Epson Australia has unveiled a handful of new printers at the PrintEx 19 tradeshow in Sydney.
The first is the SureColor F6360, a 44-inch dye-sublimation printer created for soft signage, merchandise, custom décor and clothing manufacturers.
Whether you’re producing banners, back-lit fabric signs, sportswear, custom cabinetry, furniture coverings, or fashion items, the SC-F6360 is designed to play a crucial part in the seamless delivery of a total, end-to-end colour printing solution.
The solution, which replaces the F6200, boasts a simpler set-up, user self-maintenance, and increased production flexibility, in addition to an improved total cost of ownership (TCO).
The new SC-F6360 replaces small format screen printing with a solution that enables repeatable high-quality output production with minimal equipment, materials and mess. It produces images that are bright, colourful, and durable.
Epson Australia marketing communications manager Nathan Fulcher said it can be used for imaging onto fabric with 50 per cent or more artificial content such as Polyester, Lycra and Neoprene.
It can also be used on PVC, poly film, and materials which accepts a polyester spray and resist damage through short-term exposure to heat and pressure – materials such as ceramic, glass, metal, coated plywood, certain plastics, fibreglass and polycarbonates.
“It is straight off the boat from Japan. It lowers the barrier to entry for retail, popup stores, markets and even for businesses involved in one area of print,” Fulcher said.
“It is an easy way to get into dye-sublimation and customised merchandise
The SC-F6360 works by employing a digital process that enables image creation, editing and customisation, with significantly less equipment, materials, and skill than traditional methods.
The process is compatible with text, line art and photographic images.
Images are processed using Precision Dot Technology and printed using the included Epson Edge Print software. When combined with the advanced Epson ink, MicroPiezo Print Head, and Dye Sublimation process, it achieves output that traditional equipment with six or eight colours would be grateful for, using four inks.
The solution has a 6L continuous ink supply system with ink refills shipping in 1.1L bags.
The SureColor F6360 commences shipping in mid-August with an RRP of $11,695 (excluding tax) and includes an on-site warranty and five years of comprehensive cover (including print heads).
The new model can be purchased as a base unit with an integrated auto-cutter for sheet-based transfer using a flat heat press or high-speed roll-to-roll production with an optional Auto-Take-Up and calendar style heat press.
In addition, Epson Australia demonstrates two new signage printers, the SC-S60660L and the SC-S80660L at PrintEx. These 64-inch printers extend the SureColor S (solvent)-Series into the high productivity market segment with integrated bulk ink systems.
The new models use the same advanced Epson MicroPiezo Print Heads and UltraChrome GS3 ink as the rest of the SureColor S-Series range. They also incorporate new integrated bulk ink systems for continuous ink supply, which use large 1.5L bags for extended unattended production with a lower running cost.
The SC-60660L features a dual four-colour ink set that produces a colour gamut that meets the quality of seven or more, while the SC-80660L offers greater colour with Pantone certification for accuracy and user selectable and interchangeable white and metal ink.
Fulcher said for manufacturers involved in high volume production, they offer the potential for a significant reduction in TCO.
“It has a bulk ink system feature which enables continuous operation and less intervention, resulting in the lower cost of ink overall. In terms of saving of ink, you’re looking at at least 20 per cent in saving of the cost of ink long-term,” he said.
The new SureColor S60660L and S80660L are designed to run off a standard power supply, consuming less power and requiring little maintenance. The print heads are self-cleaning while the capping station is easy to access for occasional wiping. The ink lines are self-mixing to ensure consistent colour and there is an air filtration system to reduce the potential for print contamination and wastage.
Both new models ship complete with blower driers to enable high speed roll-to-roll production.
The SureColor S60660L and S80660L also ship complete with a suite of software, including the Epson Edge Print, Epson Edge Dashboard and Epson Accounting tool designed to make production simple and efficient.
“The SureColor S60660L focuses on output and throughput, while the S80660L is concentrated on higher quality output,” Fulcher added.
The SureColor S60660L and the SureColor S80660L are expected to ship later this year with prices starting from $31,995 RRP (excluding tax).
On the Epson Australia stand at Printex 19 is also the SureLab D860, a compact commercial grade photo printer, aimed at photographers, event management, business and retail.
Supporting a wide range of formats and applications, the D860 features extended durability, enhanced functionality, and quieter operation.
According to Fulcher, it has been developed for companies that want to expand their business opportunities while reducing cost and simplifying workflow.
It can output common four by six-inch and eight by 10-inch photo sizes as well as small two by 3.5-inch and large A4 prints, with or without borders. The SL-D860 also supports corporate and business imaging including passport and ID photos as well as product flyers and business cards.
“Unlike traditional commercial photo production technologies, the solution is easy to use, consumes minimal power, requires very little maintenance, and involves no nasty chemicals,” he said.
It also provides a choice of gloss, lustre and matte media with adjustable output sizes. The prints dry upon exit, enabling resistance to damage through scratching and moisture exposure. It also outputs panoramic lengths.
In order to meet the ever-changing and increasingly creative customer demands, Fulcher mentioned that the SL-D860 was designed with flexibility in mind.
It uses cost-effective high-quality Epson roll-based media that comes in 65m lengths and widths from 89mm to 210mm. The SL-D860 supports print lengths from 50mm to 1000mm with ‘on-the-fly’ adjustment and combines a production speed of 360 (15 x 10cm) photos per hour (PPH).
Advanced Epson ink enables output with a colour gamut, Dmax, and gloss level that exceeds alternative technologies such as Silver Halide or Thermal Dye Sublimation.
Enhancing the SureLab D860’s cost-effectiveness further is a 200,000 print duty cycle, which is double that of its predecessor, the D700.
Optional Order Controller software provides a full production environment complete with basic image editing and advanced job control. An optional output tray can be added to the front that supports prints from 5cm to 30cm in length.
The SureLab D860 will commence shipping in Australia in mid-August. The $6,495 RRP (excluding tax) price includes five years CoverPlus and a limited launch bonus package containing Order Controller Lite and five rolls of media.
The company also launched the SureColor T5460M, a 36-inch printer with integrated large-format scanning capability, offering a fast multifunction solution for printing, copying, and sharing plans, posters, and business graphics.
The new model sits within the Epson SureColor T-Series line-up and is the first Epson technical printer to incorporate an integrated scanner.
Developed for engineers and architects, the solution is targeted at corporate, government and education users.
It leverages Epson’s PrecisionCore MicroTFP printhead technology with Precision Droplet Control for image quality. In addition, the latest generation all-pigment UltraChrome XD2 ink delivers accurate and vibrant colour, along with prints that are resistant to damage through rubbing and moisture exposure.
The integrated scanner features a dual light source for the best possible imaging even on aged and creased documents.
It also incorporates an advanced CCD sensor that reproduces accurate colour in addition to being one of the first in the market to properly recognise highlighter and pen based markings made with fluorescent ink.
The SureColor T5460M will be available in Australia from mid-August 2019 for an RRP of $6,895 with one-year on-site warranty.
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