Allied Images appointed UK & Ireland trade distributor for Contex scanners

Allied Images has been appointed UK and Ireland trade distributor for Contex range of large format scanners.  Contex A/S, headquartered in Denmark, is a leading supplier and technology leader in large format scanners. It's well-known HD Ultra range has just received the Top Product Award for the second year in a row, chosen as the best scanner by a wide range of users.

Contex's latest IQ series scanners include many leading technologies including Contex patented Unibody CIS, colour fringe removal and dual diffusion CIS sensors.

Steve Morin, MD of Allied Images comments, “We’ve been aware of Contex for many years having sold many Contex and Vidar scanners in the past and we are impressed with their superior quality and market leading technology.  This new agreement gives us an opportunity to drive forward in partnership with Contex and to focus on delivering the best solution for all applications.  We’re looking forward to moving into new markets where Contex’ proven quality, performance and technology advantages will prove decisive in gaining new business.”

Contex is the technology leader in large format scanners and has many patents in scanner hardware and software.  Its latest developments include:

• Colour Fringe Removal â€" a technology that applies advanced filter technology to remove the fringes that are a natural consequence of CIS sequentially flashing R¬¬-G-B. Contex patented CFR removes this problem to provide superior image quality.
• Dual Diffusion CIS â€" Contex new IQ series scanners use the latest in high-quality CIS modules with Contex Dual Diffusion.  This combined with xDTR2, CFR and Sigma provides the best quality CIS scans in the market.
• Contex scanners use X-Rite i1 Profiles for professional colour results, and offer the widest range of colour space like Adobe RGB, allowing differences in very bright and saturated colours to be maintained in the file.

Jacob Bendix, General Manager of Contex EMEA division, comments, “We are pleased to announce the appointment of Allied Images as our UK distributor.  They bring a great deal of experience and knowledge of the large format scanner market gained in supplying scanners for over 20 years and backed by our expertise and products we look forward to generating new  business opportunities in the UK markets.”

Avery Dennison launches digital printing system for road traffic safety & reflective ...

Avery Dennison Reflective Solutions has launched TrafficJetâ„¢, a complete digital printing system for the road traffic safety and reflective signage market featuring equipment, ink and reflective sheeting. It constitutes an end-to-end, cost-effective, highly-flexible digital printing solution for work zone signage.

The Avery Dennison TrafficJet Digital Printing System comes with a choice of two printers:   the eight-colour TrafficJet 1638 and the four-colour TrafficJet 1324. Currently, the TrafficJet System is available with black ink, but seven specially-formulated eco-solvent inks for work zone sign fabrication will be available later this year. The TrafficJet System provides signmakers and traffic authorities the opportunity to print short runs of signs, digitally, on a just-in-time basis, using Avery Dennison prismatic reflective sheeting including leading-edge W-11500 OmniCube™, and W-9500, W-7500 and W-6500 series fluorescent yellow, yellow green and orange sheeting.

"Avery Dennison is the only sheeting manufacturer offering a complete, branded digital printing system for work zone and reflective signage," says Scott Seeley, Global Marketing Director, Avery Dennison Reflective Solutions. "With the TrafficJet System, there is no need for overlays for work zone or unregulated signs â€" and they are still warranted for three years’ durability.   Eco solvent inks deliver the most durable, cost-effective results, and the System’s ideal for variable-length or short run sign production.   Our spot colour inks (which will meet durability and traffic signage colour requirements), will be ready this autumn, and will add even more functionalities to the TrafficJet System.   This is an ideal opportunity for signmakers and converters to make a cost-efficient change to digital production for work zone signage."

There will be live demonstrations of the Avery Dennison TrafficJet Digital Printing System TrafficJet on Stand E40 at Traffex, 16-18 April, Birmingham, UK, by Lakeside Films Ltd, official road traffic and safety distributors for Avery Dennison Reflective Solutions.

Artist's retro signage printed on Inca Onset S40

US-based visual merchandising firm, Marketing Alliance Group, reproduced an eye-catching retro 50s-style pin-up mermaid on a wooden placard in stunning detail. The sign, printed in five colours on a poplar wood board using an Inca Onset S40, was commissioned by contemporary artist Brendan Coudal.

