Digital

CANON IMAGEPRESS C800 SERIES 

Since its launch in mid-2014, the imagePress C800 Series has established itself as one of the most popular digital colour presses in Australia. What has drawn print businesses to the new Canon model is its combination of image quality, productivity, flexibility and versatile workflow that has seen the imagePress C800 Series become the central workhorse for many print operations. The imagePress C700/C800 incorporates a range of innovative, new and proven technologies to deliver colour print quality. Canon says that ultra high resolution imaging, new toner technology and enhanced colour management tools help deliver rich, vibrant images with the accuracy, consistency and repeatability that customers demand. Canon’s Gloss Optimisation technology allows a gloss finish on coated stocks, and a flat, matt finish or textured or uncoated stocks. Features that address the needs of the print-for-pay market include full engine speed on paper up to 220gsm, with stepped slowdown as materials get heavier. SRA3 print speed is virtually  on parity with A3 – up to 40 ppm on paper up to 220 gsm. The imagePress C800 Series has three models in the family, with throughput of 80, 70 or 60 A4 ppm. The imagePress has inline finishing options that can meet the needs of most print operations. It gives printers the flexibility to tailor a solution that best meets their business needs – whether it is to produce flat sheets in a tight space for proofing, or finishing offline, or to efficiently produce an array of automated finished jobs such as full bleed saddle-stitch booklets or perfect bound books. Canon also offers a range of print controller options for the imagePress C800 series, including two EFI controllers – that feature the latest Fiery FS150 system – and the Canon Prismasync controller with its awardwinning ease-of-use concepts designed to cope with a print operation’s growing volume of smaller print jobs. Canon says it means that it offers a controller with the features and functionality that best integrate seamlessly into existing print workflows.

EPSON SUPREPRESS L-4033A

The Epson SurePress L-4033A inkjet digital label press sets a benchmark for short-run printing. The SurePress L-4033A offers the ability to print on a wide range of standard labels stocks using Epson’s aqueous six-colour ink set. The SurePress also presents itself as an ideal platform for today’s label converter. The SurePress L-4033A uses Epson’s Micro Piezo Head technology offering a 720 x 1,440dpi print resolution in addition to a variable droplet capability which allows the ink to be applied in a particularly uniform manner for smooth gradations. As with all its printers Epson places emphasis on providing its customers with savings at the lowest cost to the environment. The SurePress L-4033A uses water-based, resin-coated pigments developed by Epson, so SurePress users no longer need to press coat or pre-treat stocks before going to press. Both the SurePress L-4033A and the SurePress AQ inks are compliant with EU Directive RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substance). Epson and its sales partners can provide users of the SurePress L-4033A with tailored technical support and customer service contracts to meet all their specific requirements. With a digital label solution starting at under $200,000 the Epson SurePress L-4033A represents an opportunity for label converters to work profitably in high quality label printing.

 FUJI XEROX VERSANT 2100 

According to Fuji Xerox, the Versant 2100 Press has been engineered from the ground up with new technology to offer customers productivity, image quality and workflow efficiency. The Versant 2100 Press’s list of automation technology includes fullwidth array featuring ACQS (Automated Colour Quality Suite) as standard to manage colour control consistency and image to media alignment. The Versant 2100 Press features a new compact belt fuser which will handle substrates from 52gsm to 350gsm automatically perfecting all weights. This new fuser will allow the Versant 2100 Press to manage tricky substrates such as envelopes and print at a full rated speed of 100ppm up to 300gsm. Other time saving features on the Versant 2100 Press include production accurate registration for precise image registration, automatic sheet clearing to help identify and clear paper in a jam, and up to eight pick points with 10,000+ sheet capacity. The Versant 2100 Press features Fuji Xerox’s Ultra HD resolution. This renders jobs at 1,200 x 1,200 x 10 bit (four times the pixels of the former 600 x 600 x 8 bit) — this enables jobs to include ultra-smooth gradients. On top of Ultra HD resolution, the Versant 2100 Press also images at 2,400 x 2,400dpi, features new low gloss, low melt EA dry ink, object oriented halftoning and new line screens. The Versant 2100 Press supports two  EFI print servers as well as a Fuji Xerox FreeFlow print server and full production finishing compatibility. To extend the capability of the Versant 2100 Press Fuji Xerox has a comprehensive range of file automation products as well as campaign management, cross media, variable data and web to print solutions with FreeFlow Core and XMPie workflow offerings.

