Hot Products From the Expo
The PRINTING United Expo floor was packed with new equipment. Here are some of the devices that caught our attention.
Canon U.S.A.
The imagePROGRAF GP series from Canon U.S.A. is the world’s first aqueous inkjet printer to include fluorescent pink ink. The ink set includes fluorescent pink, green, red, orange, violet, and five other colors. The new fluorescent pink ink supports expanding the color gamut for in-plants to replicate the colors for their business needs and branding.
Ricoh
The Ricoh Pro TF6251 wide-format UV LED flatbed printer makes it easy to digitally produce the widest range of applications on rigid substrates up to 4.3" thick. With the new roll attachment option, in-plants can expand into flexible media, while maintaining color consistency across substrates.
Roland
New third-generation TrueVIS VG3 and SG3 series large-format printer/cutters from Roland DGA offer greater image quality, productivity, and ease of use. VG3 models offer unsurpassed color control, efficiency, and convenience, while SG3 models are perfect for those just starting or seeking to build their businesses. They use Roland DG’s GREENGUARD Gold certified TR2 inks to deliver ultra-vivid, scratch-resistant prints.
swissQprint
swissQprint showcased the Kudu, a 127.5×79.9" UV LED printer. It incorporates the latest print head technology, with an addressable resolution of up to 1,350 dpi, and shows maximum productivity of 3,229 sq. ft. Kudu is expandable with a roll-to-roll option (126").
Xanté
Xanté showed the new X-55 UV flatbed printer. With a larger bed size (50x55"), in-plants can print up to six 18x24" signs simultaneously. Based on up to four Epson i3200 four-channel printheads, the CMYKW X-55 prints in bold, vibrant color on virtually any rigid media including wood, glass, stone, metal, acrylic, and Coroplast. It is powered by iQueue Adobe Postscript/PDF workflow software.
The Xanté X-55 UV flatbed printer drew a lot of attention at the Expo.
HP
HP showed its PageWide Advantage 2200 inkjet press, running 500 fpm in color and 800 fpm in mono. Using HP Brilliant Ink and 2,400 native nozzle per inch printheads, this press can print on a range of media weights from 40 gsm to 300 gsm. It boasts a single print arch design with a robust paper path with fewer components, reducing the number of parts to manage.
HP PageWide Advantage 2200
Riso
Riso’s ComColor GL Series high-speed inkjet printer uses quick-drying, oil-based pigment ink and heatless imaging, which enables it to have a smaller footprint than other inkjet presses. Its straight-path feeding system feeds paper horizontally to enable high-speed printing with minimal print offset at 160 ppm.
Kyocera
The Kyocera TASKalfa Pro 15000c cutsheet inkjet production printer outputs 146 ipm. It was designed with a focus on transactional, trans-promotional, and book publishing, and boasts exceptional media flexibility and output quality. The 15000c was shown with in-line Duplo finishing.
Canon
The Canon imagePRESS V1000 series color digital press can print up to 101 ipm (letter). Its innovative POD-SURF (Surface Rapid Fusing) allows the press to maintain its speed on coated and heavy stocks up to 400 gsm. With inline spectrophotometers, press operators can perform advanced color adjustments such as engine linearization, color profile creation, G7 calibration, and color validation.
GCC America
GCC America’s Jaguar V features an AAS II Contour Cutting System for segmental positioning, auto rotation, and auto-tuning to provide precise contour cutting. It offers excellent performance and reliability in cutting various media such as PVC film, heat transfer film, reflective film, sandblast film, and more.
Duplo USA
Duplo USA showed the DF-K2000 thick paper creaser/folder, which folds up to 5,000 sph to accommodate the demand for digital color output on heavier stocks up to 400 gsm. It automatically detects popular paper sizes (letter, legal, ledger, half letter, and half legal) and 30 custom jobs can be stored in memory. Up to 16 creases can be applied with a minimum distance of 2mm.
Standard Finishing
Standard Finishing debuted Hunkeler’s DocuTrim, a modular, multifunctional sheet processing system designed for maximizing the productivity of short- or single-run applications. It can trim, cut, perforate, and stack sheets up to 20.47x20.47". Vertical and horizontal perforations are possible, and up to six vertical and six horizontal perforating tools can be used to produce a variety of perf patterns. The DocuTrim can be run in-line with cut-sheet printers or offline.
Rochester Software Associates
Rochester Software Associates demonstrated the latest version of its QDirect output management software, which features a new destination cluster feature, a group of printers that QDirect manages as a virtual single device; new “cluster” printing and automated job routing and splitting to the best device for the job; and load balancing and job splitting by quantity, pages, or color splitting pages to printer groups.
RSA Marketing Director Elisha Kasinskas (right) talks with managers from UNLV's in-plant during PRINTING United Expo.
Mutoh
Mutoh’s VerteLith RIP software is a complete in-the-box print solution with 8-channel support to handle a broad range of print jobs, including multi-layer artwork requiring white and/or varnish layers. By integrating halftone screening specifically developed for inkjet, Mutoh VerteLith Clear Tone will produce the best possible gradients and skin tones.
Lexjet
HP Removable Adhesive Fabric from LexJet can be mounted to indoor or outdoor surfaces without leaving a residue, and can be repositioned without losing its adhesive qualities. It can be used on multiple non-porous, smooth, and slightly textured surfaces. And now, it is also available in a version made with recycled water bottles and coating materials. It is REACH compliant, and certified fire- and slip-resistant safe for floors.
Mactac
Known as IMAGin Simply Sustainable, the new product line from Mactac is PVC-free and consists of polyester (PET) and polypropylene (PP) films that meet current regulatory standards of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety and Improvement Act.
Fisher Textiles
ET8050 Super Sonic Backlit from Fisher Textiles is one of the industry’s only dye-sub printable backlit fabrics made from 100% post-consumer recycled polyester. This soft, suede knit produces an excellent vibrancy of print, amplified when backlit. It weighs 7.7 oz per square yard, and is stocked 126" wide.
FloorSignage
DriveOn Graphics from FloorSignage is a full color print media for parking areas, driveways, and streets, durable to automobile traffic. It is slip resistant, safe, and retroreflective. It can be direct printed and no overlaminate is needed. It is compatible with UV and latex inks.
Avery Dennison
Siser EasyPSV Starling by Avery Dennison is a pressure-sensitive adhesive vinyl that sticks to hard goods for quick decorating. EasyPSV Starling just needs application tape and pressure from a squeegee to transfer your designs.
Bob has served as editor of In-plant Impressions since October of 1994. Prior to that he served for three years as managing editor of Printing Impressions, a commercial printing publication. Mr. Neubauer is very active in the U.S. in-plant industry. He attends all the major in-plant conferences and has visited more than 170 in-plant operations around the world. He has given presentations to numerous in-plant groups in the U.S., Canada and Australia, including the Association of College and University Printers and the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association. He also coordinates the annual In-Print contest, co-sponsored by IPMA and In-plant Impressions.