“It’s very important to our client, Brendan Coudal, that his artwork is printed to the highest standards,” says Jeanette Bender, Creative Director at Marketing Alliance. “After all, his name is on every piece! His customers are high-end boutique retail stores, national retail chains, restaurants and bars.” she adds, “so it’s critical that we, as a manufacturer and printer, share the artist’s passion and attention to detail.”

Coudal begins by painting his creations in oil on canvas. He then digitally photographs and proofs the pieces before making slight adjustments and typographical additions in Photoshop. After perfecting the artwork, Coudal sends the files to Marketing Alliance for reproduction on more challenging substrates than canvas. “Wood is difficult,” remarks Bender. “It has to be cut with the grain in the right direction, and we have to make sure that it doesn’t absorb any moisture, otherwise it will bow. We now have a specific storage location to prevent any moisture problems.” Beyond that, “we have to find the right balance of ink to lay down to meet our client’s requirements of vibrancy and quality.”

Luckily, Marketing Alliance’s Inca Onset S40 is more than up to the task of printing on poplar. “The actual printing part of it is nothing out of the ordinary,” says Bender. It seems, in fact, that the client has become accustomed to the consistent high quality of Marketing Alliance’s work. “We make colour proofs before we run the jobs, but they end up being for our own internal review. The artist trusts us enough to take responsibility for the printing. He doesn’t see the final results until production. We have a good relationship and print all of his art projects.”

The final product â€" aside from the eye-catching piece of retro signage, of course â€" is customer satisfaction. “He has been pleased with not only the vibrancy and overall exceptional quality,” reflects Bender, “but the consistency, care and craftsmanship in every piece. It directly results in happy customers and repeat orders.” In the case of this collaboration with Brendan Coudal, it also directly resulted in an Inca IDEAs Award in the Retail Interiors category for the Marketing Alliance Group.

EFI wins Deutscher Drucker International Print Technology award

Deutscher Drucker has awarded the 2012-2013 International Print Technology Award to EFI. The award goes to EFI Digital StoreFront, Pace, PrintSmith, Monarch and Radius as one integrated package of management information systems (MIS/ERP) and web-to-print solution.

EFI MIS was the winner in the prepress category in the online vote in which 1,643 readers of the Deutscher Drucker, Deutscher Drucker - International Edition, Grafische Palette and print.de participated. The voting took place in October and November 2012 at the print.de website.

On 18th February 2013, Bernhard Niemela, managing director of Deutscher Drucker Verlag, and editorial staff member Kurt K. Wolf presented the award to Georg Hollenbach, general manager of EFI Germany and Marc Verbiest, international Public Relations manager.

"Using Digital StoreFront, every printing house can create their own website and web shop to help process orders made online by their customers.  Digital StoreFront can also be installed at the customer site so employees can send their documents to the printing house," explains Hollenbach. Pace is a fully integrated, browser-based software product developed especially for the print and media industry. It streamlines jobs from end-to-end - from calculation to dispatching, for conventional, digital or large-format printers. The Monarch product manages and automates multi-site print factories and Radius meets the specific requirements of the packaging industry."

"AT EFI, we are truly honoured to receive Deutscher Drucker's International Print Technology Award - it gives invaluable recognition to our EFI MIS systems which companies everywhere use to seamlessly integrate and automate their processes," adds Verbiest. "We are in a strong position already and we are committed to the continued development of these products to support the business growth of our customers."

For more information about EFI, please visit www.efi.com

UK debut for GMG OpenColor packaging proofing solution at Northprint

GMG has announced it will be demonstrating the GMG OpenColor packaging proofing solution for the first time in the UK at Northprint & Pack 2013.  The event takes place in Harrogate between 14th and 16th May and the company will be located on booth B108.

GMG OpenColor is a revolutionary spot colour tool for the packaging market that greatly extends colour control and repeatability. It is the industry’s first application to offer precise and predictable spot colour simulation by analysing ink behaviour in relation to the substrate’s colorimetric properties. The result is a profiling and calibration application that delivers accurate spot colour overprint simulation as well as the interplay between spot colours and process inks.

