Consumables

Epson will show the capabilities of its new Stylus Pro WT7900 inkjet printer with aqueous-based white ink and new Metallic Film to produce vibrant display graphics for retail and point-of-sale applications at FESPA Munich.

The Stylus Pro WT7900 is the only inkjet in the world to offer a water-based opaque white ink. Originally developed for high-quality packaging proofing and sampling applications, the unique capabilities of this printer make it ideal for display graphics where white ink plays an important role in the overall impact of high-end display, signage and POS graphics. Stylus Pro WT7900 prints high saturation Epson UltraChrome HDR ink on a choice of media, including clear films, paper and the new Metallic Film, on rolls or cut sheets up to 24 inches (609mm) wide.

The UltraChrome HDR ink set plus white not only produces a wide colour gamut and accurate spot colours but also enables unusual effects and finishes to be created on a variety of media. An opaque white base layer can be created on the material to produce greater saturation and vibrancy or the white can be used to generate pastel shades when blended with the printer’s existing colours.

The Epson Stylus Pro WT7900 fulfils the growth in demand for specialist finishes. By using Epson’s new Metallic Film, developed specifically for use with the WT7900, users can incorporate metallic elements into their display designs and produce a range of metallic shades, including gold, silver, bronze and pearlescent effects. The quality is enhanced by the Epson’s LUT (look up table) technology, which quantifies the exact amount of each colour needed to convert an RGB source file into printed output.

Combined with Epson’s proprietary Micro Piezo TFP print-heads and variable sized droplet technology, users can achieve a maximum resolution of 1440 x 1440 dpi when printing with white ink onto metallic and clear materials.

The Epson Stylus Pro WT7900 and Metallic Film is available from all Epson distributors.

 

Ultima Displays is proud to announce it has achieved accreditation for the internationally recognised Environmental Standard of ISO14001:2004, the

Environmental Management System (EMS) designed to improve the impact organisations make on the Environment.

ISO 14001 specifies the elements required for an EMS and forces organisations to review the day to day business activities which impact upon the Environment. Controlling or influencing these ‘environmental impacts’ in a positive way is core of any EMS.

A Culture of Environmental Awareness and Best Practice

Ultima has been keen to promote a culture of environmental awareness within the business and the steps already taken have been embraced by employees, some of whom have been the drivers for the more tangible initiatives already in place, such as paper and printer cartridge recycling. In addition, Ultima already operates a recycling program for all cardboard, MDF and aluminium so that the unavoidable waste from production is recycled. MDF purchased for manufacturing is also FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Compliant.

Ultima is keen to be recognised within the display industry as an environmentally friendly company and to comply with environmental legislation, and recognises that achieving accreditation is just the start of an ongoing process of continual improvement, which is central to its forward plans.

Policy and measures

As well as complying with all appropriate environmental legislation, Ultima has identified some basic environmental goals:

 

• Waste – to reduce general waste going to landfill by up to 50% during 2010
• Hazardous Waste – to ensure any hazardous waste is safely disposed of using approved carriers
• Energy – to significantly reduce the use of Gas/Electricity during 2010
• Emissions to air – to extend its influence with hauliers to ensure the use of energy efficient engines and to only use vehicles with low CO² emissions.
• To work with its suppliers to influence where it can, their impacts upon the Environment. Ultima manufactures and purchases many products and components from overseas suppliers, principally from China, its buying power enables Ultima to insist that suppliers meet its environmental standards. Members of the company make regular checks on every aspect of the supply chain ensure that both environmental and ethical standards are maintained.

 

“Our market can be very price-driven and we saw concern for environmental credentials waning as we went through the worst of the recession last year”       Andrew Burdett, Managing Director of Ultima. “However, as there has been tentative growth in confidence in the market, our customers are, once again, starting to ask about our green credentials and policies of operation, which are becoming an increasingly important part of the buying decision process. Businesses are becoming more environmentally and socially conscious and often will prefer to buy from companies that are environmentally responsible.”

