29 Mar 2024

Success for Mutoh and Arlon at FESPA Americas

Mutoh and Arlon steal the spotlight for the third year in a row at the FESPA/Graphics of the Americas trade show. Daily car wrap, printing and cutting demonstrations proved to be a leading event at the show. FESPA/Americas was held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida from March 24th to 26th.

Car Wraps were printed using Mutoh's ValueJet 1614-64", the "wrapper's choice" for speed, size and quality. All ValueJets are manufactured with Mutoh's i2: Intelligent Interweave print technique, a wave-print that virtually eliminates banding. Mutoh ran daily printing demonstrations of the ValueJet 1614 at the trade show.
 
Installers wrapped the Ford Mustang with Arlon's DPF 6000XRP, a 2-mil cast film with X-scape Technology for vehicle wrap applications. The vinyl is easy to install, highly conformable and cost competitive.
 
"Mutoh and Arlon proved to be a success, yet again, at the FESPA/Americas trade show," shares Brian Phipps, General Manager of Mutoh America Inc. "We enjoy being able to hold education seminars for the sign industry and are looking forward to future trade show demonstrations."
 
Other demonstrations took place using Mutoh's ValueJet 1304-54" printer and Kona 65" cutter. Kona Cutters have the finest cutting quality with excellent tracking. The Kona is available in a 30", 55", and 65" size.

John E Wright & Co Ltd hosts VIP technology day at Donington Park

When you think of state of the art technology, you’d be forgiven for making a connection with Formula 1. This is what East Midlands based John E Wright & Co Ltd will strive for in hosting its third VIP technology open day on the 8th of March at Donington Park Motor Museum – home to the largest private collection of Grand Prix racing cars in the country.

The theme of the show – Tomorrow’s Technology Today – will introduce you to new printers and printing/copying solutions from both major manufacturers; Hewlett Packard and Oce. Solutions focus on improved productivity, image quality and lower costs.  Companies that are involved in architecture, engineering, construction, GIS and planning will be impressed with the new print speeds and capabilities including large format multifunction printers, copiers and scanners, OS mapping/data solutions, innovative back up devices and much more.

Tony Barnett, MD of John E Wright explains; “A lot has changed in the world since our last event in the summer of 2008 and in the printing industry the focus has been on lower cost solutions to meet the demands of the new economy.  The printers on show are faster, better quality and, most importantly, have a lower cost of ownership to enable real cost savings in your print room.  We are combining a serious message on upgrading to save you time and money but we are also looking forward to the social aspect of our guests visiting us at Donington track. Enjoy a generous buffet lunch and our giant Scalextric track which is also back, with a chance to win a fun track day at Donington Park.  We appreciate your time is valuable so we will also be giving everyone a ‘thank you’ goodies bag."

As well as HP and Oce, the event is also co-sponsored by the Leicester Mercury and will feature the “Back Page” exhibition stand that is currently touring the Midlands.

For more information visit www.johnewright.com/donington

[Image: Tony Barnett MD of John E Wright & Co will welcome visitors to Donington Park Museum on the 8th of March.]

Agfa Graphics to hold US open day focusing on wide format inkjet solutions

Agfa Graphics has announced that technology experts will be at the company's Branchburg, NJ, manufacturing facility for a free Open House to demonstrate various wide-format UV inkjet printing systems, inks, software and more. The open house is being held on Wednesday, March 2nd and Thursday, March 3rd, 2011 from 10:00AM to 5:00PM.

Anyone interested in learning about digital inkjet printing systems is encouraged to attend the open house, which will include demonstrations of engines from Agfa, HP and Epson. Attendees can also learn about Agfa's inks and other production technologies associated with inkjet printing, such as finishing systems, colour management tools, web portals, job estimating software, and more. Agfa will also showcase its award-winning CtP portfolio, :Apogee workflow suite and extensive proofing solutions. In addition, attendees can evaluate Agfa's extensive media assortment and speak with media vendors such as 3M, Transilwrap, United, 3A Composites, Palram and Neschen.

