Hardware - Wide Format Print

 

Challenge:

• Press On Digital Imaging needed a large-format printing solution that would help sharpen its competitive edge and broaden its offerings.

Solution:

• New HP Designjet L25500 Printer with HP Latex Inks
• Recyclable HP large-format printing materials, including new HP Light Textile Display Banner
• HP Large-format Media take-back program

Results:

• Fast-drying HP Latex Inks help improve turnaround times critical to winning new business and improve Press On Digital
• Imaging’s work environment.
• The HP Designjet L25500 Printer appeals to environmentally conscientious customers by delivering odorless prints3 on recyclable HP printing materials.

Make-or-break technology

In the fiercely competitive large-format printing market, technology can make or break a business. Investing in the right technology at the right time can make a positive, long-term impact on a company’s bottom line. For the last six years, Press On Digital Imaging (PODI) has made HP its technology provider of choice.

The U.K.–based company tried many manufacturers’ models before turning to HP in 2003 when it was drawn by HP’s rapid technology advancements. In August 2009, PODI turned to HP technology again to set itself apart from the competition, becoming one of the first to use the new HP Designjet L25500 Printer with HP Latex Inks.

PODI needed no-compromise performance for its busy retail, events and construction customers, and it was eager to put the HP Designjet L25500 to work. “This is an ideal printer for anyone wanting an all-around performer that’s easy to use and has indoor and outdoor versatility,” explains Andy Wilson, PODI managing director. “Plus, it has the same reliability HP is known for, and HP Latex Inks that improve my work environment and give me a competitive edge.”

Do-it-all versatility and ease of use

With a customer base that demands a wide range of large-format printing offerings, Press On Digital Imaging benefits from the indoor and outdoor versatility of the HP Designjet L25500. HP Latex Inks deliver sharp, vivid image quality that stands up to close inspection as well as long-lasting, durable prints that withstand the elements.

PODI immediately put these capabilities to the test on both fronts. It printed advertisements for an international coffee company for placement on elevator doors in malls around London. It also created outdoor prints for the 8-foot walls that surround construction at the Park Lane Hilton in London. In both settings, the results were outstanding — and fast.

Wilson notes that HP Latex Inks’ fast dry times were essential. Compared with solvent-based printing, PODI saved more than eight hours of drying time on the elevator-door prints. It also saved 36 hours of drying time on the prints for the Hilton, which allowed the company to produce the 516.67 square feet (48 square metres) of advertising in just three days.

The HP Designjet L25500’s versatility and fast turnaround times help PODI meet tight deadlines, and it provides tremendous advantages when it comes to winning print jobs. “The quickest company is often the one that gets the work. With HP Latex Inks, we’ll never again worry if the prints are dry, and we’ll be that much faster than the competition,” Wilson explains.

Beyond these features, Wilson says the ease of use of the HP Designjet L25500 also stands out. He explains that, because of the HP Latex Inks’ consistent results, “you don’t have to learn through trial and error like you do with a solvent-based printer. Plus, you don’t have to strip it down every morning and clean it religiously. When the printheads run out, you simply replace them.”

Competing-edge printing

The HP Designjet L25500 and water-based HP Latex Inks also provide Press On Digital Imaging many of the benefits of eco-solvent-ink technology, without the environmental, health and safety considerations. The benefits to print service providers are significant. The inks require no hazard labels and contain no hazardous air pollutants (HAPs).1 Plus, they are nonflammable and noncombustible.2 All of this can help to create an improved working environment for printer operators.

The benefits to environmentally conscientious customers are also substantial. The HP Designjet L25500 produces odorless prints3 and is compatible with HP recyclable large-format media, including new HP Light Textile Display Banner which can be recycled through the HP Large-format Media take-back program.4 Wilson says that by avoiding landfill disposal and associated expenses, media recyclability could present real cost advantages that can be passed on to customers.

Benefits to customers and print operators lead to a distinct competitive advantage. According to Wilson, many customers in the United Kingdom put a high priority on reducing the environmental impact of printing. “Green solutions are increasingly required by customers. Having a product with a better environmental profile opens doors and wins business,” he says.

Reliable performance makes a smart investment

The competitive nature of large-format printing means there is no room to make mistakes or miss deadlines. That requires technology with performance that is always reliable. And Wilson explains that reliability is one of the main reasons he’s stayed with HP, and why he runs a fleet of eight HP Designjet Printers.

