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With over 200 exhibitors, Fespa Digital 2008 is 50 per cent bigger than the inaugural event, creating a unique environment for print service providers to seek out innovations that could transform their businesses.
In the entrance area, live interviews with Fespa World editor Val Hirst will help arriving visitors focus on what's new and exciting at the exhibition. A multilingual team of guides will also be on hand inside the halls to direct visitors. A ‘piste map' offers visitors a selection of suggested ‘trails' depending on their area of interest and level of digital expertise. For example, the ‘black run' guides visitors through cutting edge innovations.
The Showcase Theatre offer visitors a forum in which to concentrate on new technologies, applications and opportunities. Adobe will also host ‘hands-on' classroom sessions for production professionals.
A dedicated Digital Textile Conference in the adjacent Crowne Plaza hotel (31 March and 1 April) gives digital textile printers (or those venturing into this growth application) the opportunity to combine a visit to the exhibition with a focused two-day learning experience.
Now read on for some exhibitor highlights.
Print bright, see clear
Madico Graphic Films will use Fespa to launch Contra Vision Digital XR, an environmentally friendly, digitally printable one-way vision glazing enhancement film. It is designed to provide increased performance and environmental benefits compared with traditional perforated PVC films, while simplifying and improving the production of one-way vision window graphics for promotional, display, privacy and corporate identity applications.
Jointly invented and developed by Madico Graphic Films and Contra Vision, the polyester-based film allows full-colour printed graphics to be visible from one side, while providing a clear, tinted and see-through outlook through the reverse.
Unlike PVC, the polyester film does not contain environmentally harmful chlorine or release dioxins on incineration. Digital XR can be imaged at high resolution, requires no lamination for external (non-abrasive) applications and is simple to process, clean and finally remove. The film avoids the need for edge-sealing.
Reliable adhesion is achieved via 100 per cent adhesive contact, eradicating low adhesion problems associated with perforated variants. Furthermore, there are no perforations to collect dust, dirt or moisture.
Madico Graphic Films' managing director, Andy Voss, said: "Digital XR is set to significantly raise the bar in the arena of glazing enhancement, not least because of it's unique environmentally friendly properties that will ensure its conformance to increasing global legislation to limit use of harmful materials."
Fine fit for reduced costs
Competition in the sign and display businesses is harsh so companies need ways to reduce costs. Built on EskoArtwork's expertise in layout technology for packaging printing, SignUp is a nesting application which efficiently matches graphic designs with available substrates.
SignUp nests jobs based on size, shape and ordered quantities, placing designs as tightly as possible onto the substrate, minimising waste and reducing production costs. SignUp also reduces preparation times for operator-intensive tiling jobs, particularly for specially shaped large format displays and substrates that require milling. It automates the digital printing and finishing by reading the printed barcodes with the camera on the finishing device.
EskoArtwork's director digital converting software product group, Geert De Proost, said: "Sign and display shops are always under pressure for time and cost. With SignUp, EskoArtwork has created a very easy to use, powerful and unique workflow tool that is specifically dedicated to reduce the cost of sign and display production. Utilising the same expertise and knowledge we have gained from nesting unusual shapes for packaging, we have provided a tool to cut and trim signs and displays efficiently."
Save time, save money
Gandi will be showcasing its grand format digital printers portfolio, including its UV True flatbed models, plus its 3m RTR and Aquajet printers.
President, James Gandy, said: "As part of our ongoing innovate digital print strategy, we are dedicated to delivering new products and technologies which will help our customers. With Gandi's complete digital print and ink solutions, we will further strengthening our position as the first choice in helping our customers capture instant success with our full range of grand format digital printers, giving them durability and confidence to extend their application range to better service their customers."
The Jeti 2030 X-2 UV flatbed printer features 48 Spectra print heads and a 2 by 3m printing area. These 48 heads allows ink designation of eight heads per colour allowing six colour combinations. Printing speed in production mode is up to 90m2/hr.
The Jeti 3324 Aquajet RTR direct-to-fabric printer uses in-house formulated water-based dye dispersed inks, providing a versatile,
fast 3.3m printer designed explicitly for fabric and textile printing.
Hary Gandy explained: "The Jeti 3324 Aquajet achieves bold, vibrant, solid colours when printing direct to all fabrics. We've eliminated the old system of printing to paper first for direct colour. It's one process that will save print shops time and money."
http://www.gandinnovations.com/
Brighter whites
Palram Europe is showcasing its brighter white Palight foam PVC. As the environmental impact of materials transport becomes more important, Palram is proud of its position as the only UK-based foam PVC manufacturer. The Palight range of 10 standard colours is available in a variety of sheet sizes and thickness from the company's Durham-based production site. The range is enhanced with 14 designer colours, available on request.
Palram's range of UK manufactured products includes solid and multiwall polycarbonate, flat, corrugated and door panel PVC and extruded acrylic. This helps reduce the materials' carbon footprint, with UK deliveries offered from the Doncaster and Durham production sites.
Flat on the roll
Fujifilm Sericol is highlighting its wide-format products and business solutions. Screen and digital printers looking to enter the flatbed market are offered the Acuity HD2504, with Fespa Digital seeing the launch of its roll option feature, promising the same degree of print quality and accuracy so far only available on a flatbed.
Offering low cost per copy directly onto rigid and roll materials, print quality is stated as photographic at speeds up to 16m2/hr, providing a quick return on investment. With variable size drop technology, fine droplets produce sharp, precise images with smoother transitions, while larger droplets deliver denser, more uniform solid image areas. The company states the result is image quality usually only seen at resolutions of 1,200 dpi or higher.
Finishing times are reduced by edge-to-edge printing and accurate registration (even on multiple passes), while the zoned vacuum table holds all types of media, including irregularly shaped or uneven surfaced materials.
http://www.fujifilmsericol.com/
Making an exhibition
Producing display and exhibition systems for over 20-years, Mark Bric Display's product range now features brands including Flexiframe, BannerUp, SnapUp, SwingUp and MultiMaster. Show highlights include a new concept modular graphic panel system for building trade show stands and displays which has taken over two years to develop. Other new products include aluminium frames, the impression banner stand and stretch fabric systems.
How many of your customers have asked about the carbon footprint of your printing service?
