Hardware

EFI has announced that it will showcase the latest in digital print technology at the SGIA Expo, including the VUTEk GS3200 and GS5000r and the QS3220 and QS3200r superwide printers, the Rastek H650 hybrid and T660 flatbed wide-format printers, and an array of workflow solutions. EFI is a Platinum Sponsor of the 2009 SGIA Expo and will be exhibiting in booth 1901, immediately across from the main entrance.

"SGIA is among the top outlets for exhibiting technology and innovation in digital printing, and, in line with that, we'll be showing some incredible products this year," said Fred Rosenzweig, president, EFI. "We're excited for SGIA attendees to see our VUTEk superwide systems as well as our Rastek wide-format systems. We'll also be demonstrating digital workflow management from creation to print with the award-winning EFI Digital StoreFront, EFI PrintSmith, EFI Pace, and XFlow and XF solutions."

EFI will be displaying four VUTEk superwide UV printers at SGIA, including the VUTEk GS3200 3.2-meter flatbed and roll-to-roll hybrid UV printer, which achieves high production speeds and photorealistic quality. With dual resolution capability, the GS3200 enables operators to select between 600 and 1000 dpi, and delivers output speeds of up to 2400 sqft.

"We recently purchased a VUTEk GS3200 digital inkjet printer with white ink print capability for our Crush Creative facility. In order to continue to support a variety of display designs we receive from our major retail clients, we needed to expand our print offerings. The VUTEk GS3200 now gives us the added capability and capacity to quickly produce a diverse range of eight color and white ink applications on rigid and flexible materials. As we see it, our investment in this latest digital inkjet technology was an investment in Merisel's future," said Chuck Murphy, vice president operations, Merisel, New York.

The VUTEk GS5000r roll-to-roll UV printer combines POP quality with billboard production speeds. Users can produce applications such as exhibition graphics and digital textiles, as well as billboards, banners and other traditional 5-meter applications. Both of the VUTEk GS Series printers on display at SGIA allow businesses to stay ahead of the competition by providing a way to differentiate and offer expanded options of applications and substrates.

The VUTEk QS3220 combines High-Definition Print (HDP) with high production speeds for eye-popping images with resolutions up to 1080 dpi at up to 900 sqft. Like the GS3200, the QS3220 saves valuable floor space by producing roll-to-roll and rigid applications on one machine.

The VUTEk QS3200r UV roll-to-roll printer expands application options compared to traditional solvent roll-to-roll printing by enabling printers to reduce their VOC output while delivering enhanced image quality and improved workflow. The QS3200r offers a cost-effective, high-quality roll-to-roll platform for mid-size print shops that require high-resolution prints and great productivity.

The Rastek H650 UV hybrid flatbed 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 color and optional white ink support for spot color and under and overprinting. The Rastek H650 can handle materials up to 65 inches wide and 1.8 inches thick.

EFI's Rastek T660 5 by 4 foot UV flatbed generates photographic image quality to meet even the most demanding customer's expectations on a wide range of rigid and flexible media, including glass and aluminum. This printer stands out from other entry-level wide-format systems because of its white ink capability and crisp four-point text. EFI's new partnership with HumanEyes gives the Rastek T660 even more flexibility and versatility, as operators can now use HumanEyes Producer3D software to easily create and print amazingly-realistic lenticular pieces that employ special effects such as 3D, flip, zoom and motion. These resolution and lenticular enhancements translate into superior quality and the ability to create more memorable specialty items, giving users an additional competitive advantage over other print businesses.

In addition to its digital inkjet technology, EFI will be demonstrating integrated 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 SGIA Expo attendees that EFI technology can help their businesses run more efficiently and more profitably," added Rosenzweig. "From creation to print, EFI has the solutions for business success."

Supporting Xaar's theme, 'Think Digital, Think Inkjet, Think Xaar', Xaar partners at SGIA will be demonstrating the breadth of printers utilizing Xaar printheads, from wide-format to specialty presses, including introductions from Real Plotter.

On SGIA booth 145, Real Plotter, manufacturers of Vermillion digital printers in Latin America, is introducing its new Proton Vermillion solvent printer, built in Brazil. The Vermillion PROTON can print exceptional continuous-tone images on a wide variety of substrates with vibrant, durable colours for indoor or outdoor use. Equipped with Xaar Proton printheads, the easy to use Proton Vermillion prints up to 1440 dpi at a speed of 200 sqft/hr.

The highly productive Xaar Proton printhead is a wide, high-resolution binary printhead, producing outstanding print quality rapidly and consistently. Its 35-picoliter drop ensures sufficient resolution for high-quality signs and graphics, and its wide, 2.1-inch swathe, delivers high-speed multi-pass printing. End users appreciate its speed and excellent print performance. Printer manufacturers report that the Xaar Proton is easy to integrate and reduces setup times. The printheads can adjust to various speeds, delivering lower ink consumption without sacrificing colour saturation.

