Hardware

Imaging company Epson is offering even greater value to its large format printer customers with new recommended retail prices (RRP). The new RRP for the Stylus Pro 11880 and Stylus Pro GS6000 printers is £8,995 and £18,995 respectively, effective as of 1 August, 2009.

Martin Johns, Senior Product Manager, Epson UK, commented: "Epson is renowned for its knowledge and expertise in producing innovative imaging products. With attractive new prices for our 64" LFP range, graphic arts professionals are being offered the impressive quality, flexibility, speed and reliability of Epson, at an extremely attractive price."

Epson is also offering a half price warranty on the Stylus Pro GS6000 for a limited period (1st August - 31st December 2009). The offer extends the standard one year warranty to three years for £3,600, half the normal retail price of the package. As well as receiving a set of print heads per year, the end user will benefit from an annual health check, where an engineer will visit the site to check over the machine and make any relevant adjustments and perform any necessary maintenance.

The first 64" large format printer from Epson, the Stylus Pro 11880 includes the latest Thin Film Piezo (TFP) printhead for superior print performance and is optimised for pigment ink technology. The formulation of UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta further strengthens Epson's award-winning UltraChrome K3 ink as the choice of professionals, and is available in 700ml high capacity, individual ink cartridges for increased productivity.

The Stylus Pro GS6000 is designed for both indoor and outdoor applications. Using Epson's UltraChrome GS ink in extremely efficient 950 ml cartridges it allows production of high-impact, high-quality and durable prints. This high quality ink set includes Orange and Green inks, which significantly increases the range of colours that can be achieved, especially bright green to yellow, and yellow to red. Furthermore, the Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 enables operators to switch easily between a range of different coated and non-coated substrates such as vinyl, making it an ideal, flexible production solution for multiple commercial applications. Epson UltraChrome GS ink doesn't spread harmful VOCs (volatile organic compound) and is the first major eco-solvent type ink set to be launched without the need for a hazard symbol. This makes the Stylus Pro GS6000 both environmentally- and user-friendly. As additional ventilation isn't required, it can be situated in the most convenient location for the business.

 

Barnsley display printing company Vivid Display opened its doors for business in February this year and is already anticipating doubling the size of the operation within the next 12 months. Its Epson Stylus Pro 11880 is currently kept busy producing high quality graphics for a niche clientele of shopping centres.

"Business has been brisk from the very beginning," says managing director Peter Wyatt, who has a long and solid background in design and print, especially large format graphics. "Having worked extensively in this sector, I could see that there was a ready made market with ready made customers."

When it came to the question of equipment Peter did thorough research, asking a wide range of sales people and material suppliers and they all recommended Epson. "The Stylus Pro 11880 gives us the best quality at the level we wanted to go in at," says Peter. "Design agencies have very high standards and we wanted to be absolutely certain we could deliver the highest levels of quality and colour along with a fast and reliable service."

A feature of the SP11880 that in particular impresses Vivid is the ability to produce reliable and vibrant colour. "The colours are very vibrant, which is very important," says Peter. "Reds, oranges, greens - they all come out brilliantly."

The company deals with about 16 shopping centres across the UK, producing point of sale material, promo advertising both internally and externally, window vinyls and floor vinyls. "Everything that we throw at it, it handles with no problems," says Peter.

Vivid bought the Stylus Pro 11880 from Fastek Graphic Services in Leeds. Barry Singleton, sales and marketing manager of Fastek, says: "When Vivid set us the task of identifying a software and printer combination package to best suit its needs, we suggested the Epson Stylus Pro 11880 and the ErgoSoft Poster Print Rip. The 64-inch size made sense for the larger format graphics and as the majority of its work is indoor graphics, it is a perfect fit. Vivid is a pretty forward thinking company and I expect they will be looking to grow and have the ability to provide outdoor graphics."

Peter agrees with this. "We plan to double the size of the business in the next year. We have already exceeded our expectations for this year and could expand now, but we want to wait until we have completed one whole financial year."  The expansion plans include another Stylus Pro 11880 and another printer for the outdoor market, which is still in the decision process.

This success is largely put down to Vivid's own quality standards. It constantly checks the print quality for colour and consistency and prints on "the best substrates using the best inks, which are both Epson". Each customer gives feedback on every job, grading the quality of print and service and Vivid monitors all of this information to keep ahead of the game.

Its website is unusual and eye-catching but this is not a case of style over substance. Ordering online is quick and easy, with the process being pared down to the essential information only. "The quicker, easier and more enjoyable we can make it for the customer, the better - for us and them," says Peter.

