Hardware - Wide Format Print

International Greetings has installed Roland's VersaUV LEC-540 printer/cutter to speed up the prototyping of its creative greetings products.  As a result, the company says its designers spend up to 40 per cent more time doing what they do best: designing innovative products for clients.

The VersaUV LEC-540, a 54-inch wide, CMYK, white-ink and clear gloss enabled UV-inkjet integrated printer/cutter has transformed the £70m turnover company’s workflow beyond recognition. Instead of creating proofs and prototypes through a series of long and slow processes such as thermal transfer and foil blocking - until recently the industry standard - the company now prints its prototypes onto the exact media the final versions will be printed on. This gives clients a proof that is almost an exact match for the final product in look and feel and dramatically reduces the time taken to create these prototypes.

“The new machine’s been a real godsend and has opened up a massive range of opportunities by really pushing our business forward,” said Dion Hester, Designer, International Greetings. “As our products had to be manually created before, our design studio had restrictions on what could be developed due to the time and resources we had to commit to building each new concept. However, with the ability to now print CMYK plus white ink, emboss, crease and contour cut all from the one device, we can quickly mock-up items that are almost an like the real thing – this is a real treat for our design studio and most importantly the result is clients who are very happy with a highly creative, quality prototype.”

When exploring the market for a new prototyping solution, it was the gloss and white applications combined with Roland’s integrated print and cut technology that first caught International Greetings’ eye. With white and gloss, the VersaUV LEC-540 can create remarkably rich colours and effects such as matte and high-gloss finishes in a choice of textures and patterns, including the ability to simulate UV varnish and embossing. Foil is something International Greetings uses often and Roland’s UV printing technology allows the VersaUV LEC-540 to print directly onto these types of media, while blocking out sections of the design and using the gloss to bring in satin effects where needed.

“White ink and embossing effects are functions we use often and this is constantly growing as our designers experiment with ever more creative designs and applications. This machine has in many ways released our designers’ imaginations from the constraints of time and budget that were associated with manual prototyping,” said Dion.

Dion often undertakes his own projects in-house to showcase the machine’s capabilities to the rest of the team in order to fuel the atmosphere.

The VersaUV LEC-540’s compact design and small footprint meant it could be installed right next door to International Greetings’ design studio and -  because there was no need for additional ventilation in the work area - there was no disruption or extra costs to the installation.

“The install and the continued running of the machine has all been painless. We were up and running from day one and producing client work with it by the end of the first week,” he said.

On getting to grips with the machine, the company entered Roland DG’s worldwide creative awards competition with its innovative work producing Christmas crackers, earning an honourable mention from the judges. The case study involved printing 12 crackers as a presentation leaving gift for one of the company’s board members, printed on Mirri Silver Board using the VersaUV LEC-540 and EFI Fiery XF RIP software.

The printing process for this provided a real test for the Roland printer/cutter, which it passed with flying colours. In all, a total of five passes were undertaken: firstly a white layer of ink under certain parts of the design, followed by a CMYK pass, one pass of matt varnish and two differing levels of gloss varnish to create a varied emboss effect.

With the crackers, and in a lot of International Greetings’ subsequent work, the VersaUV LEC-540’s colour management capabilities came to the fore. Previously the company used foils and thermal transfers produced on different substrates on different devices, which led to inconsistency of colour on prototypes. Now, with a single device for all their prototyping work, they have greater control over colour and clients continually remark on the improved quality of proofs they are now provided with.

Dion has also been impressed with the Roland’s reliability but for added piece of mind the company opted for a RolandCare service and support package. He said: “When called upon, we have received impeccable service with our RolandCare warranty. I’ve been in the industry a long time and it is comparably the best service I’ve ever had. When they say they’ll phone back, they actually do, and whenever the engineer needs to visit you can be fairly sure you’ll pick up a new trick or two.”

Dion and International Greetings would not hesitate to recommend the VersaUV LEC-540 to other creative agencies and, just one year on, is considering installing another to relieve the pressure on the massively over-subscribed printer.

For further information on International Greetings, please visit www.internationalgreetings.co.uk

For further information on Roland’s VersaUV LEC-540 printer/cutter, please visit www.rolanddg.co.uk

[photo shows Dion Hester with his Roland VersaUV LEC-540 printer/cutter and some of the prototypes he has created with the machine]

Xaar will show its new 1001 GS12 printhead for the first time in Europe at Tecnargilla 2012, scheduled to take place in Rimini, Italy, between 24th and 28th September 2012 on Booth D1.

