EFI Debuts Six VUTEk Printers

This week in Amsterdam, Electronics For Imaging introduced six new EFI VUTEk printers, including one of the world’s fastest production-class hybrid LED printers, a new, flagship high-volume inkjet press and a VUTEk textile printer. The printers were unveiled at Fespa Digital 2016.

The 3.2-meter wide EFI VUTEk LX3 Pro hybrid roll/flatbed LED inkjet printer making its European debut at the show is a leader in production-class LED inkjet graphics print engine speeds with fast throughput of up to 318 sq. m./hr. The printer also offers high-resolution greyscale imaging and its “cool cure” LED technology is a greener solution that reduces energy usage and costs while giving users the ability to print on a wider range of media, including media that cannot withstand the heat of other curing or drying methods.

High print quality at faster print speeds
Early users such as U.S. customer Nutis Visual Communications Group in Columbus, Ohio, benefit from producing four-color, true point-of-purchase quality output. The printer’s unique benefits provide maximum versatility for businesses looking to profit from higher volumes and shorter lead times.

“The VUTEk LX3 Pro is a terrific addition that complements our other digital presses and enhances our overall capabilities,” says Nutis Visual Communications Group VP of Print Production Joey Nutis. “With the new printer, four-color 600-dpi imaging with light smoothing is now our go-to print mode. We have seen improved quality at faster print speeds at that setting on jobs that would have run at 1,000 dpi with heavy smoothing on our previous printer.”

The 3.2-meter EFI VUTEk HS125 Pro UV inkjet press is also making its European debut at Fespa Digital. It builds on the remarkable success customers have achieved on the 100+ worldwide installations of its predecessor, the EFI VUTEk HS100 Pro inkjet press. The new HS125 Pro model — the fastest VUTEk product ever developed — stands as the new flagship of the VUTEk lineup. It delivers true analogue replacement capabilities with quality approaching offset, production speeds up to 125 boards/hr., unique pin and cure UV LED curing, and a variety of automated material handling options, including one for corrugated board.

The newest-version EFI Fiery proServer driving the 3.2-meter VUTEk printers in EFI’s stand deliver productivity and quality well beyond a typical printer RIP. This upgraded Fiery digital front end platform gives VUTEk customers the power to process print files 60% faster than earlier versions of the proServer, or up to 170% faster than alternate systems.

EFI printers and Fiery technology connect into a complete ecosystem for end-to-end productivity on display at Fespa Digital, with technologies on display from the industry’s most comprehensive software portfolio featuring the EFI Midmarket Productivity Suite with the Pace MIS/ERP system at its core, out-of-the-box certified workflows, and additional Web-to-print and newly integrated cross media management solutions.

Worldwide launch of new EFI VUTEk FabriVU printers for soft signage
EFI also is premiering a new VUTEk printer to help customers capture new opportunities based on surging demand for high-quality, lightweight reusable fabric graphic soft signage used in retail visual merchandising, trade show graphics and other applications.

According to a study from industry research firm IT Strategies, the soft signage market will grow 8% annually from 2015 to 2020. EFI is helping signage and display graphics customers capture that growth with new 1.8- and 3.4-meter EFI VUTEk FabriVU printers developed by EFI Reggiani — a global leader in aqueous-based textile print technology based in Italy that was acquired by EFI in 2015. The printers run environmentally friendly water-based inks and open the door to new, profitable applications.

This family of printers brings high print quality and speed that will help print providers quickly expand their range of offerings. They feature precise unwinding for smooth, reliable feeding and print direct to fabric or transfer paper. A patented ink circulation system in the printer prevents nozzles from drying out, reducing ink costs by up to 15%.

According to Frank Mallozzi, EFI’s senior VP of worldwide sales and marketing, “With this product line launch, we are making EFI Reggiani’s technology and know-how in textile printing available to EFI signage and display graphics customers to positioning them to grow along with – or even faster than – the soft signage market at large.”

Available now, this printer family offers print speeds up to 464 sq. m./hr. at 600 dpi and ultra-high resolution up to 2,400 dpi. It also features four-level greyscale printing with 4- to 72-picolitre drop sizes. These printers and their environmentally friendly, water-based sublimation inks help users produce stunning soft signage and banner applications.

Other new printers making their European debut at EFI’s Fespa Digital stand include:

• The EFI Matan Quantum LXr LED printer, a dedicated roll-to-roll printer offering a superb price/speed/quality ratio for exceptional versatility, the widest range of substrates, and the lowest total cost of ownership in its class. This economical alternative to latex printers has 7-picoliter imaging, and print resolutions up to 1,200 dpi in four colors with optional white for high-quality printing. Unique productivity options for the printer, including ink and media efficiencies, advanced roll handling technologies, increase productivity, minimize waste, reduced labor and exceptional ease of use with dramatically lower power consumption.
• The EFI H1625-SD, an entry-level, 1.65-meter UV hybrid production printer that uses award-winning EFI SuperDraw UV ink for near-photographic imaging direct to thermoformable substrates. The printer runs four colors plus white with high-quality greyscale imaging.

For the industrial textile market, including digital printing for home décor and apparel, EFI also features the Reggiani ReNOIR NEXT 180 at Fespa Digital. This highly versatile product runs fabrics and papers with a common ink set using a 1.8-meter beltless digital printing system. The printer offers simplified material handling, a compact footprint and lower acquisition cost, making it an ideal entry-level production device for industrial décor and apparel applications. The printer can be used with water-based dispersed, acid, pigment and reactive dye printing inks, offering users greater flexibility in production applications while providing users with high-speed throughput and some of the lowest total running costs in the market.

“The complete showcase of print workflow, Fiery technology and our broad industrial inkjet portfolio at Fespa Digital provides the innovations signage and display graphics professionals need to distance themselves from competitors using less-efficient or lower-quality technologies,” explains Scott Schinlever, senior VP, EFI Inkjet Solutions. “The combination of high-end imaging, sustainability, and streamlined productivity from the products EFI is showing this year put our customers further ahead on the leading edge of business success.”

EFI’s exhibit is in hall 1, stand E40 at Fespa Digital, March 8-11 in the Amsterdam RAI Exhibition Center.

Businesses worldwide create a wide range of innovative, high-value and high-quality imaging applications with EFI printers. EFI’s printer portfolio features the industry’s top industrial LED, UV and water-based narrow web, wide- and superwide-format printers, including leading ceramics and textile print technologies. This portfolio gives printing companies profitable opportunities in The Imaging of Things, delivering greater product customization and appeal in everything from signage and packaging to décor, apparel and industrial manufacturing.

About EFI
EFI is a global technology company, based in Silicon Valley, and is leading the worldwide transformation from analog to digital imaging. We are passionate about fueling customer success with products that increase competitiveness and boost productivity. To do that, we develop breakthrough technologies for the manufacturing of signage, packaging, textiles, ceramic tiles, and personalized documents, with a wide range of printers, inks and digital front ends, and a comprehensive business and production workflow suite that transforms and streamlines the entire production process.

Source: EFI.