In addition to the Multifix range, Ilford ,which has plot print media specifically suited to lamination, and American Digikote based films, will all be available from Paclam in New Zealand.
Director Derek Wright says the company and some of its customers have been testing selective media for the past four years to ensure that what they sell will stand up well to both thermal and the more expensive cold laminating, before making the decision to distribute it.
“We now firmly recommend all the media we sell to our clients and are so confident in it that we are prepared to offer a guarantee because we know that what we sell will serve the end purpose well,” he says.
The company is offering a range of rapid dry papers from the USA which can be thermally laminated with non-specialist thermal films at a fraction of the cost of five years ago.
Paclam is now the exclusive supplier of the American Digikote based films, developed in the 90s with the ability to coat at low temperatures. This film has established a proven UV stability over a 12-year period.
It is also selling Ilford’s range of imaging system media and films from nanoporous ‘instant dry’ papers for thermal and piezo output through to extreme media which are built for speed with no trade-offs.
Paclam’s newest media range that it has introduced to New Zealand is from Belgium-based Multifix, a European market leader in this field.
The range includes the Polymeric vinyls up to two metres wide which are soft and highly conformable to irregular surfaces. These have proven to be a great success when printed with eco-solvent machines such as the Roland Soljet 11 for vehicle graphics or application to pre-made PVC banner cloth. Top grades have a seven-year outdoor durability, while mid range performance of two to three year vinyls compete directly in price with non-proven brands from the USA and Asia, Wright says.
In addition to the media available under the Paclam brand, the company is also introducing new finishing solutions which have been developed over the past 25 years on trialing and production at the company’s Penrose-based facility.
The first hardware product on offer is a bulk ink system for HP printers. The HP 5000/5500 bulk dye or pigment device has been trialed in Australia for the past 12 months, and in New Zealand for five months and Wright says it has come through fault free.
“This device literally halves the cost of ink consumption with no adverse effects on the base machine components. We’re offering a simple 30-minute installation absolutely free of charge in the Auckland area or a do-it-yourself pictorial manual that is easy to follow,” he says.
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