HP INDIGO WS6800

With 6000 HP Indigo digital presses installed and over 4000 customers in 120 countries, HP Indigo is a global leader in digital printing. Printers can produce labels, folding cartons, flexible packaging and shrink sleeves to satisfy a full range of customer requirements. HP Indigo presses feature a powerful digital front end and an automated colour engine by Esko. The HP Indigo WS6800 Digital Press is a leading narrow-web printing solution for high-volume labels and packaging production. The press delivers a high crossover point in narrow-web production versus analogue for the vast majority of pressure-sensitive label jobs. It can produce up to 40 linear metres per minute in colour using Enhanced Productivity Mode (EPM). It also offers output with a larger 320 x 980mm image format. An inline spectrophotometer saves time on colour calibrations and colour profiles. The HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press offers nearly any packaging application, including flexible packaging, labels, and shrink sleeves on film or paper. It also includes converters with all the tools needed from order to fulfilment. Engineered for mid-web packaging applications such as flexible packaging and label printing, the HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press brings the same quality as gravure to operations to meet all client demands for medium and short runs. HP Indigo is distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Currie Group.

KONICA MINOLTA BIZHUB PRESS C1100

The bizhub Press C1100 has been designed by Konica Minolta as the company’s fastest cutsheet system, achieving speeds up to 100ipm. The Press C1100 is suited to the production of high volume digital colour prints for commercial printers, mail houses and print on demand requirements, where high quality, high volumes and quick turnaround of prints are required. With a monthly duty cycle of one million prints, and an engine life of 20 million impressions, the C1100 is built to support and expand print capabilities. The C1100’s print speed doesn’t need to be reduced based on media weight and type. Speed is only reduced by the sheet size — at Super fast it will print 5,192 A4 impressions per hour and 3,180 A3 impressions per hour. Its resolution reaches 1,200 X 1,200dpi 8-bit. A large range of media types is supported, in weights from 55gsm to 350gsm, both for simplex and duplex printing. The C1100 system can be expanded to a maximum of nine large capacity paper trays, or 13,890 sheets, with tray switching and media reloading on the fly. For paper feeding, the C1100 uses variable air suction and air separation feeding from all paper trays. The fusing unit has been designed with large rollers to produce print at full rated speed with air knife sheet separation so the chance of fuser wrap is virtually eliminated. The C1100 has a large range of in-line finishing units that can be added to suit a specific requirement. These include a 5,000-sheet stacker that can be added as a pair to produce 10,000 sheets without any operator intervention. Other finishing options include Konica Minolta’s 50-sheet (200 pages) saddle-stitch booklet unit that has for-edge trimming, an in-line folding unit that can produce up to six different folds, 100 sheet staple finisher and a 300 page perfect binder. The bizhub Press C1100 accommodates paper sizes up to a maximum of 330 x 487mm, and handles a maximum printing area of 321 x 480mm, and when including crop marks will print A3 (one-up) or A4 (two-up).

