Ink

Van Son Holland Ink Corporation, a leading global manufacturer of high performance printing inks for offset presses, today announced a key shift in the roles and responsibilities of three senior management staff members to prepare for future growth.

Effective immediately, former Van Son North American President Joe Bendowski has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer where he will oversee and direct all operations of the company with a particular focus on business development.

"Along with the President, I will develop and manage our strategic plan to advance the company's mission and promote profitability and future growth," Bendowski said. Bendowski will also maintain his seat on the board of directors for the entire Van Son Group of Companies worldwide to help seek new business opportunities for the potential expansion of the global organization.

To fill Joe Bendowski's position, Van Son has promoted former Vice President of Sales & Marketing, John Sammis, to President. Sammis has a proven track record for advancing position in the commercial sheet?fed printing ink market and will assume the direct leadership of all of the Company's functions with an emphasis on establishing and maintaining client relationships.

Finally, former National Sales Manger John Bendowski will take the helm of Vice President of Sales & Marketing. With an infectious enthusiasm for the ink business, John Bendowski has established a reputation for excellence within the industry. As Vice President of Sales and Marketing, he will be responsible for Van Son's nationwide sales and technical staff. He will also interact with our clients at the mid to executive level in order to reinforce and support Van Son's unique "Direct Through Distribution" network.

"Through this newly created management team we all can be confident that Van Son will continue to enhance its reputation as one of the most admired and respected companies in the Graphic Arts industry." said Joe Bendowski.

"Our goal is to keep evolving," added John Sammis. "So keep an eye on Van Son's new initiatives in the months to come."

The recent FESPA exhibition in Munich saw Ink Technologies (UK) Limited (ITL) showcase its newest alternative inks for wide-format digital technologies for the first time on the international stage. Earlier this year, the British company launched three products, VTV, MS5 True Solvent and i-BiO, all of which provide an innovative and cost-effective alternative for production onto rigid, flexible and textile materials. ITL offered printer owners insight into the versatility, efficiency and colour accuracy of its recent innovations, as well as being keen to share how good management and quality manufacture can combine to benefit all of its customers, both in Europe and further afield.

The company offers dedicated support and service to end users and has engineers based in several locations world-wide, including North America, Australasia and Asia. Its fundamental British quality standards are what attracts a broad international user base to its products and services and explained ITL's decision to brand its FESPA stand with the iconic British telephone box.

"Keeping research and development and quality control processes solely on UK shores has a multitude of advantages," explains Peter Williams, ITL's sales and marketing director. "Not only are we able to ensure the level of classic standards associated with fine British engineering, but there really is no substitute for the enhanced communication that only can be achieved by a tightly knit team which works face-to-face daily. It is this level of understanding which sets ITL apart in an age of outsourcing and ensures our pre-eminence in terms of efficiency, service and skilful production."

The first of ITL's new inks, Versatile Textile and Vinyl (VTV) has been popular since its launch due to its ability to produce results of equal quality on either textile or vinyl substrates, thus eliminating the need to change inks when switching material types. Other popular features include its resilience against fading and the strikingly vivid results and wide gamut produced with its CMYK, orange and green. VTV has proven to be a dependable addition to the solvent inks market due to both the stability of its colours and its potential to decrease costs significantly. In addition, ITL has taken measures to minimise the environmental impact of VTV, making it not only a convenient but also a greener choice for today's display producers as a mild solvent suitable for retail environments and other indoor spaces.

It is sustainability which is central to the second of ITL's innovations, MS5 True Solvent, an ink designed to work in tandem with Mimaki's JV5 printer series. Capable of reducing expenditure whilst maintaining colours consistent with the printers' original CMYKLcLm ink set, the MS5 is also able to withstand the elements, including extensive UV exposure, with an outdoor durability of up to 24 months.

"The MS5 produces rich results across an exhaustive spectrum of colours and is a hardy ink which really does stand the test of time," states Williams. "ITL has also been mindful of convenience when manufacturing this ink, so no cleansing of machines is necessary when swapping cartridges. In addition, companies can rest assured that storing the product on site prior to use will not diminish its effectiveness as it has a shelf-life of up to 18 months."

The third of ITL's options is the new i-BiO, an ink ideal for companies eager to improve their environmental practices. This mild-solvent choice, which is suitable for Mimaki, Mutoh, Roland and Uniform machines using Epson's DX3 or DX4 print-heads, offers all the colour density associated with more traditional inks whilst reducing VOCs and bettering the biodegradability of most mainstream alternatives.

The new ITL trio provides only a glimpse of the variety offered by the company in terms of ink-jet solutions for the wide- and superwide-format printing industries. Its fulsome catalogue boasts solvent inks - including eco- and mild versions - in addition to aqueous and UV-curable inks, all of which are compatible with the majority of widely used ink-jet printer brands.

