Hardware

Graphics One LLC has announced its new collaborative effort with Kala Finishing Systems of Nouvoitou, France. The Graphics One-Kala strategic alliance brings all the Kala product line distribution to North America and South American markets.

Kala is a European manufacturer of cold and hot laminators which offer new ideas and design friendly performance. Starting at $3,995 for a 30-inch printer and with the most expensive high end advanced system for less than $20,000. Additionally, Kala is the manufacturer of GO's Kala direct-to-fabric and dye sublimation 67-inch calender system.

According to Laurent Bouchard, Managing Director, Kala, "We are pleased to partner with Graphics One as they launch our product line in the Americas. With our outstanding success in over 50 other countries, we are pleased to now offer leading price and performance laminators to markets in the Americas."

"The partnership is great for the overall wide format printing industry with pricing which allows outstanding quality with very competitive performance and pricing. The GO / Kala collaboration offers an immediate opportunity for our customers to take advantage of the high quality and cost effective solutions offered by Kala," added Dan Barefoot, President of Graphics One LLC.

 

Market-leader Océ will be demonstrating a diverse range of applications on its multi award-winning flatbed printing systems at Sign & Digital UK at the NEC in Birmingham from 12-14 April 2011.

The Océ Arizona 550XT and Océ 350 GT systems, both part of the Océ Arizona family, the world’s best-selling UV flatbed printers for the display graphics market, will star on Océ’s stand D10 at show in Halls 17 and 18.

Océ is also planning to have significant customer interaction for its stand that will also include state-of-the-art technologies and products being showcased.

The Océ Arizona 550 XT UV curable flatbed printer is twice as large and nearly twice as fast: the Océ Arizona 550 XT printer, delivering the same award-winning print quality. It will have pride of place alongside the Océ Arizona 350 GT UV curable flatbed printer, both powered by ONYX® Workflow Software X10 Océ Edition market-leading RIP software.

Other products at Sign & Digital UK will include the Océ ColorWave® 600 poster printer, which incorporates Océ CrystalPoint® technology that uses toner pearls. Solutions for creating durable graphics on coated and uncoated media will also be shown.

Once again at the show, Océ, an international leader in digital document management and delivery, will be partnering Zünd Plotting Systems (UK) Ltd, the UK distributor for Zünd Systems Technik AG, the Swiss manufacturer of digital flatbed cutters. The two companies will be displaying the Zünd G3 L2500 digital cutting system. Products from Océ Imaging Supplies will also be shown, and Océ will host daily competitions, in which prizes will be awarded to visitors.

Océ and its partners will use the event to demonstrate the latest labour-saving innovations, designed to reduce waste and increase productivity. There will also be online access to the popular Océ Media Guide, which provides detailed advice and guidance that helps printing professionals select the best media for their printers and applications.

Derek Joys, Océ UK’s Display Graphics Systems’ Programme Manager, said: “Once again our stand will be a must-see part of the show experience for all our customers and prospects, as well as other visitors. Sign & Digital UK is an important platform for us to demonstrate with world-leading technologies our commitment to this all-important market sector.”

Visit Océ on stand D10, Hall 17-18 at the NEC, Birmingham from 12-14 April 2011

 

After a three-year-long reduction in its use of solvent ink devices, Inkjet International has boosted efficiency and productivity using HP Scitex Latex and UV large-format printers.

The Dallas-based company invested in new printing systems during a challenging period for the graphics industry, but is now primed to grow faster than competitors as the economy recovers. With three HP Scitex XP5300 UV ink printers, an HP Scitex FB6100 flatbed UV ink printer and an HP Scitex LX600 latex ink printer, Inkjet International is one of the few area firms that has aggressively adopted advanced, non-solvent printing platforms.

"Inkjet International has always exercised thoughtful planning in the technology and services it offers, and even with the difficult economy of the past three years, we made it a priority to invest a portion of our profits into new technologies that allow us to better serve our customers," said Jittu Sarna, owner and CEO, Inkjet International. "UV and latex are the big trend going forward in the signage and graphics space. As the economy picks up, the growth in new work is going to come in these highly productive, greener and more efficient ink platforms."

Inkjet International experienced the advantages of UV ink printing firsthand when it bought its first UV system, the HP Scitex FB6100 Printer. The 10.5-foot-wide flatbed printer helped the company expand in point-of-sale/point-of-purchase display work.

Soon afterward, the company started benefiting from the excellent reliability and high speeds available with HP Scitex roll-to-roll UV ink printers. Inkjet International replaced a fleet of 14 solvent ink printers with three HP Scitex XP5300 Printers, offering print speeds up to 3,230 sqft/hr. to allow the company to complete jobs in as little as 15 minutes.

"Turnaround time is the key in terms of building a successful business, so when it became time for us to invest in the business, HP Scitex printers made perfect sense," said Sarna. "We can produce more than 120 14x48-foot billboards in a 24-hour time frame with the HP Scitex XP5300 Printers. It would typically require a dozen or more solvent-ink printers to equal that level of throughput."

Inkjet International's HP Scitex LX600 Printer also has helped the company expand its décor services for sporting venue suites. Prior to installing the HP Scitex LX600 Printer, the company handled this type of high-end work by printing on expensive photographic papers with an aqueous ink printer. The HP Scitex printer delivers higher profits by offering comparable quality, up to 1,200 dots per inch, with the flexibility to print on more economical media.

