Consumables

Signmakers and other graphics converters, graphics applicators, and designers can now expand their knowledge of their craft – online, in their own time, at their own computers.  The Avery Graphics Academy at www.academy.averygraphics.com is a new initiative from Avery Dennison Graphics and Reflective Products Division that broadens its professional service platform for the self-adhesive graphics industry.

‘How to’ videos and theory modules

The Avery Graphics Academy offers training courses aimed at showing how to achieve the best possible results with self-adhesive graphics of all kinds.   It includes a series of ‘how-to’ videos as well as theory study modules.    Topics covered include material selection for specific tasks; substrate preparation and cleaning;  application techniques (including vehicle wrapping);  and maintenance of applied graphics.   Each module incorporates a test in which students’ knowledge of the topic is assessed, and a ‘passed’ or ‘failed’ result registered.

Register online

Live now in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish, and with additional languages to follow, the Avery Graphics Academy provides everyone involved in the self-adhesive graphics industry with valuable practical insights.

Register at the Avery Graphics Academy at www.academy.averygraphics.com, or for further information about Avery Graphics professional products and services, visit the Avery Dennison Graphics and Reflective Products website, www.europe.averygraphics.com

Cheshire-based company Ink Technologies (UK) Ltd (ITL) is reinforcing its continuing expansion with the appointment of Stephen Wright to the role of customer service executive. Having joined the company in April 2010, Wright will support and build upon ITL's commitment to keeping customer requirements and opinions at the forefront of its approach to the development and supply of high-quality alternative printing inks for small-, wide- and large-format production.

Wright brings his expertise in service and support to ITL and will build on the existing customer-focused mentality that exists within the company. "This is an exciting opportunity to develop customer service within a British business which has a positive approach to its market," enthuses Wright. "ITL has shown steady growth and a progressive ethos which extends across the company. This is evident not just from the expansion of the service team but also from its commitment to improving its environmental stance."

Wright is keen to implement a structured approach to improving customer experience by contacting key accounts and assessing and implementing their responses and recommendations. This will ensure that each customer receives a personalised service built directly around their requirements. "Customer service should be an organic process whereby the individual business calls for something and the provider responds appropriately to cater to the market's needs," he explains. "ITL has always understood this and I plan to further this approach in my new position."

Before his move to ITL, Wright's most recent role was to maintain the customer service portion of UK operations for chemicals company Lord Corporation Europe, based in Trafford Park, Greater Manchester, as it transferred operations to German and other European bases. "I am delighted to become part of a dynamic company which is committed to retaining and developing its manufacturing base from headquarters in the UK," Wright says. "ITL's global vision of quality means that it can provide a world-class service across its operations - including those closest to home."

Wright's wealth of experience in customer service operations is considerable and includes some 16 years at the Yellow Pages, and time as a DHL representative embedded at Kelloggs. "Steve has an incredibly strong skill set built over many years of expertise in customer service," explains Peter Williams, ITL's sales and marketing director. "I have no doubt this knowledge will transfer smoothly into the digital ink industry, complementing ITL's commitment to its customers."Â

As both internal customer service leader and a face for ITL's dedication to its clients, Wright is expanding the company's systems with the implementation of a new customer relationship management system (CRM). This will enable ITL to make service improvement an integral part of the company's operation, instilling regular monitoring of requirements and feedback from clients as regular practice for all employees.

"No two customers are alike," concludes Wright. "I maintain that companies which wish to build a strong client base must understand and respond to this fact - and I believe that ITL is doing just that."

Manufacturer and supplier of alternative small-, wide- and large-format digital ink-jet inks, ITL (Ink Technologies (UK) Ltd) was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Cheshire, in the north of England. All manufacturing and product development takes places in the UK only and the company achieved the BS EN ISO 9001:2000 standard in 2006, upgraded to ISO 9001:2008 in early 2009. Its products span a multitude of applications, including eco- and full-solvent, water-based, UV-curing and coding inks.

 

Accompanied by a live on-stand demo at its FESPA stand, Sun Chemical showcased the latest in digital ink innovation with its Streamline inks range.