Other Xaar partners demonstrating digital printers with Xaar printheads at SGIA include:

* Teckwin International (booth 2067) utilises the Xaar 760 printhead in its TeckStorm UV Printer. The TeckStorm is primarily used for POP displays, durable graphics and billboard banners, where versatility is very important. The Teckwin8000 Series ink used in the Teckwin TeckStorm flatbed digital printer is approved by Xaar.

"Evident at SGIA is the wide variety of manufacturers that design their printers with Xaar printheads, from wideformat to specialty pad printers," said Chris Lynn, vice president sales and marketing, Xaar Americas, Inc. "The assortment of printheads from Xaar allows manufacturers to select from binary, grayscale, and different speeds, resolutions and drop sizes to fit their specific requirements."

Durst has introduced the new Rho 900 Large-Format UV Inkjet Printer- a 98" wide printing platform that combines more efficient automated media handling and "process colour additions" with high-speed printing capabilities to deliver far greater productivity and a wider colour gamut.

The unveiling took place at the SGIA Expo, under way this week in New Orleans. Attendees are being introduced to a high-quality printing platform that simplifies media handling with its automated feeder system, and makes reproduction of even difficult corporate colours possible by printing orange and green or orange and violet process colours - with no special file preparation required.

The new Rho 900 is equipped with Durst's Quadro 30D Array print head technology to deliver high speed, improved efficiency and exceptional image quality. Its media handling incorporates an auto-feed table with belts, sheet feed gate with guides for parallel board printing, and automatic two-point pin registration system to ensure accurate front-to-back registration.

The Rho 900's process colour additions are printed in the same mode as its CMYK process colours. No special file preparation is necessary. These additional colours can be printed - even with white ink or light colours - with no loss in output speed. This enables much smoother colour gradients and more even solids at production-level output speeds.

Top speed of the six-colour Rho 900 is up to 216 boards (125x80cm) per hour. The user can incorporate the process coluor additions with no loss of print speed.

"The Rho 900 also can print white, varnish or light colours along with the new additional process colours to expand the possibilities of print jobs and applications," said Michael Lackner, Marketing Manager at Durst US.

New options deliver more speed, gloss and quality modes - plus the ability to reduce costs
 
7th October 2009 - Today Inca Digital launches two new options designed to boost the flexibility and productivity of the award-winning Inca Onset UV flatbed printer. One option provides new print techniques delivering higher print speeds as well as two new higher quality print modes. The other delivers higher-end gloss, the ability to improve adhesion on difficult substrates and more versatility with heat-sensitive materials through reduced power consumption.

The Inca Onset was launched just over two years ago and still remains the world's highest productivity UV digital flatbed printer printing sizes up to 3.2 x 1.5m (10.5x 5 ft) with a throughput of 600 sqm/hr (6,458sqft /hr). Incorporating an automated handling system, over 73,000 inkjet nozzles jetting 30 picolitre drops and using the latest generation Fujifilm Sericol Uvijet ink, the Inca Onset has been designed for speed and is ideal for companies with high-volume digital production needs. It produces superb quality display graphics economically for a range of applications including: display POP, exhibition graphics, backlit displays and outdoor signage.
 
New printing techniques developed by Inca now give the option of a further 16 per cent increase in throughput up to 700sqm/hr (7,534 sqft/hr), equivalent to 145 full-bed sheets (or 435 60in x 40in posters) an hour. Alongside the ability to cut job turnaround times and improve production efficiency, this option also allows companies to print in new quality modes to achieve top quality results at speed.

The Inca Onset has always provided edge-to-edge satin and semi-gloss finish modes as standard. A second new option now gives users an even wider range of gloss levels to provide enormous choice of print finish. Included in this option is the latest UV lamp technology which reduces the input power required to cure UV ink on most substrates. This delivers like for like UV power output with up to 30 percent power input reduction. It also expands the range of heat sensitive materials that can be printed and cured without risk of cracking, buckling or surface damage.

"We will continue to push the boundaries of our inkjet technology to give companies the best and most flexible results from our machines," says Heather Kendle, Inca Digital Director of Marketing. "Quality and productivity are extremely important to Inca Onset users and these latest options allow them to provide an even wider offering to their customers very competitively."

The new gloss/power mode and speed increase options announced today are available to existing and new Inca Onset users.  Inca Onset UV inkjet printers are available exclusively from Fujifilm Sericol www fujifilmsericol.co.uk

Company plans to penetrate new markets and increase its sales by 50 percent

HP today announced that Carmel Container Systems Ltd, of Caesarea, Israel, has purchased a new HP Scitex FB7500 Printer, complementing its existing HP Scitex FB6700 Printer.