Visitors to the show are also invited to the GMG seminar to find out for themselves, ‘How will GMG OpenColor impact the Packaging Industry?’ During the seminar (3.15pm, Thursday 16th May,  Packaging Theatre) Gareth Heward, Graphics & Production Director, V&W Graphics, will explain how the software has had a significant impact on his company‘s prepress workflow for colour critical corrugated, preprint and flexible packaging applications.

Toby Burnett, managing director of GMG UK, says, "OpenColor is designed specifically to produce extremely accurate digital proofs for printers using spot colours without the overhead of extensive press fingerprinting. This groundbreaking application is well placed to serve the packaging industry and we see Northprint & Pack as an excellent platform for GMG to showcase the latest addition to our product portfolio. We are looking forward to demonstrating the application and the technology behind it."

GMG will also showcase the latest versions of its proofing and colour management software GMG ColorProof and GMG ColorServer, and its all-in-one production solution for wide-format printing, GMG ProductionSuite, highlighting the considerable quality, efficiency and cost benefits that they bring to production environments.

SpotOn! and RPimaging announce USA-wide distribution agreement

SpotOn! Press has announced that RPimaging, a colour management service provider for the printing and graphics industry, has been named as a national dealer for the SpotOn! suite of tools.  The agreement names RPimaging as a North American reseller for the complete SpotOn! Press product line and is effective immediately.

RPimaging, headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, offers over 15 years of experience in the printing and publishing industry.  “Our customers have long asked for a simple method to track and trend how stable their printing devices are over time,” notes Dan Reid, president of RPimaging. “SpotOn! Verify now offers them the solution to capture and analyse colour data from industry standard targets or custom in-house targets. The flexibility to use custom targets and virtually any measurement device is a big plus for our clients who have production tools from several different vendors. Being able to quantify how frequently a printing device needs calibration or if a new substrate manufacturing is consistent is a huge gain.”

More than just a recognised expert in the colour management industry, RPimaging has the unique ability to teach difficult concepts in a way that is easy to understand and simple to implement. RPimaging offers practical methods of colour calibration borne out of years of hard won experience. RPimaging customers enjoy an increase in productivity and profitability through better use of equipment and personnel.

RPimaging has assisted numerous clients through the pains of implementing and using colour management, not only in Adobe Photoshop, but downstream in page layout, illustration, RIPs, and computer-to-plate or direct-to-press systems. Reid continues, “Our customers need solutions that are not only user-friendly, but powerful enough to provide reliable analysis without a degree in color science. SpotOn! Press continues to provide forward thinking tools that our customers need.”

For more information about SpotOn!, please visit www.spotonpress.com.

Inca Digital awarded Queen's Award for Enterprise for International Trade

Cambridge, UK-based Inca Digital has been awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise for International Trade in recognition of its substantial success in overseas earnings and outstanding performance in international trading. The Awards are UK’s highest accolade for business success and recognise companies which have achieved outstanding results.

Inca manufactures the innovative Inca Onset series of UV flatbed inkjet printers which are used worldwide to produce wide format display graphics. Since its foundation in 2000, Inca has steadily expanded its facility in Cambridge to meet global demand for its printers. The move to a new 6,000 m² facility last year brought the manufacturing process under one roof and increased its overall capacity with scope for future growth. Inca’s focus on technical innovation has allowed the company to bring a new product to market every 18-24 months. The success of the Onset series worldwide has raised the quality bar in digitally printed graphics and has demonstrated the considerable demand for fast turnaround, quality display graphics on a wide range of materials and at a competitive price.

The USA has consistently been Inca’s largest overseas market, but over the last five years, several new and important overseas markets have been established. Brazil, Germany and Canada have seen significant growth (150% in Brazil since 2007) and the company has also had success in Eastern Europe, particularly in Poland and the Czech Republic.  Other new overseas markets include South Africa, Dubai, Morocco, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Belgium and Korea. Inca has developed a strong international distribution base thanks to the strength of its main distribution partner, Fujifilm. Today Inca printers are installed in 34 countries.

Commenting on the award John Mills, Inca CEO, says, “We are immensely proud to have won this prestigious Award which recognises the enormous effort and commitment of the entire Inca team. Although the market is highly competitive and trading conditions have been tight over the last five years, we have maintained a strategy of developing high-performance wide format printers that are in demand around the world.”