The Xaar 1001 GS12 printhead enables ceramic tile manufacturers to achieve even deeper and richer colours or double their productivity (compared with the Xaar 1001 GS6).

This new printhead features Xaar’s proven TF Technology™ to give unrivalled reliability with low maintenance, ensuring maximum productivity in the harshest industrial environments. The reliability and print quality of the Xaar 1001 has revolutionised the ceramics industry. Today, it is the printhead of choice for both ceramic tile printer manufacturers and producers of ceramic tiles alike.

Xaar has worked closely with all the leading tile printer manufacturers to develop the new Xaar 1001 GS12. The first printers to feature the new printhead will be launched at Tecnargilla with new machines from EFI Cretaprint, KERAjet, Projecta SiTi B&T, Intesa-Sacmi and TecnoFerrari.

Tile manufacturers can now choose the best Xaar 1001 printhead variant for their application. The established Xaar 1001 GS6 jets dynamically-variable 6-42 picolitre drops, which make it ideal for the production of pale shades and detailed tile designs viewed at close quarters, such as wall tiles. The Xaar 1001 GS6 is also the perfect choice for packaging and single-pass display graphics applications that require fine detail.  The new Xaar 1001 GS12 model jets larger 12-84 picolitre drops, delivering even more ink for bolder tile colours and effects. Alternatively, the Xaar 1001 GS12 can give the same ink coverage as the GS6, but at double the print speed. With both printheads, ceramic tile manufacturers can achieve a stunning replication of natural materials like marble and granite, as well as highly decorative creative new designs.

Xaar’s booth at Tecnargilla will also feature an innovative display of Augmented Reality (AR) and 3D animations explaining the unique technology inside the Xaar 1001 GS12. Xaar’s AR will enable visitors to explore inside the Xaar 1001 printheads in an interactive way so they can understand how the technology delivers outstanding quality, high productivity and reliability. The magnified view of Xaar’s printheads and technology shows what takes place at high speed and at a microscopic level inside ink channels that are less than the width of a human hair.

“Ceramics printers worldwide will benefit from this printhead’s faster print speeds, as well as its proven reliability, accelerating return on investment. No other printhead uses our unique TF Technology™ so no other printhead can deliver the same extremely high level of machine uptime as the Xaar 1001 which in turn maximises productivity and profit,” says Mark Alexander, Director of Marketing, Xaar.

Xaar has added two new greyscale printheads to the successful premium-quality, wide-swathe (53.7mm) Xaar Proton inkjet family. The Xaar Proton 15 and Xaar Proton 15+ both deliver 15 picolitre drops at high speed, providing outstanding print quality, excellent productivity and exceptional value.

These new greyscale printheads, which join the binary Xaar Proton 35 and Xaar Proton 60, are ideal for high quality indoor and outdoor graphics. The expanded Xaar Proton family allows printer manufacturers to deliver a wider product range with the best combination of throughput and print quality whilst minimising the cost of printer development.

The Xaar Proton 15 uses Xaar’s Drop Optimisation Technology (XaarDOT™) to print in binary or greyscale modes.  In greyscale mode, 15, 30 and 45 picolitre drops can be used simultaneously to print a single image. This allows fine detail to be combined with smooth tones.  Alternatively, in binary mode, an image can be printed using a single drop size selected from this range. As a result, the Xaar Proton 15 caters for a wide variety of indoor and outdoor graphics applications. The Xaar Proton 15+ adds internal ink temperature control to enable the printhead to work with an even wider variety of ink types and viscosities. Precise temperature control is important for maintaining high quality printing in environments where ambient temperatures may fluctuate during the day, or from season to season.

The Xaar Proton 15 incorporates the latest Xaar technology to ensure the highest quality, productivity and reliability. Individually lasered nozzles, optimised ink drop speeds, and Xaar’s latest ‘chevron’ actuator design, combine to give efficient and consistent drop formation resulting in outstanding print quality.

The robust design of the Xaar Proton 15, with lockable ink and electrical connections, ensures easy and secure installation. In addition, the integration of intelligent on-board electronics reduces development costs and time-to-market for printer developers.

Xaar’s two new printheads will make their global debut at Shanghai International Advertising & Sign Technology & Equipment Exhibition (11th-14th July 2012, Shanghai, China) on the Xaar booth (Hall N5/001). In addition, visitors to the show will be able to see Xaar Proton 15-enabled printers demonstrated by Design Digital Science & Technology, Huangjian Digital Technology (Shanghai), Shanghai Bluewin Digital Technology, Shanghai ColorTop Digital Technology, Shanghai Huidi Digital Technology, Shanghai Zhong Yin International and Signstar International Industrial. Design Digital Science & Technology and Shanghai Huidi Digital Technology will also unveil Xaar Proton 15+-enabled printers on their booths.

