By DPS Staff
In addition to the focus on digital in the print-for-pay, commercial print, and in-plant space, opportunity for digital is apparent in the wide format industry. Recently, we had a chance to walk the aisles of the 2014 Specialty Graphics Imaging Association (SGIA) Expo.
The event took place at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV from October 22 to 24, 2014. Attendees saw everything from new media offerings to debuts of high-end industrial grand format printers. Here, we provide a few highlights.
The organization reports more than 22,000 registered attendees and 541 exhibitors—a new record—are filling the convention hall to discover the newest devices and technologies on the market, as well as witness the latest products in action.
Agfa Graphics
Agfa Graphics announced the worldwide launch of the new Anapurna M2500i with an optional automated board feeder. The M2500i is ideal for indoor, outdoor, and niche applications such as art reproductions, mouse pads, DVDs, wood, architectural and interior decorations, and lenticular displays. It features six Konica Minolta KM 1024i grayscale printheads for color and two KM 1024i printheads for white. It prints at a maximum resolution of 1,440×720 dpi with speeds of up to 1,238 square feet per hour.
Bordeaux Digital Printink
Bordeaux launched new printer-specific UV-curable and eco-solvent inks. The company describes its new flexible UV-curable PLASMA AC as the first printer specific solution for Fujifilm Acuity series printers. It also highlighted the FUZE ECO PR4, an eco-solvent ink specifically formulated for the Roland SOLJET Pro4 XR640 printer.
Durst
Durst introduced two advanced production digital printers, including the fully automated Rho 1312 with advanced media handling, and the Rhotex HS for soft signage applications. The 98-inch Rho 1312, which prints up to 6,600 square feet per hour (sf/h), offers improved image quality and a higher gloss finish, increased reliability during printing, and media handling flexibility, particularly with difficult and heat-sensitive media. The Rhotex HS achieves production speeds of more than 4,300 sf/h and an image resolution of 1,200 dpi.
Drytac
Drytac introduced the next generation of JetMounter roller laminators. The JetMounter Fuzion XD is a heavy-duty wide format roller laminator with a durable metal construction, specifically designed with print shops and smaller facilities in mind. Available in a 63-inch laminating width, the JetMounter Fuzion XD is a true workhorse, offering numerous features that simplify the lamination process.
EFI
EFI showcased its portfolio of industrial inkjet and production workflow products, including new and upgraded offerings designed to reflect the expansion of LED inkjet technology within its wide and superwide format product lines. The company’s lineup of print products displayed included the EFI VUTEk HS100 Pro UV inkjet press, the new EFI VUTEk H2000 Pro UV inkjet printer, the EFI VUTEk GS5500LXr Pro LED printer, and the EFI H1625 LED printer. The company also showcased the EFI VUTEk GS5500LXr Pro LED and EFI VUTEk GS3250LX Pro printer, which feature UltraDrop Technology and “cool cure” LED imaging; as well as SuperFlex ink from EFI and 3M for VUTEk GS3250LXr and GS5500LXr Pro Printers.
Esko
Esko presented a range of digital finishing tables, from the Kongsberg V for sign and display production, offering durability, precision, and ease of use at an attractive price, to the Kongsberg C64, a 3.2-meter table designed to keep up with faster, wider printers. SGIA Expo is also the North American introduction of a new, easy-to-use front end for Kongsberg tables, i-cut Production Console, combining the best elements of the company’s market leading i-cut vision control system and table guide software. Accompanying these solutions within a complete design-to-print-to-cut workflow is the Esko i-cut Suite.
Fujifilm
FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division demonstrated its wide format inkjet technology. Visitors to the Fujifilm booth to experience live demonstrations of the new Inca Onset R40i and the Acuity F, each making their North American debut on the show floor, along with the Uvistar Pro-8W, the Acuity Advance Select, and the Acuity LED 1600. Additionally, workflow solutions were featured, including Fujifilm’s edition of ColorGATE’s Production Server 8 (PS8) along with Pressero, by Aleyant Systems.
OKI Data Americas
OKI Data announced a new distribution partner in the transfer market for apparel and decorating hard goods. At the show, two distribution partners, including the newly signed Imaging Supplies Warehouse as well as its existing partner, Graphics One, demonstrated OKI textile transfer printers in their respective booths. Solutions displayed included the pro920WT digital color printer and 711WT desktop A4 digital color printer.
Ricoh
Ricoh showcased its lineup of offerings and solutions for the specialty graphics market, including the RICOH Pro L4160, RICOH Pro C5100s, and the Mimaki JFX200-2513.
The company also demonstrated the 1to1Create Marketing Services, which is a cloud-based platform and subscription service aimed to help small- to mid-sized print service providers to create, launch, track, manage, modify, and optimize turnkey cross-media marketing campaigns with the tools, templates, and tips needed to execute ROI-generated personalized marketing campaigns.
Wide Opportunities
The realm of wide format offers big opportunity to digital print providers looking to expand their offerings. Exhibitors at SGIA, such as those listed above, provide innovative solutions for high-quality output at grand scales. dps
Nov2014, DPS Magazine
