Business - Events

AGFA Anapurna Mw UV-cure flatbed shown on GPT stand at Sign and Digital UK

13-15 April 2010 - Hall 8, Stand B10

 

Graphic Printing Technologies Ltd (GPT) has announced its appointment as a UK reseller to offer the AGFA Anapurna M UV-cure product range. An AGFA Anapurna Mw hybrid type UV printer with white ink function, is available with an AGFA representative on GPT’s stand B10 at Sign and Digital UK.

The AGFA Anapurna M range offers wide format industrial inkjet printers for indoor and outdoor sign displays. The UV-curable print engines deliver quality output on both uncoated rigid substrates and roll-fed media. The printers provide 720 x 1440dpi print resolution with widths up to 1600mm and thickness up to 45mm.

Stuart Cole, Managing Director of GPT, comments, “AGFA has an excellent reputation for building high quality, robust and very well engineered printers. We have taken our time looking for an industrial strength UV-curable printer to add to our portfolio, and are really delighted to be able to offer the AGFA range. We have complete confidence that they will provide our customers with the levels of production, quality and reliability their businesses demand. They are an excellent fit with our existing range of products and we expect a very positive reaction from the market, starting at Sign and Digital UK.”

Steve Collins, Wide Format Inkjet Account Manager for AGFA UK, comments, “GPT is an excellent addition to our UK channel for the Anapurna M range. We are sure the relationship will be a success and we are looking forward to working together. It is very important for our channel to add value to the AGFA product range, ensuring they meet the high standards our customers expect. GPT has the track record and reputation to deliver and support our solutions with very high levels of knowledge, experience and reliability.”

To arrange an appointment to meet on the GPT stand, please contact Stuart Cole on 01753 727128.

 

Budding entrepreneurs looking at setting up a new business would do no better than to make their way to Sign & Digital UK at the NEC on 13-15 April where there will be FREE advice, demonstrations and workshops on how to maximise returns from a sign and print business.

With a wide range of suppliers on hand to answer your questions and give you advice on their products and services, the event is a great way to find out what makes this lively industry tick.

As an example of what’s on offer, Roland DG will welcome you to their stand where there will be FREE training, creative ideas, advice and demonstrations, via three unique zones: inspire me, show me, teach me.

There will be a new Signmakers Workshop at the event where you can ask questions, get involved and chat to those already running sign businesses.

FastSigns will also be in attendance to give you information on how to run a successful sign franchise.

… and if that is not enough, Adobe and Corel will be running FREE tutorials and demonstrations where you can pick up advice on how to get the most from these leading design software packages.

Register on-line at www.signanddigitaluk.com for FREE fast track entry

 

Agfa Graphics today announced that attendees at the International Sign Association's Sign Expo 2010 (April 8th - 10th, Orlando) will get the first look at its newly-expanded portfolio of inkjet systems. Today, Agfa has something for everyone from entry- to mid-level options as well as high-volume production systems.

Visitors to Agfa's booth (#972) will learn about Agfa's entry :Anapurna UV inkjet systems designed to produce photo-quality output on a wide variety of indoor and outdoor applications, the newly-added :Jeti large-format inkjet systems and the :M-Press TIGER, the high-speed, flatbed industrial inkjet press (co-developed with Thieme) capable of producing large-format screen printing applications of almost any run-length with greater cost efficiency.

"Agfa has assembled the most dynamic and diverse portfolios of inkjet systems and presses on the market today," said Peter Wilkens, President, Agfa Graphics, North America. "Agfa's solutions are designed to make organizations of virtually any size more productive, more efficient, more reliable and most importantly more profitable."

