Grapo Technologies will be introducing their next generation of printing technology and unveil their new wide-format UV printers at FESPA 2010.
You can discover how Grapo Technologies’ new hybrid printers are set to have a big impact on the sign and display market at the company’s press conference at the Grapo stand – Hall B2, Stand 460.
Catch the New Wave of Innovation
“Our next-generation platform for UV flatbed printers represents a significant step forward for the sign and display market,” says Radim Kralic, CEO of Grap Technologies. “With a printing area of 2x3 meter for rigid sheets, as well as the ability to handle rolls up to 170 cm, the new Grapo family of printers offers tremendous new business potential to sign and display printers at a cost-effective price point.”
FUJIFILM Dimatix launched the latest addition to its Spectra brand of general-purpose, binary, drop-on-demand inkjet printheads with the introduction of the new Polaris PQ-512/35 AAA. It joins a 15-picoliter model introduced earlier.
The Q-Class platform has enabled FUJIFILM Dimatix to develop new families of high-performance printheads and jetting assemblies that deliver the largest range of drop sizes, broadest ink compatibility, and higher packing density than previously possible. Shared physical features allow printer designs to be easily migrated across different model types and printing applications. The Polaris PQ-512/35 AAA further expands upon Q-Class with a 512-jet design, new spot size capability, and aqueous ink support.
Employing a durable metal nozzle plate and utilizing the binary operating capability of Dimatix' VersaDropTM jetting technology, the Spectra Polaris PQ-512/35 AAA printhead delivers adjustable ink drop sizes of 35 to 80 picoliters from 512 individually addressable inkjet nozzles. Remarkable jet straightness is achieved at continuous frequencies up to 30 kHz with an 8 meters/second drop velocity.
The new Spectra Polaris 512/35 AAA printhead is equipped with a flexible, fluid interface allowing single or two-color operation. As an AAA designated printhead, the new Polaris now supports aqueous ink formulations in addition to UV-curable, and aggressive organic solvents, making it suitable for a growing range of commercial and industrial printing applications such as wide-format graphics, textiles, ceramics, labels and secondary packaging at resolutions to 800 dpi.
An integral mounting bezel designed with precision registration points enables drop-in alignment – a unique repairable feature allows each 256-channel jet module to be exchanged and accurately registered in the field without the need for special tools or recalibration. Each 256-channel jet module is also dual-ported to facilitate ink flushing and recirculation. Heaters and temperature sensors allow precise control of ink viscosity at jetting temperatures up to 60oC.
"Our new Polaris PQ-512/35 AAA printhead with aqueous capability and shared physical features provides further evidence of the power of the Q-Class platform. Its flexibility to easily migrate across many printer models and applications, a long-service life and simplified field maintenance will make it a natural choice of forward thinking developers." said Marc Torrey, Vice President, Marketing, FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc.
Lifestyle shops ‘Arrival/Departure’ and ‘Independent Outlet’ combine retail with on-demand print production
‘Arrival/Departure’ and ‘Independent Outlet’ are so-called lifestyle department stores based in Amsterdam. They offer all kinds of ‘lifestyle’ products, including clothing, shoes, gadgets, books, music, skateboards, etc. The interior design and product displays are actually devised and produced by the creative team behind the shops. These ‘lifestyle’ shops also sell prints such as canvas prints, T-shirts and wallpaper direct to the public, either over the counter or via the Internet. To do so the team works with equipment that includes Mimaki solvent, sublimation and textile printers and cutting plotters. The entire process is surprisingly transparent and accessible; the Mimakis are in full view directly behind the counter.
Lifestyle Products and Printers
The Arrival/Departure shop in Amsterdam Oost, in hangar 6 of the former KNSM site, handles Mimaki solvent, sublimation and textile print solutions. Owner Aziz Badrane explains: “The combination of lifestyle products and graphics machines in the same shop came about quite by accident. We thought it would be a nice idea to show our customers how T-shirts, canvas, wallpaper etc. are printed. The reactions are really positive and mirror our philosophy. We definitely want to stand out from mainstream clothing and fashion stores.”
Creative with Large Format
Arrival/Departure in particular offers a lifestyle concept that attracts specific groups of people. This shop is different in that it works with a lot of limited editions and special imports. Aziz Badrane: “We sell various brand models that are not generally on sale (except in a few shops in Japan and the US).” Similar to the products, the shop interior is focused on ‘lifestyle’. Designer and shop assistant Guido Jelsma comments: “All our assistants are creative individuals. We all introduce new ideas and the main advantage is that we have the machines to implement them immediately ourselves. For instance, we labelled skateboards with the logo/brand name of a shoe manufacturer and used them as a product display for the shoes. We also produce creative wall, floor and window decorations for the shops, using lettering, backlit, canvas and flags.”
