Latest News about Large Format Printing
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Company: CREACT, Spain; editor in chief: Susanne Aschoff
Tuesday, 07. December 2004
Dear Madam, dear Sir,
We are very sorry to have to inform you about sad news that is still
incomprehensible to us.
On October 29th 2004, Wolfgang Schölermann, founder and owner
of CRE ACT as well as AVP-Newsletter’s chief editor, passed away.
With his sudden death we have not only lost the head of our team but
also a close friend.
We know what was important to him in his business life and are thus now
determined to continue on his behalf what we have started to create together.
We wish his family and especially his daughter Svenja all the possible
strength!
He will always be with us in our thoughts.
On behalf of the entire CRE ACT team,
Susanne Aschoff
and Kai Kröger
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1) Scitex launched VEEjet+
Scitex Vision has introduced its new digital flatbed inkjet printer VEEjet+ at Visual Communication Italy. VEEjet+ builds upon the technology and reputation of its predecessor Scitex Vision VEEjet. The new one offers many enhanced features, achieving greater quality, and ease of use, job turnaround, and ROI than ever before. The VEEjet+ will be available from first quarter 2005. It offers new and improved state-of-the-art software and a user-friendly, intuitive GUI (graphic user interface). These new features ensure that users minimize downtime through the ability to load a job while the previous one is still printing. A very important novelty is a new generation of environmentally beneficial, UV-curable inks the flatbed inkjet-printer uses, to ensure top quality printed results. Scitex has specifically developed the new VisionInk UV200 Supreme range of inks for the VEEjet+. It offers higher ink flexibility than ever before and allows users to cut and fold products post print. Additionally, improved ink adhesion ensures optimal quality while printing on challenging media. The key to the versatility of the VEEjet+ is that nobody has to move the substrate during the imaging process as the printing heads travel the length of the substrate. The VEEjet+ can print on materials of any type up to 2 x3 m in size and in thickness up to 4 cm. Print is up to a resolution of 720 dpi with output-speeds of up to 36 sqm/h.
More information: www.scitexvision.com
2) Inca Digital’s flatbed printer
Imas, the Italian distributor of the Inca flatbed printer series, has launched the latest models from the UK manufacturer Inca Digital – Spyder and Columbia Turbo – into Italian market at Visual Communication Italy. This new models will open significant new markets for flatbed inkjet technology. The 1.52 x 1.016 meter format of the Spyder is ideally suited to the majority of screen printers in Italy. Speed and ease of use will make it extremely attractive to companies operating in this field. The Spyder offers a number of output modes, producing resolutions from 400 to 1000 dpi, and a maximum print capacity of 50 sqm/h. The new printer incorporates a range of technologies to provide bright colors and crisp resolution, including the new Sericol Sapphire inks and the latest Spectra inkjet-heads. Inca launched the new Spyder earlier this year in Germany at drupa along with the Columbia Turbo. The Turbo is providing variable output speeds of up to 160 sqm/h and a format size of 3.2 x 1.6 meters. All of Inca’s flatbed printers use Sericol UV-curable inks, which printed directly onto the substrate, eliminating many of the finishing processes that are required when using solvent inks on rolls of flexible materials.
More information: www.incadigital.com
3) HP’s new Designjet 4000 Printer
The new printer series HP
Designjet 4000 extends the HP Designjet portfolio of office and technical
printers. It is ideal for line drawings, graphics, maps, renderings and
presentations. New technology within the writing system allows the printer to
double the print speeds of both color and monochrome documents, when compared
with current HP large format printers, such as Designjet 600, 700, 800 or 1000.