Building on its core proposition of world class inks, the Streamline range offers unrivalled quality for wide-format digital printing. Streamline digital ink jet provides the optimal solution for such large format display advertising including hoardings, vinyl banners and building wraps.

The newest editions to the range include easy to use cartridges suitable for use on Mimaki, Roland and Mutoh printers.

The fact that FESPA attracts over 650 exhibitors and many thousands of international visitors is itself testament to the sheer competitiveness of today's digital, screen and fabric printing sectors.

The world of digital printing is a fast-growing and competitive segment," said Jonathan Sexton, Sales and Marketing Director, Screen & Narrow Web Europe at Sun Chemical. "To succeed in today's market we need to go over and above the role of the supplier of quality and robust products. We do this by offering unparalleled support to all our partners from first consultation through to dedicated after sales support."

With over thirty years in the digital ink technology, Sun Chemical not only offers the best breed of quality and development behind its products, but also prides itself as being a trusted long term partner. As a company, it sets itself apart from the competition by offering full access to sales, technical, and engineering support.

"Sun Chemical's presence at FESPA demonstrated our continued commitment to the graphic and industrial markets," said Felipe Mellado, Chief Marketing Officer, Sun Chemical. "We have invested heavily in screen and digital print technologies and unveiled a number of product launches while at the show."

Sun Digitals' Streamline inks are distributed in the UK by IGS, find out more by visiting www.igsuk.net/sun

Brand new solutions for POS, shop window and wallpaper applications

Fujifilm today announces the launch of three new self-adhesive additions to its euromedia range of flexible media for large format printing: WonderTack Ghost, a clear PET media, which adheres to smooth, flat surfaces without the use of adhesive; RigiTack, a matt white semi-rigid PVC for use on smooth or structured surfaces, and SmoothWall Sticky, the first self-adhesive wallpaper on the market.

These cost-effective, innovative solutions will be shown in action on the Fujifilm stand at FESPA 2010 (Hall B1 Stand 220) as part of the ‘euromedia experience’. This interactive area is equipped with a full-size work-bench and a ‘test-drive’ wall, allowing visitors to get hands-on with dozens of types of print media and their various applications.

WonderTack Ghost

WonderTacK Ghost is a clear PET media, which adheres to smooth, flat surfaces without the use of adhesive, making it perfect for use on shop windows.  Like its sister product, WonderTack, this environmentally friendly solution is very quick to print, and its ability to stick without adhesive is down to the unique, micro-porous suckers on the adhering side. This lack of adhesive gives it its ‘green’ characteristics, as well as making it reusable on multiple occasions. For example, POS graphics printed on WonderTack can be applied even by inexperienced users as it is easily repositionable and reusable.

RigiTack

A self-adhesive, matt white semi-rigid PVC (360 micron), RigiTack is the new euromedia solution for applications on smooth or structured surfaces.   It is suitable for all for many different indoor surfaces, and works especially well on difficult surfaces such as fabric, banner and structured walls, making it perfect for POS applications.  Available for solvent and water-based systems, RigiTack is repositionable and can be re-applied several times.

SmoothWall Sticky

The first self-adhesive wallpaper in the market, SmoothWall Sticky is a smooth PVC- free, genuine 190g fleece wallpaper.  It is easy to apply and fire retardant in accordance with DIN EN 13501-1 (B1), as well as being easy to remove after use, with no shrinkage.

“We are delighted to be launching these three new products at FESPA 2010,” says Keith Harley, head of marketing, wide format, Fujifilm Europe, “We pride ourselves on creating new end use applications and are confident that these new solutions will do just that.  We look forward to talking to visitors at the show and gauging their reaction to these fantastic, innovative new products.”

For more information on the euromedia range, please visit: www.euromedia.eu.com

Spandex has extended its growing ImagePerfect  range with the addition of an innovative and extremely easy-to-use self-adhesive vinyl which, thanks to advanced low tack adhesion levels, offers effortless repositionability and removability in a host of large format branding and promotional projects. The new white, semi-matt ImagePerfect 2534PA film has been engineered to enable fast, simple and clean application by non-professional end-users and is specifically designed for short-term large format digital inkjet printing applications using eco-solvent, solvent and UV-cured inks.