 RICOH PRO C5100S

For small business owners looking for entry level printers, the Ricoh Pro C5100 series offers a small footprint, and a standard configuration that includes engine, paper tray and stapler finisher with enhanced media handling. These devices also offer varying levels of controllers, allowing printers to select the best options to meet their workflow and productivity requirements. The C5100S is suitable for all production applications, with easy integration into CRD and commercial printers. Awarded the Buyers Laboratory LLC (BLI) PRO Award 2014 for Most Outstanding Colour Light Production Device, Ricoh says the Pro C5110S is the fastest colour light production device in its class with print speeds of up to 80ppm, and is cost effective given its price point and volume capability. The C5100S offers resolutions up to 4,800dpi, enhanced by a new low-melt chemical toner that uses image processing and fuser technologies from Ricoh’s medium production models. It prints on a wide range of media up to 300gsm while maintaining levels of productivity, even when printing at maximum weight. The Ricoh Pro C5100 series accommodates output suitable for most demanding customers. It is also capable of printing on a range of textured stock and in banner mode up to 1.26 metres wide, coupled with the media library for output quality and media handling. Extra function modules, including folding, saddle stitching, hole punching and stapling, can be added at any time. The controller comes in three levels and can be upgraded from basic to an embedded or server based RIP, with a variety of downstream options to facilitate most applications in this segment. There are several controller options to provide heavy production functionality and colour management on a light production offering. Ricoh offers modularised professional training to specifically target customer needs, including hardware, software and colour management, and can be conducted both onsite and offsite, depending on customer requirements and levels of expertise. Flexible leasing and finance options are available through Ricoh Finance. Costs are dependent on configuration with ‘price on application’.

SCREEN TRUEPRESS JET L350UV

Screen’s Truepress Jet L350UV digital label press uses inkjet with UV curing across a maximum 350mm web and at speeds up to 50 metres per hour. The first installation, via dealer Jet Technologies, has now been running for four months at Sydney’s DS Labels and is proving productive, with customers commenting on the high quality of their labels, especially with the white ink. Several demonstrations and job trials to further prospective operators have taken place, with further orders expected this year. Owner Deane Sproule describes it as “the best digital label press in Australia,” adding, “The L350UV provides near-photographic quality labels with pin-sharp barcodes and fine text. Not only is the quality there, our new press prints scuff-resistant labels on a wide range of self-adhesive stocks. So far we’ve found 35 locally available stocks.” “The L350UV has been a success worldwide, with over 25 sold in a short time, with one US flexo label printer saying that, since installing an L350, it has proven suitable for at least 57 per cent of all their work,” says local Screen managing director Peter Scott. “The USA, Italy, UK, South Africa and of course Japan are all performing well with the L350. Some customers have ordered their second L350 as more work migrates from flexo.” Labels depend as much on converting and finishing as printing itself and Screen recently announced the availability of its finishing solution, the JetConverter 350. Matching the 350mm web width of the L350UV, it offers features such as slitting, diecutting, matrix stripping, corona treatment, varnish, up to two flexo units, laminating, tinting, cold foil and up to 12 auto-slitting knives. The JetConverter can be deployed either as a near-line or inline solution.

MIS & W2P

THARSTERN ESTIMATINGPRO

EstimatePro was four years in planning and development and has now been live for other two years across a growing customer-base in the UK and Australasia. The company considers it the next evolution from Tharstern’s Estimating Classic module. It actively transitions the quoting process from a handful of specialists to anyone who can accurately describe a job. It also takes the core quoting function a fraction of the time it took previously with consistent and accurate pricing every time. The latest major update was released in mid-April, combining a range of new functions including richer integration with Tharstern’s Sales Order Processing module. EstimatePro is the new Tharstern MIS backbone. It suits any size business in the digital, offset and wide-format space where future permutations will include label work. All sales invoices and purchase requisitions are generated out of Tharstern Primo and linked to the numerous reports that come standard with the system. Tharstern can link to any number of accounting solutions – Xero (Saas cloud and growing in popularity), Sage 50 and Sage 300 are the most used, but it also works with other accounting packages on request. Tharstern currently has partnerships with Fuji Xerox and IBM Global Finance, who can provide flexible terms to printers wanting to effectively pay for the solutions whilst they are using and taking financial advantage of the benefits they bring.