The Designjet 4000 delivers fast print outs in A1/D size in 25 sec and can
complete a print job of 100 A1/D formats within one hour. What’s behind the
Double Speed? The HP Double Swath technology doubles the number of printhead
nozzles by placing them in a staggered formation. This staggering allows the
printer to extend the actual print path, resulting in a faster print output
making the printer ideal for users with tight deadlines. The HP Designjet 4000
Printer series offers high quality printouts with predictable colors. The
printer provides a high resolution up to 2400 dpi and up to +/- 0.1 percent
line accuracy. For excellent color consistency and screen-to-print matching the
printer offers a set of HP Professional Color technologies. To work
specifically with the Designjet 4000, HP has designed the new NP No. 90 ink
cartridges, which are available in three different colors and black.
More information: www.hp.com
4) New features in DaylightRIP by SCP
The latest versions
of SCP's universal file-to-print solution DaylightRIP and the large-format
color copy solutions Colorado and CopySystems have some new features aimed
especially at users in the graphic arts business. The new softproofing and
gamut-warning functions enable the user to check whether the colors of a
selected file are within his printer's color gamut, and to see to what extent
the colors on his monitor screen match the colors his plotter generates. In
addition to this, the functionality called "applyfiltering" shows the
effects of a manually created color filter on a selected file. Furthermore, SCP
has added support for the Gretag Eye-One spectrophotometer, while a driver for
the ICColor of the same manufacturer is currently being prepared. The latest
software versions are available for download via http://update.scp.de. Users of
DaylightRIP 3.8, CopySystems 7.0 or Colorado 7.0 do not need a new keycode.
More information: www.scp.de
5) ColorGATE expands Productionserver4
Produktionserver4 from ColorGATE is now even more powerful with comprehensive picture modification tools. This software became expanding with two picture modification modules – Photo & Fine Art-Production, and FotoFusion. The favored RIP-solution can now be used for comprehensive image editing and –composing, as well as for the excellent or high quality output of files. With the new Productionserver4 module for Photo & Fine Art-Production, users are able to apply different image modifications, such as the generation of neutral grayscale images or individual effect toning. Additional features of the module are a compensating adaptation to the ambient light for the final presentation location. The second new module, FotoFusion – also available as a stand alone application – helps professional and non-professional photographers to create large format images easy and comfortable during streamlining their production. All modules for Productionserver4, the Profiler-, Screen-, Proofing-, Photo & Fine Art, and FotoFusion-Modules can be used together with all established, current and popular inkjet printers. Additional queues for up to six output devices can be added to Productionserver4.
More information: www.colorgate.com
6) Aurelon’s new Photoshop plug-ins
The Aurelon PhotoPro Tools are a set of Photoshop plug-ins for Macintosh and Windows platform running either MacOS X or windows 2000/XP. The separate plug-ins – Aurelon PhotoPro PhotoTools, Aurelon PhotoPro LensTools, Aurelon PhotoPro ColorTools – combine almost all tools needed for copying with image distortions and digital photo artefacts. Included are: Unsharp Masking, Color Cast, Barrel Distortion, Perspective, and Lens Filters, among others. Aurelon presents these Tools in a professional yet easy to use interface that looks the same on both platforms. The Aurelon nColor Converter is a Photoshop plug-in that enables color separation based on multi-color ICC profiles. It can convert an image to a multi-channel document that the user can post-process in Photoshop and save as a Photoshop PSD, RAW or DCS file. It’s now possible to load an Aurelon ICISS generated custom ICC profile as well as any other multi-color ICC profile and view the separation right in Photoshop. This first release of the new Adobe Photoshop compatible plug-ins bases upon the technology and products Aurelon has developed since the early 90’s.
More information: www.aurelon.com
7) Summa offers MacSign Cut
Summa, the Belgian manufacturer of graphic imaging products, keeps on excelling in quality and expertise and is able to comply with the Macintosh-users’ demands, a free version of MacSign Cut software is now included with every new cutter. MacSign Cut is a “bridge” application for Mac OS 9.x and the new OS X, which imports and cuts vector graphics created in popular desktop publishing applications, such as Illustrator, FreeHand and CorelDRAW for Mac. The important artwork is displaying in the program, allowing images to resizing, repositioned, mirrored, and rotated before sending to the Summa Cutter. Summa manufactures and distributes graphic imaging products for the sign making, labeling, and outdoor advertising industries. Its products include SummaCut and SummaSign Pro SL vinyl cutting plotters and the Summa DC3 contour-cutting outdoor sign printer.