Agfa will demonstrate the following inkjet offerings in booth 972 at the annual expo and conference:

• The new :Jeti 1224 UV HDC (High Definition Color) is built on a solid steel platform and features a unique, linear motor driven vacuum bed for highly accurate dot placement in both flat bed mode or with the optional roll-to-roll (RTR) feature.The :Jeti 1224 UV HDC's flatbed architecture can print on anything up to two inches thick and with its industrial grade construction can support media rolls up to 250 lbs. The :Jeti 1224 UV HDC is the first :Jeti printer to use the Ricoh Gen 4 variable grayscale print head technology. Agfa has created advanced waveform designs and introduced the :Anuvia HD ink technology (as used on the Agfa :M-Press TIGER) to drive the Ricoh heads up to 30 KHz in binary and 13KHz in grayscale. With 4 color and white as standard the :Jeti 1224 UV HDC delivers equivalent speeds in both binary and grayscale modes at resolutions up to 1200 dpi
• :Jeti 3324 Aquajet - the #1 fabric printer on the market, the :Jeti Aquajet prints up to 10.5 feet wide with production speeds of more than 400 ft²/hr. It's a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly alternative to solvent-based fabric technologies
• :M-Press TIGER is a high-speed flatbed inkjet press co-developed by Thieme and Agfa, featuring new printhead technology, auto head positioning and tuning, :M-Press TIGER can print 17,000 ft an hour. The :M-Press TIGER is the perfect solution for high volume POP providers and other traditional screen printing applications.
• :Anapurna M² - a heavy-duty industrial UV-inkjet printer designed to produce top-quality output (up to 720 x 1440 dpi) on a wide range of rigid and roll-to-roll media
• :Anapurna Mw - adds single-pass pre-white and multi-pass post-white for printing on transparent material, backlit applications, or printing white as a spot colour.

 

Global Erecting Sign Services/Graphic Installs are pleased to announce they will again be undertaking rope access demonstrations directly into their stand during Sign & Digital UK 2010, which is held at the NEC Birmingham from the 13th to 15th of April.

At various times throughout the 3 days of the Show, one of their supervisors will be ascending and descending on ropes to demonstrate how they utilise abseiling to reach high levels and difficult to reach areas.

If you would like to observe a demonstration, please come along and see GESS at Stand E30 and they will arrange one for you and answer any questions you may have.

The supervisor will be wearing a full body harness and working PPE as would be required on any working site/installation.

If you require any further information in advance of the Show, please do not hesitate to contact Global Erecting Sign Services at gessltd@aol.com

For more information on Global Erecting Sign Services visit www.gess.uk.com

To register for FREE entry to Sign & Digital UK visit www.signanddigitaluk.com

 

EFI™ today announced that it will be displaying a comprehensive portfolio of digital UV printing products - including the VUTEk® GS3200 with a new MediaMaster automatic media handling system, the GS5000r and the new high-productivity QS3250r UV roll-to-roll superwide printers, the new, versatile Rastek™ T1000 and the H650 wide-format UV printers, and the Jetrion™ 4830 digital label press - in booth #2420 at the ISA International Sign Expo, April 8-10, 2010 in Orlando.

"We are proud of the complete UV product portfolio that we have developed, and the ISA Expo will be a perfect audience to show our capabilities," said EFI president Fred Rosenzweig. "All of our products, from UV digital inkjet printers to optimised workflow solutions, are designed to help our customer base reach new levels of competitiveness, profitability and growth. For the first time, we are featuring the Jetrion 4830 digital label press at ISA due to past requests to see digital label printers at this show. We'll also demonstrate industry-leading digital workflow management from creation to print with EFI Digital StoreFront®, EFI PrintSmith™, EFI Pace™, XFlow and Fiery® XF."

Proven Quality and Greater Productivity Return with EFI's VUTEk GS3200 and GS5000r

With over 70 units installed already, the VUTEk GS3200 flatbed and roll-to-roll hybrid UV printer from EFI delivers revolutionary photorealistic quality and superwide speed, and delivers innovative applications that expand the reach of superwide into new industries.

"With EFI's VUTEk GS3200 we were able to match the colours across various substrates and come in at a substantially lower price-point than screen printing, which carries much higher make-ready costs," said Ford Bowers, general manager of Miller Zell retail design company.  "Additionally, the speed of the VUTEk is such that we can produce high-quality digital prints faster and less expensively than we could previously."

The VUTEk GS5000r offers unparalleled quality and roll-to-roll speed that redefines productivity and allows EFI's customers to tap into premium-margin markets that demand point-of-purchase (POP) quality graphics. Its unmatched, quick-turn capability reduces inventory, increases customer satisfaction by eliminating lengthy lead times, and accommodates last-minute changes.