WHIRLWIND W3P

W3P is an all-encompassing web-2-print software, which has already had success overseas. w3p also offers a fully featured MIS, allowing printers to manage their entire design to print workflow through one system. w3p is cloud-based software for graphic designers, web designers, print brokers and printers themselves. w3p has modules to sell online with w3shop, create private web-to-print portals for end clients with w3client, and a simple back office for easy order management. In addition to being able to immediately tap into the online print market, w3p allows businesses to increase their product offering by taking advantage of Whirlwind Print’s manufacturing power and print catalogue which are already built into the system. There are two key w3p packages: w3shop and w3client. w3shop is an e-commerce platform, developed for the specific needs of the printing sector. It’s a full online web shop which enables printers to sell to small and medium businesses. w3shop is a fully featured shopping cart, designed to sell personalised products like flyers and business cards. Customers can upload their graphic files or edit pre-designed templates through the fully integrated TemplateCloud and Fotolia and pay online. A powerful back office processes orders efficiently. W3client delivers brand management services to clients by creating brand specific templates for things like business cards, flyers, brochures and more. w3client takes the hard work out of web-to-print templates by automatically building them directly from Adobe InDesign. These can then be edited and ordered online directly by clients. Client portals can be individually branded to match the client’s corporate look and feel. They can add their logo, customise the colour scheme and upload a striking image for their splash login screen. Both available with mobile friendly, responsive client dashboard areas enabling clients to track orders, view prices, view order history, reorder and send messages from any device. Clients can choose designs from TemplateCloud, the world’s largest collection of editable templates made by real designers. TemplateCloud has a growing library of over 80,000 design templates, complemented by inbuilt access to Fotolia, where users can browse 25 million photos. Designs are available for all popular industry sectors, are fully editable, and start at just $1. TemplateCloud offers the additional benefit of allowing designers to sell their own templates through the platform. Templates are priced from $1-80, and designers are able to decide the price range they’d like to sell at. Every time a customer uses a template, the designer is paid a royalty. This feature has the potential to open a fantastic new revenue stream for designers by enabling them to sell their designs on a global scale. W3p is continually updated to adapt to the evolving print marketplace. Whirlwind is continually improving w3p Flyerlink and software systems to make them easier to use, faster and more powerful. Amongst over a dozen recent upgrades, w3p has released a 3.0 Responsive edition, and nine further updates are currently being coded.

Prepress

KODAK ACHIEVE CTP PACKAGE

With the bulk of the medium to large commercial printers fully entrenched with automated CTP systems, the focus is shifting towards making high quality, thermal CTP platemaking more affordable to the smaller end of the print environment. Traditionally, those printers who have started out with polyester, violet or CTCP (computer to conventional plate), can now affordably migrate to Kodak’s latest TH5 thermal imaging technology incorporated in both 4-up and 8-up configurations at an average throughput of 16 plates per hour when coupled with Kodak Sonora processfree plates. The turn-key system includes a Kodak Prinergy entry-level solution with PDF batch trapping, along with operator training and start-up assistance for Kodak Prinergy workflow. A tailored Kodak service contract, after the warranty period, offers worry-free operation for the life of the system. Both Achieve systems are priced well under $100,000 for the complete package, but further software and hardware upgrades are possible. A true chemistry-free platemaking system that can be installed in an office environment provides consistent image quality at 200lpi repeatedly. The complete CTP and plate system provides not only an environmental benefit through the removal of processing and chemistry waste, but also business sustainability by removing costs associated with plate processing, water, waste. Kodak can also help customers manage their investment through its Solutions Lifecycle programme, tailoring repayments with flexibility for upgrades or changes in production and equipment needs during the equipment life cycle.

SCREEN PLATERITE HD 8900Z

Dainippon Screen’s PlateRite HD 8900Z thermal CTP device can output at a rate of 67 imaged B1 plates per hour, at 2,400dpi, or 80 B2 sized plates per hour. For printers who don’t need that kind of speed, it is available as an S model at 43 B1 plates per hour or the economy E model at 33. The PlateRite thermal CTPs are so reliable that plate suppliers such as Fujifilm, Agfa, Xingraphics, Ferag and manroland chose them for their eight-page offering. The primary market for the PTR8900 is the B1 commercial print sector but newspapers and packaging firms have also found Screen’s build, service, low energy use and dot quality an attractive proposition. While 2,400dpi is the industry standard for high quality plates, 4,000dpi is offered as an option. The S and E variants use a 512 channel GLV laser diode imaging head for pin-sharp resolution, while the flagship Z variant has a 1,024 channel head. Screen’s Spekta imaging delivers both AM and FM screening and Spekta2 can produce hybrid AM/FM screened plates. Modular automation is available with the MA-L8900 autoloader, which can accommodate up to five plate cassettes, each with up to 100 plates of the same or different sizes. Plates can be loaded while the 8900 is in operation, without interruption. A single-cassette SA-L8900 that holds up to 100 plates is available, or the CTP can be fed manually. Plate punching is also automatic, and all popular punch systems up to 12 individual punch blocks can be selected. Plate transport bridges for processors add to the automation, and there is a remote monitoring system available where important data such as operational use, plates remaining and service intervals can be displayed in a web browser or via email. Screen's PlateRite HD8900Z uses much less energy that most 8-up systems with watts used per B1 plate down 41 per cent over previous models during operation, and 88 per cent during stand-by. Price, says Screen, is elastic depending on what kind of plate supply contract a printer has with his chosen plate partner.