“When I’m bidding for a job,” Wilson says, “I need to have the confidence that I can deliver on time. If the machine breaks down, I’ve lost a customer for good. We’re a small business, and technology is a big investment. In my experience, HP technology has always been reliable.”

Irish company Sigma Print & Media Group today announced it is the world’s first customer for the new Roland DG XC-540MT wide format metallic inkjet printer. Offering an unprecedented use of metallic inks, the new XC-540MT metallic inkjet printer will enable the company’s new wedding book division to bring unique, robust and visually brilliant printing options to its line of bespoke personalised wedding and photo books. The wide format metallic inkjet solution was unveiled at the recent Sign & Digital Ireland show, and marks a quantum leap for the printing industry, enabling users to print silver in addition to the regular CMYK+white to create a whole spectrum of metallic colours.

“The photo book market is one of the fastest growth markets within the print industry, and with the introduction of the XC-540MT, we are able to bring a very unique and emotive product to the marketplace” said Rory Kelly, CEO, Sigma Print & Media Group. “The ability to produce dynamic metallic colours and finishes will enable us to create high end and bespoke covers for our wedding books and photobooks. All individual tastes and preferences can be accommodated. We see becoming Roland DG’s first worldwide customer as the first step towards a lengthy and mutually beneficial business relationship.”

"We are proud to have an innovative industry-leading company like Sigma Print & Media Group as the first customer for our XC-540MT metallic inkjet printer,” said Martin Phillips, Director of Sales Roland DG (UK). “This new strategic customer relationship with Sigma is very much a synergy in thinking between our two companies. With the XC-540MT, we are continuing to push the boundaries of technology to evolve with our customers’ ever-changing business needs. This new evolution in printing will allow customers like Sigma to differentiate themselves from their competitors while reaping the rewards of value-added service and increased profitability.”

About Sigma Wedding & Photo Books

Sigma Print & Media Group is the first company in the wedding market to offer bespoke photobook style wedding albums. The wide range of wedding book packages features a variety of contemporary and classic cover styles, including personalised dust covers. Sigma’s investment in advanced digital technologies ensures delivery of high quality cost efficient products without the normal waiting period for printed albums. With a huge emphasis on customer experience, Sigma will also offer canvas prints, photographic and professional studio services. The entire production process, from design through to print and finishing, will be managed and supplied by the Sigma Wedding Books division.

In addition, Sigma Print & Media are currently in the process of trialing high volume digital colour printing equipment with plans to enter the online photobook market in the coming months. Our software and web stores will allow customers to create, edit and order their own personal Photobooks online using our desktop and browser based creation software. Sigma Wedding Books website will be launched in mid November with Sigma photobooks website debuting in January 2010.

Introducing World’s First Inkjet Printer/Cutter for Metallic Silver Ink

New Metallic Silver ECO-SOL MAX Ink Named 2009 DPI Product of the Year

 

Roland DG Corporation today announced the new SOLJET PRO III XC-540MT 54” inkjet printer/cutter featuring revolutionary new Metallic Silver ECO-SOL MAX ink (ESL3-MT).

As the world’s first inkjet printer/cutter developed exclusively for metallic silver ink, the XC-540MT features six colours, CMYK+Metallic Silver+White (CMYK+MT+W).  Compatible with vinyl, PET film, canvas, paper, transparent film and banner, the new metallic silver ink can be printed on demand as a spot colour or combined with the XC-540MT’s CMYK + W inks to produce a range of coloured metallic effects including gold, silver and pearlescent colours. A double white ink model (CMYK+WW) is also available for the brightest white text, graphics and floods.

“In the past, gold and silver effects could only be produced using more complex printing systems such offset and flexo presses, screen printing equipment or by foil stamping,” said Yuko Seki, Roland DG colour product manager.  “Each of these technologies requires plate processing, making it difficult and costly to produce metallic graphics in small quantities.  The new XC-540MT has transformed this process.  For the first time, professionals can take full advantage of Roland’s advanced inkjet technology to produce brilliant metallic graphics on demand – easily, profitably, and in any quantity.”

The XC-540MT is engineered for a wide range of applications including vehicle wraps, T-shirt heat transfers, labels, decals, POP displays, banners and signs. It achieves a maximum print speed of 41m²/hr and image quality up to 1440x1440 dpi resolution in CMYK mode.  As an integrated printer/cutter, the XC-540MT prints and then automatically contour cuts images without any steps in between.  As a result, the XC-540MT can be operated unattended and achieves lower operating costs and faster production times than competing inkjets.  It is ideally suited for producing short-run labels with spot colours.