"Our customers are demanding higher quality, regardless of application requirements or viewing distance, and faster turnaround times. With our new VUTEk GS5000r, we can now deliver both. Its UV capability gives us a huge competitive advantage in quality and productivity, and we're winning more jobs because of it," said Eli Luria, president of Grand Image, Inc. "Additional capabilities like double-sided printing, coupled with the printer's high-production speeds, allows us to offer premium-margin applications, reduce labour costs, and be more profitable."

Analogue to Digital Transition with the VUTEk MediaMaster from EFI

The GS3200 will be featured with EFI's VUTEk MediaMaster, a fully-automated material handling system that will drive the digital economics of superwide even further for greater profitability. Equipped to handle full-size 1.6 x 3.2 metre boards and also master multiple smaller boards across the width of the printer with precision, the material handling system's hands-free productivity optimises production time.

The MediaMaster system also lowers overhead costs by allowing one operator to efficiently run two VUTEk printers simultaneously, or focus on the output capabilities of the printer without having to keep up with the faster printing modes of the GS3200. The easy cart system streamlines the print-to-finishing workflow, allowing the operator to wheel the printed product to a cut or shipping station. The material handling system enables customers to fully utilise the maximum speed of the GS3200, and will help drive the analogue to digital transition in the screen print market where productivity is crucial.

New VUTEk QS3250r from EFI Makes ISA Debut

The VUTEk QS3250r from EFI is the second-generation roll-to-roll UV-curing superwide printer, combining High-Definition Print (HDP) capability and high production speeds in a single UV roll-to-roll device. It is the ideal printer for sign shops and commercial printers looking to upgrade to UV output with enhanced productivity, quality and versatility.

EFI's Rastek Printers Display Best-In-Class Quality and Price Performanc

EFI's new Rastek T1000 wide-format flatbed printer combines high-speed and high-definition for best-in-class image quality and price performance. It is capable of generating true gray scale graphics, sharp text and photographic image quality using CMYK UV-curable inks - plus white ink - at up to 27.8 square metres per hour. With a stationary vacuum table and retractable media registration pins, it has the versatility to handle a wide range of rigid media quickly and easily.

The Rastek H650 wide-format UV hybrid flatbed printer from EFI delivers best-in-class image quality at an affordable price. It is the perfect choice for production and print shop environments where quick service, superior image quality and smaller footprints are the keys to customer satisfaction and increasing profit. The printer expands businesses' portfolios and profits with its four colour and optional white ink support for spot colour and under and overprinting. The Rastek H650 can handle materials up to 165 cm wide and 4.5 cm thick

Jetrion 4830 Demonstrates Next-Generation Label Printing at EFI Exhibit

The new Jetrion 4830 UV Inkjet System from EFI promises wider web width and faster linear speeds to increase label printing throughput more than twofold over the company's market-leading Jetrion 4000. The Jetrion 4830 prints 21 cm wide, enabling two-up 10 cm labels. Its wider print zone lets label converters efficiently take on more print jobs. With its higher speed print mode of greater than 36.6 metres per minute, the system increases productivity significantly.

"As the leading provider of UV inkjet label solutions worldwide, we have acquired a great deal of experience in label printing," explains Ken Stack, general manager of EFI Jetrion. "We have listened to and learned from our customers. With the Jetrion 4830 we are adding the wider width and faster speeds the market has requested."

EFI Exhibit Also Highlights End-to-End Integrated Workflow Solutions

In addition to its phenomenal digital inkjet technology, EFI will be demonstrating integrated digital workflow solutions from job acquisition and management to preparation and production. Included in the workflows will be the award-winning EFI Digital StoreFront web-to-print solution, the integrated, browser-based EFI Pace Print MIS solution, the market-leading EFI PrintSmith management system, and the professional-level RIP, Fiery XF with the XFlow option for effectively managing different files and jobs

"We're looking forward to showing ISA Expo attendees that EFI technology can help their businesses run more efficiently and more profitably," said Rosenzweig. "From creation to print - EFI has the digital print solutions for business success."