Offset

KBA RAPIDA 106

KBA’s Rapida 106 is designed for very quick makereadies and high running speeds, says general manager, sheetfed presses, at KBA Australasia, Dave Lewis. “It starts with the DriveTronic feeder, which is driven by independent motors instead of a mechanical drive from the press. This gives much smoother, vibration free running and a constant jerk-free feed pile lift. Then we have our SIS Sensoric Infeed System, which is a sidelayless infeed. This gives quicker makereadies and very accurate registration, and allows very high running speeds. KBA is the only press manufacturer that offers this technology,” he said. The Rapida 106 has a top speed of 20,000 for a straight press, the fastest in the industry, and 18,000 for a perfecting press. KBA also offers its DriveTronic SPC Simultaneous Plate Change system with a full-time motor drive on the plate cylinder so there is no plate cylinder gear. This means that all plates are changed at the same time in 50 seconds while the blankets are washing, so in effect there is no plate changing time. KBA also offers its PlateIdent system, which scans register marks on the plates and then brings the job into register before taking a pull, saving time and substrate. KBA also offers a Data Matrix Select option which reads QR codes on the plates when they are loaded and finds the job automatically on the KBA server, then downloads the job with no intervention from the operator, and then sets the press up automatically. KBA’s Qualitronic ColorControl camera system reads densities and then makes density adjustments without having to scan a sheet. It can also detect defects through the same camera. Qualitronic PDF scans the printed image and then compares this to the original job PDF. One of KBA’s latest additions is SRW Simultaneous Roller Washing, which allows the washing up and inking of units not being used while the press is in production. This is particularly useful for customers running lots of special colours. KBA also offers SFC Simultaneous Form Change on the coating units, which changes the coating plate while the press is in production. KBA says it is the only press manufacturer with its own drying system, called VariDry. This includes IR/Hot air dryers as well as UV, including traditional UV as well as LED and HR UV. This means the dryer system is fully integrated into the press. “With all these features, this makes the Rapida 106 the fastest and most productive press in its class,” said Dave Lewis.

RYOBI V3000/920

Ryobi MHI recognised the changing market demand several years ago and has developed a range of press solutions that can ensure high quality print is delivered to customers as quickly as possible. The full size B1 V3000 105cm press can be configured as a straight press, a convertible perfecting press or tandem perfecting press which utilises a translink unit enabling sheets to be printed on both sides using the same grip edge and without the need to turn the sheet. Ryobi’s best selling, and economical, A1 92cm size press offers 16-page A4 sections Ryobi MHI can offer several options which result in both time and money savings. By incorporating the Ryobi MHI Smart Makeready function the number of sheets used and the time taken for makereadies is significantly reduced. Blanket cleaning, plate changing, preset inking and test printing can be performed within this feature. The new Smart RPC plate changing system changes plates automatically and simultaneously reduces the time taken to change any number of plates from two to 12 in approximately 75 seconds. Colour management systems continuously monitor and check imperfections, to improve the overall quality of the printed sheets. No reduction in press speed, whether printing in straight or perfecting mode, is available. LED UV enables instant drying, low power usage, the elimination of spray powder, no ozone, the ability to print on plastic, an instant on/off, and no generated heat are just some of the benefits available by the use of this feature. Value added inline features such as foiling, holographic casting or chemical embossing can also be incorporated. All of Ryobi MHI’s presses can be configured to the customer’s requirements. Options such as perfecting, coating (aqueous or UV), full automation or semi automation, the ability to handle a wide variety of stock from thin paper to thick board or rigid plastics are available. Cyber offers full training on all its installations. The company has three factory trained demonstrators and 20 factory trained engineers across Australia, as well as representatives in all states. 