 

Balkan-based FED selects VUTEk GS2000LX printer for high levels of quality and production

Stupnik, Croatia-based FED d.o.o. has been named as the first company in the Balkans to use the VUTEk® LED system with cool cure technology. The ability to print on a wider variety of speciality materials, faster speed and lower energy consumption were the primary reasons for purchasing the VUTEk GS2000LX.

"We chose the EFI VUTEk GS2000LX because we needed a higher level of print quality and production. LED cool cure technology was particularly appealing because it provides less stress to the material, saves energy and increases productivity," said FED owner Davor Ferdebar.

Established in 1997, large format print business FED (www.fed.hr) has 27 employees and serves a wide variety of industries including cosmetics, retail, food and beverage and marketing. Customers include names such as Chanel, Coca Cola, Billa, Nestle and Beiersdorf.

Ferdebar chose the VUTEk GS2000LX because of his plans to continually improve and expand the company's capabilities. "There is constant pressure from the market and you have to follow it to remain competitive," he said. "The VUTEk GS2000LX is an upgradable platform, enabling options such as printing directly on corrugated material and greyscale printing."

Ferdebar added, "With productive, reliable machines like the VUTEk, labour costs are lowered. And, if you deliver consistent, ever-increasing quality, your customers don't focus exclusively on the lowest price, because they know the value of what they are getting," he said.

The EFI VUTEk GS2000LX LED UV-curing 2-metre-wide printer provides the ability to print on specialty substrates while increasing productivity and lowering operating costs. It produces no VOCs, uses fewer consumables and produces less waste, uses less energy and has the ability to print on environmentally friendly materials without warping or head strikes.

The GS2000LX delivers high-definition point-of-purchase quality graphics and advanced three-layer white ink printing. It extends the range of supported substrates with innovative ink curing technology that delivers high quality and high adhesion while lowering energy consumption. It offers even higher image quality with true grayscale technology.

Durst unveils Rho 1012 and 1030 wide format printers

The Rho 1012 and Rho 1030 are both based on Durst's Rho 1000 2.5m wide format UV inkjet printer and existing users of the Rho 1000 will be able to upgrade to either of the two new models in the field.

Both new machines are equipped with Durst's next generation Quadro Array printheads. The Quadro Array 12M printheads on the Rho 1012 have enabled a reduction in drop size to 12 picolitres (compared with 30 picolitres on the Rho 1000).

This makes the Rho 1012 the first industrial wide format UV inkjet printer capable of producing a drop this small and has lead to an increase in resolution from 600dpi on the Rho 1000 to 1,000dpi on the Rho 1012.

The 1,000dpi print resolution is available at speeds of up to 490sqm/hr, only 10sqm/hr slower than the Rho 1000's 500sqm/hr output.

Meanwhile, the Rho 1030 uses the Quadro Array 30M printheads and is Durst's new high output machine. It has the same 30 picolitre drop and 600dpi resolution as the Rho 1000, but at 1,000sqm/hr it runs at twice the speed of its predecessor.

Options include auto loading and unloading tables as well as roll-to-roll and roll-to-sheet options.

Like the Rho 1000, both the 1012 and 1030 are equipped with eight ink channels. Standard configuration is four-colour, CMYK, while the remaining four channels can be configured with various combinations of light cyan, light magenta, white and Durst's Process Colour Addition (PCA) inks of either orange and green, or orange and violet.

Durst has also upgraded its Rho P10 series printers with its new Variodrop refined greyscale technology, which uses "multipulsing" to accurately regulate drop sizes, thereby preventing any variation in velocity of individual drops (which can lead to drop placement inaccuracy).

The manufacturer described the technology as combining "two voltage pulses in such a way that the second pulse pumps precise dosage amounts of ink into the droplet before it detaches from the nozzle plate without forming any satellites".

Michael Lackner, marketing manager at Durst, said that the Variodrop technology had led to a "significant increase in productivity of up to 25% for all the Rho P10 series printers".

For example, the output speed of the 2.5m wide Rho P10 250 is increased from 200sqm/hr to up to 240sqm/hr (a 20% increase), with an ink drop size of 15 picolitres.

