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Flat out for success
Inca's Spyder 320Q is part of a rapidly growing range of flatbed solutions
A familiar name which remains synonymous with flatbed printers is Inca, who launched the first flatbed inkjet printer, the Eagle 44, in January 2001. The range evolved rapidly and today includes the top of the range Onset (rated as the world's fastest, fully automated digital UV flatbed printer), high speed Turbo Plus, and larger Columbia Turbo 220. Spyder models include the 150, larger 320 (which includes the low cost Spyder 320-e) a model that prints white, six and eight colour models, plus the high quality 320Q.
Every Inca printer has the capability to print directly on many different materials, including paper and board, wood (such as MDF and plywood), lenticular lenses, flexible and rigid plastic, metals and glass.
This ability to print directly onto surfaces of rigid materials, using instant curing UV inks, means that finishing processes previously required when inkjet printing onto reel stock, such as cutting, mounting and laminating, can be eliminated.
Inca's managing director, Bill Baxter, said: "Digitally printed point-of-sale posters and signs are often mounted on foam cored board, styrene or corrugated materials to provide support. Printing directly on to rigid sub-strates can save a significant amount of time and material. There are also several specialist applications that can only be handled by printers of this type."
Inca's printers use piezo drop-on-demand inkjet technology to apply ink to the substrate. Of all inkjet technologies, piezo puts the least restrictions on ink formulation, resulting in greater flexibility for developing new chemistries. In addition, Inca has always worked closely with screen ink manufacturer Fujifilm Sericol, which developed the Uvijet range of UV inks for use in Inca's flatbed printers.
New developments
The Turbo Plus was added to the range in 2007 and is complimented by the larger Columbia Turbo 220. Both machines print edge-to-edge, with the precision allowing images to be printed to bleed, removing the need for subsequent trimming.
The Onset was also new in 2007. Launched in April it represented a breakthrough in digital printing that redefined wide format performance levels. Handling print sizes up to 3.2 by 1.5m and printing at speeds of 500m2/hr, this fully-automated system delivers no less than 100-plus full bed sheets an hour.
High definition quality
Another name well recognised in the digital world is EFI, whose sales of the Vutek QS family of superwide format UV printers have recently passed 300.
The latest sale is a Vutek QS3200 UV curing printer purchased by Belgian printing and sign company, Stand-By. This machine is designed to provide a combination of quality and speed in a hybrid concept which allows UV printing on rigid and flexible substrates.
It is engineered to offer the flexibility which print houses need in this cut throat industry, plus guaranteed results, producing images up to 3.2m wide at 1,080dpi with High Definition Print (HDP) technology, at a rate up to 83m2/h.
Owner and managing director of Stand-By, Paul Landeloos, decided the Vutek QS3200 was the ideal machine to grow the business: "We'd been keen to expand the sign and digital print side of the business for some time, specifically with a view to targeting the retail outlet sector, so we started to evaluate the hybrid, superwide format machines available.
"During the last five to six-years, we've closely followed Vutek's progress and as well as the speed of the machine, the key influences on our decision to purchase the QS3200 were: the superior print quality the machine delivers, thanks to its 1,080dpi resolution; its white-ink capability, which opens up a raft of new applications to us; and the hybrid nature of the printer, which affords us the flexibility to print on a variety of rigid and flexible substrates."
Reaching this significant milestone is something for EFI to be proud of, further cementing its position as a technology innovator in the wide format arena. Its machines have proved they stand the test of time and will remain popular throughout 2008.
A positive choice
Océ's Arizona 250 GT is another reliable flatbed option. It received the Digital Printing & Imaging (DPI) Vision Award as the new digital imaging product development most likely to have a profound and positive effect on the industry in September 2006 and remains high on the list today.
The Arizona 250 GT is a true flatbed system, opening the door to specialised applications that command premium prices. It uses UV curable inks to print on rigid media up to 1.25m (w) by 2.5m (l) by 48mm thick. A vacuum system holds media stationary on a flat surface, ensuring perfect registration even on multiple imaging passes or double-sided printing applications. It can print full bleeds, saving time and labour costs in finishing. Plus, there is no minimum print size so substrate waste is eliminated.
Unlike conventional rigid capable printers that use friction or belt feed systems, the 250 GT can print on virtually anything. UV inks enable printing on inexpensive, uncoated rigid and flexible media. The system can handle irregularly shaped or non-square items, heavy substrates and materials that have an uneven surface, like wood. The machine will even print on flat, pre-assembled furniture pieces, glass, fixtures and framed canvas.
The 250 GT also helps users reduce their operating costs through VariaDot imaging technology, which uses four instead of six colour inks. Two less ink colours and lower ink consumption results in stated ink savings of up to 50 per cent over fixed-droplet, six colour printers.
And finally
In today's competitive printing industry, it's not enough to offer the best image quality or services: you also have to deliver the results, every day. Choosing the right flatbed printer to your needs can be like stepping into a minefield because how do you know that what you buy will produce the results your customers expect.
The fact the flatbed market is one of the fastest growing areas in the digital industry does not make it any easier to make that choice. With new technology constantly entering the market the problem will only get harder.
There is no simple solution and my advice is to choose the machine that you are comfortable with. With plenty of choice you can match the machine to the type of work you do. For example if your jobs are mainly on rigid substrates then look at a traditional flatbed machine. However, if you have a mix of work, then a machine offering rigid and roll-to-roll capability is a safer option.
Whatever you decide, you can guarantee it will change the way you do business. With all manufacturers competing for a piece of flatbed action, specifications have improved considerably. This will benefit you, ensuring that whatever the job, it will look a million dollars.
www.incadigital.co.uk
www.sericol.com
www.efi.com/vutek
http://www.oce.com/
