Hardware - Wide Format Print

HP today announced that Print & Display Ltd (P&D), of Nottingham, UK, has used its HP Scitex FB7500 Printer to increase its production capacity and offer customers increased flexibility of run-lengths and turnaround times.

"The FB7500 printer has given us additional flexibility, speed and high print quality," said Paul Manson, managing director, Print & Display Ltd. "Since its installation, we have added the upgrades which have improved performance and reduced downtime to levels that have been surprising.

"We have estimated that in the time we could prepare a job for screen printing, the FB7500 can print our typical print run of 400 sheets," said Manson. "The print quality is superb and the fact that printheads can be replaced by the operator ensures maximum productivity."

Founded in 2003, P&D quickly established itself as an innovator in point-of-sale graphic products and today offers a wide range of solutions. Typical products include free standing display units (FSDUs), countertop units, banners, dump bins, standees, pallet displays, and its own creation, the rapidly-erected free-standing display, the "Quikstand."

Despite very challenging economic conditions, P&D has continued to build its business, leveraging the potential of marketing on the web, and continues to attract new customers, even increasing its staff by 50 percent in 2010.

Today, with 21 employees, P&D has two 3D designers, a graphic designer and production that includes in-house die-cutting and finishing.

While more than 80 percent of P&D's work is on 4 - 5mm corrugated board, the FB7500 printer is able to handle rigid substrates up to 25mm thick, giving the company the ability to print a wide variety of work on less usual substrates.

Taking the step into digital production

According to Manson, in 2009 the company had reached its production capacity with its screen printing unit and digital printer. The company's revenues had been growing regularly, but it was working at capacity. Print & Display considered adding a second screen printer, but that would have required moving to a new factory and hiring additional staff. Manson saw the HP Scitex FB7500 Printer and was uncertain as to whether the company could afford it.

Along with building cost models, the P&D team further investigated the FB7500 printer and visited the HP demo suite in Barcelona to learn more and carry out some tests.

"We took some challenging jobs and some difficult substrates," Manson continued. "We concluded that the results, ease of use and production speed would not only justify the investment, but enable us to expand with minimal upheaval."

Another influencing factor was P&D's awareness that printers like the FB7500 would increasingly be setting the standard for jobs among its competitors. Against this evidence, P&D chose a digital solution over analogue, and in March 2010, its HP Scitex FB7500 Printer with GrandRIP+ by Caldera was installed.

The six-colour printer uses UV-curable pigmented inks and the revolutionary X2 piezoelectric printhead. X2 printhead technology reduces maintenance while enabling the ink flows necessary for high speed, high definition printing - up to 500m2/hr (95 full-size sheets).

Reaping the benefits

"Migrating work from analogue to digital has not only increased our production capacity and enabled us to grow, but it has also increased the services we can offer customers, and positioned us well for the future," he added.

P&D has also invested time in search engine optimisation, as well as a range of quirky promotional videos that can be found on its website (www.printdisplays.com) and YouTube.

"We come up on the first page of an online search for 'FSDU' which is what people who know what they want will be looking for," concluded Manson. "This has helped us to expand our market well beyond the UK, with regular jobs coming from Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Spain, the Nordic countries and other places in Europe. The web continues to be a good source of business for us."

 

Digital Factory has installed a new Seiko ColorPainter H-74S to replace its existing ColorPainter 64S. The new printer, supplied by Colourgen reseller, City and West End Solutions, has quickly demonstrated its ability to sustain speed and quality over long print runs as well as lower running costs through reduced ink usage and waste.

Cyrus Norton of Digital Factory, explains, “We were one of the first companies to purchase the original ColorPainter and we haven’t seen anything else since that can match its flexibility and colour range, until now. The H-74S was a logical choice for us as it is an evolved product based on technology we understand and that we know can deliver the best possible solution for us. We have looked at different ink technologies, but keep coming back to the fact that solvent is still the best business fit for us because our customers remain keen to have great value, great looking output solutions. The H-74S takes all the good elements of the 64S and couples this with improvements that are desirable from an experienced user’s point of view.”

He continues, “The printer’s speed and reliability has allowed us to take on more work at peak times. One job that previously would have taken 16 hours, we managed to get out in under 4 hours. This makes a massive difference to the service we can offer to customers and also increases the overall revenue we can obtain from the printer.”

Digital Factory was established in 1998 and has grown to cover 6500 square feet over two sites with 11 staff. The company is committed to delivering high quality solutions to its customers and is fully focused on maintaining and building its reputation for excellent quality, reliability and service. “We have known Colourgen since we started as a company and we very much share their commitment to service and quality. We started working with City and West End around six years ago and have always trusted their advice and guidance,” concludes Norton.

