started the business we decided that we wanted to invest in technologies that would enable us to boost our revenues by producing high-quality applications, with quick turnarounds," said Ivanenkov, director, Artel Systems. "Our HP Scitex LX800 has enabled us to increase our profitability by adding value to applications with accurate reproduction of corporate colours and high resolution print on a variety of media. The products we produce using our HP Latex LX800 Printer are proving popular and are already utilised by a number of household brands."

HP Latex Inks make it possible to create wall decoration for all types of interiors, even in environments where distracting display odour can be a concern and Artel Systems plans to use its HP Scitex LX800 Industrial Printer to move into the interior décor segment. Prints produced with HP Latex Inks on HP PVC Wall Paper offer indoor wall decorations that meet the GREENGUARD Children & Schools standard for low emitting products  and AgBB criteria for health-related evaluation of VOC emissions of indoor building products.  HP Latex Inks also meet the chemical requirements for the Nordic Ecolabel (Nordic Swan) for print service providers.

"We will use our HP Scitex to break into new markets including home and office decorations," said Ivanenkov. " We are also planning to  create a range of innovative interior design items including bedspreads, curtains and pillows produced entirely using our HP Scitex LX800 Printer, which thanks to its low VOC emissions and odourless printing, makes previously impossible applications possible."

More information is available at www.youtube.com/hpgraphicarts or follow HP on www.twitter.com/hpgraphicarts.

 

Following the success of the award-winning UJF-3042 flatbed A3 printer, Mimaki has added new functionalities to its popular UV LED curing machine. The new Mimaki UJF-3042FX features a special jetable primer that allows users to automatically prime media, if needed. Priming may be required on some surfaces for better adhesion of the UV curing inks, so this delivers the possibility to print directly with UV curable ink on many different substrates, ranging from glass to metals.

As a result, the new UJF-3042FX allows for more efficient use of printing to untreated stock. While the application of primer is usually executed manually, the UJF-3042FX incorporates an automatic primer feature whereby primer is applied as part of the printing process. The new inkjet primer cartridges (available in 220 and 600ml sizes) are simply inserted into the corresponding slot of the printer. The UJF-3042FX will only use the primer where needed, saving money and time, as well as reducing waste.

Automatic primer application

Materials that are unsuitable even for UV inkjet printing can be printed upon by applying a primer. This foundation layer enables better ink adhesion, making UV inkjet printing on those materials possible. The primer is simultaneously applied with the process colours during printing, thus streamlining print companies’ workflows significantly without compromising speed.

Mimaki’s exclusive UK & Irish distributor, Hybrid Services Ltd also announces the new LF-140 ink and availability of the proven LF-200 flexible ink for the UJF-3042FX printer. With the added benefit of the new flexible ink and primer solution, this printer is unique in its market and opens up the possibility to use more substrates without manual pre-priming.

New LF-140 and LF-200 UV curable flexible inks

The new LF-140 stretchable ink has an extended colour gamut compared with the current LH-100 inks that have been available since the introduction of the original model. The LF-140 inks also give excellent adhesion results with the added ink flexibility. The LF-200 ink is stretchable up to 200% in four colour mode and with the addition of a white ink layer it delivers spectacular results. With the addition of flexible inks, it is possible to use more diverse substrates, fulfilling different applications with the printer, such as printing flexible labels and on to formable media.

UV LED curing printing

The Mimaki UJF-3042FX prints to substrates up to A3 in size (300 x 420 mm) and up to 50mm thickness. Using UV LED technology means that after curing, the ink is instantly bonded to the substrate and as LED does not generate high temperatures, it enables full colour printing on almost every material including heat-sensitive substrates such as resin, wood and leather.

Added value with white and clear ink

Mimaki’s white under- and overprinting capabilities produce more vivid colours, especially on coloured or transparent substrates – adding value to printed products. Spot colour printing with clear ink, as well as layered printing and clear ink varnishes add stunning embossing results to printed products – allowing highly creative, potentially time consuming and complex jobs to be easily produced on the Mimaki UJF-3042FX.

