Hardware

 

Wide-format inkjet printer and vinyl cutting plotter manufacturer Mutoh Europe nv announces that it has integrated two new features into its SC-PRO series of professional sign cutting plotters.  Apart from regular kiss-cutting of lettering jobs and automated contour cutting of pre-printed stickers, Mutoh SC-PRO cutters now also incorporate a cut through function and a poster trim feature.
 
The new cut through function allows cutting through both the self-adhesive vinyl and the vinyl’s protective backing paper. This will enable users  to “finish” individual contour-cut sticker designs. The new poster trim feature will enable trimming of poster designs, eliminating the hassle having to
do this manually.
 
The two new features are now standard integrated into Mutoh SC-PRO series cutters.  Installed-base SC-PRO users will be able to have access to these features via a regular firmware upgrade.

All that is required to perform semi-automatic poster trimming on an SC-PRO cutter is that the  printed poster comes with a registration mark printed in each corner. After loading the poster into the cutting plotter, the operator can have the cutter memorize the four registration marks using the SC-PRO’s integrated laser beam. Once this is done, the poster will be automatically trimmed via activation of the cut through function on the cutter’s control panel.
 
The cut through functionality enables cutting through both the self-adhesive vinyl and the vinyl’s protective backing paper to individually finish sticker designs which may have been contour-cut previously with the SC-PRO cutter.   Stickers that have been cut through can afterwards be easily removed from the vinyl.
 
Cut through can be performed in two different ways. A first method consists in adapting the cutting force of one single knife holder which performs both contour cutting of pre-printed stickers and cut through of each individual sticker.  A second method is to use two separate knife holders, the first one for contour cutting and the second knife holder for cut through. A test pattern integrated in the SC-PRO firmware will enable testing of cut through parameters per type of material that is used and to freeze optimum cut through pre-sets in the application software driving the SC-PRO.
 
The new cut through functionality for Mutoh’s SC-PRO cutters is now already supported via Mutoh Edition software versions of EasySign®, SAi® and Caldera® RIP software, as well as the original versions of these RIPs.

EFI™, the world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation, today announced a new addition to its Rastek™ line of wide-format printers, the T660 UV flatbed, which delivers best-in-class image quality at an affordable price, making it 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 increased profit.

“With the current state of the economy, print service providers are in a great position to explore new business opportunities,” said Darrell Etter, director of product marketing, EFI Rastek. “EFI’s Rastek T660 UV flatbed printer is the perfect solution for businesses looking to break into the fast-growing wide-format market. It produces photographic image quality for demanding customers on a broad range of substrates, and yields a high return on investment for any print business.”

EFI’s American-made Rastek T660 gives businesses the capacity to explore new markets by offering dazzling new applications. Optimized for and tested on over a dozen substrates, including PVC, aluminum, acrylic and glass, the T660 is ideal for printing indoor and outdoor signage, display and exhibition graphics, Point-of-Purchase advertising, and even short-run packaging and prototyping on substrates up to 60” wide and 2” thick. With sellable speeds up to 200 square feet (18.58 square meters) per hour and 1200 x 900 dpi, EFI’s Rastek T660 is the ideal wide-format system for tapping into new markets and new revenue streams.

Four-color plus white ink printing, gray scale print heads, and seven sizes of drops ranging from six to 42 picoliters combine to produce stunning results with exceptional image quality, saturated colors and smooth color gradations. White ink allows for under- and over-printing, providing businesses with more options to increase capabilities and profits.

Like all EFI wide-format and superwide printing solutions, the Rastek T660 produces a high return on investment to meet the needs of any growing print business. This printer includes the amazing Fiery® XF production RIP to increase productivity and job management, and is easily integrated with EFI Print MIS solutions.

HP today announced the installation of the first HP Designjet H Series Printer in Ireland at Sattal Print and Promotional Solutions, of Dublin.

London-based City & West End Solutions (CWES) have launched a promotion on the HP Designjet Z6100 series that allows potential purchasers to effectively get a free HP large-format printer through the inclusion of a free ink and media bundle that, when printed at current commercial rates, will cover the purchase cost of the Designjet Z6100.