Finishing

GMP PROTOPIC AUTO QUATRO SLIT LAMINATING MACHINE

The new range of laminating equipment and specialty digital films from Korean manufacturer GMP, distributed through Renz Australia, is assisting printers to add new revenue streams from new and existing customers. Aimed at the digital on demand market, the Protopic Auto Quatro Slit is an example of the flexibility and new revenue opportunities one machine can offer. This machine automatically feeds and bursts the laminated media and in the one machine can provide four value-adding embellishments to digital prints:

– Single and/or double sided lamination/celloglazing;

– Single and/or double sided photo matt or texture embossing;

– Digital sleeking, producing a range of full sheet or spot effects with metallic foils, gloss or matt coatings;

– Patented GMP Slit Book technology which produces an inner hinged book block for lay flat photo books. Apart from traditional laminating and celloglazing, the GMP Protopic Auto Quatro is capable of producing photo prints (silver halide replacement), photo books and photo calendars to a booming market sector. The silver halide replacement technology produces photo prints and/or finished printed images that look and feel like traditional silver halide photographic prints. This reduces the cost by 50 per cent compared to traditional silver halide processing and also provides obvious environmental advantages.

– Digital sleeking, which is an easy way to achieve special effects such as spot varnish, metallic foil stamping and holographic effects in-house. The process involves a special image transfer that bonds specifically to HP Indigo inks and other digital toners applied in spot locations or to the full sheet, creating a wide variety of special effects and designs.

-The Slit-Book system can produce the inner book block of a lay flat photo book. The process comprises a pre-bonding and inline guttering device that creates the book hinge prior to lamination. Compared to most existing solutions Slit-Book can produce a lay flat book block at a lower cost with far more choice and flexibility in different finishes. The fully optioned version of the Protopic Auto Quatro Slit can be financed for as little as $370 per week (subject to finance approval), including delivery and installation. Comprehensive training is also provided with ongoing operator and technical support nationally from Renz Australia.

MGI JV-3DS SYSTEM

The new JETvarnish 3DS is designed and manufactured by MGI and Konica Minolta to help printers expand their services with spot UV and 3D tactile varnishing capabilities, with inkjet productivity and efficiency benefits. Designed primarily for the digital print market, the JETvarnish 3DS will make the popular 3D tactile varnish finish available to all digital printers printing on widths up to 360mm. The JETvarnish 3DS can turn regular printed jobs into high-margin spot UV jobs, or even higher margin 3D embossed jobs with up to 100 microns of varnish applied to the sheet, which lifts the image from the page and adds a higher level of sheen to colours. The new varnish formula, combined with Konica Minolta print heads, can create a 3D effect on laminated surfaces or on toner directly. The variable data option adds full personalisation capabilities for maximum one-to-one marketing impact. Print speeds are up to 4,800 A3 sheets per hour in flat mode (2D) and up to 1,500 A3 sheets per hour in 3D mode. With single-pass printing, the JETvarnish 3DS is a UV spot varnish device. The digitisation of spot UV finishing allows printers to take a few sheets from each job and spot UV coat it so customers can see the effect their jobs could have, making the 3DS ideal for lucrative short- and medium-run printing. The combination of MGI’s inkjet technology with Konica Minolta’s dropon- demand Piezoelectric print heads enables lines as small as 0.5mm or as wide as the sheet. JETvarnish 3DS HubManager production software allows printers to follow jobs, manage job queues, create job tickets, recall reprints and adjust ARC camera systems in one tool. A function exports detailed production data for internal costs for analysis and reports. The Spot Varnish Editor is designed for editing job files on the fly, so the operator can adjust and modify print jobs on the fly to save time and money. The Product Cost Analyser calculates production costs to onetenth of a cent, and gives customers precise information on consumable costs per print job before the job has been printed. The JETvarnish 3DS is equipped with Automated Registration Camera (ARC) technology designed to calibrate (on the fly) coating registration from sheet to sheet. The first camera reads printed marks and automatically corrects for changes in the X and Y position of each sheet. The second camera detects the paper skew and makes adjustments on the fly. The ARC system ensures accurate spot UV coating, even on jobs with inconsistent print registration. The JETvarnish 3DS is able to spot varnish on toner and offset prints with and without lamination, making print workflows more flexible and easier. Sales and service are available through Konica Minolta Australia’s direct and dealer network across Australia.

