Hardware - Wide Format Print

This year’s Sign and Digital UK show - to be held at the NEC in Birmingham - will see the unveiling of the new Mimaki JFX-1615plus by its exclusive UK and Ireland distributer, Hybrid Services Ltd.

Already an award winner following its international launch, the Mimaki JFX-1615plus shares the same fast, high-quality LED UV curable ink technology as its big brother, the JFX-1631plus; but with a bed size of 1.6m x 1.5m it provides a true flatbed solution for companies with a smaller format print requirement.

Mimaki’s new JFXplus series features a post-curing unit as standard that enables printing of up to 23.6m2/h - a top speed that is nearly twice as fast as its predecessor. Additionally, a roll unit has been developed to boost efficiency and productivity when printing on flexible substrates, and printing capacity is maximised through the UV LED system requiring no warm up time.

Hybrid’s national sales manager, John de la Roche, highlights the benefits of the JFX-1615plus to Sign and Digital UK visitors, commenting that, “The JFXplus has the ability to print onto non-coated substrates up to a thickness of 50mm, and the added advantage of having two ink options (hard and flexible UV curable inks) to suit different applications really opens up its creative potential.”

“The new Mimaki flatbed is a versatile product with the capacity to produce high quality images and even 3pt text. Couple this with the affordability of the smaller model Mimaki JFX-1615plus and its ideal position in the market for more industrial, bespoke applications, and you can see why we were so keen for it to be showcased at this year’s Sign and Digital UK exhibition.”

 

 

Roland DG reports that, in the months following the strategic and important appointment of Sign + Digital and, more recently, Dublin based Print and Finishing Equipment (PFE) there has been a significant increase in popularity for this leading manufacturer’s wide-format ink-jet solutions. These two very experienced specialist partners now have the Irish market covered for digital requirements, with each concentrating on specific sectors which benefit from their expertise.

John Parle, Roland DG’s sales manager in Ireland, explains: “The types of solution now being produced by us are bringing a new breed of end customer to our attention. Whilst there are still plenty of sign-makers and display producers continuing to invest in our solutions, we’ve noticed a significant increase in businesses considering a move into wide-format digital printing from other areas of the graphic arts arena.”

The primary appointment of Sign + Digital has resulted in a structured base from which sign-makers and display producers can source their Roland machines to help them grow their businesses and move into new markets. With Roland’s former business development manager, Albert Quealy, heading up the Sign + Digital’s wide-format interests, new and existing customers now benefit from high-end technical advice as well as the broadest selection of production options, including print-and-cut and the latest metallic and white ink technologies.

“Sign + Digital is key to us in terms of leveraging the Roland brand throughout Ireland,” explains Parle. “Its showroom and demonstrating facilities carry the biggest range of Roland machines and the types of innovative and creative applications which sign-makers and digital producers can produce using our solutions.”

It was the growth of interest within the commercial print area that led Roland to appoint PFE as a key partner, bringing wide-format ink-jet solutions on-board to complement its existing range of digital and analogue services. PFE now offers the Roland VersaArt RS-640, SolJet Pro III family of high quality printers and, of particular note to businesses involved in proofing, labelling and packaging prototyping, the VersaUV LEC-330 and LEC-540 duo of UV-curable print-and-cut machines.

Parle continues: “Whilst there are plenty of sign and display specialists who can benefit from the versatility and amazing finishes which can be produced on the LEC-330 and the new, wider LEC-540, it quickly became apparent that there was a whole new class of commercial printers out there who needed to be able to proof jobs onto the final material for flexo, offset and, even, gravure.

“Since we’ve expanded our Irish presence to include two of the leading suppliers to the sign and display sector and commercial arena, we’ve seen a tremendous upsurge in interest for all Roland products,” concludes Parle. “We expect this increase to continue through the coming years.”

www.rolanddg.co.uk

www.pfe.ie

www.signanddigital.com

 

Rost Digital Print House has selected the VESPA-award winning Sublitex WP-3200 printer.  This new 3.2 metre wide dye sublimation textile printer, based on the Mimaki JV5-320, has a maximum resolution of 1440dpi and produces high-performance textiles for exhibitions, point of sale etc.