For more information about EFI solutions, including VUTEk superwide printers, Rastek wide-format printers, Jetrion label presses and EFI Web-to-Print, RIP or Print MIS solutions, visit www.efi.com

Opportunities arising from the shift to digital production are keeping printers optimistic for the future of their individual businesses despite the downturn, according to FESPA’s third Worldwide Survey, the results of which are published today.

On a scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is ‘very optimistic’, the mean for respondents’ individual businesses was 7.6, compared with 6.9 for the wide format industry as a whole. This is consistent with the equivalent survey results in 2007 and 2009.

Worldwide Survey 3 underlines clearly how client demands for shorter turnaround, just-in-time delivery and shorter runs are driving wide format printers towards digital technology. Close to 70% of respondents are seeing these trends increasing. The greatest pressure appears to be on faster turnaround, with 81.5% stating that this is a growing requirement from clients.

Versioning and/or personalisation, online ordering and integration with other marketing collateral (such as direct mail) are also client priorities, with around half of printers reporting a trend in demand for these capabilities.

Conducted in partnership with InfoTrends, the latest FESPA Worldwide Survey involved the largest research sample to date, attracting online responses from dozens of countries in Europe, Asia and North and Latin-America in February and March 2010.

All of the 582 respondents affirmed that the percentage of their revenue coming from digital projects will increase in the next two years, rising to close to 50% of income for businesses with fewer than 100 employees.

This expected revenue growth is stimulating robust demand for new equipment, with 37.4% of respondents planning to purchase a new wide format printer in the next 12 months, and a further 33.8% still undecided about such a purchase. More than half of respondents expect their spend on digital wide format media and consumables to increase in the next 12 months.

Print service providers are seizing positive opportunities to grow and diversify using digital, with 78% of survey respondents expanding the range of applications they produce. 68% of respondents have looked at new market opportunities or developed innovative processes or products to tackle the impact of the economic downturn. Nearly a quarter of respondents see the future success of wide format print service providers as being able to deliver marketing solutions for the client.

FESPA Sales & Marketing Director Marcus Timson comments: “With just three months to go until FESPA 2010 opens its doors in Munich, this latest FESPA survey profiles a global community of print service providers that has remained resilient and adaptable in the face of significant economic challenges. Our recent series of FESPA Economy Surveys has highlighted the dramatic commercial impact of the 2008/9 downturn on wide format printers. However, wide format printers remain optimistic, alert to opportunities and focused on pursuing new applications or niche markets to generate growth for their businesses. The dynamics between clients and print service providers are clearly changing, but the most successful printers are adapting resourcefully, embracing digital technology and blending it creatively with other processes and value-added services to deliver the right solutions to clients’ challenges.”

Banners, posters, signs and POS/POP continue to be the leading applications for most respondents, with demand remaining stable across these product categories despite the economic downturn. A notable decrease was in backlit displays, with the percentage of respondents regularly producing these falling from 46.2% in 2009 to 26.4% in 2010. Increased demand was reported for billboards, photographic applications, decals and presentation graphics. Growth is also evident in emerging application areas such as textile, interiors, flooring and fine art.

Thinking ahead to their next print engine, almost a quarter of respondents are most likely to purchase a UV-curable inkjet device, though interest in technologies such as eco-solvent and latex inkjet is beginning to overtake that for more established solutions such as aqueous and solvent inkjet. Technology choice still seems to be a source of confusion for many printers, with almost 16% of respondents undecided on their next purchase.

The survey shows a converging community of businesses servicing their clients with wide format printed products. 22% of respondents state that the term ‘digital printing specialist’ best describes their business, followed by 12% who define themselves as ‘screen printers’ and a further 12% preferring the more generic ‘commercial printer’. The remaining 54% of respondents also included graphic designers and advertising agencies, ‘quick printers’ and corporate reprographic departments, photo labs and reprographic businesses, exhibition builders and sign shops.

The full FESPA Worldwide Survey 3 is available free of charge to members of a FESPA member association, or at a charge of Euros 2000 to non members. Enquiries should be emailed to info@fespa.com. An executive summary of the Survey is available at http://www.fespa.com/fespas-world-wide-survey-3.html