MÜLLER MARTINI PRESTO II

The Presto II saddle stitcher is based on proven and successful lines of Müller Martini entry level saddle stitchers, which can provide flexible runs at speeds up to 9,000 cycles per hour. The space saving layout combined with a high level of automation makes this saddle stitcher productive and efficient for small to medium size runs. The Presto II features the latest in ergonomic design for accessibility and ease of use. Features of the Presto II saddle stitcher include:

– Touchscreen operation with language-neutral pictograms through to the setup wizard;

– Automatic synchronisation of gathering chain, feeder, stitching machine and three-knife trimmer;

– Automatic synchronisation of yoke timing;

– Assisted set-up of feeders through local control device;

– Storage and loading of jobs;

– Speeds up to 9,000 cycles/hour;

– Expandable by up to six twin feeders;

– JDF/JMF-compatible in accordance with CIP4 standard

– Digital ready for interfacing of inline press, folder or unwind station. For mid-level stitching requirements, the Primera offers a maximum speed up to 14,000c/h. It has a touchscreen commander, a wizard for quick setup with a signature measuring device, local operating elements at the feeders, a high degree of automation with automatic synchronisation of feeders, and JDF/JMF compatibility in accordance with the CIP4 production standard.

Wide format

CANON ARIZONA 6170 XTS

Canon says the 6100 series of flat-bed printers is a high-productivity, high volume range specially designed for sign, display and POS production of more than 30,000m of rigid media each year. The series has been designed to enable Arizona users to stick with the brand as they move up to high volume work. Maximum output speed is 155sqm per hour in Express mode, 72sqm in Quality mode with the company says the ability to produce ‘perfect 6pt text’. The 6170 XTS features two independent printing zones, each with its own vacuum system, so that one board can always be staged and ready while the other is being printed – essentially providing non-stop production. Canon says the two zones can be combined into one extra-large area to enable prints of up to 2.5m x 3.05m, with the vacuum table keeping media and objects stationary during production to ensure print precision. The company says this engineering, combined with Océ VariaDot print technology, ensures optimal print quality while allowing production speeds of up to 50 boards an hour, offering high media versatility, making it suited to the growing and changing display printing market.

EFI H2000 PRO

The two-metre EFI VUTEk H2000 Pro printer provides wide-format signage and graphics companies with a more affordable entry point into high-end production printing while giving them the option to add features – including white ink, clear varnish and roll-to-roll media handling – as they grow their business. The printer brings EFI’s UltraDrop greyscale imaging to the mid-volume inkjet graphics production segment. UltraDrop Technology combines 7-picolitre drop sizes with greyscale imaging and more precise control. It provides true multi-drop addressability in each dot position, giving high apparent resolution and high-definition quality with four-level greyscale and two ink density levels. UltraDrop Technology also produces outstanding smoothness in shadows, gradients and transitions, as well as superb text quality with four-point text, fewer satellites and more clarity in all print modes. VUTEk H2000 Pro users can run rigid, sheet and flexible media up to 5.08cm thick on the printer, and it offers standard multi-queue functionality for continuous production. Enhanced hybrid vacuum belt technology on the new two-metre UV inkjet printer optimises substrate feeding. The six-colour printer features EFI’s Orion operating system and is available with Fiery proServer or Fiery XF digital front ends, as well as JDF integration to EFI web2print and MIS/ERP software.