Lackner said: "In addition, the quality is improved for both 15 picolitre and 10 picolitre printing, including better colour gamut and even smoother solid colours."

The Variodrop technology will be available on new Rho P10 series printers but is not being offered as a field upgrade.

Tweet

New sales package from GPT to 'accelerate the momentum' of GPT 190s printer

Graphics Printing Technologies (GPT) will 'accelerate the momentum' of its Mimaki-based GPT 190s 1.9 m super-fast solvent printer with a package designed to help print providers grow their businesses through a wider range of high quality digital applications. The package includes the delivery, installation and training of a new Mimaki based GPT190s as well as 3.5 litres of Mimaki ink, RIP software and a full 2 years on-site parts and labour warranty and costs £22,500.

GPT is also offering customers the option of a 3 year platinum warranty for £1,495 and a Mimaki 2 litre bulk ink system at £1,495, reducing the ink costs by up to 20% over the standard 440ml Mimaki cartridges. If customers purchase the system from now until the end of Sign & Digital UK, they will be offered either the 3 year platinum warranty or the bulk ink system at £995.

“With a print speed capability of up to 96 square metres per hour together with this phenomenal package, customers are able to easily integrate the printer into their businesses in virtually no time and kick off the process of bringing high quality new products to market. We want to help print providers differentiate their business from the competition by being able to offer a broader range of high-value products and significantly increasing productivity and performance. The GPT 190s is a unique machine that we know meets many of the key demands of high performance graphics production companies,” says Stuart Cole, General Manager, GPT.

The new GPT 190s can print high speed mode at 35 Mtr.Sq / Hr (540dpi x 720dpi - good quality banner mode), standard speed at 24 Mtr.Sq / Hr (540dpi x 1080dpi - good quality vinyl mode) and highest quality at 15 Mtr.Sq / Hr (720dpi x 1440dpi - highest quality vinyl mode. The GPT 190S cannot be purchased anywhere but from GPT and is a 1.9m wide printer, incorporating double print heads (as the JV34 260) to deliver the additional speed.

The printer has been created by adapting an existing Mimaki textile printer and includes a full 2 year parts and labour warranty, Mimaki inks and Mimaki RIP.  The GPT 190s also has an optional trough for unbacked mesh materials, and an optional Mimaki bulk ink system for cheaper ink costs.

For more details, please visit www.g-p-t.co.uk

Win a Vespa at FESPA courtesy of Spandex

Spandex will be exhibiting at FESPA 2013 on stand B48S. Visitors are invited to pre-register to visit the stand - via www.spandex.co.uk - to receive a ‘Brand Bag’ worth over £150 including swatches, USB storage device and updated vehicle outline DVD.

In addition Spandex is offering visitors to their stand the chance to 'win a Vespa at FESPA'.  The iconic, 3M sponsored, Vespa motorcycle will be wrapped in the winner's choice of 3M™ Scotchprint® Car Wrap Film Series 1080.

Spandex is the world’s leading supplier to the sign & display industry, servicing over 20,000 customers across 17 countries. “In the UK, service and product offering is everything.  Spandex offers 26,000 products with 99.6% of all orders delivered next day,” says Leon Watson, Spandex UK General Manager.

“We look forward to welcoming customers old and new onto our stand to see how we are evolving to meet the demands of their customers.  With in excess of 20 leading industry brands, next-day delivery, bespoke pricing, application know-how, training and support, it’s easy to see why customers are choosing Spandex,” adds Leon.

Industry leading brands delivered next-day

Spandex offers the industry’s widest range of brands including Avery, 3M, ImagePerfect, Arlon, Mactac, Epson, Roland and swissQprint. Spandex’s highly-trained personnel will be on-hand to provide information on new substrates, as well as offer useful tips and techniques for various applications.

Wrapping

Spandex will be demonstrating vehicle wrapping films from Avery, 3M, Arlon and ImagePerfect and visitors are invited to ‘get their hands dirty’ with the product of choice.

Wide format printers & equipment

Spandex’s portfolio includes Roland, Epson, Mutoh, swissQprint, Zund, Summa and Rollsroller among others. Throughout the day, visitors will experience live hands-on demonstrations of some of the new wide format printers, recently launched from Epson and Roland.