Doug Gilbertson, Managing Director of City and West End Solutions is equally pleased to have the ColorPainter as part of his range.  “As a high-end solutions provider, it is critical that we offer not only the best solution technologically, but the best solution for our customer’s needs.  Reliability and quality are key attributes in any product that we sell and knowing the ColorPainter range of old, the new generation improves on these attributes and has the added beneft of very high speed throughput”.

The 8-colour ColorPainter H-74S printers offer printing speeds up to 55 sqm/h, which are approximately 1.5 – 2 times faster than competing models in the same price/width class. These speeds are achieved by utilising eight super-wide, piezo inkjet heads, while maintaining extremely high image quality and density.

Paradigm Imaging Group has released the Phaser XES Series Wide Format Printers from SID Signs.  The Phaser wide-format printers have a well-established presence in the outdoor printer market and are among the most affordably priced models in their class, with a suggested retail price starting at only $32,500(US dollar).

The Phaser XES Series printers use Seiko micro piezo print head technology, utilising either solvent or eco-solvent ink, ensuring brilliant prints with excellent ink adhesion, scratch resistance and outdoor durability. With very low ink costs and consumption, operating costs are kept at a minimum with ROI at a maximum. These printers are built for lasting performance with quality materials and craftsmanship.

Key Features:

• Six Seiko print heads—510 nozzles, 35 picoliters
• Six colours—CMYKLcLm
• Resolution up to 720 dpi 
• Print speeds up to 527 sqft/hr
• Bulk ink supply system—one litre per colour
• Low operating costs
• PhotoPrint DX RIP
• One year limited warranty

"Adding the Phaser wide-format printer to our line enables us to offer a high quality, high performance outdoor printing solution at an affordable price. We are now able to offer a larger range of products to a broader section of the imaging market," said Randy Geesman, President of Paradigm Imaging Group.

 

The versatility of Roland’s latest VersaCAMM combination print-and-cut machines has resulted in an upsurge in end users who benefit from more than its metallic and white ink capabilities. The company reports that recent sales have included growing numbers of customers who want to take advantage of this versatile system’s dual CMYK options as well as the alternative version which accommodates a six-colour palette with the additions of light cyan and light magenta.

Although the VersaCAMM VS series was the first machine designed from the ground up to incorporate metallic and white eco-solvent based inks, Roland decided to include other options for its users who need highly accurate standard CMYK output combined with precision contour cutting. The overall speed of producing fine standards of four-colour work across a broad range of roll-fed materials is complemented by the machine’s ability to cut to exacting tolerances so that even the smallest labels and decals can be manufactured.

Available in a choice of four widths, with the largest size being a generous 1.62m, the new generation print-head incorporated into the VersaCAMM VS family has been designed and configured to generate the finest accurate results. Precision rounded nozzles in this head combine with accurate ink firing, with seven sizes of variable droplet enabling smooth graduations, flawless solid colours and crisp, clear text.

This print accuracy is achievable because of head’s arrangement of colours, with a mirrored array ensuring there is no difference in the firing order of the inks. This nozzle arrangement means that the same sequence of lay-down is accomplished in both directions so that it produces bi-directional output with no trace of banding or striping.

This is particularly evident in the dual CMYK option of the VersaCAMM VS series, with high productivity and excellent output quality resulting from the inks’ configuration within the print-head. Aligned as MYCKKCYM, instead of duplicated CMYK in the same order, bi-directional production is smooth and seamless and, with the magenta and yellow inks being situated on the outside of the head, critical red shades are brighter and more accurate.

Users of the dual CMYK model of the VersaCAMM VS have also reported that they can work in the lowest production mode for most jobs with superlative quality and fast throughput speeds. Choosing print options is quick and easy using the machine’s integrated menu settings, with simple settings for bi-directional set-up able to be stored for quick recall when needed.

Another major benefit which applies to all versions of the VersaCAMM VS lies in its contour cutting capabilities. Vital that precision alignment is maintained, even across the optimum width on long rolls of material, all machines in this series are able to work to the most exacting tolerances on print-and-cut jobs.

This cutting accuracy is essential for all sizes of application, and is particularly relevant for users producing step-and-repeat and nested small items, such as labels, decals and stickers. For these, and other applications where tolerances are critical to the finished job, the VersaCAMM VS’s ability to work to exacting precision is proving to be another major benefit to the machine’s versatility.

Roland’s VersaCAMM VS series incorporates the company’s renowned Eco-Sol Max inks whose durability can be enhanced with over-lamination for additional protection, such as for vehicle wraps, liveries and exterior signs. Easy to set up and operate, this versatile print-and-cut solution is available in four sizes, with the VS-640 sporting a generous width of 1.62m, the VS-540 able to handle materials up to 1.37m wide, the mid-sized VS-420 offering 1.07m and the compact VS-300 measuring 762mm.