The firm's HP Scitex LX600 print operation has led to new opportunities, including office décor work that Inkjet International recently completed at wireless communications services provider MetroPCS's Dallas headquarters.

Inkjet International's work with sporting venue suites extends a long-running, close relationship with the Dallas Stars professional hockey team and the Dallas Mavericks professional basketball team. The company prints signage work for both, as well as for many of the sponsors in the teams' home arena.

Beyond helping clients market themselves, Inkjet International takes a progressive stance in marketing itself in its sports team relationships. Fans at the arena and watching on television often see the company's own advertisements and logo in the arena or on the teams' press conference backdrop.

"Inkjet International has a strong marketing focus, a progressive, well-planned investment strategy and a deep commitment to its customers, so it is definitely the type of company that knows the value of delivering high-quality graphics, on time and on budget," said Jan Riecher, vice president and general manager, Graphics Solutions Business – Americas, HP.

 

Colex will have the Fotoba Dreamcut XLD-170 on display at the upcoming Dscoop conference in Orlando.

Designed to work with both rolls and sheets, it is the perfect solution to cut and trim all flexible media output up to 67-inches wide and 35-mil thick. It is capable of handling the output of several printers. Imagine cutting a 150-ft media roll in less than 15 minutes. Regardless of any feed misalignment, the Dreamcut XLD-170 will automatically realign to the edge of the printed image. It will always produce square-finished images even if the printer fails to print parallel to the media edge or if the printer fails to wind up the rolls squarely.

Colex also offers a CNC Flatbed Cutter/Router powered by i-cut software and compatible with most industry RIPs. This economic Flatbed Cutter features a router spindle, fixed knife and oscillating knife tool holder, vacuum table and dust-removal system. A video of the Flatbed will be running continuously in the Colex booth.

The Fotoba Dreamcut XLD-170 is the most versatile of all Fotoba cutters; however, Colex offers a choice of Fotoba cutters sized from 44 – 126 in. wide for various finishing applications.

See more Colex/Fotoba finishing solutions in action on the Hewlett-Packard Booth 714. H-P is running its high-speed mega-size roll HP/Scitex Turbojet with the Colex/Fotoba inline workflow solution. The Colex Automatic Alignment Table receives the printed sheets and feeds it correctly into the Fotoba X-Y Cutter for automatic cutting and trimming while the printer continues to print.

 

An exciting new programme has just been launched by Zund UK where existing owners of Zund flatbed cutters can apply for a trade-in value against their old cutter when they purchase a new Zund G3 flatbed cutter.

As expected from a company with a first class reputation in customer service, Zund is going one better than a simple trade-in and is also offering to take away your old cutter at the same time as your new installation, ensuring minimal disruption and maximum efficiency.

Peter Giddings, sales director of Zund UK explains why they came up with the idea; “We know that changing or upgrading any large piece of equipment can be a stressful and anxious time for a customer. Anything could go wrong in terms of delivery times, installation problems and issues with staffing and job deadlines. We can take these headaches away and ensure a smooth safe de-commission of your old cutter with delivery and installation of your new G3 cutter all at the same time with minimal fuss and disruption. Our engineers are used to dealing with all manner of issues and they take this kind of work in their stride.”

The new Zund G3 flatbed cutter and router eliminates all bottlenecks in your finishing department by automating all cutting and trimming options. The one machine has many functions and is truly a multifunctional production system. Since tools and modules can be added at any time, upgrades are easy and cost effective.  You can freely combine up to 3 modules. Module and tool changes are quick and easy, keeping change-over times to a minimum. In applications that require processing preprinted graphics, the laser pointer or optional ICC camera facilitate perfect registration.

“The real noticeable difference in the Zund G3 is the flexibility of the Universal Module’” continues Giddings, “which allows users to change techniques and jobs with the simple change of tool as opposed to buying a completely new accessory which in the past has been quite an investment. This leads to proven results of 20% - 25% in increased productivity in addition to the unit being so much more energy efficient using less power than its predecessor due to technical advancements with the vacuum system. We hope that our existing customers that know and love the old Zund systems will want to check the new G3 out now, especially with this new incentive.”

HP today announced that Emil Reshet Printing Ltd has installed Israel's first HP Scitex FB700 Printer in order to offer customers a broader range of graphics applications as a result of its ability to print on both rigid and flexible media.

Haifa-based, Emil Reshet, produces a wide variety of applications such as billboards, point of sale and point of purchase displays and exhibition signage for customers that include local authorities, supermarkets, shopping centres and banks. A long-term HP Scitex user, Emil Reshet decided to purchase the printer after seeing the FB700 in action at the Graphic Arts demonstration and training centre at HP's Sant Cugat, Spain, facility.

"We predict that purchasing the FB700 will have a significant impact on our value offering for our customers," said Emil Weizmann, chief executive officer, Emil Reshet. "For existing applications our new printer will enable customers to purchase cost-effective, high-quality, quick turnaround items with a wide range of substrate choice. In addition we will also be able to offer our customers a new service for applications printed directly onto rigid substrates."

The HP Scitex FB700 is designed to increase flexibility and maximise throughput, using the same versatile platform to print on both flexible and rigid media and offering print speeds of up to 80m2 per hour. Also available for the HP Scitex FB700 Printer is a user-friendly White Ink Upgrade Kit, ideal for specialty applications, such as printing on glass or other substrates for retail window displays, creating two-sided or backlit prints, and printing on corrugated substrates for packaging applications.