Peter Rost, the owner of Rost Digital Print House, comments, “The deciding factors in our selection of the Sublitex WP-3200 were its ability to offer high-quality output in additional fields of textile printing and the price-performance ratio.”

German manufacturer Outdoor Colourprinting constructed a completely new textile feed system for the JV5 – by replacing the pinch rollers on the Mimaki model with Nomex-conveyor belts.  This ensures that the fabric remains even and taut at all times.  The machine was installed by Outdoor Colourprinting in 3 days – including user-training sessions for Rost’s employees . 

Roland DGA Corp. and Clemson University's Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics have teamed up to bring the benefits of Roland's advanced VersaUV UV-LED inkjet technology to the school's students, faculty, research staff, and corporate partners.

"The Sonoco Institute is one of the nation's leading educational programs focused on packaging science and graphic communications disciplines," said Hiroshi Ono, group product manager for Roland DGA Corp. "We are honoured to work with this renowned organisation and to help Sonoco develop exciting new concepts for packaging, graphic design and corporate branding."

Winner of prestigious DPI and EDP awards and, most recently, the 2010 Label Industry Global Award for New Innovation, Roland VersaUV UV-LED inkjet printer/cutters go beyond CMYK and White inks to offer Clear Coat which can be layered into unique textures and patterns for embossing and varnishing effects. VersaUV prints, creases, contour cuts, perforates and embosses designs all on one device, allowing professionals to create packaging prototypes and labels in any shape through one seamless workflow.

VersaUV comes with VersaWorks RIP software including media profiles and advanced features that ensure image quality, minimise maintenance and costs, and provide out-of-the-box success for users. In addition to labels and packaging prototypes, VersaUV can be used to produce press proofs and is supported by leading commercial colour management and proofing solutions from CGS, EFI and GMG. VersaUV is Energy Star certified.

"We are very pleased with the unit," said Charles Tonkin, director of Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics. "We have only had it a couple of weeks and the students have just begun utilising it and producing phenomenal output. As a creative tool in the design process, it not only allows the ability to print on an incredibly wide variety of substrates, but can also create the actual textures and varnishes (matte and gloss) that were simply impossible before. It is a great tool and I really look forward to seeing the results this coming semester."

 

SDC Reprographics was established as a dyeline printer in Sutton, Surrey, in the late 1940s, when its main function was to reproduce architectural plans. Several decades later, in the early 1980s, the company expanded its offering by acquiring a black & white, A4 digital printing device and later diversified to a wide range of colour digital and wide-format work.

Today, a large amount of the company's work comes from local businesses, architectural firms and construction companies, although it also has a number of well-known high street brands on its customer list. And, as it is situated on a main route into London, SDC Reprographics has a lot of walk-in orders for leaflets, brochures and booklets. While still plotting CAD drawings for its architectural and engineering clients, it also offers a range of packages for exhibition graphics.

Julie Carter took over the business in 2005 and has spent a great deal of time and effort over the past five years strategically expanding it. As part of this process, Julie investigated the latest wide-format flatbed printers with roll-to-roll options to replace the company's previous roll-fed machine.

"With our old roll-fed wide format device, although we could print banners, board graphics had to be printed on vinyl and hand mounted, which meant our orders for board graphics took a long time to produce," says Julie. "When the time came for an upgrade, we decided to look for a hybrid model that would allow us to continue printing onto vinyl and banner media, but also directly onto board and other substrates including diabond and acrylics. Fujifilm's Acuity Advance perfectly fitted the bill so we went to Fujifilm's Broadstairs facility to test the device."

After a successful series of tests, SDC Reprographics placed an order for the Acuity Advance HD 2545 digital inkjet printer, and expanded its ground floor production area to house the device.

Julie continues: "The installation took place without a hitch and Fujifilm provided us with all the necessary training. Since then, we have seen time savings of up to 75% with a large number of jobs, as we now have the ability to print directly onto banners and board with no drying time. This not only enables us to offer our customers much shorter turnaround times, but also allows us to be more competitive."

The Acuity Advance HD 2545 incorporates greyscale print head technology to produce near-photographic quality print - unrivalled in the market today. It prints at a speed of 22m2/hr in production mode and 15m2/hr in high quality mode with an additional white ink option complementing the CMYK colour set.

