Media

Hot-on-the-heels of the launch of new eco-friendlier poster papers, Sihl has announced new, high quality large format coated canvas media for the UK signs, advertising and art print sectors.

The Bern-based inkjet media specialist says it has developed Miro Gallery Canvas white 340 and Fortuna Artist Canvas white 400 specifically to meet growing demand for highest quality media in the artist sector.

Both materials have a bright white coating, providing a very wide color gamut, ranging from transparent color gradients to exceptionally high color densities.

Sihl said prints on the new media boast 'photorealistic appearance and outstanding form stability.'

"The special coating on these very high quality canvas products enables them to absorb large amounts of ink. This means that even critical, dark and uniform areas of color or grey can be homogeneously reproduced. The matt inkjet coating is water-resistant allowing users to print durable, waterproof motifs," said Sam Iliaifar, Sihl Group UK area sales manager.

Key features and benefits:

Sihl Miro Gallery Canvas white 340matt 3580-340 gsm

• 1:1 structure guarantees highest print quality.

• Polyester/cotton base provides excellent dimensional stability and rigidity.

• Exceptionally flexible coating will not break when stretched over a canvas frame.

• Coating can be further refined with varnish or spray.

• Guaranteed long-term picture quality with pigment inks.

• High quality results across all standard printing systems.

Sihl Fortuna Artist Canvas white 400 matt 358 – 400 gsm

• Matt surface 400 gsm canvas provides optimum print quality for the art print market.

• 2:1 linen structure creates 'valuable and exclusive' appearance.

• Resistant to cracks.

• Printed picture impervious to water splashes.

• Strong contrast print possible using small quantities of ink.

• Perfect for the indoor sector.

• Printer compatible—but with a sharp focus on latest printer systems using pigment inks.

• Canvas can be treated with varnish or spray.

"The polyester/cotton base of the Miro Gallery Canvas white 340 provides superb dimensional stability and rigidity. This canvas will satisfy the most demanding customers searching for solutions in the indoor sector of the advertising market—but also those working with framed works of art," said Iliaifar. "The new Fortuna Artist Canvas white 400 gsm is just the perfect answer in the art print sector. It's highly flexible, waterproof and delivers a compelling' expensive-looking' finished product."

Both media are available now in various widths and 12 meter lengths.

Drytac has added a recyclable blockout banner material, for UV flatbed printers to its line of print media.

Made of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), EarthSmart™ Eclipse can be recycled in commercial plastics recycling programs to become raw material for products like trash bags and landscape fabric.  It is also certified by ASTM International (ASTM) to biodegrade in most landfills.

EarthSmart™ Eclipse is a bright white 15 mil, curl-free banner material.  It is available in 54-inch, 63-inch and 72-inch wide rolls.

Using the EarthSmart™ Eclipse banner material with Drytac’s Panda Stand™ can provides a complete eco friendly display solution for the end user.

At the VISCOM sign show in Italy (5-7 November at Fiera Milano, Milan, Italy) Hexis will preview 2 new cast vinyl series for car wrapping applications.

The new HX30000 series saw the addition of 2 Variochrome versions that were presented with demos on an Aston Martin DBRS9 GT3 racecar. The 2 shade shift colours, a mother-of-pearl white and an iridescent purple, are cast vinyl films with colour variable pigments carrying a solvent-based adhesive and a structured PE liner with Hex’Press technology that allows convenient air egress during application. Because of its high flexibility and conformability fast and risk free transfers are practically guaranteed. It is particularly suitable for vehicle full wraps and for all long-term applications on complex and compound curved surfaces. With the shade shift feature highly effective colour effects can be achieved.

The standard roll size is 30m long and 1370mm (54in) wide. 63-inch (1600-mm) rolls will be available later.

Also on show will be the new HX30000 “Carbon”, a multi-layered 135µm cast vinyl film with a carbon fibre embossed pattern. It carries the proven solvent-based adhesive and a structured PE liner with Hex’Press technology that allows convenient air egress during application. With its extreme flexibility and high conformability fast and risk free it is principally destined for vehicle full wraps and other long-term outdoor applications. It is the ideal high-end solution for heavily curved surfaces and all substrates with long life cycles.

Swatch books and catalogues are available directly from Hexis or from local distributors.

Hexis manufactures a full line of graphic vinyl and digital printing media used for sign making and vehicle markings. The company is based in Frontignan, near Montpellier, France with subsidiaries in Germany, Italy, Spain and the United States and with affiliate Hexis companies in the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK. The group exports some 40% of its sales to over 40 countries worldwide, with a consolidated turnover of EUR 40.1 million in 2008.

Sihl has launched three new 'eco-friendlier' multi-purpose poster papers into the large-format market.

The 'wet-strength' Post-2-Cure Papers have been specially developed by Sihl for use with latest generation latex inks from HP and are suited for both indoor and outdoor use.

