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Analogue to Digital Screen printing will never be the same
TODAY, FEW industrial processes have escaped the digital revolution. And printing is no exception. Digital inkjet has continued to advance into POP, poster printing, outdoor durable graphics and exhibition graphics addressing both the higher volume and speed segment as well as the short run sector of these markets. The advantage of digital in short run continues to be its economic advantages over traditional analog.
Digital printing, fundamentally, has faster set up and greater flexibility, resulting in a more affordable solution. The mantra of digital printing continues to be image quality and versatility; one device can be used for near photo quality short run to longer high volume jobs. When you add it all up, it's easy to see how, with digital capability, print shops can improve their business efficiency, productivity and profitability while expanding the range of applications and customers they can service.
In analog shops, digital inkjet traditionally has been a complement to analog technology, cost effectively addressing shorter run jobs and enabling new, creative applications. Today, however, the traditional economies associated with digital inkjet are changing - and leading edge printers everywhere are sitting up and taking notice. Historically, printers would assess incoming jobs and, at a volume cross-over point, designate them for the analog or digital presses. That is, until today. EFITM VUTEk®, the leaders in superwide digital printing, are confident that they have bridged the analog to digital barrier with the VUTEk DS8300 superwide digital printer.
The VUTEK DS8300 is the first true digital alternative to conventional screen printing. It combines breakthrough speed, digital economics and UV advantages into a new, full-width array flatbed printer that delivers high-volume productivity and photographic image quality, enabling a broad range of applications and flexibility. Simply put, the VUTEk DS8300 offers the means to "replace" as opposed to merely "complement" traditional analog technology. The result is a digital solution without boundaries that leading printers are adopting to achieve their business growth plans.
The VUTEk DS8300 is designed to replace today's traditional screen printing systems by delivering only what digital superwide printing can - incredible image quality and precision, optimized color management, and job specific customization. The DS8300 is ideal for producing indoor and outdoor signs and banners, point of purchase (POP) advertising, exhibition graphics, and backlit displays to name just a few applications. More importantly, it is specifically engineered to maximize output speed and production capacity. With the DS8300 and EFI's end-to-end workflow solutions, including the feature rich Fiery® XF RIP with its industry leading color management expertise; Digital StoreFront e-commerce solution; and Print MIS and X-Flow, print shops stand to realize much higher profitability and a true competitive advantage.
Breaking down cost barriers
Until today, print speed and cost per piece have kept screen printers from fully embracing the advantages of the digital revolution. The challenge was to boost digital printing productivity without sacrificing any of the current advantages. As pioneers in superwide digital print technology, EFI's VUTEk design engineers took on the challenge to develop a digital printer that could be a true alternative to traditional screen printing. The result was a full-width array, high- speed flatbed printer -a new approach in superwide digital inkjet. With the introduction of the DS8300 at a price less than £1.20 million, including the optional automated sheet feeder system, VUTEk engineers have created a high-speed digital printer capable of producing up to 100 boards per hour. That translates to 61% less production time required to reach the past break-even point with traditional screen presses.
From a cost and functionality perspective, the DS8300 is unmatched - resulting in a superior value when compared to competitive digital inkjet presses. Photographic image quality and competitive running costs, along with lower acquisition and make ready costs, combine to make the DS8300 a much more attractive and viable option for print businesses looking to expand their capabilities and differentiate themselves from their competition.
Going beyond screen printing
The VUTEk DS8300 has a stochastic dot pattern option at the RIP that enables photo quality/photo realistic image output and smoother gradients. The DS8300 is also capable of emulating a rosette dot pattern, allowing operators to simulate screen printed output and match previous jobs done on a traditional screen press. This feature can also unify the look of an entire campaign even though it was produced using both the digital print technology of the DS8300 and traditional screen printing methods. In addition, the DS8300's unique ink set achieves a 15% increase in Pantone color matching when compared to earlier generation digital printers. This expanded color pallet enables print providers to digitally print corporate and spot colors previously thought to be outside digital printer's capabilities.
At the heart of the VUTEk DS8300 UV Digital Screen Press is an incredible high-speed flatbed. VUTEk engineers developed a quad-zoned vacuum table that measures 2.4 meters wide by 1.6 meters deep. With laser thickness tracking that automatically adjust to media up to 2 inches thick (51 mm) and pin based registration, facilitating precise media alignment, the DS8300 accommodates a wide range of rigid and cut sheet materials of various size and thickness
We live in a world of ever increasing customer demands. So to achieve same day delivery, required production level volume and breakthrough speed, the DS8300 employs an innovative media handling system. This system doubles the printer's productivity by automating the media load and unload processes. The media handler is fast, precise and accommodates a wide range of industry standard materials.
Traditional analog screen presses have a four to six hour make ready time that limits the lower volume business a screen printer can cost effectively pursue. The digital economics of the VUTEk DS8300's all digital workflow makes it possible to print samples and one-off jobs with the same cost dynamics as high volume work. Ultra-quick job turnarounds let shops go straight to high-volume production for same day, order-to-delivery capability. Additionally, digital collation enables the real time production of multiple campaign elements, greatly reducing or eliminating expenses for consumables such as wasted ink, costly screens and films. This translates into real business benefits for you with an overall reduction in make-ready time, complexity and expense. So with the elimination of costly and time-consuming screen manufacturing, the VUTEk DS8300 is as simple as RIP and print. Meaning you spend more time engaged in profit-making activity.
The break-even point: Digital vs. analog
The total cost per print, including reduced make ready time, extends the digital versus analog cross over by three to five times (see Figure 1). Faster time to print decreases the time period to achieve ROI.
Closing the gap
It's in VUTEk's DNA to provide superwide digital printing solutions that enable you to print to win. The new VUTEk DS8300 UV Digital Screen Press does just that. This cost effective digital press represents a entirely new category of printer that reduces make-ready time and cost requirements while producing photographic quality images at breakthrough speeds for highly-profitable, same-day, order-to-delivery business capability.
Printers everywhere are under more pressure than ever to achieve greater economies and improve operational efficiency. At the same time, customers are demanding shorter runs, greater job variability, and more creativity and differentiation in the finished product. EFI VUTEk and the DS8300 simultaneously address these needs with a truly breakthrough, next-generation print solution that leading edge printers are adopting to position themselves for success.