Easy handling, repositionability and removability

IP 2534PA is afforded more ‘body’ than standard products, which allows easier handling, as well as increased opacity and a smooth finish on flat substrates. This, together with its clear adhesive system, offers customers much more flexibility to quickly and easily install and reposition the film. This is further enhanced by Spandex’s PerfectApply technology, which ensures easy, bubble-free application for more professional, attention-grabbing large format printed projects. The innovative adhesive system also enables customers to benefit from superior levels of clean removability at the graphics’ end-of-life stage. Indeed, depending on the specific application and substrate, if IP 2534PA is removed within three years, then customers are assured an efficient and clean peel with no messy adhesive residue.

Thanks to its user-friendly characteristics, IP 2534PA is perfectly suited to a wide range of application possibilities, offering large format printers increased scope to undertake a wider range of projects and enhance revenues. As a result of its semi-matt surface, which eliminates reflection from both interior spot lighting and exterior sun light, these applications include indoor point-of-sale and retail branding projects; indoor/outdoor advertising; exhibition and event graphics; and even short-term removable or semi-permanent decoration on existing sensitive paper-based surfaces.

Within these applications, the innovative adhesive properties of IP 2534PA grants customers the means to apply product to a plethora of smooth, flat and glossy surfaces. This extensive list includes painted aluminium sheets, glass, mirrors, stainless steel, anodised aluminium, acrylics (including signboxes), ceramic tiles, white boards and paper-based surfaces as posters. The film can also be applied to existing vinyl prints or signage to allow for the inclusion of removable/changeable information, messages and decoration.

“Spandex is committed to supplying products that enable large format printers and sign businesses to increase their service offering to customers, while broadening the range of applications they can undertake”, says Roland Keller, Executive Product Director, Spandex. "As a cost-effective, easy-to-use film that allows for simple, clean and fast application by those with limited or, even no application experience, our new easy-peel IP 2534PA is sure to prove a winner for those seeking an inexpensive and trouble-free means of producing eye-catching printed graphic arts campaigns”

Spandex’s new IP 2534PA film offers up to seven years durability and is compatible with the range of IP laminate options for added robustness and/or surface protection, including IP 2810-100; IP 2810-101; IP 2810-200; IP 2830-101, IP 2830-102 and IP 2830-200. As well as 137cm for digital conversion, it is also available at 38cm for Gerber Edge conversion where it offers additional options in line with other removable vinyls.

For further information on Spandex’s new IP 2534PA vinyl film, please contact your local Spandex office at www.spandex.com

 

 

Epson will partner with G3S at FESPA this year, to exclusively highlight the qualities of biodegradable and recyclable BioMedia® PET plastic materials developed by G3S for display and POS graphics. The Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 inkjet printer will be printing a range of display graphics on BioMedia using eco-solvent type inks on the Epson booth.

G3S’s BioMedia is available in a range of thickness and includes a new coated version for higher image quality. It is compatible with all Epson Stylus Pro aqueous and eco-solvent wide format inkjet printers and will be demonstrated for the first time at the show. The material incorporates a micro-organism which, in dark and moist conditions, cuts through the polymer chain, accelerating the breakdown of the product so that it biodegrades within 2-5 years. It is these environmental credentials that has led BioMedia to be used by the British Airports Authority and World Duty Free for many advertising campaigns throughout UK airports.

The 64in wide Stylus Pro GS6000 uses Epson UltraChrome GS ink, the first Epson solvent  type 8-colour inkset, which gives a wide colour gamut and is UV and water-resistant. The eco-solvent type ink is not hazardous and, as a result, the printer does not require ventilation. Producing Images at 1440 x1440 dpi resolution, the photo realistic quality of the Stylus Pro GS6000 gives excellent results across a wide variety of display, signage and POS applications.

“BioMedia is an exciting innovation in biodegradable and recyclable media,” says Frans Craandijk, Product Manager, LFP Supplies, Epson Europe. “Its high quality and environmental properties promise a successful future and we are delighted to be able to showcase this range using our high-quality Stylus Pro printers at FESPA.”

BioMedia is available from Epson distributors.