What next?

Ultima has embarked on a process of continuous improvement working towards the environmental objectives and targets already set. In addition, Ultima has been working with the Carbon Trust, which has already made recommendations on reducing Carbon emissions, most of the recommendations will require investment, but will ultimately save resources and money.

As a market leader, Ultima is determined to set the standards for its industry sector and has also embarked on a programme of operational efficiency, with the goal of achieving the ISO 9001 Quality Management Standard by the end of 2010.

 

 

 

Introducing new products to the market requires a sizeable amount of time and money to research, develop and promote.  That is standard operating procedure for INX Digital International Co., but the company is taking it to another level for FESPA by expanding capabilities for the OEM, Industrial and Aftermarket channels.  The June 22-26 event in Munich, Germany, will mark the European debut of the company's new Silver ink, as well as the launch of a new textile ink, the Eco Bulk ink delivery system and EVOLVE Advanced Digital Solutions.  INX Digital will have these products and others on display in Hall B1, Stand 360.

"We have been looking forward to FESPA for a long time," said Paolo Capano, Director of INX Digital Italy.  "The anticipation has been building and we expect our customers will be impressed by what they see.  For example, the new metallic Silver inkjet ink is remarkable and demonstrates our ability to continue to produce cutting edge technology products.  The BIOINX line supports our commitment to developing more sustainable products using renewable resources, and our new Eco Bulk system is a prime example of this commitment.  I believe all of our products will be very well received."

Eco Bulk represents a new type of ink delivery system as part of INX Digital's Green recycling program.  With a unique cardboard design and easy to use, it is comprised of one box instead of five, 440 ml cartridges and the ink is housed within a foil bag.  Once emptied, the bag is disposed of and replaced, a more sustainable approach compared to plastic.  The foil bag can contain up to two liters of ink, double the current industry standard of one liter packaging and resulting in less waste, but 440 ml cartridges will remain available for customers using less ink.  A test program showed that more volume allows for greater consistency of the product being delivered through the network.

FESPA attendees looking for new ink solutions will want to check out the Technology Showcase section of the booth and find the metallic Silver inkjet ink.  INX Digital has partnered with Eckert and will expand the opportunity for Silver into the UV curable market this year.  It will be demonstrated at FESPA on a Mimaki JV3 printer and company officials expect it will make a direct impact on the label and tag market, in addition to the folding carton segments of packaging.

The new textile ink continues the new dimension of Green products and INX Digital's commitment to water based products.  Designed for use on direct printing with synthetic fabrics with Epson print heads, it offers optimal quality and a vibrant color gamut.  It also displays fast drying characteristics on polyesters with minimum 60 percent blends, with optimal ink fluidity and printability and excellent image definition and fastness properties.

The BIO line of sustainable ink products will include the new Triangle AXB superwide format inks to debut at FESPA.  AXB uses renewable resource content, offers outstanding scratch resistance and is UV resistant for outdoor use up to three years.  Customers will appreciate having the ability to use many of their printers in faster modes with less ink consumption and have a wider color gamut to choose from.  AXB will work with a number of printers using Spectra, Xaar 128 and Xaar 500 print heads.

INX Digital will also show the Triangle brand Color Compatible MLD Magenta inks for the Alternative market and the newly formulated HPS 9000 series for HP and Seiko printers.  The EVOLVE Advanced Digital Solutions section will be distinguished by three separate plasma TV screens promoting the CP100 can printer, the MD660 UV flatbed printer, and the NW100 narrow web label printer.  All three machines give printers the essential products to successfully transition from traditional printing to new niche markets that includes digital printing.

 

Antalis Printall recently sent some of its dedicated sign and display sales team on a fact finding mission to the 3A Composites manufacturing facility in Singen, Germany.

3A Composites Display Europe has maintained a long tradition of technical leadership and excellence in sheet materials for sign and display applications with a  product range comprising of leading brands including DIBOND aluminium composite panels, KAPA, GATORFOAM , FOAM-X  lightweight foamboards and FOREX rigid foam plastic sheets.