Carmel Container Systems, a public company, is Israel's largest designer and manufacturer of paper-based packaging solutions for the agricultural, food and beverage, and industrial sectors for local and export markets. With an annual turnover of some $100 million, Carmel is one of Israel's top 100 industrial firms. The company attributes the highest importance to embracing new technology in order to continuously extend its capabilities and maintain its leadership position.

Doron Kempler, general manager, said, “HP technology provides us with new options. We thought that the speed, the high print quality and the broad range of substrates that the printer offers would most effectively support our goal to expand. Combining these with our original corrugated packaging solutions has allowed us to branch out into new areas and to compete in market segments that are significantly more profitable.”

The HP Scitex FB7500 Printer is designed for screen printers and provides users the highest productivity digital flatbed printer in its price class, with the ability to produce 105 (1.2 x 2.4m) sheets or 95 full beds (3.6m x 1.6m) per hour. The machine uses a six-colour process to maximise print-quality and enhance applications that span POP displays, signage, exhibition graphics, backlit displays, bus shelters, posters and more.

Although only recently installed, Carmel’s new printer is already hard at work enabling the company to provide digitally printed jobs they were previously unable to execute. A typical example, and one of their first projects, is a 100-piece short run printed on a double layered (EF-flute) corrugated cardboard for the Israel branch of a leading global healthcare products manufacturer.

Yoram Pirani, Carmel Caesarea’s operations manager, described the company’s plans, “We intend to enter into the plastic substrates market as well as to produce short run orders for our current customers. HP technology enables both and will allow us to meet our goal to increase our sales by 50 percent.” Pirani continued, “We are the leaders in the field of printing on rigid substrates and intend to maintain our market position. We look forward to seeing how HP technology might continue to help us to do so in the future.”

i-cut, a division of EskoArtwork, kicked off its European launch by exhibiting at one of the print industry’s leading trade shows, Viscom 09.

i-cut specializes in software development and materials automation for digital cutters, and will run live demonstrations of its new Vision Pro 7.0 software at the event. To support its launch the company has established a European sales team and created an online store – www.icuttools.com– where customers can order the new Vision Pro software, obtain technical information and product support, and buy cutting consumables, such as bits, blades and conveyor belts. Viscom 09 is being staged on October 1-3, 2009 at Exhibition Centre Düsseldorf, and the i-cut booth is in Hall 8a at stand C20. At the event, the company held a draw for a free i-cut Vision Pro 7.0 upgrade, and were handing out €20 discount coupons for its online store.

Vision Pro 7.0 offers full non-linear distortion correction, a simple and intuitive user interface, and full prepress and RIP integration, ensuring jobs are prepared quickly and sent to the cutting device without errors. Print runs from just one sheet to thousands are contour-cut reliably, precisely and economically.

Using the software, print material specifications are taken from the work stream – including cutting keys that supply operators with optimized tool settings and blade/bit recommendations – and are processed with preset cutting parameters. This makes the finishing set-up even easier and simplifies the tasks necessary for starting each unique job. Subsequently, set-up times are minimal – and in many cases, virtually eliminated.

The solution is ideal for commercial printers, digital printers, sign makers and screen printers that digitally finish their products using any of the popular XY cutting tables from companies such as Esko-Kongsberg, Zund, Mécanuméric, MultiCam, Axyz and more.

The new i-cut online store, icuttools.com, has been created to give printers in Europe the opportunity to equip themselves with the best possible cutting software and consumables. With more than 15 years’ experience in the sign, display, advertising and packaging markets, i-cut has conducted extensive research into all materials common in these markets, and has created tools specifically for each type of material.

The store carries accessories for many of the i-cut enabled cutting machines on the market, as well as consumables for printers’ everyday cutting needs – from blades, router bits and conveyor belts through to i-cut software upgrades.

In addition to sales, the icuttools.com store offers excellent advice and support. Users can contact the Tool Support Helpline, which takes the guesswork out of cutting speeds for new materials. Also, the Materials Testing Service lets users test their material in i-cut’s facility for free – the company tests different tools and speeds before providing users with a detailed report on how it should be cut. Plus registered users can take advantage of the new Resource Center, which allows them to download software, updates, documentation and guides.

Steve Bennett, Director of New Business Development, i-cut, comments: “Viscom 09 was the perfect backdrop to introduce ourselves to the European market, and gave us an excellent platform to demonstrate how Vision Pro 7.0 can streamline a printers’ set-up.

“One of the best things about the software is that it’s so easy to use. Operators with limited or no computer skills can produce precision-cut graphics after only a few hours’ training. Meanwhile, owners and managers can bank on the efficiency and reliability of the solution, and never need worry about costly mistakes or missed deadlines.”