 

By combining products from leading manufacturers Epson and Mutoh, Colourgen has created a very competitive 55” print and cut bundle.   The solution, which costs approx £18,995 SRP comprises Epson’s 64” Stylus Pro GS6000 eco solvent printer and Mutoh’s 55” Kona 1400 cutter

Melanie Enser, Product Marketing Manager for Colourgen, comments, “With increased demand for low cost, quality print and cut bundles, the Stylus Pro GS6000 and the Kona cutter are a great solution for users wanting to produce high quality window displays, decals, labels, vinyl stickers, car stickers, point of purchase material and packaging elements. The combination of the print quality of the Stylus Pro GS6000 lends itself very well to customised indoor print solutions and along with the Mutoh Kona cutter, will certainly increase the broad range of applications that customers can support.”

The Mutoh Kona cutter has been developed with ease of use and cutting quality and accuracy in mind. It offers speeds that are comparable with cutters at the top end of the market, which match the proven quality of the Epson Stylus Pro GS6000.

The bundle is available immediately from authorised Colourgen resellers.

Fujifilm North America Corporation has announced that commercial printer Excell Color Graphics of Fort Wayne, IN, has installed digital production and wide format solutions as part of its strategy to remain competitive since the turn of the economy, which has spurred the demand for short-run printing. In October 2010, the printer installed a XeroxColor 800 Press to accommodate quick turnaround, short-run jobs that are replacing traditional, high-volume, offset work orders. To compete even more aggressively, Excell Color Graphics has also entered the wide format printing space with the December 2010 installation of a Fujifilm Acuity Advance HS UV flatbed press, enabling the traditionally offset printer to produce posters and signage for customers.

"The shift in the economy prompted us to start implementing digital solutions into our workflow to supplement the loss of offset volume," said Tom Parrot, president, Excell Color Graphics. "Currently, 20 percent of our volume is printed digitally, but 40 percent of the jobs that come through the shop is now printed digitally."

In 2007, Excell Color Graphics began to explore how digital printing could impact business with the installation of a Xerox DocuColor 5000 Digital Press, the first piece of digital equipment the company had ever purchased. It was an entry level way for the offset printer to experiment with digital.

The Xerox Color 800 Press has now replaced the Xerox 5000 system and has integrated seamlessly into the shop's workflow because of its 2,400 x 2,400 dpi, offset-like image quality. It has streamlined production with production speeds of up to 80 pages per minute and has also given Excell Color Graphics more flexibility since the device can print on thicker sheets, perform duplex printing and offers a clear ink option that promotes new and creative techniques for unique, eye-catching output that particularly appeals to the company's advertising agency clientele. The device's primary function in the shop is to fulfill orders for short-run marketing collateral including post cards and proposals as well as four-colour printed envelopes that would normally be printed offset and would need to then be converted.

"A perfect example of how this device is ramping up production for us is that this afternoon I received a call at 1pm to produce 100 28-page photo books by 5pm," said Parrot. "Before installing the Xerox 800, I would not have been able to do this, but now I can offer our customers enhanced services for quick turnaround, short-run fulfillment."

A survey of Parrot's customers also showed a unanimous need for a wide format solution which prompted the printer to install the Fujifilm Acuity Advance HS UV flatbed press, which boasts speeds of up to 430 square feet per hour and helps commercial printers expand their business with high-quality flatbed printing. While Parrot admits they are still experimenting with the capabilities of the device and the substrates it can print on, he is confident that the Acuity is going to open the door to new markets as well as offer his current customer base new printed products not previously possible with offset equipment. Already Parrot has seen immediate results, as the Acuity has increased the quality of the posters Excell Color Graphics can produce for its customers with its photographic print quality, precise registration and edge-to-edge printing. In the past, when the shop received an order for a poster, they would print it offset and mount it to foam core.

"While these are large investments, in today's climate this digital equipment will play a significant role in our strategy to meet the needs of the market," Parrot explained. "If I'm going to stay in business, I better find some cool ways to print, and unique substrates to print on, to keep our customers interested. The digital devices are giving us this competitive advantage, keeping us relevant, and are also putting us on the cutting edge of the industry."

"Traditional offset printers are finding ways to remain competitive in this changing print landscape,' said Todd Zimmerman, vice president of sales and marketing, Graphic Systems Division, Fujifilm North America Corporation. "Those who are adopting digital and wide format solutions to their workflows will flourish because they are adjusting their business strategy to the current needs of the marketplace, which are and will continue to be short-run, fast-turnaround, high-quality printing."

Excell Color Graphics has been in business since 1990 with a focus on colour separations and film production. By 1997, the company's focus widened to include print production. Today, Excell Color Graphics operates out of 27,000 square foot print facility.

"Our goal since opening in 1990 up shop has been to provide outstanding customer service and quality work," said Parrot. "The investments we make support this promise to our customers and we are looking forward to what the future has in store for our business as we start exploring new opportunities that only digital printing can deliver."