Sign in a Box

Visitors will be able to see the new “Sign in a Box” range of ready-made modular sign systems which offer sign makers the opportunity to order off- the-shelf signs in standard height, width and panel combinations. The range is ideal for external directories, corporate identity and generic signage. Sign in a Box is designed to save construction time as all elements needed to build a sign are included in the box.

For more information, please visit www.spandex.co.uk

 

Roland to showcase SOLJET PRO4 XF-640 (aka The Beast) at FESPA

Roland DG will be showcasing its recently announced 64-inch SOLJET PRO4 XF-640 at this year’s FESPA exhibition. The new XF-640 is the company’s fastest wide format printer to date and has been dubbed ‘the beast’. It incorporates next generation dual print heads, a redesigned take-up and pinch roller systems, plus a host of other advanced features for high quality imaging at a maximum print speed of 102m²/hr.

Designed for both durable and stunning outdoor and indoor applications, the XF-640 is the ideal production tool for signs, banners, vehicle wraps, window graphics, POP displays, exhibition show graphics, posters and more. Roland’s newest eco-solvent inks, Eco-Sol MAX 2, offer an expanded colour gamut as well as fast drying times to boost production and the dual mirrored CMYK ink configuration virtually eliminates banding for consistent colour imaging. Visitors to the show can battle with the XF-640 beast on the Roland stand (P30S) to win prizes.

The XF-640 will also be joined on the stand by Roland’s SOLJET PRO4 XR-640. The 64 inch printer/cutter has been a great commercial success since its launch late last year and visitors to the stand will be able to see both machines in action and speak with Roland’s experts to learn how the PRO4’s series high quality and versatility can boost their business and offer a great return on investment.

Available in both seven and eight ink configurations and compatible with Roland’s latest Eco-Sol MAX 2 ink technology, the XR-640 comes with a choice of nine ink colours â€" CMYK, light magenta, light cyan, white, metallic silver and light black. Alongside the PRO4 XR-640, the VersaCAMM VS-640 printer/cutter will also be on stand, representing the best-selling VersaCAMM series.

The Roland stand will feature a café serving refreshments so visitors can learn more from the Roland team in a relaxed environment. James Sahota from Essex-based visual communications specialist Group 101, the latest participant in Roland’s “I’m a Roland User” campaign, will also be on hand to give user insight into the brand and share how his Roland machine has helped him expand his business.

Gillian Montanaro, Head of Marketing, Roland DG (UK) comments, “FESPA is a great opportunity for us to reach out to wide format print companies and with two outstanding new machines in the shape of our PRO4 series on the stand, it’s going to be a great show for us. In addition to exhibiting our new flagship models and some of our best-selling machines, we will also be highlighting the great after-sales support Roland offers through our RolandCare warranty service and training courses held at the Roland Academy.”

For more information, please visit www.rolanddg.co.uk

'Outstanding' graphics for Milan-based nhow Bar courtesy of HP latex technology

HP has announced a new project with world-renowned designer, Karim Rashid, who used HP Latex Printing Technologies to help bring his creative interior design ideas to life in a project for the nhow Bar in Milan.

The  contemporary hotel, nhow Milano, part of the Spanish hotel chain NH Hotels, is located in the heart of Milan’s fashion and design district and is known for its elegant minimalist design and extraordinary architecture. Situated in one of the most dynamic and lively neighbourhoods in the city, the hotel has undergone a renovation project which now includes Karim Rashid’s work on the popular hotspot, the nhow Bar.

“When undertaking the redecoration of a bar or restaurant, doing it quickly is crucial as these venues cannot afford to remain closed for long periods,” said Karim Rashid. “My experience with HP Latex Printing Technologies taught me that decorative elements could be produced quickly and result in odour-free prints that could be installed immediately.”

Using HP Large Format Printing Solutions, including an HP Designjet L28500 Printer, Rashid created exuberant graphics as part of a refurbishment project at the uniquely-styled nhow Bar. The result is a completely new-look 50m2 bar area comprising eight tables that boast vibrant full-colour graphics printed by the HP Scitex FB500 Industrial Printer, as well as two large-sized mirrors that feature striking HP Latex-printed designs on self-adhesive transparent film.