As part of the ongoing business development strategy, Julie approached Fujifilm with a view to upgrading SDC's colour digital device.  After considering SDC's production requirements, Fujifilm suggested the DocuColorT 7002 digital printer in conjunction with the Duplo Digital System 445 booklet maker.

"We looked at a number of the key players in the digital printing market at Ipex," says Julie. "The DocuColorT 7002, however, was unique in that it can duplex 300gsm card - which was one of our requirements. Fujifilm listened carefully to what we wanted to achieve and also suggested an offline finishing solution. The Duplo device slotted in nicely with the DocuColorT 7002 and, as Fujifilm had already proved to be a reliable partner with our first investment, the decision to order from them again wasn't a hard one to make."

The DocuColorT 7002 is an all-in-one digital colour press that can handle a wide range of stock, produce high-quality output and offer advanced, versatile finishing options. It has an output speed of up to 70ppm on all stock, with weights ranging between 60gsm-300gsm.

Duplo's Digital System 445 is an economical booklet making device for digital colour print that cuts, creases and makes booklets in one pass. It has 15 different programmes that offer 'load and go' unattended operation, including side trimming, producing CD size booklets and square spine finishes.

Julie concludes: "Thanks to Fujifilm, we can offer our customers the highest quality print in very competitive turnaround times which we are still managing to improve on an almost daily basis.  And, with the time we are now able to save with our Acuity Advance on a large number of jobs, not only can we take on extra work, but the cost savings are huge.  We are delighted to have found a partner that shares our ethos of openness and honesty and trust that this relationship will continue in the future."

At West 2011, an event co-sponsored by The Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association and the US Naval Institute, HP demonstrated its expanded portfolio of HP Latex Printing Technologies designed to broaden production capabilities for public sector customers with ease while reducing their environmental impact.

On display in booth #609, the HP Designjet L25500 Printer delivers easy, low-maintenance printing of a wider range of applications—from indoor point-of-purchase displays, exhibition graphics and interior décor to outdoor banners, bus shelters and vehicle wraps—than is possible with eco-solvent or traditional water-based printing alone. Since introduction, the HP Designjet L25500 Printer and HP Latex portfolio have seen tremendous market acceptance with more than 3,000 latex ink printing systems shipped, producing more than 100 million square feet of materials.

"Combining versatility and durability with the ability to lower the impact of printing on the environment, the HP Designjet L25500 Printer is truly a unique large-format printing option for public sector customers," said Jan Riecher, vice president and general manager, Americas Graphics Solutions, HP. "This proven HP Latex ink device is easy to use for indoor or outdoor signage, durable maps and even PVC-free wallpaper, all at a remarkably low cost per page."

Available in 42- and 60-inch models, the HP Designjet L25500 Printer delivers unrivaled versatility for a broad range of high-quality and flexible, outdoor and indoor applications and durability comparable to eco-solvent inks while meeting the needs of environmentally conscious customers.

The ease of use afforded by water-based HP Latex Inks and HP 789 Designjet Printheads enables an easy transition into large-format or outdoor printing for public sector office environments, entry-level sign shops, photo labs and digital printers thanks to unattended printing with no daily printhead maintenance required, user-replaceable printheads and an embedded spectrophotometer for accurate and consistent colour across prints and between printers.

Designed to reduce the impact of printing on the environment, HP Latex Inks produce odourless prints that allow placement in point-of-purchase environments where odour is a concern. HP Latex Inks are non-flammable and non-combustible, do not require hazard warning labels, and contain no hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). Additionally, no special ventilation equipment or external dryer is required and the HP Designjet L25500 Printer features the ENERGY STAR rating, which demonstrates compliance with strict energy-efficiency guidelines.

To complement the Latex Ink portfolio, HP offers a variety of Original HP printing materials, including several recyclable and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-free substrates as well as the HP large-format Media take-back program. This program allows customers to easily return and recycle prints produced with HP Latex Inks on HP recyclable media and Original HP 789 Latex Designjet Ink Cartridges and Printheads for free. Customers simply pack up the used media and HP pays the shipping charges and handles sorting and recycling.