 

With a product portfolio already boasting an extraordinary range of printing technologies, Mimaki has announced the addition of their latest range topper in the UV curing field. Benefiting from pioneering technology that features in the award winning and much heralded hybrid LED UV curing UJV-160 model, the new Mimaki JFX-1631 is a quite stunning grand format offering, marking the company out as real innovators in the print technology arena.

Featuring a low power consumption, long lasting and low heat emitting LED UV curing system, the JFX ticks all the right environmental boxes from the off. Saving some two-thirds the energy of alternative machines, the LED technology has many other advantages – not least of which is the massive reduction in running costs. Drawing so much less power is an obvious saving, but with the lifetime of the LED being around 5 times longer than regular metal halide bulbs, it's a big saving in consumable items too. With typically reduced ink usage compared to solvent machines, Mimaki's UV offerings run at lower costs - and for jobs that need lamination, total turnaround time is a fraction of that needed for solvent prints, as no gassing off is required.

One inherent feature of the LED technology is that it requires no 'warm up' time, so relatively instant printing can be achieved - switching on and off as required. Whilst this further reduces the energy consumption of the printer, it also extends the life of the LEDs even further - to somewhere in the region of 5,000 hours.

Creatively, the JFX leads the way as well - benefiting from the LED UV curing system drastically reducing the amount of generated heat, which allows the machine to print to a broader range of heat-sensitive media; such as foam boards, PVC and styrene panels that would typically be prone to bowing under heat.

The JFX-1631 incorporates eight new print heads to achieve a print speed twice that of previous models, and whilst very quick, Mimaki's new head positioning system uses high resolution linear motors for ultra-fine step accuracy and dot placement. The use of this technology results in further enhanced printing of solid colours and even allows output of legible, 3 point text.

Mimaki offer two types of UV ink for the machine - either the proven flexible ink set; created in conjunction with 3M, that features on the UJV-160, or a hard set that also features a white for printing to clear or coloured substrates. The flexible inkset stretches up to 200% (dependent upon media) and can be cut through, creased and scored after printing - meaning printed packaging substrate can be produced, or full bleed display graphics that could challenge alternative UV technologies on other machines.

With a bed size of 1.6m x 3.1m, the JFX-1631 falls firmly into the high end, grand format category of machines, and with its ability to print to substrates up to 50mm thick, offers a vast array of creative possibilities. Mimaki has a primer to improve ink keying to certain materials - expanding the capabilities of the JFX beyond the basics of display graphics output, towards glass, metals and other more demanding substrates.

Available through Mimaki's exclusive UK & Ireland distributors, Hybrid Services Ltd, their National Sales Manager, John de la Roche said; "Mimaki extend their heritage in the performance UV market with the launch of the JFX, and the features that we've added to this machine are immense. It simply confirms our commitment to innovation, and meets the needs of our customers both environmentally and when it comes to sheer out-and-out performance and print quality."

 

EFI today announced that demonstrations of the revolutionary 3.2-meter hybrid VUTEk GS3200 superwide printer will be given at the company’s 10th annual Connect users’ conference from August 2 to 5 at the Wynn Las Vegas. This year, EFI is demonstrating the new VUTEk GS3200 superwide format UV printer along with integrated workflow solutions from EFI, and inviting customers to join presentations given by product experts that will focus on the technology of VUTEk printers and the exciting economics of how these superwide format printers are driving record profitability for EFI’s customers.

“EFI Connect attracts existing customers and potential buyers from around the globe and this exclusive EFI summer event is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate the newly introduced VUTEK GS3200,” said Chuck Dourlet, vice president of marketing, EFI VUTEk. “This is an incredible, uncompromising product that has speeds up to 2400 square feet per hour, resolution up to true 1000 dpi and the versatility to address just about any wide-format application you can dream of. The GS series printers have been received with incredible enthusiasm from the industry, and our prospective buyers have been clamoring to see one in action. We’re really looking forward to showing off the GS3200 alongside of EFI’s industry leading print management and workflow solutions in Las Vegas.”

“High performance equipment and solid processes… both are essential to grow and sustain profitability. EFI’s VUTEk superwide and Rastek wide format color imaging equipment, driven by EFI’s Fiery XF software for advanced color management, can provide our customers a strong competitive edge,” said Frank Mallozzi. “Additionally, tying in EFI’s Digital StoreFront provides our customers an Internet-based virtual front door for their business, giving them extra ways to acquire more customers and provide superior customer service to their clients. And, when integrated with EFI’s Advanced Professional Print Software, their business has the foundation it needs to optimize the VUTEk & Rastek printers and maximize the profit potential of virtually every job.”