Art Projects
Arrival/Departure not only designs its own interior, it also takes on projects for third parties. Together with four artists, Arrival/Departure completely transformed two rooms in the Lloyd Hotel for an exhibition on behalf of ‘ELLE-wonen’ (interior design magazine). Guido: “We used the Mimaki solvent printer for the wall decorations and the sublimation printer for the curtains. The cushion covers were printed on the T-shirt printer. And everything was based on the artist’s creative concept."
Canvas, Wallpaper, and T-Shirts
Arrival/Departure is increasingly taking on small domestic projects, jobs for advertising agencies and photographers who are also based in the historic building. “People know where we are now. Individuals and companies are ordering canvas prints, posters/artwork, T-shirts, mugs and wallpaper. The fact that they have access to a local supplier, who provides a personal service, is considered a definite plus. I feel that the way we sell printed products is much more open and accessible than with a production company somewhere in the middle of an industrial estate. All our customers are given a flyer with details of our range of printed products. It also includes details of our websites, canvasdoekdrukken.nl, behangdrukken.nl and T-shirtdrukken.nl, where custom made designs for mugs, wallpaper or T-shirts can be developed and ordered online.”
Inca Digital demonstrates enhanced productivity for the Inca Onset S20
Fujifilm will demonstrate the productivity benefits of Inca’s automation on the high-performance, wide-format Inca Onset S20 UV printer for the first time publicly at FESPA Munich (from 22-26th June 2010 on the Fujifilm booth B1/220)
The Inca Onset S20 is designed for high volume, cost-effective printing on a wide variety of materials up to 3.14m x 1.6m and 50mm thick at speeds of up to 275 sq m/hr. As print times on this Onset can be as little as 48 seconds, minimum handling time and maximum productivity is ensured by adding automation.
Inca’s versatile automation system gives users the ability to operate in manual, semi- or three-quarter automation from the same configuration. By adding automation to the Inca Onset S20 companies can boost productivity by up to 36% when compared with manual handling. A variety of sheet sizes can be pre-positioned during the printing process, ready for the handling system to remove printed sheets swiftly and load the next. In addition, the automation system can handle up to three sheets at a time, and has the precision to accommodate double sided print accurately.
“Production automation is important to our customers to ensure maximum productivity and cost-efficiency with minimal downtime in order to deliver the very best return on investment,” says Linda Bell, CEO, Inca Digital.
Production can be further streamlined with Inca’s Print Run Controller (PRC) software which manages the production of an individual print job incorporating a run of different elements or images, sizes or languages. It can also manage jobs where large numbers of images need to be output in varying quantities with variable elements to a large number of end users.
At FESPA the Inca Onset S20 will be printing with six-colour (CMYKLcLm) Fujifilm Uvijet Enhance ink set producing quality and variable finish effects (matt, satin, high gloss) for a range of applications including display POS, exhibition graphics, backlit/frontlit displays and outdoor signage.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, has received a five-star "Exceptional" rating for its new 44-inch imagePROGRAF iPF8300, 24-inch imagePROGRAF iPF6350 and the iPF6300 large format printers, from industry analysts BERTL Inc. Launched in March 2010, the new imagePROGRAF models received the highest possible rating from BERTL by delivering outstanding quality across its 11 rating categories including five-star ratings in image quality, price and security.
"The five-star rating from BERTL, Inc., recognizes the significant investment Canon has made in developing technologies that make the new imagePROGRAF models an ideal solution for the photography, graphic arts and photography markets," said Jim Rosetta, vice president and general manger, Imaging Systems Group, Canon U.S.A. "The new imagePROGRAF iPF8300, iPF6350 and iPF6300 large-format printers have demonstrated the image quality, value and functionality that customers require to advance their businesses and meet the most exacting customer standards."
To deliver improved overall image quality, the new Canon imagePROGRAF models feature a revolutionary 12-Color LUCIA EX pigment ink set increasing the achievable color gamut by approximately 20 percent from the previous imagePROGRAF ink set. Additionally, to better meet the needs of the professional print market, the new models feature a reinforced mechanical structure to enable precise ink placement for improved text and line accuracy, making the new devices a powerful proofing solution.