Direct-to-rigid printing with HP Scitex FB500 Industrial Printer

The entire graphics package for the nhow Bar was printed in Germany by event services agency, TECSERVICEUROPE AG, which also has its own print department.

Thanks to the HP Scitex FB500’s direct-to-rigid print capability and improved ink adhesion on non-porous rigid media, TECSERVICEUROPE was able to print Karim’s vibrant design directly onto eight 90 x 90cm polypropylene Tak table tops. Each table was then laminated with a clear-coat varnish for ensured robustness and longevity.

TECSERVICEUROPE also used its HP Designjet L28500 Printer, which runs water-based HP Latex Inks, to produce two large format designs that were applied to the two mirrors. The graphics, which measure 540 x 90cm and 825 x 90cm, were printed onto Sihl glossy transparent media before being applied to the glass surface.

Odourless printed graphics

Importantly for the nhow team, odourless HP Latex-printed graphics mean that undesirable smells were not an issue that could have proved a problem for the bar’s clientele. Furthermore, the inks contain no Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs).

“The fact that the mirrors do not emit strong smells is something that we take for granted, but this would otherwise have been a serious problem and at the very least, would have delayed the opening of the bar”, said Elisabetta Scantamburlo, art director at the nhow Milano Hotel.

Strategically located in Via Tortona, widely-renowned as Milan’s artistic epicentre, the nhow Bar’s new-look graphics achieve the hotel’s aim of reflecting the area’s lively, avant-garde creativity.

“The graphics look outstanding and fit completely with nhow’s design statement, which harnesses different trends and styles to create a unique and original theme,” continued Elisabetta Scantamburlo. “As it was, the graphics were installed only a short time before we opened the doors to customers, many of whom have remarked upon their striking visual appeal.”

Designed to create a sense of energy, Rashid’s theme for the nhow Bar draws upon inspiration from a design theme that represents Spain, Portugal and Italy.

“With colours, form and materials that reflect the digital age, the design is intended to bring a sense of connectivity, like a conduit for meeting, deal making, engaging, and flirting,” said Rashid

“nhow Milano has a consistent theme of orange within the hotel branding. I chose to highlight this theme throughout the bar by keeping a minimal colour scheme of white, orange, chrome and gold with an accent of lime,” he continued.

Ruth Quindos, Sign and Display Production market development manager, EMEA, HP, added, “This particular interior decor project exemplifies how, by using HP large-format printing technology, designers can express their creativity and create customised, one-off pieces to match the demanding needs of today's design-conscious buyer.”

More information is available at www.youtube.com/hpgraphicarts

[photo caption: The nhow Bar in Milan was decorated with creative interior design ideas by Karim Rashid, brought to life with HP Latex Printing Technologies (credits Giuseppe Creti)]

Nazdar launches customer-focused 'ink emergency' initiative

Specialist ink manufacturer Nazdar has launched a new customer-focused 'Ink Emergency' initiative (www.inkemergency.com) to tackle some of the key issues facing users of UV-curable inks.  As a result of this move, Free Site Surveys are now available to all users of UV inks within mainland UK.

UV digital printing has seen massive growth in the UK print industry in the last 8 years with many print producers adopting the technology as their lead printing solution.  However, UV technology has some inherent pitfalls that have almost become ‘accepted limitations’ by users who are unaware of the alternatives available to them.

Nazdar claims that there are simple solutions to many of the problems typically faced by printers using UV digital equipment.  From low colour strength and problems with edge chipping, through to poor adhesion to substrates and even logistical problems of holding ink inventory from multiple suppliers for multiple printers â€" issues that many UV users have grown to accept as the norm â€" Nazdar is able to help.  By solving these problems, Nazdar enables UV-printer users to broaden their production portfolio and make genuine improvements to the overall scope of their UV print production, whilst also increasing profitability with reduced ink costs.

These claims are backed up by specific customer case studies.  Nazdar inks have been used to rectify such issues and thereby offer users of UV printers enhanced production capabilities.

Colour - Colour is a subjective matter. Right?