Further applications

Original images, photographs and text incorporated into goods, nameplates, and personal accessories facilitate a degree of personalisation which can enthuse print customers and gift recipients. Printing on paper, film and a vast array of branded goods adds the individual touch that is required to make a lasting impression.

Hybrid’s Industrial Products sales manager, Mike Lewis is understandably enthusiastic about the product’s potential. “The extraordinary success of the Mimaki UJF-3042 is set to continue with the addition of these exciting features, and the potential applications for the product appear almost limitless.”

In addition, printing on film and carton board enables the production of flexible and hard based prototype packaging projects; significantly streamlining workflows for packaging designers. Rigid labels are also ideal for production on the new UJF-3042FX printer.

Nozzle recovery function for reducing downtime

Mimaki has also included a revolutionary nozzle recovery function in the latest version of the printer which enables operators to temporarily resolve any nozzle related issues prior to a technician attending the machine. This allows the printer to continue running, with little or no effect on production capacity.

The Mimaki UJF-3042FX takes the pioneering features of its award winning predecessor, and further automates the production of customised output in a package that includes powerful RIP software, ink and a fully comprehensive warranty. Available from November 2011 through Hybrid’s authorised reseller network, further information can be found by visiting www.hybridservices.co.uk

 

On the first morning of Viscom Germany, there's been considerable interest in Fujifilm’s new Acuity LED 1600 UV printer.  This is the first European showing of the machine and according to Gary Barnes, Fujifilm’s European Product Manager for the Acuity family of printers, there’s been a constant stream of visitors to the stand (H61 in Hall 8a) seeking more information on the new printer.

The Acuity LED 1600 supports UV-curable inks and features a long-life and low-power-consumption LED light source.  This high-performance wide format inkjet printer features a proprietary-design LED light source, high precision and high speed printhead and fast curing UV-LED ink.  Gary Barnes comments, “All the key components used to create the Acuity LED 1600 have been manufactured by Fujifilm.  This is the crucial factor in ensuring that the new machine prints faster and generates more energy saving costs.  By developing everything in-house, we’ve managed to garner higher productivity from LED technology.”

The latest addition to Fujifilm’s range of digital printers will be commercially available later this year.  Gary Barnes comments, “The Acuity LED 1600 will make a very good addition to any sign shop’s digital printer line-up.  In recent years, large posters, in-store POP and window displays are produced in increasingly smaller print runs, with short delivery time and with increased graphical designs.  With its high quality design and build and best-in-class productivity of 20 square metres per hour, the Acuity LED 1600 addresses these needs.”

The printer comes standard with eight colour inks: cyan, magenta, yellow, black, light cyan, light magenta, white and clear.   The combined use of colour ink and clear ink can produce high-gloss output for premium finish. The ability to apply colour and clear inks in a single pass, which is difficult in conventional printers, can dramatically improve output efficiency.

The printer also comes with Spot Color Matching software, which can automatically generate a colour comparison chart against the desired output colour. This simplifies the process of matching spot colours, e.g. those used in a logo, to reduce the workload of print producers.

Mutoh America, Inc. will be launching the new ValueJet 1638-64” high production eco-solvent printer at the SGIA trade show. The 1638 is Mutoh’s fastest printer with print speeds of up to 545 square feet per hour.

The new addition to the Mutoh ValueJet family will replace the previous ValueJet 1618-64” printer. The 1638 includes a staggered dual head print technology that allows users to print jobs that typically call for the production capacity of two or more printers.

The 1638 prints durable graphics on coated and uncoated roll-to-roll substrates. Mutoh’s SpectroVue VM-10 spectrophotometer can be equipped to utilise the on-board and Internet based ColorVerify process control systems, including an on-printer ICC profile creation.

Standard on all ValueJets, the 1638 includes Mutoh’s i2: Intelligent Interweave print technique that lays down the four colour (CMYK) eco-solvent inks in a wave pattern, virtually eliminating banding.

Mutoh will be showcasing the new ValueJet 1638 among the rest of the ValueJet line in booth number 2133.