The VUTEk GS3200’s versatility expands the reach of superwide printing into new industries and applications with breakthrough speed and incredible quality in the same printer. VUTEk’s Dual-Resolution Capability enables true 600 dpi and true 1000 dpi output with selectable 24pl or 12pl drop sizes, and produces eye-catching, photorealistic graphics in 8-color (plus white) mode at speeds up to 1200 feet per hour and in its Fast-5™ mode with speeds up to 2400 square feet per hour.

The GS3200 easily competes with high-volume commercial production printers and is the perfect replacement for a wide range of wide-format and superwide printers in one shop, as it exemplifies flexible, versatile production with its ability to transition from rigid to roll-to-roll in less than one minute, and its capacity to print on a broad range of substrates. It delivers unique, in-line, three-layer white-printing capability, allowing access to a whole new range of creative, high-value applications and is perfect for long runs or short runs in high quality and at high speeds, offering the highest return on investment (ROI) in the industry.

In addition to live, hands-on product demonstrations, EFI’s VUTEk product experts will also be conducting a special track for prospective buyers. These presentations will address the ROI and economics of superwide printing, profit opportunities in traditional and new superwide format applications, market conditions and outlook for superwide format printing, as well as a technology deep-dive with the VUTEk product managers. These presentations will complement the live product demonstrations, and will be of great value to EFI customers and prospective buyers who want to learn more about the advantages of VUTEk printers and superwide printing.

 

Fujifilm Dimatix has launched the latest addition to its line of Spectra brand drop-on-demand inkjet printhead products with the introduction of the new Spectra Polaris PQ-512/15 printhead aimed at a wide range of demanding printing applications.

The Spectra Polaris PQ-512/15 printhead utilizes the binary operating capability of Dimatix’ VersaDropTM jetting technology and Q-class hybrid construction to deliver ink drop sizes from 15 to 30 picoliters from 512 individually addressable inkjet nozzles at continuous frequencies up to 45 kHz fired at 8 meters/second velocity with exceptional straightness.

The new Spectra Polaris printhead is equipped with a flexible, fluid interface allowing single or two-color operation with a broad range of inks, including UV-curable inks and aggressive organic solvents, making it suitable for a broad range of commercial and industrial printing applications such as wide-format, label and package printing at resolutions to 1000 dpi.

An integral mounting bezel designed with precision registration points enables drop-in alignment – a unique repairable feature allows each 256-channel jet module to be exchanged and accurately registered in the field without the need for special tools or recalibration. Each 256-channel jet module is also dual-ported to facilitate ink flushing and recirculation. Heaters and temperature sensors allow precise control of ink viscosity at jetting temperatures up to 70 degrees C.

“The Spectra Polaris PQ-512/15 printhead gives systems builders the option to design scanning products tailored to a wide range of printing applications requiring both speed and print quality,” said Marc Torrey, Vice President, Marketing, Fujifilm Dimatix. “That high level of versatility in an economical printhead module designed to provide long-service life and simplified field maintenance will make the Spectra Polaris PQ-512/15 the printhead of choice to drive a new class of highly flexible printer products.”

 

At a time when there’s been industry wide price increases – in most cases put down to the weakness of the pound, it's nice to be able to report a “good news story” on the ink pricing front. Mimaki’s exclusive distributor for the UK and Ireland, Hybrid Services Ltd, announced this week that their award winning flexible UV ink has been reduced in price by a quarter.

This price reduction has made it substantially more competitive; against not only other UV machines but in comparison to some other manufacturers’ solvent inks that continue to rise in price. As specified on the EDP award-winning Mimaki UJV-160 flatbed / roll-to-roll printer and as a standard option on the newly launched grand format flatbed machine (the Mimaki JFX-1631); the price reduction on the LF-200 ink set will benefit many users and makes for a sound argument for both machines.

Hybrid’s National Sales Manager, John de la Roche told us; “To be able to slash 25% of the running costs out of an already competitive package is very satisfying for us and our customers. With its flexible properties and huge creative potential, the Mimaki LED UV ink is a pretty revolutionary product and as the opportunity has arisen to reduce its cost, we’ve jumped at it.”

With immediate effect, Mimaki’s LF-200 ink is now just £90 per cartridge, making an ISO-400 print around 80p per square metre and is available from stock through Hybrid’s authorised resellers.