Wrong. Well, at least partially wrong.  Colour strength and attainable gamut are obviously key to customer satisfaction and are a vital component in both winning and subsequently retaining business.  That is why Nazdar uses only the strongest, most vibrant colourants in their inks, keeping the levels high to give outstanding colour vibrancy for that initial ‘Wow effect’ that can so often be the difference between winning and losing a print contract.

However, this is only part of the colour story.  This colour strength allows Nazdar UV ink users to reduce ink usage per print without dropping colour vibrancy.  This reduction in ink usage not only reduces cost but also promotes better curing, which helps achieve the perfect finish.

Karl Norris of The Poster Company recently converted his Grapo Octopus to Nazdar inks with the specific goal of improving the colour and vibrancy of his printed output. His experience since the conversion confirms Nazdar’s claim to boost colour and reduce costs. He says, “Since using Nazdar 7400 UV digital ink on my Octopus printer, I have been able to achieve colour strength and vibrancy previously unobtainable with other ink systems. Not only has this won me business, but it has also allowed me to reduce my ink usage and boost profits!”

Adhesion â€" I am restricted to using certain substrates.  It’s just the way it is...

Another typical scenario that Nazdar often advises on relates to the ability of UV inks to adhere to as broad a range of substrates as possible. The more substrates you can print onto successfully, the more work you can take on and the greater the cost savings that can be realised.

Successfully converted Nazdar user, Pierre Pheiffer of Xtreme Signs, relates his experiences with his Manta flatbed UV printer.  He comments, “Since converting to Nazdar ink, we have found that we have better adhesion to board than the original (OEM) ink. In addition, we now have no problem with the flexibility of boards in transport.”

This increased media independence has allowed Xtreme Signs to print with greater confidence on to a broader range of cost-effective materials.  “Overall we are very pleased with the Nazdar ink for our UV printer and have realised considerable savings in terms of materials which we can now use,” concludes Pierre.

Chipping â€" I get edge chipping on my UV prints, but it is unavoidable. Right?

Again, it is wrong to assume that any anomaly created by a particular UV-curable ink is simply a compromise that has to be accepted. Different inks are formulated to service different applications and there is no need to accept the default inks when they can be readily and painlessly replaced with a more suitable ink solution.

Steve Tilbury, managing director at Evans Graphics, found himself suffering with edge chipping on the output produced on his Cromaprint system and turned to Nazdar for help. Steve explains “For years we have struggled with edge chipping and imperfections created during routing and cutting, that we were led to believe were unavoidable.”

Following consultation with a Nazdar ink technician, Steve was advised to try a Nazdar UV ink that was formulated for increased flexibility to better service exactly that type of application.  Steve was more than happy with the results.  He continues, “We tried ink from the Nazdar UV range. We now save time and money due to reductions in the finishing process. We can also now select from a wider range of cutting equipment and substrates which further reduces costs and widens our target markets”.

Multi-platform capability? â€" But surely I need different ink suppliers for different printers?

Actually, no you don’t.  Nazdar offers a full range of high quality inks to meet the needs of multiple print platforms.  Since moving to Nazdar inks for his Cromaprint system, Evans Graphics’ Steve Tilbury has converted more of the print production equipment at the company over to Nazdar solutions and is now seeing further benefits for his business.

He states, “As a busy print producer with equipment from multiple suppliers, managing ink inventory was almost a full time job.  Since switching to Nazdar digital ink we have been able to use one supplier for all of our printers, vastly reducing the amount of money tied up in inventory.  We have also been able to streamline the logistics of supply due to the much improved lead times Nazdar can provide.”

Get a Free Site Survey from Nazdar

Learn More - Why not discuss your options with one of the Nazdar technical services team? You could even arrange a free, no obligation site survey.  Call Nazdar on +44 (0)161 442 2111 and ask for the facts about Nazdar UV inks.

Nazdar will be on QPS’s stand â€" P150 â€" at Sign & Digital UK 2013.

Nazdar will also be exhibiting at FESPA London, 26th-29th June, on stand E55S.

Please contact us on info@nazdar.com if you would like to book an advance appointment to talk through your various ink options.  Alternatively, just come along and find us on stand.

For more information on Nazdar, please visit www.nazdar.com