Hardware - Wide Format Print

 

Velmex, UK distributors for Canon has introduced a new way for customers to use large format printers, the Big Print Plan.

The Big Print Plan allows customers to rent the printer and pay for the ink they have used rather than upfront. All required inks, waste ink cartridges, print heads, warranty and support are provided for the full rental term.

‘looking at the large format printer market it became clear that customers want a simple, fully supported way to use large format printers with minimum cash outlay’ said Mark Keeley, Director of Velmex.

‘Customer’s generally had two options, purchase outright or lease the equipment – now there is a third way, the Big Print Plan. Customers simply rent the printer and receive a fully comprehensive support package and pay for the ink they have used, per month, per ml. Every Big Print Plan installation is configured to email our support team when an ink is low, so we can send a replacement, or when an error occurs. Our reporting is so fast that we often call customers and advise them of the error before they are even aware that they have a problem.  Every Big Print Plan solution includes hand delivery, installation, full product training, email alerts, remote support & our Big Print Plan calling card to allow users to contact us quickly should they need any support or advice. The printers come with all these services for the full rental period, normally three years and we even cover items such as print heads that are normally excluded from manufacturers extended warranty schemes’.

Keeley was also keen to explain the ink charge element of the scheme ‘the ink charge, per ml is based upon Canon UK ink retail price so customers are not paying ’extra’ for the ink they have used. In fact, it is quite the opposite as included in the ink charge are free waste ink tanks, free print heads if needed, and of course, free next day delivery on all required items. This equates to a very large saving over the three year period, with the added benefit that customers free up cash that is normally tied up with inks in the printer or additional backup inks on the shelf. We have also made the Big Print Plan as comprehensive as possible and customers can upgrade their printer with no penalty or add more printers to their system to meet their customer’s demands’.

The Big Print Plan covers all the Canon LFP range, 17” to 60” twelve colour photo printers, 24” to 44” CAD printers, 24” to 60” eight colour production printers and even Canon’s large format scan to print / copy systems.

For more details please visit www.bigprintplan.co.uk or email info@bigprintplan.co.uk

 

SGIA recently completed new Digital Equipment Evaluations from some of today's hottest products in the specialty imaging industry, including Mutoh. These reports provide SGIA members with objective data they need when considering a wide-format digital investment.

"We prepare thorough evaluations of each system and then turn the findings into unbiased reports that offer a clear description of the equipment across manufacturers," said SGIA's Digital Specialist Jeff Burton. "These reports show significant comparisons of a variety of digital devices and will ultimately help businesses buy with confidence."

New Digital Equipment Evaluations are now available for these Mutoh products:

• ValueJet 1628TD-64
• ValueJet 2606-100
• ValueJet 1618A
• ValueJet 1614-64
• ValueJet ValueJet 1608-HS
• ValueJet 1304-54

 

The ceramic tile industry's top ink and glaze companies showed the considerable advantages of digital inkjet tile decoration using the innovative Xaar 1001 inkjet printhead at Cevisama (Valencia, 8th-10th February).

Colorobbia, Esmalglass-Itaca, Ferro and Chimigraf-Fritta all work closely with Xaar to ensure that their digital decoration inks and glazes produce the best results on Xaar-enabled digital inkjet printers. The unique design of the innovative Xaar 1001 printhead ensures reliable and consistent high-quality tile decoration and, as a result, is the printhead chosen by the industry's leading digital inkjet printer manufacturers: Cretaprint, KERAjet, Projecta Engineering (SiTi B&T), IN.TE.SA and TecnoFerrari.

At Cevisama the ink companies displayed a variety of creative tile designs to demonstrate how the digital inkjet process opens up many new opportunities for tile producers. Digital inkjet enables unlimited freedom of creativity with the ability to produce life-like patterns. There is no limit on pattern repeats, plus tiles and borders can be printed with matching patterns and colour. Because inkjet printing allows users to print on textured and embossed surfaces, a greater variety of designs can be produced.

Xaar works closely with Colorobbia, Esmalglass-Itaca, Ferro and Chimigraf-Fritta to approve their digital inkjet inks for optimum performance with the Xaar 1001 printhead. These companies praise Xaar inkjet technology for its ability to deliver important creative and production advantages:  "Through Xaar technology we are able to offer new innovative products and new solutions to our customers, delivering significant improvements in aesthetics," says Pedro Rodero, Esmalglass-Itaca Grupo.

"Xaar inkjet has changed the world of ceramic decoration. Digital inkjet decoration has the power to inspire new designs that would not have been possible using traditional methods," says Jose-Antonio Comitre, Ferro.

"The many benefits of inkjet are revolutionising the ceramics market," says Marco Toccaceli, Marketing Manager, Colorobbia Italia. "The Xaar 1001 printhead handles ceramic inks very well and ensures high-resolution quality. In association with Colorobbia inks, the Xaar 1001 printhead allows customers to properly experience the many advantages of inkjet technology."

Innovative Xaar 1001 inkjet printhead design meets industrial demands

The low-maintenance drop-on-demand Xaar 1001 is the perfect printhead for digital ceramic tile decoration. This printhead features Xaar's unique TF Technology, a patented design of re-circulating ink through the printhead which ensures operational reliability in challenging production plants. The Xaar 1001 printhead's ability to produce variable-sized (greyscale) dots gives tile producers the ability to select fine drops for smooth tones, contrasting shades and sharp lines. Whilst the larger drops provide high ink coverage to intensify colour density and saturation. The result is a stunning replication of natural materials, enhancing the print quality so the printed tile is almost identical to the original.

