By Digital Output Staff
The Specialty Graphic Imaging Association’s (SGIA’s) annual expo took place in October at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA. Despite the threat of Hurricane Nate, the show was a success with 19,360 registered attendees. 597 exhibitors showcased some of their newest products and solutions.
Here, we include information on products shown on the expo floor, categorized under finishing, inks, media, printers, and workflow.
Above: Top Value Fabrics displayed its digitally printed textiles for upholstery applications.
Finishing
From industrial routers to fabric cutters, laminators, and media handling devices, vendors premiered advanced technology that eliminates the bottleneck typically found on the backend in finishing.
Advanced Greig Laminators showcased several of its newest products. The Compadre is an entry-level laminator targeting small to medium sign shops. The 64i laminator offers a 62-inch width using thermal or pressure-sensitive laminating film.
Alliance Technology Corp. displayed the ATC-80RTR, a roll-to-roll coating system for precision mayer rod UV liquid coating. The ATC-UV36HA coating system was also shown. It provides a sheet-fed UV liquid coating solution that produces coating finishes on inks and substrates up to one-inch thick.
AXYZ International promoted its Trident 4010ATZ. The Trident 4000 Series handles materials up to 60 inches in width and lengths from 48 inches to 50 feet, depending on the configuration. A CNC router, it is ideal for cut to print using multiple tools for all materials.
Biesse America demonstrated the Rover Plast J FT. It’s developed to cut through many different materials. It is equipped with both a tangential and oscillating blade.
Colex displayed the Colex Sharpcut 3232 10.5×10.5-foot flatbed cutter with automatic roll and optional board loader. Also in the booth, the new Fotoba XLD320 X/Y cutter for media up to 130 inches wide and 40-mil thick. The device cuts a range of textiles.
Digital Graphic Systems had the DGS V-Pro X5 industrial table cutter in its booth. It can be configured in 4×8- to 5×10-foot beds. The multi-tool digital table cutter processes folding boards, foamboard, corrugated board, PVC, styrene, honeycomb boards, vinyl, magnets, textiles, and paper.
E.L. Hatton Sales Co. highlighted its BravoBanner, which automatically applies adhesive-based BravoTabs and BravoTape along the edge of banners. BravoBanner finishes 100 banners per hour with a single operator. BravoTabs help to make strong banners with grommets.
Esko demonstrated Kongsberg Automate, designed to support a print operator with material handling, production, waste management, and stacking. Depending on the Kongsberg finishing system model and the user’s requirements, solutions such as roll feed and unwind, sheet feed and stack, multi-zone production, and robotic cell can all be added to the process.
Foster announced the new Power Jumbo, a powered version of its On-a-Roll Lifter. The lifter eliminates the manual effort required to lift and maneuver media rolls as heavy as 990 lbs and diameters as large as 19.6 inches.
GBC, part of ACCO Brands, showcased its SEAL 62 Pro laminator. The device is 61 inches in width and comes in two different models—Pro D and Pro S. The Pro D model offers dual roller heating—top and bottom; whereas the Pro S is a single roller heater located on the top. Both offer fast processing speeds of up to 20 feet per minute.
Graphic Finishing Partners brought two new laminators to the show. The Gfp 44TH is a top heat laminator and board mounter with a 44-inch width. The top roller allows for mounting and overlaminating in a single pass. The Gfp 563TH-3 MaxPro is a top heat laminator as well but offers maximum productivity. Swing out supply shafts allow for fast roll changes and easy loading.
Kern exhibited the OptiFlex laser cutter and engraving systems. They feature an improved motion system with a rack and pinion design and powerful servo motors. This improves acceleration rates up to three times faster than older models.
Laguna Tools showcased the Laguna IQ Benchtop CNC router. The 24×36-inch device runs anywhere from 6,000 to 24,000 RPMs. The company also exhibited the Laguna Smartshop Xcel high-speed digital cutting system. It features a newly designed frame and lighter weight beam while offering a range of tools to handle all cutting and routing needs.
MCT promoted its newest enhancements on the VersaTech2 cutter. One of which is a horizontally mounted laser that achieves a 30 percent increase in speed for fabric cutting and sealing. New tool inserts include a high-speed driven rotary tool, high-speed oscillating tool, a Braille tool, and plotting pen.
Miller Weldmaster highlighted the 112 Extreme and Digitran finishing solutions. The 112 Extreme is a high-performance welder capable of welding speeds of up to 20 meters per minute. Digitran is an all-in-one sewing and welding solution ideal for finishing PVC banners and signs or sewing digital textiles.
MultiCam unveiled the Celero digital finisher. It offers cutting speeds of up to 3,500 inches per minute as well as 12,000 inches per minute maximum traverse speed. Its cutting area measures 3×4 feet.
Rollem showed the Insignia6 sheet-fed flexo-magnetic die cutter. The machine offers production-level die cutting on pressure sensitive, plastics, PVC, Tyvek, and card stocks.