“Our aim is to give printer manufacturers and their customers a wide choice of sophisticated, but cost-effective, printheads so they can select the very best technology for their specific applications,” says Mark Alexander, Director of Marketing, Xaar. “The new Xaar Proton 15 printheads have been developed in close collaboration with our customers and incorporate the latest Xaar technology to ensure outstanding print quality.”

For more information, please visit www.xaar.com

Tunbridge Wells-based Signal UK has purchased its second large format Mutoh printer, the Mutoh ValueJet 1324 with Mutoh Kona Cutter, as the latest step in the rapid growth of its print and cut business.   The company purchased the new machine from Colourgen reseller, PSW Paper & Print Ltd.

Signal UK Limited offers a comprehensive in-house design to print facility including screen and textile printing, large format digital and litho printing, vehicle wraps, promotional items, signage and more. The company has over 25 years experience in the print industry and is focused on providing a complete service from conception through to print, assembly, collation and dispatch.

Gary Rose is a director of Signal UK and explains, “We are primarily a trade printer and our objective is to do as much as we possibly can in-house. We first moved into large format digital printing when we purchased a Mutoh ValueJet 1604 around four years ago. This printer was very reliable and has served us well, but after seeing the latest technology at Sign UK earlier in the year, we decided it was time for a new one.”

Gary and his fellow director, Paul Chapman, looked at several options for their new printer. Gary add, “This was a big decision for us and we looked at a number of printers. We were quite interested in the latex technology, particularly as it appeared to offer faster production because the output doesn’t need to gas out and so dries faster than ecosolvent. However, in comparison to the ValueJet 1324, this advantage was very easy to offset by more efficient production planning. In addition, the Mutoh offers excellent quality, reliability and cost - both initial outlay and cost of ownership,”

He continues, “We decided a 1.3m machine was enough for the type of work we mainly do and we still have the 1.6m Mutoh for larger jobs. We have already used the combination of the ValueJet and the Kona cutter to deliver some cut vinyl products for customers and the colour accuracy and speed of production is fantastic.”

“We are really pleased with the Mutoh, it does exactly what it is supposed to very well indeed. We have also been very pleased so far with the level of support, service and responsiveness we have received from both Colourgen and PSW,” Gary concludes.

The Mutoh ValueJet 1324 eco-solvent printer has a media width of 54" (1371.5mm) and print width of 53.36" (1355.5mm).  It runs using Eco Ultra inks, which contain no VOCs and therefore doesn't require special ventilation. The printers are easy to use and don't require daily cleaning. Typical production speeds are up to 14m²/h on banner and soft signage textiles and up to 7m²/h on uncoated vinyl.

The Mutoh Kona 55" is a stand-alone cutting plotter for kiss-cutting lettering, contour cutting stickers and cut-through for sign applications.

For more information on Signal UK, please visit www.signal-uk.co.uk

For more information on PSW Paper & Print Ltd., please visit www.psw.co.uk

For more information on Colourgen, please visit www.colourgen.com

HP has announced that Cramlington, Northumberland-based B-Print and Display Limited has installed an HP Scitex FB7600 Industrial Press to improve the speed and flexibility of its retail POS/POP offering.  The company, which was established over 30 years ago, made the investment in the HP Scitex FB7600 Industrial Press - which prints up to 95 full-size sheets/hr in production speed and up to 55 full-size sheets/hr with POP quality - to help maintain the business' competitive edge.

"The HP Scitex FB7600 will meet a wide range of our application requirements and ensure we maintain the lead we currently have on our competitors," says Will Skelchy, managing director, B-Print and Display Limited.  "We were very impressed by the speed of the FB7600, which will significantly up the tempo in terms of production capacity and our ability to meet client deadlines...  Also notable is the vibrancy achieved in the printed output, which is always something we strive to improve upon."

"As for other features of the FB7600 that we particularly like, there are so many to mention - the machine is fantastic!" he continued.

As the first HP purchase for B-Print and Display, the HP Scitex FB7600 installation will deliver a variety of enhancements to improve the company's brand-related retail POS and print services offering towards its broad client-base.  These include the ability to print up to 25mm thick on a wide range of media, such as foam PVC, PVC sheets, polystyrene (HIPS), and both corrugated and compressed cardboard. In addition, the new six-colour HP FB225 UV-curable ink set provides excellent dot gain and an impressive colour gamut up to 600dpi resolution, while a new edge-to-edge printing feature ensures improved material usage and waste reduction.