EPSON SURECOLOR SC-F9200

The new Epson SureColor SC-F9200 dye-sublimation printer helps users produce quality textiles and promotional goods, and is also designed to produce interior décor with imaging onto hard surfaces. It is backed with full factory warranty and service support. The SC-F9200 joins Epson’s dyesublimation line-up and offers expanded production capabilities and lower running costs. The printer includes support for Epson’s new HDK ink and HQ Print mode, is designed for roll based production and is particularly suited to custom fabric and soft signage work with an adjustable output heater and precision auto take-up. The new SC-F9200 offers almost twice the performance of Epson’s SC-F7200 with dual print heads, dual high-capacity continuous ink supply systems (CISS) and a maximum print speed of just over 100m2/hr. The SC-F9200 offers opportunities in the roll-to-roll textile and soft signage markets with scalable, costeffective production. It uses Epson’s PrecisionCore TFP printhead in tandem with the UltraChrome DS ink set. Epson developed the new High Density Black ink to enable deep, neutral blacks and dense colour for intense images with reduced ink consumption. Dye-sublimation customers purchasing the SC-F9200 will benefit from a complete Epson printing package. The hardware, software, print head, ink and sublimation papers have been made and are supported by one manufacturer to ensure everything works together. The SC-F9200 is also offered with optional ErgoSoft software that has been customised for Epson. The SC-F9200 includes a highcapacity ink system for a lower printing cost per square metre. Disposing of waste ink is now easier and more cost effective as the SC-F9200 includes a two-litre bottle to collect waste. The SC-F9200 is priced inclusive of hardware delivery and installation costs within all capital cities across Australia, along with a one year warranty and optional service packs which provide cover up to three years. Prices start at $30,995 for the SC-F9200.

HP PAGEWIDE

Hewlett-Packard has just announced the release of the new PageWide highspeed inkjet printer. The primary markets for the HP PageWide will include high volume CAD markets, GIS, maps and POS. The HP PageWide will also appeal to customers who are looking to remove toner-based black-and-white solutions and move into a full-colour, high-speed inkjet solution. The HP PageWide will cater to a wide variety of applications. Apart from CAD in mono and colour, PWA will produce very good GIS output thanks to its colour vibrancy and its ability to print very fine detail. Both these applications will also benefit from HP PageWide’s pigment inks that can produce moisture- and smudgeresistant output. The HP PageWide will also allow customers to expand to applications they cannot cover with traditional inkjet devices, like retail POP/POS with colour content. This application can drive incremental volume coming from analogue offset presses and is enabled by the combination of productivity and low running costs that are offered by HP PageWide. It can print on a variety of media, from bond paper to polypropelyne, and printers can expect high quality from line drawings to POS at 30ppm for A1 size. HP is overcoming three key barriers in the market with its Pagewide technology:

– Delivering colour speeds at the same or higher level than monochrome is today; 

– Delivering overall colour costs that are at no premium against monochrome;

– Making the overall workflow more productive by consolidating what today are two separate processes, printing monochrome and printing colour, into one single process. Printers who purchase a new HP PageWide solution from HP will have a complete end-to-end solution from HP and its partners. Pricing will be available from selected authorised HP technical production partners.

ROLAND DG VERSAUV LEJ-640FT

Released in July, the VersaUV LEJ- 640FT UV-LED flatbed printer boasts a raft of innovative features and places Roland DG firmly into the flatbed sector. Roland DG says with this machine you get a range of printing capabilities and compatibility with a massive range of substrates, including heavy, rigid materials. The LEJ-640FT has an all-steel frame designed to reduce vibration. With 175 CFM suction, the commercial vacuum easily handles substrates like Sintra, Coroplast and styrene yet it makes no more noise than a Dyson residential vacuum cleaner. Dual-gear step motors and rack and pinion drive system ensure accurate printing. Delivering 1440X1440 dpi resolution, the LEJ-640FT offers a broad media compatibility enabling printing on a range of treated and untreated substrates including foam boards, Sintra, acrylic, cardboard, plywood, MDF, plus heat and pressuresensitive media. The LEJ-640FT uses Eco-UV inks, available in CMYK, White, and Clear. The instant-drying and flexible Eco-UV inks produce prints that can be stretched and applied around curved surfaces and edges without cracking.

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