"The ceramic tile industry is experiencing a digital revolution and Xaar has the best industrial inkjet technology to fuel this revolution," says Mark Alexander, Director of Marketing, Xaar plc. "The ceramics sector is a significant part of our business. We are strongly committed to ongoing investment in new developments and are currently expanding manufacturing capacity to meet demand. Our partnerships with leading ceramic ink and digital inkjet printer manufacturers are a strong endorsement of our expertise, and together we will continue to develop the market."

Spandex is currently running a promotion offering large format/sign businesses a free bulk ink system and enough ink to print their first 900 m2 free of charge (worth £2,000) when investing in a new Mutoh ValueJet printer.

The Mutoh ValueJet is the ideal printer for outdoor and indoor applications delivering band free graphics at print speeds up to 17 m2 per hour. Instead of distributing ink in a straight line, ValueJets lay down ink by using a ‘wave’ pattern that enriches colours and makes the black even denser. Offering vibrant colours, precise detail and the ability to print directly onto low-cost uncoated and coated materials, ValueJets are extremely cost-efficient, easy to operate and maintain.

Spandex recently announced the availability of the new MS Ultra mild solvent inks for the Mutoh ValueJet, designed to significantly increase the productivity of print businesses through more efficient printing.

The new MS Ultra inks provide users with wider media compatibility across the broadest range of self adhesives as well as other flexible substrates. Resulting in higher image quality and printer reliability, the inks ensure uninterrupted printing for extended periods while delivering excellent colour gamut.

The inks also have a longer shelf life of 18 months, require less maintenance (once a week) and do not require daily printing, as typically is the case when using mild solvent inks.

“Print service providers are constantly seeking to increase the efficiency of their production environment. With the recent introduction of the new MS Ultra inks, the decision to switch your print needs to the Mutoh ValueJet has never been easier,” comments Leon Watson, Hardware Sales Director, Spandex. “Providing professional print shops with a boost in productivity as well as a considerable cost saving on the inks, our promotion provides a real win-win opportunity for our customers.”

The new MS Ultra inks are offered in safe and easy to use 440 ml ink cassettes and bulk ink bottles of 1 litre. For typical sign images (720 x 720 dpi) with an ink coverage of 67%, the ink cost amounts to £0.85/m². In addition, outdoor UV durability is rated up to three years, without lamination. However, for heavy-duty applications involving mechanical stress, lamination is recommended.

The MS Ultra 1 litre ink bottles can be used in combination with Mutoh’s bulk ink system (BIS), developed for users requiring a high volume ink delivery and refill device. The bulk ink system offers unattended printing options along with minimum user intervention.

Each bottle can provide 1.2 litres of ink to the bulk feed cassette before requiring a refill. Mutoh’s ink refill system can be easily mounted on top of the printer.

The offer will run until 31st March 2011.

 

Seven leading wide format printer manufacturers in China have chosen the 60 picolitre Xaar Proton inkjet printhead to deliver high-performance display graphics to their customers in China and overseas.  Design Digital, LiYu, Zhong Ye, Shenzhen RTZ and Yat Fung have joined Chiting and Wit-Color in adopting the new, premium quality and wide-swathe printhead from Xaar.

The design and flexibility of the Xaar Proton, and its compatibility with a wide range of solvent, oil and UV inks, enables Xaar's partners to bring quickly to market competitive printers that combine the highest levels of quality and speed with maximum cost-effectiveness and low cost of ownership.  As a result, the Xaar Proton is well established with Chinese printers producing indoor and outdoor graphics on a variety of flexible materials including: paper, PVC, film, mesh fabrics and vinyls.

The expansion by the major OEMs in China is a strong endorsement of the Xaar Proton's technology, robust design, print quality and throughput.  Xaar's strategy is to continually innovate and develop its printheads to provide companies with ultimate flexibility.  Last year, the 60 picolitre drop size version of the printhead quickly followed the successful launch of the 35 picolitre Xaar Proton.

Mr Yue, General Manager of Design Digital, says "The Xaar Proton printhead is the most suitable product for the wide-format graphic industry because it combines speed and print quality effectively."

The Xaar Proton is a premium quality, wide-swathe (54mm) binary printhead that delivers high-productivity and brings significant benefits to the high-volume wide format graphics markets. Featuring the latest "chevron" piezo actuator combined with the innovative nozzle processing methods from the revolutionary Xaar 1001, this printhead delivers excellent and consistent print performance, enabling users to print high quality without compromising on speed.

"Using the latest technology, the Xaar Proton was developed in response to customer feedback.  The take up from the wide-format graphics market is extremely positive," says Mark Alexander, Director of Marketing at Xaar.

Xaar invests over 10% of its turnover in R&D to continually innovate its inkjet technology and bring new printheads to market. The company manufactures a full range of binary and greyscale inkjet printheads to enable printer manufacturers to choose the best one to suit their specific application and achieve high productivity, great quality and outstanding print performance.

Contex has announced that it will exhibit its wide-format scanning solutions at Graphics of the Americas, February 24-26, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. At Contex's booth #216, the company will showcase the XD2490 wide-format scanner with the HP Designjet 111r Printer. Contex will also demonstrate its high-speed HD4250 wide-format scanner MFP solution combined with the HP Designjet T7100 Printer. Visitors to Contex's booth will learn how to scan, copy, print, and share large-format documents with ease. Attendees with existing printers can also see how easy it is to add a Contex wide format scanner to accelerate their production workflow.

"We are looking forward to sharing the latest in wide format scanning with the attendees at Graphics of the Americas," said Dan Bennet, Director of Service Operations, Contex Americas. "From Contex's new technology developments to how-to tips to maximise a production workflow, this event provides an excellent opportunity to learn more about wide-format scanning."

Contex scanning experts will be on hand at the event to demonstrate its 24- to 42-inch wide-format scanners, as well as its suite of software solutions such as Nextimage TOUCH.