To meet the demands of production shops, the XC-540MT features a heavy-duty media handling system, automated maintenance, the DU-540 dryer/blower unit and Roland’s most advanced inkjet technology, Roland Intelligent Pass Control.  ECO-SOL MAX inks offer dense, rich colours, superior scratch resistance, fast drying time, wide gamut, uncoated media support and outdoor durability of up to three years for CMYK, one year for White and one to three years for the new Metallic Silver ink.  DPI award-winning Metallic Silver ECO-SOL MAX ink produces thousands of metallic colours for premium quality graphics.

 

Roland SOLJET PRO III XC-540MT Features:

• 54” inkjet printer/cutter available in two ink configurations
  - CMYK + Metallic Silver + White for the widest range of applications
  - CMYK + White + White for the brightest white text, graphics and floods
• New Metallic Silver ECO-SOL MAX ink\
  - Prints as a spot colour
  - Combines with CMYK  for a spectrum of new metallic hues including gold, bronzes and a wide range of pearlescent colours.
• Roland’s unique Advanced Ink Circulation System
  - Prevents the pigment in metallic silver and white inks from settling
  - Requires no manual intervention
  - Reduces ink waste by up to 84% for lower running costs
• Roland Intelligent Pass Control® assures the highest productivity while maintaining smooth gradations and flawless solid colours
• Integrated print/cut technology quickly and easily prints and digitally die cuts finished graphics into virtually any shape, on demand

VersaWorks® Professional Color Management RIP Software Included

The XC-540MT includes VersaWorks 3.3, the latest version of Roland’s colour management RIP software. VersaWorks supports the Roland Color system which accurately reproduces spot colours from colour charts and swatch books. A new Roland Metallic Color library in VersaWorks features 12 metallic colours that print using CMYK+MT in a single pass. This palette includes silver, gold, bronze and nine other metallic colours. Users can also easily create and save their own custom metallic spot colours in VersaWorks. VersaWorks offers a wide range of print options including high-speed mode for production banner printing, the MAX Impact preset for vivid outdoor graphics and Artistic mode for exceptional indoor graphics to be viewed up close. In addition, VersaWorks automatically estimates the ink usage and print time for each graphic to accurately monitor time and costs.

 

Find out more, and order your free metallic print samples...

You can find out more about this new printer, arrange a demonstration, and order free print samples by visiting the Roland DG UK website.

 

Canon has announced that the imagePROGRAF iPF6100 large-format printer, high-stability LUCIA pigment inks, and Canon media have undergone extensive print permanence testing by Wilhelm Imaging Research (WIR). Results show that the iPF6100 printer and Canon media achieved a very high level of overall WIR Print Permanence Ratings for large format printers.

The Canon imagePROGRAF iPF6100 printer with LUCIA pigment inks (also used in the iPF9100/8100/6200/5100 printers) and a range of Canon media achieved a "Displayed Prints Framed Under Glass" average permanence rating of greater than 100 years for color output, and greater than 200 years for black-and-white output. The Canon prints were also very resistant to damage from high-humidity environments, resistant to ozone exposure, and resistant to water damage, according to WIR tests. "Whether printed in color or made in black-and-white, the prints are beautiful—and will remain beautiful—for a very long period of time," said Henry Wilhelm, president, Wilhelm Imaging Research.

The full WIR report for the Canon imagePROGRAF iPF6100 printer, which features California landscape photographer William Niell making prints with the iPF6100, can be found on the WIR website.

Wilhelm Imaging Research, using comprehensive print permanence test methods developed by the company over the past twenty five years, has become the de facto industry standard for most print categories for both consumer and professional printers. WIR’s tests are designed to evaluate ALL of the five major print longevity factors: prolonged exposure to light when displayed, dark storage stability, resistance to unprotected exposure to atmospheric ozone, resistance to high humidity, and resistance to damage by water.

"The Canon imagePROGRAF iPF6100 test results from Wilhelm Imaging Research further solidifies our position as a premier provider of quality, reliable large format imaging solutions," said Rich Reamer, director, Large Format Product Marketing, Canon USA. "The combination of vivid LUCIA pigment inks, device consistency and reliability make the iPF6100 one of our best large format printers for the photographic, fine art, and graphic arts markets."