 

Colourgen has announced UK availability of the new Seiko Infotech ColorPainter H-Series range of solvent inkjet printers.

Roland DG Corporation, a leading worldwide provider of professional inkjet printers and printer/cutters, today announced the 2009 Free Value Up Campaign for existing customers of the company's VersaCAMM VP series printer/cutters and grand-format AdvancedJET AJ series printers. This Free Value Up Campaign is also available for new purchases made on or after February 5, 2009.

Roland’s free upgrade benefits thousands of existing customers. The 30” VersaCAMM VP-300 and 54” VP-540 are among the best selling inkjets in the company’s history. The AdvancedJET series includes the 104” AJ-1000 and 74” AJ-740.  

“We wish to thank our customers for their loyalty by continuing our commitment to provide them with the latest in Roland’s state-of-the-art technology,” said Brett Newman, Head of Product Management , Roland DG (UK). “The Free Value Up Campaign offers valuable upgrades including revolutionary Roland Intelligent Pass Control for all customers of the VP-540/VP-300 and AJ-1000/AJ-740. Roland Intelligent Pass Control improves print quality and increases throughput for these devices.”

Free Value-Up Campaign for the VersaCAMM VP-540/VP-300 Printer/Cutters

VersaCAMM VP Series is designed from the ground up to enhance the productivity of creative professionals everywhere – from marketing departments and retailers to sign shops and screen printers. Featuring a new compact design and numerous enhanced productivity features, the VersaCAMM VP models make it easier and faster than ever to produce durable, professional-quality posters, banners, POP displays, labels, decals, vehicle and floor graphics, heat transfers for apparel and more.

With the Value-Up Campaign, Roland's revolutionary Intelligent Pass Control technology introduced in the company’s SOLJET PRO III Series is now available for VersaCAMM VPs.  Roland Intelligent Pass Control provides smoother gradations and flawless solid colours with optimised dot placement and ink droplet density in all print modes. It also increases throughput up to 80% in standard print mode on banner media and more than 50% on vinyl.* These increases in speed and quality enable shops to meet the demands of today’s customers in an increasingly competitive marketplace.  

*Increased to 9.4 m2/hr on banner and 8 m2/h on vinyl, compared to 5.2 m2/hr on banner and vinyl without Roland Intelligent Pass Control

VP-540/VP-300 customers can download their free upgrade kit including Roland VersaWorks 3.1 at www.rolanddg.com/2009vpvalueup.html. To help Roland better serve them in the future with new, innovative technologies and solutions, customers will be asked to participate in a short market survey.

Free Value-Up Campaign for the AdvancedJET AJ-1000/AJ-740 Printers

Designed for high-volume printing and rush jobs including billboards, banners, fleet and vehicle graphics, the AdvancedJET delivers brilliant six-colour CMYK+LcLm graphics at an impressive maximum print speed of 90m2/h. Unlike other industrial printers, the AdvancedJET runs with minimal operator maintenance and fine tuning. The AdvancedJET includes powerful Roland VersaWorks RIP software.

The addition of Roland Intelligent Pass Control allows the AJ-1000 and AJ-740 to produce sharp, vivid and solid images flawlessly for outdoor graphics as well as smoother gradations with virtually no banding while achieving higher productivity for banner printing in standard print mode*. For example, an upgraded AdvancedJET AJ-1000 can print five rolls of banner measuring 2.5m wide by 50m long  in standard print mode (bi-direction) in the time it took the previous model to print just four rolls. In addition, feed calibration can be adjusted on the fly during the printing process to reduce media waste.

*Increased to 20 m2/hr from 16 m2/hr for uni-direction, and to 30 m2/hr from 24 m2/hr for bi-direction.

Through the Value Up Campaign, Roland will add more ICC profiles for 3rd party media to meet the growing variety of applications being addressed by these grand format devices. Feed calibration can be adjusted during printing for more flexible production and to save time and media. Newly introduced protection plates offer increased protection for AdvancedJET print heads to prevent damage from media jams.

Every AJ-1000/AJ-740 user will be contacted regarding their free upgrade kit. For further information or questions about the Free Value-up Campaign for the AJ-1000/AJ-740, customers may also contact their local Roland DG distributor or dealer.