Hardware

The Océ Arizona Series of UV flatbed printers have added two more awards to its list of distinguished honors. The Océ Arizona 350 XT and Océ Arizona 350 GT printers were both awarded the Product of the Year Award in their respective categories. The Océ Arizona 350 XT printer received the award for the Rigid Substrate UV >$200K MSRP category, and the Océ Arizona 350 GT printer was honored in the Rigid Substrate UV <$200K MSRP category. The awards were presented at the Specialty Graphic & Imaging Association's (SGIA) annual convention and exposition held October 7-9, 2009 in New Orleans, LA.

The Product of the Year Awards compare output from competing devices using a common test file designed by the association. The prints are reviewed by a panel of judges, each with a background and expertise in digital printing and imaging. The judges look for color appeal, detail and tonality, and the output is also judged on how closely it matches the test print.

The images for both entries were processed using ONYX ProductionHouse V7.3.2 Océ Edition RIP software. ONYX Graphics software utilizes ONYX color science and a proprietary color engine designed to specifically address color and profiling issues unique to large format inkjet printing. The results are better neutral, saturated and dark colors; and consistent color fidelity.

The Océ Arizona Series UV flatbed printers have been consistently honored by the SGIA organization. In 2006, the year of the original Océ Arizona 250 GT printer's introduction, it won the Vision Award, which is given to an exhibiting manufacturer whose new product has the best chance of positively impacting the digital imaging industry. The decision was based on the product's relevance to the market, potential industry influence and prospective value to the product's end users. The award was presented in September 2006.

In 2007, the Océ Arizona 250 GT printer was awarded the Product of the Year Award in the Output Device Rigid Substrate UV category. In 2008, the Océ Arizona 350 GT printer was given the Product of the Year Award Honorable Mention in the UV Cured Rigid category.

In all, Océ Arizona Series UV flatbed printers have accumulated 15 industry awards to date from organizations throughout the world. These awards validate the quality and innovation built into every Océ Arizona Series printer, now the most popular printer in its class.

Gerber Scientific Products unveiled its latest Solara ion flatbed UV printer, the new Solara ionZ at three recent trade shows.

The Solara ionZ's eight print head, 14 picoliter drop size print engine produced jobs that excited crowds at PRINT 09 in Chicago, Viscom Düsseldorf Germany 2009, and the 2009 SGIA Expo in New Orleans.

"The Solara ionZ is a powerful new edition to the popular line of Gerber UV flatbed printers. Capitalising on proven UV print technology and the universal flatbed platform of the Solara ion, the Solara ionZ produces output with simply outstanding print quality, unmatched ink adhesion and impressive colour representation accuracy," said Curt Brey, executive director of digital solutions, Gerber.

The Solara ionZ utilizes the innovative print technology found in the Gerber Solara ion family of printers. GerberCAT cationic UV inks offer the highest degree of UV ink performance because of their unique chemical bonding process. Gerber's Cold Fire Cure low energy cure technology operates at nearly room temperature, allowing the user to print on heat-sensitive materials such as paper-based products, thin styrene and corrugated plastic.

While several pre-release units have already been installed worldwide, production shipments will begin in early December 2009.

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."

One of the first EFI-VUTEk GS3200 wide-format UV-curable ink-jet printers has now been installed in the UK with Sutton Coldfield based Andesign opting to purchase this versatile flat-bed and roll-fed machine. After making its debut at FESPA Digital in Amsterdam earlier this year, the GS product line enhances the speed and quality already developed in the enormously successful QS series and brings faster, high standards of output to the market.

The choice of manufacturer was never in question, states Andesign’s managing director, Andy Williams. His company previously invested in a six-colour EFI-VUTEk PressVu 200-600 in 2004 and never had cause to question its quality or reliability. However, the demand for higher speeds at finer resolutions led him to upgrade his printer to a newer model and the eight-colour plus white GS3200 suits his purposes perfectly. Supplied and installed by specialist distributor, CMYUK Digital, the installation took place in mid-October 2009 and was up and running immediately.

This investment is playing a key role in the expansion plans for Andesign, and Williams comments: “We’ve worked with Robin East of CMYUK Digital before and, because we have a strong relationship with the company, I was happy to buy the EFI-VUTEk GS3200 on the strength of the quality of the samples I was shown. We didn’t even view the machine before coming to a decision and nor did we feel the need to look at competitive alternatives.”
Situated in the heart of the Midlands, Andesign designs and produces a wide range of displays ranging from retail and point-of-sale, portable solutions and exhibition graphics, interior and exterior applications including multi-sheet posters, floor graphics and banners, plus vehicle liveries and wraps. Such has been the success of the business that the need for a faster and more versatile wide-format printer became an essential addition to the company’s armoury of equipment.