"Latex inks are based on an infra-red hardening technique and require their own range of media. Sihl has responded to this need with the launch of Post-2-Cure Paper 125, Post-2-Cure Paper 180 and Post-2-Cure Paper blueback 125 – all high quality wet-strength papers enabling weather and water resistant prints both with the new latex and with UV-hardening inks, whilst remaining compatible with real solvent inks," said Sam Iliaifar, Sihl Group UK.

"This is the eco-friendlier option. These bright white poster papers enable digital services providers to produce prints with a high productivity which are significantly less harmful to the environment and our health than solvent inks. The Post-2-Cure alternatives are in addition to the six solvent-based printing media from the speciality sector which we have already introduced for the HP DesignJet L65500 (the first printer to use the new water-based HP latex ink) and the brand new HP DesignJet 25500," said Iliaifar.

According to Sihl, the poster papers offer impressive color reproduction and correspond to offset-printed posters in terms of surface feel and appearance.

"The heat that has an effect on the paper during processing causes only minimum paper shrinkage—and with these properties the new media promises high-quality, superior poster application," said Iliaifar

Additional features and benefits of the new papers:

Post-2-Cure Paper 125 satin 3741 – 125gsm: This bright white poster paper, with its specially finished surface incorporates a slight barrier coating on the back. It can be used for indoor signs; indoor short-term promotions; city light posters/outdoor light box displays.

Post-2-Cure Paper 180 satin 3742 – 180gsm: This heavyweight poster paper, complete with slight barrier coating on the reverse side can be used for indoor signs and short-term promotions; pop-up displays; city light posters and outdoor light box displays.

Post-2-Cure Paper blueback 125 satin 3740 – 125 gsm: This option with its specially finished surface and barrier coating on the back is suitable for indoor signs and short-term promotions plus billboard and advertising applications. The blue reverse side enhances opacity when wet.

"The new types of print media are also ideal for information signs laminated to panels or with a cold laminate finish or for photorealistic posters," said Iliaifar.

Vehicle body shops and car owners can now restore, modify or customise cars with low-cost, no mess, carbon fibre finishes.

3M DI-NOC Carbon Fibre Finish, from 3M UK & Ireland, is a vinyl film that looks like the real thing but is less expensive and more versatile. It is simple to install and easy-to-clean with a modern, visually appealing design making them perfect for unique wrapping of interior or exterior car surfaces such as bonnets, boots, roofs, side view mirrors and interior plastic.

It's not a carbon pattern printed; the film has an embossed finish resembling true carbon fibre, which reflects light as expected and changes the highlights of the pattern depending on the viewing angle.

Already widespread in interior decoration and exterior building design applications, 3M DI-NOC Finishes are scratch resistant and highly durable. There are a huge number of patterns and designs in the range from natural to hi-tech, which faithfully reproduce wood, stone, sand, marble, stucco, leather and many others, but the most fashionable patterns are from the carbon family.

"We are delighted by the enthusiasm and interest that our 3M DI-NOC Carbon Finishes are generating in the market. They offer a stylish substitute to authentic carbon fibre. They also offer ultimate versatility and adaptability to curved, irregular and flat surfaces, and are more cost-effective, replacing expensive and laborious modification and maintenance work," said Cécile Linard, European Market Development Manager Signage Products, 3M Commercial Graphics.

Featuring 3M Comply adhesive, 3M DI-NOC Carbon Fibre Finishes for car personalization allow quick and easy application. The air trapped between the film and the surface is released via tiny channels resulting in a bubble-free installation. The thinness of the film also enables installations that are lighter in weight compared to real carbon fiber bonnet and hard-top parts.

As a result of decades of experience in the production of self-adhesive films, 3M DI-NOC has excellent resistance to water, dirt, impacts, wear, abrasion and mould. It is amongst the technologically most advanced and prestigious products offered by 3M.

With glass playing an increasing role in architecture, glass decoration is gaining in popularity.

Now designers can look forward to yet another innovation in film as ASLAN presents two new products.

With its specially developed Dryapply technology, ASLAN’s new, self-adhesive, sandblast-look glass decoration film offers a major advantage: simple, bubble-free, dry application on any glass surface. A honeycomb structure in the release liner creates air channels in the adhesive, enabling bubbles to be simply smoothed out, and guarantees problem-free, dry application with no need for water.

In addition to the very easy and quick application method, another plus is that the application tape can be removed as soon as the film has been applied. There’s no more waiting, which means users save a huge amount of time. On top of that, this sight-obscuring film is ideal for digital prints using solvent, eco-solvent and UV inks, making it the perfect choice for creative designs on glass.

The film comes in two types: ASLAN EL 300, with a width of 1.26 m, for cutter plotters and ASLAN DFL 300, with a width of 1.37 m, for digital prints.

ASLAN products are available in the UK from Doro-Tape.

Further information is also available on the ASLAN website at www.ASLAN-schwarz.com