To fully capitalize on the dynamic color range of the new LUCIA EX ink set, each new imagePROGRAF model employs two advanced one-inch print heads, each featuring 2,560 nozzles per color and outputting a super-fine four picoliter (pl) droplet at a full 2400x1200 dots-per-inch resolution (dpi) to reproduce details with extraordinary accuracy and clarity. Paired with enhanced plug-ins and new, High-Precision Printing Modes, the new imagePROGRAF models provide an extremely high level of photographic and proofing-quality prints.
The new imagePROGRAF iPF8300, iPF6350 and iPF6300 are compliant with U.S. ENERGY STAR energy-saving standards and RoHS compliance standards. To learn more about Canon's full line of ENERGY-STAR qualified and certified products and other environmental initiatives, please visit www.usa.canon.com.
BERTL, an independent analyst firm and testing lab, reviews current product lines and new product introductions bestowing the five-star rating to devices that deliver extraordinary performance throughout the testing process. BERTL's testing criteria addresses 11 categories: Build Quality, Network Administration, Security, Workflow, Finish, Ease of Use, Media Handling, Printing, Image Quality, Features, and Price.
HP today announced an expanded large format portfolio to help low-volume print service providers (PSPs) and technical design professionals lower costs, increase productivity and win new business with easy-to-manage, in-house large format printing capabilities.
The new solutions are designed for entry-level large format commercial printing applications as well as architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), geographic information systems (GIS), and mechanical computer-aided design (MCAD) technical applications.
Highlights include:
The HP Designjet Z5200 PostScript® Printer, a simple and productive entry-level large format system that offers easy, affordable and high-quality printing in-house
A new 24-inch model of the HP Designjet T770 Printer series that includes an easy-to-access top-loading roll, large memory for processing files and fast speeds
The HP Designjet 111 Printer, HP's most affordable and compact large format printer, which delivers high-quality, cost-effective prints for entry-level technical professionals
"HP recognises that customers need to expand their printing capabilities and turn around projects quickly to give them a competitive advantage and help capture new business opportunities," said Santiago Morera, vice president and general manager, Designjet Solutions, HP. "The additions to our large format portfolio address those needs by offering lower costs, higher productivity and easier operation - combined with our hallmark quality and reliability."
HP Designjet Z5200 PostScript® Printer simplifies large format printing
Designed specifically for copy shops and quick printers interested in entering the large format market, the HP Designjet Z5200 PostScript® Printer offers a simple, affordable device for a broad range of high-quality applications, including posters, point-of-purchase (POP) displays, maps, light boxes and canvas prints. To streamline the printing process, advanced HP technology eliminates and automates many of the steps involved with traditional large format printing. In addition, the new HP Instant Printing Pro solution simplifies and accelerates the entire printing workflow with fast, easy file preparation and automatic nesting, preview, orientation and crop marks.
The HP Designjet Z5200 PostScript® Printer also includes an embedded spectrophotometer for automatic calibration and media profiling to help those without extensive colour management experience ensure colour accuracy and consistency across projects. Additionally, HP Universal Bond Paper and HP Bright White Inkjet Paper with ColorPRO Technology provide noticeably superior print quality compared to competitive untreated bond papers for high-quality output at a much lower cost.
New entry-level printing solutions for technical professionals
From winning bids and developing plans to interacting with peers and clients, digital information sharing is essential to how AEC/GIS/CAD professionals operate. HP's large format printers and multi-format devices now make it easy to turn digital designs into documents and then digitize them back into the design-and-make process, helping shorten project cycles.
The new HP printers offer smaller footprints and intuitive ease-of-use features to allow small technical teams, individual professionals and students to benefit from in-house large format printing.
Adding to the proven HP Designjet T770 Printer series, which includes a 44-inch device, the new 24-inch model allows small teams to increase productivity with a printer that is fast, reliable and easy to use. The HP Designjet T770 Printer's top-loading roll makes it simple to load and swap media, and its expandable memory allows the printer to handle bigger jobs as business grows. It also features built-in networking for easy sharing and the ability to print without opening applications.
Available in a tray or roll-fed option, the HP Designjet 111 Printer is an ideal entry-level printer for technical CAD applications, large format posters and presentations. Designed for AEC students and professionals, construction offices, universities and technical instruction environments, the HP Designjet 111 Printer is affordable at any budget with the ability to create posters or presentations for less than $1.(1) As the smallest HP large format printer available,(2) measuring only 1 metre (3.3 feet) wide, it also fits easily into small offices.
