Has the dust settled?

Has the dust settled?

Investment continues to be made across all wide-format printer types. But what's working and what's not? Sophie Matthews-Paul assesses the uptake of new kit.

Every spring/summer it seems that there is an upsurge in technology that makes everyone involved in wide-format digital print stop and think about what they're going to do next. This time round has been no different but there have been a few, marked announcements in the last year which proclaim they will take digital inkjet to another level and others which, in effect, open the doors to first-time users. Yet, despite all the new introductions and promises of faster speeds, better quality and improved ROI, there are still plenty of users out there with equipment which is well past its sell-by date but that's still performing reliably, day in and day out. It's impossible to ignore technology developments, even in the midst of a recession, and not everyone has been driven to hold hard the purse strings and decline any suggestion to invest. On the contrary, there seems to be a sharp dichotomy between those who are continuing to make do with their existing equipment and others who are using the economic downturn, possibly aided by lower interest rates on their borrowings, to set out and buy new machinery. During the past twelve months there has been a rash of new printing technologies emerging, covering all bases in terms of output requirements and spend. Fuelled last year by Drupa and, more recently, by Fespa Digital, machines coming to market have carried with them some surprises but none to the degree we grew to expect in the earlier days of wide format inkjet processes.

What has happened in development terms is that most of the holes have been filled, bridging the gaps between market sectors; the wish-lists of users has largely been accommodated and there are now machines to cater for all sizes of business. No-one will have escaped the impact of wide-format at Drupa 2008 and most of the technologies launched at the show have materialised beyond alpha and beta machines into production models. There have been a few exceptions, of course, but these have emerged for different reasons. At the high end, the only flatbed industrial printer, in the shape of the EFI VUTEk DS Series on show in D?sseldorf in prototype form is the one which won't be emerging yet. Others filling the same category, namely in the Inca Digital Onset S20 and the HP Scitex FB7500, have now come to market to be joined by surprise latecomer, the Durst Rho 1000. EFI VUTEk is quick to defend its decision not to forge ahead with the DS and the company's reasoning demonstrates the canny mind-sets of many of today's print service providers. This manufacturer has become, perhaps unwittingly, a victim of its own success with the strong uptake of its QS flatbed and rollfed printers and, latterly, the addition of the GS. In the wake of the enthusiasm surrounding machines which can, in HP's words, drive forward the transition from analogue to digital, EFI VUTEk's mid-range printers have generated appeal by making it a logical move for investors to buy two of these models and gain the same productivity benefits in many application areas than a single, top-end industrial-strength machine.

Wide-format print is driven by customer demand and, watching the dust settle following product announcements is always an interesting exercise. The excitement generated by the announcement of new machines is countered by a reality check when potential customers look at the extra capabilities such printers will bring their businesses. Many don't want to be the first to adopt new technology, either, as they don't want to run the risks often encountered by agreeing to be a beta site for a specific machine. Nonetheless, the take-up of new solutions that have come to market during the past twelve months has been dominated in the roll-fed sector by the arrival of HP's Designjet L65500, the first of a new breed of printing machine to incorporate the company's proprietary latex ink technologies. The emphasis here is on giving print service providers and display producers an alternative to working with solvent-based inks, providing an ink type which offers many of the same properties without any of the hazards, and giving similar durability quotients for interior and exterior jobs. Perceived environmental benefits come to the fore, too, with HP's list of approved materials including those which can be recycled. Sceptics have been proved wrong about the arrival of the Designjet L65500 to market; it appeared as planned and is now in common enough use to generate interest amongst many who have dithered on the sidelines before making an investment. But those who prefer to stick with what they know have continued down the solvent-based road, encouraged by manufacturers who have also improved their ink formulations to reduce the nasty side of this technology. Certainly, as recent installations have shown, these machines are now sufficiently pleasant to live with that their output is becoming commonplace for a wealth of interior applications as well as for outdoor usage. Epson, whose printhead technology has been implemented in the eco- and mild solvent-based machines of other manufacturers, decided to produce its own printer for this sector with the Stylus Pro GS6000. This isn't the right product for a sign-maker wanting to churn out low-cost banners; it scores heavily in the high quality market. Here, photographic standards are needed which carry the accurate colour rendering expected in aqueousbased models but have the added durability of solvent-based systems.

Roland, Mimaki (via Hybrid Services in the UK) and Seiko I Infotech (available through Colourgen resellers) have also continued to make inroads into the solvent-based arena and there has been no let-up in interest for this type of machine. Many users already appreciate the chemistry, the working model and the advantages of working with these inks and are reluctant to change. Bringing them the same benefits with safer formulations has encouraged many to continue with products they understand and, with current pricing levels making these machines suitable for entry-level companies, their popularity continues. Similarly, UV-curable ink technology has continued along the road to success with increasing numbers of users wanting not only to be able to print direct to rigid substrates but, also, to take advantage of the perceived strengths of using a chemistry which benefits from instant curing and doesn't contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The down-side to this has been the lack of flexibility and, sometimes, poor adhesion of the inks but now that manufacturers are working hard to address these issues, the continued take-up of these printers across all budgetary and size requirements continues. UV-curable technology has spread across all price brackets and, moving beyond the popular bed sizes of 1.6 m, 2.5 m and 3.2 m, Durst and EFI VUTEk have opted to go the full 5m in width for roll-fed machines. Views that this was always a relatively limited market in the solvent-based days are countered by the recognisable ability for jobs to be printed two or, even, three across, thus resulting in cost and time savings. These printers won't ever be everyone's cup of tea but, for those who have sufficient orders for giant applications such as building wraps and hoardings, will find the versatility in today's machines a sensible option. The option to print digital textiles is another area which leaves some potential users querying the choices heavily. The dual capabilities found in solvent-based machines, such as those from HP Scitex and EFI VUTEk, are challenged continually by dedicated systems, such as the Hollanders ColorBooster and, at the lower level, the many machines which use Epson printhead technology and offer either direct or transfer dye sublimation. But, depending upon application type, there is now the additional option of using an existing wide-format machine to print onto many of the specially coated fabrics now coming onto the market. Screen's Truepress Jet2500UV was seen at Fespa Digital outputting onto Berger textiles and this raises the question amongst users of whether a single UVcurable printer can, ipso facto, be used for nearly every job ranging from rigid boards through to flexible media and on to fabrics. Recession or no recession, purchasing decisions have continued and print service providers of all sizes are continuing to invest in machines which will serve their present and future needs. At the high end of the scale, orders have been signed and machines are shipping to those who want the capabilities of the Inca Digital Onset S20 and the HP Scitex FB7500, no doubt to be followed by Durst devotees who want to continue with the same company and own a Rho 1000. Throughout the level pastures of wide-format inkjet, orders continue to flow, including companies eager to adopt the HP Designjet L65500, whilst low-end options continue with, for example, Agfa bringing more Anapurna M models to market.

The rise in the use of UV-curable inks will continue with the improvements being made to their versatility, such as with the Roland VersaUV print-and-cut machine, the Mimaki UJV-160 (which sports a new flexible ink developed in conjunction with 3M) and Spandex's Gerber Solara Ion with its cationic chemistry. Unlike the former days of wide-format inkjet, most of today's concepts and ideas become reality and end up becoming production machines, although doubtless there are tweaks and modifications which go on behind the scenes between - launch and shipping. There has been little dust to settle from recent announcements - current purchasers and potential investors should rest assured that what they buy will perform as intended and justify their existence.