More information: www.summa.be
8) Kodak expands media portfolio
Encad, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Eastman Kodak Company, has announced an exciting expansion of its
Kodak Wide Format InkJet Media portfolio. Leveraging Kodak’s technology and
expertise in the photography segment, the four newest media include, an all-new
micro-porous line, consisting of Kodak Premium Rapid-Dry Photographic
Glossy/Lustre Paper/260 g, and Rapid-Dry Photographic Glossy/Satin Paper 190 g.
Eight new products that focus on Kodak’s trademark quality and consistency the
Company has added over the last two months. The new Premium Rapid-Dry
Photographic Papers offer the image quality, precise color and thickness of 260
g weight designed specifically for the professional photographer’s need. This
universal media is compatible with piezo and thermal printers, with dye and
pigment inks, available in both glossy and lustre finishes. Optimized for the
Epson 4000/7000/9000/10000 printer series, both finishes are available in 17”
to 42” wide rolls by 100 feet. The newly introduced Glossy/Satin Paper/190 g
features improved color rendition. This lower weight economical paper is ideal
for instant lamination improving workflow and lowering costs. Kodak expanded
its portfolio also with Poly Poster Glossy/Satin Plus/8mil, Water-Resistant
Removable Vinyl/6-mil, and Water-Resistant Scrim Banner/17-mil.
More information: www.kodakmedia.com
9) Sihl: Mirror Window Film SA 250
The Mirror Window film Easy Tack 250, manufactured by Sihl, is a new quality that will be the perfect solution for long lasting picture presentation as a window application or self-adhesive backlit film in city light boxes. The white, printable side has a special coat to render complex graphics or photos with high contrast, good color fixation, and quick drying time. It is antistatically treated and Sihl has optimized the opacity for backlit applications with high contrast. For backprint applications, it is possible to mirror the print on the matt side. Depend on the light-sources; it is also possible to use the product for both side (two-view-) applications. This product is Sihl’s very first window graphic film, that can be printable and it is useable as two-view film with pigmented inks. It gives excellent light and color stability. It offers easy tack adhesion for easy application and is removable without glue residues. In addition, there are more advantages, such as superior lamination characteristics for pressure sensitive lamination – hot or cold. The glossy side of the film accepts writing with water-resistant felt tip pens, you can be wipe off. Sihl recommends laminating the printout when contact with water is possible.
More information: www.sihl.ch
10) Dr. Graphix: A media sets new standard
It is a polypropylene based material, and developed for piezoelectric and Xaar print head technologies, hard or mild, perfect for all solvent printers: Dr. Graphix Imaging’s Solvent Tear Resistant Photo Gloss & Satin Paper. Biodegradable and ozone friendly Solvent TR is an environmentally conscious alternative to vinyl solvent media that sets a new standard in this field. 100 percent waterfast for indoor- and outdoor-display, Dr. Graphix Imaging’s newest addition to its TR family is a low cost solution for solvent printers providing an indoor image quality solution suitable for trade shows, posters, pop-up-displays, floor graphics and other applications which demand high resolutions and fine details. Built-in solvent deodorizers reduce the foul smell associated with most solvent printers. Solvent TR Photo Gloss & Satin Paper is great for all long-term indoor applications and short to mid-term outdoor applications as well. The quick drying Solvent TR Paper can also be using with pressure sensitive laminates making it the right solution for all indoor- and outdoor applications. Dr. Graphix Imaging 9 mil Solvent Tear Resistant Photo Gloss & Satin Paper is available in 2” core and 3” notched cores, widths available in 42”, 50”, and 60” width and up to 150 feet in length.