Antalis Printall product manager Chris Green says: “When we went into partnership with 3A Composites (formerly Alcan) we grasped the challenge with both hands and wanted to know everything about their fantastic range of products. Therefore the trip to the mill cemented in our own minds that we were working with the best in their field and that we could be confident that the products we distribute will add value to our customers.”

The 3A composites range includes a huge choice of variants and options for direct-to-substrate digital printing, fabrication, mounting and other applications in signs and display, graphic arts, POS / POP advertising and exhibitions.

“We have a very experienced team at Antalis Printall,” concludes Mr. Green. “We are aware that we are in a fast moving market and therefore cannot rest on our laurels or take anything for granted. We have set out our stall to be the market’s leading knowledge provider and as such we need to be able to answer our customers’ queries with 100% accuracy while at the same time provide the market with a stream of innovative new product introductions aimed at boosting printers profits.”

BioMedia, the new range of biodegradable printing materials from G3S, has been announced as the winner of The Best Environmental Printing Substrate Award for 2010 by the European Digital Printing Association.

‘We are delighted that the industry is recognising the potential of BioMedia. This is the second award for the product and we are expecting to add to that this year,’ commented Mark Sanderson, Sales Director for BioMedia and G3S. ‘The enthusiasm and interest in BioMedia just underlines how important green issues are becoming in our industry. Ethical buying is becoming increasingly important as companies really understand the need to stand up and be counted on green issues.’

BioMedia is a biodegradable and recyclable range of print materials from G3S suitable for all digital printing methods. The product incorporates an enzymatic micro-organism which, in dark, moist conditions, cuts through the polymer chain resulting in rapidly accelerated breakdown of the product. This can reduce the biodegrading process to a matter of months. Alternatively, BioMedia can be recycled into plastic cups, light switches and insulation enabling the life cycle of the product to be completed time and time again.

The product range offers a viable alternative to traditional wide format and presentation graphics substrates which are generally neither biodegradable or recyclable. The biodegrading process does not begin until the product is in the correct environment, thus allowing it to perform superbly until it becomes waste.

BioMedia is already being used by BAA and WDF for their many advertising campaigns throughout UK airports. Not only does BioMedia assist companies in their waste disposal, it can also help by reducing the number of processes used in production as it is a direct to substrate print material and does not need to be laminated or encapsulated for longevity.

Further information on BioMedia products is available online at www.bioprintmedia.com

Avery Dennison Corporation, the product of one man’s insight into retailers’ needs, today marked its 75th anniversary as a company by having Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Dean A. Scarborough and the Company’s leadership team ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

Avery Dennison was founded in June 1935 by R. Stanton Avery, who developed the world's first self-adhesive label and label-making machinery in a loft above a flower shop in downtown Los Angeles.  Sales for his first six months of selling removable price stickers to gift shops and other retailers totaled $1,391.

From Avery’s pressure-sensitive materials and production technologies, for which he received 18 patents over the course of his career, the Company named after him has evolved into a $6 billion global leader in labeling and packaging solutions, retail branding and information solutions, and organization and identification solutions for work and home.

“Innovation that improves customers’ businesses and lives has been at the heart of Avery Dennison since 1935,” Scarborough said. “Avery Dennison is everywhere and impacts people every day – we’re on the products in the stores they shop, the clothes they wear, the car they drive, the signs on the highway they pass, in the offices where they work and the schools they attend,” Scarborough said.

“Today we express this heritage through a new vision:  everything we make and do helps make brands more inspiring and the world more intelligent,” Scarborough said. “I’m excited about the future as we honor our past.  Avery Dennison has always stood for innovation, and that legacy continues to propel the company forward as we invest in new markets, products and technology to better serve our customers throughout the world.”

The Company is planning commemorative events throughout the anniversary year.  More on Avery Dennison’s history is available at a new website, www.averydennison75years.com