It looks like a big photo-copier, and like a photo-copier the scanning is built in, but it produces wide prints at a rapid rate of knots. Interesting product, or shot in the dark?

Roger Ilgen, president of GEI WideFormat, a Visual Edge Technology Company, has announced the introduction of the new GEI 5636 engineering copier to the GEI WideFormat product line. "We are very pleased to provide our customers with such an exciting new product. The GEI 5636 has innovative features, such as color scanning, paired with ultra-fast output speeds," said Ilgen.

The GEI 5636 enhances workflow productivity with output speeds of 10 D-size prints-per-minute. Features such as an easy-access clamshell design, front copy exit tray that holds 99 D-size drawings, and a color LCD touch-panel interface make this engineering copier truly unique. Changing paper and toner is trouble-free with easy-to-use front loading drawers that house four rolls of 500-foot-long media and consumables are easily conserved with the ability to preview thumbnails prior to printing.

The most exciting feature of the GEI 5636 is the embedded colour scanner. Now, changes and additions or "redlines" are captured and circulated effortlessly. Also, the external 5636 print controller will interface with an inkjet printer for a complete colour copy system. Phil Trembly, national sales manager for GEI WideFormat said, "The GEI 5636 provides the perfect solution for high-volume environments where productivity is key."

At the SGIA tradeshow, KIP displayed the KIP Color 80; a new 36 inch wide colour addition to its line of wide-format document production systems - designed to provide the power of productivity to generate creative, full colour output while maintaining peak efficiency.

The KIP Color 80 system produces lightfast, UV-proof prints which do not fade or exhibit colour deterioration from exposure to light. Users value the fast, economical production of colourful banners, posters and signs. Oversized graphics displayed in hallways or placed in windows attract attention while large, full colour business-style graphics deliver the right message at meetings, sales presentations, and legal briefs. KIP Color 80 prints are ideal for most applications because of their ability to deliver high resolution image quality at production print speeds with low operational costs.

Features include:

• High Quality Colour Images

• LED printing technology system for durable full colour prints

• High-resolution output is true 600 x 600 dpi

• Toner system is UV and water resistant for maximum durability

• Advanced colour management features

• Automatic density controls ensure colour consistency

• Unprecedented Productivity

• Constant colour print production speed regardless of image type

• Print sizes from 8.5 x 11 inches to 36 inches by 100+ feet

• Production class print server provides fast colour file processing

• Four online media decks with on-the-fly roll changing

• Integrated stacking and folding solutions

• Bold, Expressive Colour Output

True 600 dpi resolution enables accurate reproduction of fine lines, oblique lines, curved lines, and small characters without distortion. Mixed fill areas and color gradients are handled efficiently to produce life like results when printing colour renderings and photographic information.

The KIP Color 80 features a unique, high-speed processor which drives the printer with high precision and helps ensure optimal image quality and color accuracy. This advanced processing system enables the printer to handle large volumes of data while optimizing output of complex, high-color images and renderings for maximum readability and color accuracy.

In the world of wide-format documentation, production speed is a key element to market success. The KIP 80 printer offers superb resolution at remarkable speeds, thanks to proven KIP LED imaging technology. In addition, auto-switching media rolls provide non-stop printing for maximum production.

The KIP Color 80 printer features a total of five media feed options: four online roll decks and manual bypass sheet feed enables the printer to accept both roll media as well as cut-sheet media for a high level of printing versatility.
Designed for convenient use in any environment, the KIP 80 is compatible with a wide range of media types:

Bond: 20, 24, and 32 pound

Film: 2 mil Opaque Outdoor, 3-4 mil Polyester, 4 mil Clear, 6 mil Clear Adhesive; 6 mil Opaque Adhesive

Specialty Media: 20 pound Blueback; 24 pound Rite in Rain All Weather Paper; 32 pound Gloss

KIP is committed to product designs that promote environmental health and sustainability. "Our goal is to consistently improve and refine the technologies in KIP products that keep our planet green. The greatest environmental benefit of KIP products is through the actual operation of our products and solutions. Customers increasingly value environmental aspects of products, such as energy efficiency, emissions reduction and the ability to recycle exhausted supply containers. We differentiate our products by integrating such features to deliver a low total cost of ownership and an improved user experience".