More information: www.drgraphix.com
11) HEXIS range of vinyl media
This month HEXIS USA, a major manufacturer of coated and uncoated self-adhesive media for digital printing as well as of a complete line of graphic vinyl, has launched its revamped range of self-adhesive vinyl media for eco-solvent printers. The V300 is an uncoated 4-mil gloss vinyl whereas the V500 high-resolution 3.5-mil vinyl carries a clear coat that makes it also suitable for use on the first generation Soljet. Both the V300 and the V500 carry a gray adhesive for increased opacity. The V350 is a 3-mil vinyl specially formulated to work with the new Eco-sol ink on the Roland Soljet Pro II EX and VersaCAMM SP-540V. The all-new MICRO2 comes as a micro-perforated window film featuring full color graphics capability on the outside and one-way visibility from the inside. MICRO2 is suitable for vehicle and building applications. Roland endorses the whole range. Suitable ICC color profiles for ColorRIP are available for download from the HEXIS website. The color profiles are also featured on the Roland website and are the result of a close cooperation between the HEXIS Inkjet Laboratory and Roland DG.
More information: www.hexisusa.com
12) SEAL launched AquaSEAL SW3300
SEAL Graphics has added the AquaSEAL SW3300 to its range of liquid laminators. This new laminator sets new standards of engineering and design. A unique feature on the SW3300 is that it measures throughput speed via an encoder on top of the front idler to ensure total accuracy. In the meantime, its AccuCure System senses the surface temperature of the substrate and regulates the speed of throughput to match the optimum degree of adhesion. Capable of applying liquid laminate at the rate of three m/min at widths of up to 3.3 m, this machine also possesses a number of features that make it extremely ease to use. These include a simplified LCD/touch-screen-panel to control run/stop functions, heat, and speed, segmented heaters to conserve power when running narrow materials. After use, when it comes to cleaning, the coated non-stick drain pan and dedicated drain valve are real bonuses. SEAL has the SW3300 also engineered to provide a lighter removable take-up and improved unwind of both fan-folded and roll-fed media.
More information: www.sealgraphics.com
13) Successful Visual Communication Italy
Exactly 16.543 visitors filled the aisles of the four exhibition halls of the Milan Fairground, with a foreign visitors’ participation of 13,5 percent from 65 nations. 485 Italian and foreign exhibitors have booked more than 28.000 sqm of the exhibition space, a 10,2 percent increase over last year. Key suppliers offered a 360° overlook of all segments of the visual communication industry. 70 first time exhibitors together with well-established former exhibitors offered to the visitors an exhibition full of new products and services. 82 percent of the visitors confirmed to have seen products and companies that they had never seen before. Both exhibitors and visitors have welcomed with great enthusiasm the launch of the new industry segment Display/POP (Point of Purchase) within the Visual Communication Italy. The new version auf the educational program that over the last nine years has become an essential part of Visual Communication, provided today’s modern graphic producer with a truly technical guideline throughout the various industries. Total 15 seminars gave 685 companies that information they need to prepare their business for tomorrow especially considering the growing competition within the market. The next Visual Communication already foreshadows: It will be held from 3rd to 5th November 2005 and will take place in the new halls of the “Portello” hall 14, 15, and 16.
More information: www.visualcommunication.it
14) Names are News
Jane Cedrone, Marketing Communications & Public Relations Manager at VUTEk and located in Meredith/USA, became a member for a three-year term on the 2005 Board of Directors for the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA). This non-profit organization represents screen and digital printers, graphic imaging specialists, educators, and industry suppliers worldwide. The choice of Jane for the SGIA board was due to her vast experience of digital technologies, and her understanding of the needs of an evolving market, SGIA President Mike Robertson said at the Association’s 56th Annual Convention and Exposition, where the election of Jane Cedrone was announced.
More information: www.vutek.com
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