In addition to working with standard sign-making display materials, either in sheet form or off the roll, Andesign has also experimented with more unusual substrates to determine their suitability for digital printing and, currently, incorporates products such as leatherette into specialist applications. This type of media is proving to be ideal for printing using UV-curable ink and is well matched to the versatility of the EFI-VUTEk GS3200.

Because of the company’s skills with cardboard engineering, intricate and complex point-of-sale and display products have become one of Andesign’s specialities. The company works with prototypes of original concepts and designs which are then die-cut and produced in longer run lengths using offset-litho. However, the speed and quality of the new ink-jet printer means that, for some shorter runs, clients are opting to have the entire job output digitally and this is particularly beneficial when variations in graphics and text are required between print batches.

The eight-colour EFI-VUTEk GS3200 has a maximum print width of 3.2 m on both flat sheets and rolls, with fast and easy change-over from one type of material to the other. Andesign opted for the additional white because of the extra versatility it would provide, and Williams is particularly impressed with the machine’s ability to print two boards or rolls side-by-side in the same job.

Williams is a firm believer in white ink because of the savings which can be made on jobs where it is more cost-effective to use coloured media. “Not being restricted to white material is a tremendous advantage,” he says. “The good opacity of the white on the GS3200 is enhanced by the way it can be incorporated into the work-flow, making it a simple addition to the existing colours and enabling greater creativity in designs and how they can be implemented in a digitally printed format.”

Andesign’s history is the stuff that dreams are made of, with Williams originally starting his business 14 years ago as a sign-maker in his parents’ garage. As demand for his computerised vinyl cutting talents grew, so he was able to expand by moving to larger premises and taking on additional staff. Being in the right place at the right time with a strong client list meant that, when wide-format digital colour output became available, Williams was able to adopt the technology as and when it came to market, gradually augmenting his facilities to accommodate additional machines. Today, Andesign occupies a series of units which enables the company to handle all types of work, including cardboard engineering, in-house.

“Growing our business in line with the technology which was available was a natural progression for us,” states Williams. “We are familiar with all the different ink-jet formulations and also have experience with thermal transfer. Handling colour accurately and knowing the best way to reproduce it onto a variety of different materials has evolved through many years of experience.”

As well as a full line-up of printing and vinyl cutting capabilities, Andesign also has comprehensive finishing equipment, including laminators and flat-bed cutting tables with “magic eye” registration for working to intricate shapes and contours with rigid and flexible materials. These facilities include a Zünd flat-bed table with iCut technology, essential when cutting, creasing and folding applications which need complex cardboard engineering. The ability of the EFI VUTEk GS3200 to print direct to card stocks, box boards, corrugateds and other packaging materials is as essential as working with more conventional sign and display substrates which include acrylics, aluminium composites, Foamex, Correx, plus flexible media such as vinyls, films and banners.

Williams’s overall knowledge of different ink technologies has given him broad and practical experience across wide-format digital printing machines ever since the first options came onto the market more than a decade ago. Having used early aqueous-based and thermal transfer machines, Andesign has benefited from solvent-based units as well as early UV-curable systems. As a result, the company is well positioned to know what it expects from its equipment and how to optimise output quality, colour accuracy and speed.

CMYUK Digital’s Robin East says: “Andesign is a classic example of a business which has worked steadily since its inception to develop a true understanding of how wide-format digital print can play a vital part in today’s market and its changing trends and technologies. The company has a total grasp on the need of the market; its constant drive to deliver superior quality will ensure it goes from strength to strength with this latest investment.”

Willams concludes: “We’re confident that this investment will pave the way to winning further lucrative national and local contracts and draw attention to us. We really do offer a difference and the EFI VUTEk GS3200 will allow us to focus on the requirements of large print projects as well as responding to the needs of clients with extreme deadlines without any negative impact on quality.”

 

For further information on EFI-VUTEk solutions, visit the CMYUK website, or contact Robin East on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Daige has introduced Solo, an affordable cold laminator designed to be a one person finishing system. It is easy to use and provides essential features found on more expensive models. Features include top and bottom nip rollers covered with hard silicone, steel cores for better pressure, automatic take up, spring loaded top rollers and a heavy duty motor. A print holder in front makes it easy to laminate long prints. Solo accommodates boards up to .5-inches thick for mounting prints. Ruggedly built from steel and aluminum. It is available in 25-, 38-, 55-, and 65-inch widths.

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".