"As a business committed to delivering first-class goods and robust customer support alongside efficient, reliable British manufacture across the industry internationally, ITL was excited to introduce its full spectrum of products and services to FESPA's visitors at this year's exhibition," continues Williams. "Our visitors were impressed by the results that can be achieved with ITL products, the delivery options and their lack of expense at a time when all companies are trying to keep their costs down."

Manufacturer and supplier of alternative digital inks, ITL (Ink Technologies (UK) Ltd) was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Cheshire, in the north of England. All manufacturing and product development takes places in the UK only and the company achieved the BS EN ISO 9001:2000 standard in 2006, upgraded to ISO 9001:2008 in early 2009. Its products span a multitude of applications, including eco- and full-solvent, aqueous-based, UV-curable and industrial coding and marking inks.

 

Cheshire-based company Ink Technologies (UK) Ltd (ITL) is reinforcing its continuing expansion with the appointment of Stephen Wright to the role of customer service executive. Having joined the company in April 2010, Wright will support and build upon ITL's commitment to keeping customer requirements and opinions at the forefront of its approach to the development and supply of high-quality alternative printing inks for small-, wide- and large-format production.

Wright brings his expertise in service and support to ITL and will build on the existing customer-focused mentality that exists within the company. "This is an exciting opportunity to develop customer service within a British business which has a positive approach to its market," enthuses Wright. "ITL has shown steady growth and a progressive ethos which extends across the company. This is evident not just from the expansion of the service team but also from its commitment to improving its environmental stance."

Wright is keen to implement a structured approach to improving customer experience by contacting key accounts and assessing and implementing their responses and recommendations. This will ensure that each customer receives a personalised service built directly around their requirements. "Customer service should be an organic process whereby the individual business calls for something and the provider responds appropriately to cater to the market's needs," he explains. "ITL has always understood this and I plan to further this approach in my new position."

Before his move to ITL, Wright's most recent role was to maintain the customer service portion of UK operations for chemicals company Lord Corporation Europe, based in Trafford Park, Greater Manchester, as it transferred operations to German and other European bases. "I am delighted to become part of a dynamic company which is committed to retaining and developing its manufacturing base from headquarters in the UK," Wright says. "ITL's global vision of quality means that it can provide a world-class service across its operations - including those closest to home."

Wright's wealth of experience in customer service operations is considerable and includes some 16 years at the Yellow Pages, and time as a DHL representative embedded at Kelloggs. "Steve has an incredibly strong skill set built over many years of expertise in customer service," explains Peter Williams, ITL's sales and marketing director. "I have no doubt this knowledge will transfer smoothly into the digital ink industry, complementing ITL's commitment to its customers."Â

As both internal customer service leader and a face for ITL's dedication to its clients, Wright is expanding the company's systems with the implementation of a new customer relationship management system (CRM). This will enable ITL to make service improvement an integral part of the company's operation, instilling regular monitoring of requirements and feedback from clients as regular practice for all employees.

"No two customers are alike," concludes Wright. "I maintain that companies which wish to build a strong client base must understand and respond to this fact - and I believe that ITL is doing just that."

Manufacturer and supplier of alternative small-, wide- and large-format digital ink-jet inks, ITL (Ink Technologies (UK) Ltd) was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Cheshire, in the north of England. All manufacturing and product development takes places in the UK only and the company achieved the BS EN ISO 9001:2000 standard in 2006, upgraded to ISO 9001:2008 in early 2009. Its products span a multitude of applications, including eco- and full-solvent, water-based, UV-curing and coding inks.

 

Accompanied by a live on-stand demo at its FESPA stand, Sun Chemical showcased the latest in digital ink innovation with its Streamline inks range.

Building on its core proposition of world class inks, the Streamline range offers unrivalled quality for wide-format digital printing. Streamline digital ink jet provides the optimal solution for such large format display advertising including hoardings, vinyl banners and building wraps.

The newest editions to the range include easy to use cartridges suitable for use on Mimaki, Roland and Mutoh printers.

The fact that FESPA attracts over 650 exhibitors and many thousands of international visitors is itself testament to the sheer competitiveness of today's digital, screen and fabric printing sectors.

The world of digital printing is a fast-growing and competitive segment," said Jonathan Sexton, Sales and Marketing Director, Screen & Narrow Web Europe at Sun Chemical. "To succeed in today's market we need to go over and above the role of the supplier of quality and robust products. We do this by offering unparalleled support to all our partners from first consultation through to dedicated after sales support."

With over thirty years in the digital ink technology, Sun Chemical not only offers the best breed of quality and development behind its products, but also prides itself as being a trusted long term partner. As a company, it sets itself apart from the competition by offering full access to sales, technical, and engineering support.

"Sun Chemical's presence at FESPA demonstrated our continued commitment to the graphic and industrial markets," said Felipe Mellado, Chief Marketing Officer, Sun Chemical. "We have invested heavily in screen and digital print technologies and unveiled a number of product launches while at the show."

Sun Digitals' Streamline inks are distributed in the UK by IGS, find out more by visiting www.igsuk.net/sun

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.

 

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.