The latest media profiles for Lightbar print technology are now available to download from the Partner Solutions website. Through the Partner Solutions programme, Roland DG (UK) Ltd. supports industry innovators to develop production technologies that open up new markets for Roland printers and printer/cutters.
The Partner Solutions developer responsible for Lightbar print technology, CSL Digital, is drawing upon its expert knowledge of inks, RIP software and the digital print process to produce a growing library of finely tuned profiles that improve print quality, increase productivity and reduce ink consumption for owners of Lightbar printers and printer/cutters.
Says Nick Wintle, Managing Director - CSL Digital, “In addition to producing print profiles in-house, we’re actively working with media manufacturers like 3M, Avery, Metamark, Hexis and Orafol to further expand the wide range of profiled media available to Lightbar users. A number of these manufacturers are also subjecting Lightbar prints to accelerated ageing and weathering tests to independently validate the superior outdoor print performance that our advanced ink technology can deliver with their materials.”
Lightbar printers and printer/cutters exploit the latest advances in solvent-UV ink chemistry. This unique ink formulation consists of UV curable colour pigments suspended in a minimal amount of solvent carrier. The solvent is used to create an initial bond between the colour pigments and the media. The print then passes through a UV light unit and cures completely. Bright, colour rich and extremely hard wearing, the resulting output is instantly usable and immediately durable. There’s no need to factor in any additional time for drying or out gassing. Regarding the question of lamination, Lightbar print technology makes it’s a matter of cosmetic preference rather than a practical necessity for all but the very toughest applications.
Nick Wintle continues, “On banner or self-adhesive vinyl, Lightbar print is absolutely perfect for sign and display work. It sets new industry benchmarks for ease of use, handling and durability. In my experience, the scratch and chemical resistance of the printed output is quite unprecedented and the elasticity of the ink is equally impressive. Print only or print and cut on the same machine, Lightbar is fast becoming the ‘must have’ production partner for sign and display professionals. “ In addition to the vibrant appearance, sheer convenience and outstanding durability of the print, companies investing in Lightbar technology have also been attracted by the financial incentive of lower ink costs. Lightbar ink consumption is much lower than comparative print technologies using latex inks. The reason for this is that the ratio of colour pigment to liquid carrier in Lightbar ink cartridges is significantly greater. The extra volume of colour pigment delivers more square metres of print per cartridge and so offers much better value for money.
Wintle concludes, “The economic argument for choosing Lightbar print technology over latex is a very powerful one. Not only are there major cost savings in terms of ink consumption, according to the product comparison print tests we’ve carried out, the overall running costs associated with Lightbar printing are considerably lower than the latex alternative too.”
Media profiles for the Lightbar RF-640, the Lightbar VS-i series and the Lightbar SP-540i can be downloaded from the corresponding product pages on the Partner Solutions website.