According to Skelchy, the HP Scitex FB7600 Industrial Press' scalable and modular platform was another important influencer in the company's decision to select the device. "The ability to upgrade in the future is an added benefit and gives us the flexibility and confidence to know that it will remain in step as our production expands."

Skelchy also cites HP's brand heritage and reliability as other factors in his company's decision-making process.  "From the outset, the service levels and expertise of HP were exceptional and very reassuring, and we are delighted to be entering into what we hope is a long and successful partnership," he concludes.

For more information, please visit www.youtube.com/hpgraphicarts or follow HP on www.twitter.com/hpgraphicarts.

[photo shows - from left to right: Will Skelchy (managing director), Gary Fairfax (production manager), John Hedley (director) and Robbie Rutherford (director) at B-Print and Display with the new HP Scitex FB7600 machine]

Screen has installed the world’s first Truepress Jet W1632UV flatbed inkjet printer at UK-based large format POS specialist Best Digital.  Best saw and ordered the Truepress Jet W1632UV at drupa in a £500,000 (€620,000) two-machine deal that also included a Screen Truepress Jet 2500UV hybrid wide-format printer. The investment is expected to treble capacity and double turnover to £3 million (€3.7 million) by 2014 as the company expands into new markets with new added-value products.

Despite testing economic conditions, Best has enjoyed similar rapid growth since it was founded in 2008 by Geoff Rawlings and Danny Colegate. Sales for 2012 are on target for €1.5 million, generated by POS, exhibition and display graphics for leading brands. The company employs 12 staff at 10,000 square foot premises in Welwyn Garden City.

Managing director, Geoff Rawlings describes Best’s market position as “in the niche between small digital companies with ‘print and mount’ facilities and the major POS suppliers.”  Under the strapline ‘Large format, direct to almost everything’, Best focuses on delivering high-quality work on time and at a competitive price, backed up by a total support package from concept and design through to production and installation.

“It’s been a very successful formula so far,” says Geoff Rawlings, “but competition is increasingly fierce and customers are more and more demanding.  To grow the business we need to maintain margins, and to do this we need to develop added-value products that set us apart from the competition.  The new Screen machines are vital to this strategy—armed with them we can attack markets like retail with products such as quality double-sided window graphics.”

Best operates a variety of digital printers, including solvent- and dye-based machines.  The Truepress Jet W1632UV and Truepress Jet 2500 have replaced two Zund Combi UV units, explains Rawlings.  “The quality of the work coming off the Combis was fine, but we needed to produce it faster, so we started looking to increase our firepower.”  But finding the combination of speed and quality Best demands proved elusive:  “The machines on the market were either beyond our budget or fell short on speed or quality - until we saw the Truepress Jet W1632UV, that is.”

The Truepress Jet W1632UV prints at 94 square metres top speed per hour on media up to 1,600 mm x 3,200 mm with a maximum thickness of 48 mm.  Its 12-picolitre micro-droplet printheads render crisp text, fine definition and smooth vignettes, while a maximum apparent resolution of 1,200 dpi ensures photographic quality on printed images.  The machine features Screen's proprietary Truepress inks and comes with six colours (CMYKLcLm) as standard.  Says Geoff Rawlings:  “The Truepress Jet W1632UV is a true flatbed, and the quality it produces at speed is amazing.”

He adds that to target larger jobs and provide back-up, Best was seeking a two-machine investment, and the Truepress Jet 2500UV proved the perfect partner for the Truepress Jet W1632UV.  “The combination gives us enormous versatility as well as a trebling in capacity compared to the Zund Combis.  The Truepress Jet 2500UV is also fast and produces high quality work, has the unique ability to print seven layers and features a roll-to-roll option.  Because both machines use the same inks, so we can keep colour consistent when we split jobs between the two.

“These machines take us into the next generation of large-format digital printing.  Without sacrificing valuable floorspace, we can produce more print, in more sophisticated formats and longer runs.”

Says Kees Mulder, president of Screen Europe, adds, “We’re delighted to welcome Best Digital as a new Screen customer, and we couldn’t ask for a better home for the world’s first Truepress Jet W1632UV.  What Best is doing - picking the best of technology to go after new markets - is a great example to forward-looking digital printers everywhere.  We look forward to helping them grow and prosper in the future.”

[photo shows Geoff Rawlings (L) and Screen's vice president of sales, Bui Burke (R)]