Image Reports once again sings the praises of products and services that it considers the most notable of the year, so let the trumpets sound for the recipients of the 2022 accolades.
Latex 2700 series printers
HP
The HP Latex 2700 3.2m wide printers, unveiled this autumn, use fourth generation water-based Latex inks - the HP Latex 2700W including what the company is calling its ‘whitest white’. The new printers run at up to 89m2/hr via symmetrical double printheads, which come equipped with automatic printhead cleaning technology. The whole portfolio takes HP Eco-Carton ink cartridges that reduce plastic by using 100% recycled and recyclable cardboard containers. Automatic ink recirculation and white printheads that can be stored in an offline rotating chamber eliminates waste between white jobs.
XpertJet 1641SR Pro
Mutoh
This 64in eco-solvent roll-to-roll printer features AccuFine printheads, VerteLith Rip software and i-screen technology, which combine to deliver an increase in productivity up to 200% over the previous XPJ-1641SR it replaces. It won a Buyers Lab (BLI) Pick Award for ‘Outstanding Entry-Level CMYK Eco-Solvent/Latex 54/64in Printer’ from Keypoint Intelligence earlier this year, with judges saying it offered “class-leading colour gamut size, impressive halftone image reproduction, and accurate spot colour matching.”
Palight Re-Nu
Perspex
The 100% recycled PVC foam board is understood to be a first for the UK print market. It’s made by Palram in County Durham and has been developed to use recycled waste from the company’s production line and end users. The foam is produced as a co-extruded PVC, providing a white surface. The lightweight substrate is available in thicknesses of 3mm, 5mm and 10mm in a sheet size 3m x 2m.
Envirotech BIO250
Innotech
Envirotech BIO250 PVC Free Biodegradable Print Media Grey Back 250g/m2 FR EN13501 - to give it its full name - has been developed by Innotech Digital and Display as a fully biodegradable print medium. Made from 100% natural fibres, it can be printed on Latex, UV-C or solvent machines and once discarded and disposed of via the residual waste stream, will decompose within 9-12 months. Though it breaks down quickly in the right compostable conditions, it has a printed durability of up to two years. Initially, the medium is available in 2.2m and 3.15m widths.
Kudu
swissQprint
Fespa Global saw the introduction of the 3.2mx2m flatbed UV LED Kudu, the first printer from swissQprint to feature ten colour channels. Users configure the channels according to their needs and can adapt the configuration at any time later. The newly developed universal ink (Greenguard Gold certified) is available in CMYK, light cyan, light magenta, light black, white, effect varnish and primer as well as the spot colours orange and neon yellow and pink.
The printer - expandable via a roll-to-roll option - has a top speed of 300m2/hr and offers an addressable resolution of up to 1350dpi. Lory, the output software developed in-house, has a graphical user interface with a virtual flatbed designed for intuitive operation.
Prisma XL Suite
Canon
Canon added the Prisma XL Suite to its print production workflow software specifically to help large-format graphics designers and PSPs deliver value-add print applications, as well as to automate production of complex jobs and maximise machine uptime. The suite consists of Prismaguide XL (successor of Arizona Xpert and also available on Colorado printers) for automating and simplifying print job preparation for first-time-ready print files; Prisma remote app so Colorado printer users can also be notified of any actions to keep them running 24/7; and Prismaservice, a cloud-based customer support platform for Arizona and Colorado printers.
Kombo SDC
Elitron
Fespa Global 2022 saw Elitron launch in-line automation for the large-format, multi-function Kombo SDC (3200mm width) conveyor cutting system, for roll and rigid media. The automatic feeding system not only feeds the Kombo but also incorporates a system to scan materials directly from the underside. It means printed materials can be cut and creased with the print side facing downwards, without any operator intervention, as all images are all centred and aligned automatically, prior to being cut. This is in addition to the Seeker System Pro which scans, aligns, cuts and creases from the top side, using the two digital cameras - one on the cutting head and the other on the overhead frame.
Fiery Prep-It
EFI
Fiery Prep-it is a true-shape nesting and cut-preparation software for PSPs using wide- and superwide-format inkjet printers. It can take jobs from different sources and prepare them for print-then-cut production. This can be done manually or semi-automatically with the use of pre-sets and hot folders. It connects to any digital front end (DFE), including the EFI Fiery proServer and Fiery XF. According to EFI, the new tool can reduce the time needed to manually nest jobs by up to 90%, and by more than 10% compared with other true-shape nesting offerings. The company reckons it also saves users more than 10% in media usage compared with similar products thanks to its nesting algorithms, and that on media savings alone, the software can pay for itself in as little as two months.
Vutek h5 corrugated system
EFI
EFI used Printing United Expo 2022 in the US to introduce a corrugated media management system for the 3.2m wide hybrid Vutek h5 LED printer, featuring an enhanced vacuum, material edge guides and a dynamic roller subsystem.
Switch
Enfocus
Earlier this year Enfocus released an ‘invest small, print big’ Switch-based workflow automation package that integrates with existing workflows in the wide-format sector. The adapted Switch solution connects MIS, proofing, Web-to-print, PDF preflighting, customer approval and production preparation processes.
Carbon footprinting tool
CarbonQuota/Tharstern
CarbonQuota and Tharstern have collaborated to create a tool that allows PSPs to provide instant carbon footprints on every quote and invoice - automatically - using their own in-house data. Once an assessment has been carried out by CarbonQuota and the carbon tool in Tharstern is configured, users just continue to use Tharstern in the same way - nothing changes other than the new addition to each quote and the ability to report on the company’s carbon footprint as a whole.
Acuity Ultra Hybrid LED
Fujifilm
Fujifilm made its entry into the high-end wide-format hybrid market with this 3.3m machine at Fespa Global 2022. It runs at speeds of up to 218m2/hr and offers print resolution of up to 1200 x 1200dpi, using a new Uvijet UH inkset designed to adhere to a broad range of rigid and flexible substrates, with six colours (CMYK, Lm, Lc) available as standard and an optional white. The printer has a dimpled table surface to support all media types, a catch mechanism protects against accidental damage, and there’s secure locking for media feed accuracy. The GUI is of the same design as that on the Acuity Ultra R2 but includes additional functionality to handle rigid media production - up to six sheets simultaneously. Two media rolls of different diameters (each up to 36cm) can run at the same time.
JFX600-2513
Mimaki
Building on the JFX500-2131 large-format UV inkjet printer, the JFX600-2513 can reach speeds of more than 300% faster than its predecessor. Hybrid Services gave the new flatbed its UK/Ireland debut at Sign and Digital UK. It incorporates 16 printheads, has a maximum printing area of 2.5m x 1.3m and can handle media thicknesses of 6cm. It is capable of ‘2.5D’ multi-layered printing, creating raised texture effects. Mimaki has more latterly brought out a 3l external ink supply option for the machine too.