"People who are interested in getting into inkjet printing can benefit from attending our open house. Those who are already involved can learn how they can make their current systems and processes even more efficient," said Deborah Hutcheson, Director of Marketing, Agfa Graphics, North America. "Wide-format inkjet is a fast-growing segment in the printing industry and is helping many printers offer new and exciting products and services to their customers that previously were unattainable for most commercial printers. The open house event in Branchburg will help show how wide-format inkjet technologies can boost your profitability."

Some of the systems and production tools being demonstrated include:

  • Agfa's :Anapurna M2050, Mw, Mv and M4f
  • HP DESIGNJET L25500
  • EPSON STYLUS PRO GS6000
  • UV & Solvent Roll-to-Roll Imagers
  • Aqueous fabric printers
  • :M-Press & :Dotrix industrial UV inkjet technologies
  • Finishing equipment
  • Colour management tools

Anyone interested in attending the open house is required to register for the event. Email antonia.davenport@agfa.com.

INX International to sponsor Print UV 2011 Conference

INX International Ink Company, an industry leader in UV/EB technology, is proud to be a platinum sponsor for the third consecutive year of the Print UV 2011 Conference.  To be held March 6-8 at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, the event offers UV users an excellent opportunity to network with industry leaders to enhance UV printing capabilities, discuss legislative issues and learn about the latest technologies.

Now in its fourth year, the Print UV 2011 Conference is expected to be sold out but registration continues with a few spots remaining. Jonathan Graunke, Vice President – Energy Curable Technologies for INX International, is scheduled to present the company’s latest developments in the LED UV arena and will serve as a panelist for the UV ink session.  Both discussions will take place on March 7.

“The UV/EB market continues to be a source of growth for INX around the world.  I’m planning to update the audience on the market, as well as some developments concerning LED UV that took place in the last year,” Graunke said. 

“The printers who attend this event are there to learn more about UV inks and how it can help their operations.  Our intention is to personally answer their questions with solid advice and discuss the latest about UV and the regulations that govern them.  We’ll also provide some insight about our Research & Development efforts and product development process.  With emerging technology being created as quickly as it is, a little knowledge and education goes a long way.”

UV experts from INX also will be in attendance to share the company’s expertise on ink and coating application techniques, in addition to leading technology advancements.

Free online registration for Northprint 2011 now open

Free pre-registration for all those wishing to attend Northprint 2011, which takes place at the Harrogate International Centre from 10-12th May, is now live via www.northprintexpo.com/register . Visitors registering in advance will benefit from fast-track entry, access to exclusive online industry reports and literature, regular news updates as well as priority registration to the new educational seminars at the show.

Set to deliver leading suppliers covering the whole production workflow, industry associations and more quality educational content than ever before, the new-look Northprint event will provide an unmissable programme for visitors.

“Pre-registration for Northprint not only saves a great deal of time when arriving, it also ensures visitors are sent relevant and valuable information early to plan their visit accordingly and maximise their time at the event,” says Trevor Crawford, Director of the IIR Print Group. “With the growing number of exhibitors committed to showing the latest technology live on-site combined with the free educational content at the show, Northprint will deliver an industry-wide highly relevant experience to network, view new products, explore innovative applications and take away inspirational ideas from the new business-focused features.”

New to Northprint 2011 will be the Printers’ Profit Zone as seen at Ipex, which will provide a series of free business growth seminars throughout the three days of the show. The BPIF’s Financial Alliance team of experts will also be hosting a Finance Clinic where printers can ‘drop in’ for impartial advice on anything relating to finance and funding. The event will also feature a theatre-style ‘Litho Technology Centre’ where offset manufacturers and distributors, accompanied by their customers will run videos, demonstrations and case study-style presentations.  The Wide-Format Applications Showcase in association with Image Reports will provide visitors with a great opportunity to explore the technical advances, increased revenue benefits and applications achievable with wide-format technology.

Offering an important information and planning tool, the Northprint website – www.northprintexpo.com – is already playing a crucial role in collecting and disseminating information to exhibitors and visitors alike. The increased functionality of the site enables exhibitors to post far greater detail about their specific plans. In addition, visitors have access to the latest exhibitor lists, including up to date product and service information, floor plans as well as educational seminar programmes and logistical information.

EFI to showcase end-to-end workflow solutions at FESPA Americas

EFI, a world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation, will be featured prominently at the upcoming FESPA Americas print exhibition, February 24-26 in Orlando, Florida. EFI is the only company in the printing industry to provide integrated end-to-end workflow solutions, including web-based file submission, print MIS software, a high-performance inkjet production RIP solution, and wide-format digital inkjet output devices. The company sees FESPA Americas as a perfect venue to showcase these capabilities.

EFI will be exhibiting in booth 1601, as well as in a special event feature called the FESPA Americas Wide Format Print Shop Live. There, EFI will demonstrate its end-to-end workflow solutions, including EFI Digital StoreFront® web-to-print solution, browser-based EFI Pace™ Print MIS solution, the professional-level EFI Fiery® XF RIP, and the EFI VUTEk® GS2000 UV digital inkjet hybrid printer. Frank Tueckmantel, VP Corporate Marketing at EFI states, “Print Shop Live is the perfect venue for our solutions. It allows customers to see demonstrations that relate directly to many of the real-life situations they encounter every day.”
 
Additionally, EFI Digital StoreFront is the web-based front end that is being used by FESPA Americas to accept incoming files for scheduled workflow demonstrations for the Wide Format Print Shop Live. Digital StoreFront is EFI’s web-to-print platform designed and built specifically for the printing industry. It allows printing companies to streamline workflow by offering an internet buying experience, along with management tools to provide an on-ramp for digital print production.
 
Another component of EFI’s integrated end-to-end solution is EFI Pace, a browser-based print management system. It helps printing companies run their businesses more efficiently by providing an easy-to-use way for printers to manage all aspects of their operation, including estimating, scheduling, job ticketing, data collection, invoicing and much more.
 
The EFI™ Fiery® XF high-performance RIP also will be featured. It boosts colour quality and productivity for large to superwide format printers, and maximises a print shop’s investment by reducing production times, unifying your production devices and delivering accurate colour on every job. For customers in North America, EFI is now offering EFI Fiery XF Color & Workflow Support Services to help increase your return on investment and enhance your product satisfaction by ensuring that you get the most from your Fiery XF production RIP for your EFI VUTEk® superwide format printer. Under this program, a Fiery expert comes to your site to perform money and time saving installation and implementation services that help you quickly produce quality prints, while reducing downtime and waste.
 
Scott Schinlever, the newly appointed Sr. VP/GM EFI, VUTEk, Rastek, is pleased about the company’s VUTEk offering that will be on display. Says Schinlever, “Our products are more versatile than ever before; empowering customers to pursue a wider variety of applications, earn new revenue and better differentiate their business from the competition.”
 
On display will be the EFI VUTEk GS2000 UV digital inkjet printer – a 2-metre flatbed and roll-to-roll UV printer with eight-colour, white and Fast-5™ printing capability that allows printing companies to take on premium-margin, three-layer jobs like P-O-P displays, day/night backlit signs, posters and more. The VUTEk GS2000 combines exceptional colour and image quality with high production speeds.
 
EFI and 3M have plans for a co-branded ink for the VUTEk GS2000 and GS3200 printers. With this new ink, output from the 2- and 3.2-metre printers, on 3M media, will meet the requirements of the 3M™ MCS™ Warranty, the premier graphics warranty in the industry. The ink is currently scheduled for commercial release in Q2 2011.
 
New ink is now available with the VUTEk GS5000r 5-metre roll-to-roll digital UV printer. Co-branded with and qualified by 3M, output from the GS5000r printed on 3M media with this exciting ink also meets the requirements of the 3M™ MCS™ Warranty. EFI customers using this ink are able to print the same applications as usual, but now with an extended range of applications offered by 3M’s materials, including long-term signage, fleet graphics and reflective applications.
 
“The VUTEk GS5000r 5-metre digital printer is an eight-colour printer with fantastic 1000 dpi quality. Its versatility allows us to print up to three 60-inch rolls simultaneously at speeds and resolutions not previously possible. We have never seen a five-metre machine with such a great combination of quality and speed. And by running the 3M ink, which sets a new high standard in adhesion and colour gamut, our graphics produced on this printer will now carry the 3M™ MCS™ Warranty. This printer has been a terrific addition to our arsenal of digital printers," said Mark Auth, president, Vomela Specialty Company.