Royal Sovereign International showcased the RCS6500H laminator. It is a 65-inch heat assist top roller laminator offering laminating speeds of up to 28 feet per minute. A FilmSaver system senses when media is not feeding into the rollers and slows down the rollers to save film.
Summa America made its debut as a company at the show. It exhibited the Twin Workflow for its F Series and S Class 2 OPOS CAM series cutters. It allows users to decide after finishing a print job whether it will be cut on either series of cutters thanks to machines using the same cut data and the ability to read the same cut marks with a built-in camera.
Trotec Laser demonstrated the SP2000, designed to laser cut large format materials including acrylics, wood, textiles, and cardboard. Its working area is 1.68×2.510 millimeters. Easy to access from all four sides, SP2000 features a 1.8 millimeter wide load opening at the front and rear of the machine.
Universal Laser Systems showcased the ILS Platform Series. It is ideal for large objects, offering work area options of 36×24 and 48×24 inches. Powered by a CO2 laser, the system can operate with Dual Laser Configuration, which combines two laser sources into a single beam. Joined with SuperSpeed, beams from the two lasers produce two lines of a raster image simultaneously to speed up productivity.
Vision Engraving & Routing Systems promoted its 2525/2550 CNC router/engraver. This heavy-duty router features a high-speed Vision Series 4 Controller, Vision Pro software, and Red Laser Pointer for easy job setup. It is ideal for milling, drilling, contouring, engraving, and routing.
Zünd displayed its D3 L-3200 cutter with double routing capabilities, as well as another cutter with Laser Module – LM 100W cut and seal for finishing textiles. The Zünd laser module is equipped with an air-cooled CO2 100W laser with a processing speed of 144 feet per minute. As a Class 1 laser, it requires no special safety gear such as protective glasses. The laser module is fully enclosed, which provides reliable protection for the operator.
Inks
Popular themes in this segment included UV ink debuts as well as new dye-sublimation (dye-sub) chemistries to fuel the growing popularity of direct to print and fabric printing, respectively.
Budget Inks focused on its Roland Eco-Maxx Ultra replacement cartridges. They are OEM matched in color gamut and cartridge compatibility. The cartridges support SolJet Pro, VersaCAMM, and VersaArt models and offer the latest technology including better adhesion, high scratch resistance, and higher gloss.
INX International discussed Triangle brand inks, Prodigy industrial and packaging inks, and the CP100 UV digital cylindrical printer with show attendees who learned more about the JetINX Printhead Drive and Ink Recirculation system.
Kao Collins promoted its variety of ink sets. It recently announced the formation of its Advanced Printing Solutions business, with the goal to create eco-friendly, technically superior options for industrial inkjet and traditional printing markets.
J-Teck USA invited attendees learn more about its J-Next line of sublimation ink, including J-Next Extra, J-Next Print, and J-Next Subly.
Marabu North America demonstrated its UltraJet digital inks on the fJET UV LED flatbed printer that prints on a range of substrates and premanufactured materials. UltraJet DLE-A is specifically designed for UV LED printers and offers superior adhesion to a variety of substrates.
OCP-USA, Inc. displayed a black box in its booth that showcased the OCP Stella DX dye-sub ink series. This included fluorescent inks with spectacular results when exposed to UV light.
Sensient Imaging Technologies shared information on its water-based SensiJet SX inks developed for printing on non- and semi-porous substrates. The inks include components that offer adhesion without the use of any volatile component or substance causing concern in regulated applications like food packaging or skin contact items.
Media
Media used in window, wall, and floor graphics to fabric for décor applications were all shown. Pressure-sensitive vinyls and films as well as rigid sheets also dominated the floor, proving vehicle wraps and traditional signage are still requested by print buyers.
3A Composites showed its Gatorfoam Pro. Similar to the company’s Gatorfoam heavy-duty graphics display board, enhanced Pro facers offer superior ink adhesion and printability. In addition, the facers feature increased dent and scratch resistance during fabrication and display of graphic designs.
Adams Magnetic Products displayed a new high-energy magnet strip material. It is available in 20-mil thickness. The company plans to introduce wider width material featuring the high-energy magnet.
Arlon Graphics, LLC showcased its SLX Cast Wrap, which it launched in the Spring. It is a premium gloss white repositionable cast film with FLITE Technology. This provides lite initial contact with air egress for repositionability.
Arnold Magnetic Technologies’ Flexmag Industries exhibited FlexCoat EZ. The product is available magnetized or unmagnetized. Standard size rolls and custom sheets and rolls are available. It is 100 percent recyclable and offered in .015-, .020-, and .030-inch thicknesses.
Aurora Specialty Textiles Group premiered its Expressions Semi-Gloss Décor Canvas. It is a lightweight, 100 percent polyester canvas. A proprietary, enhanced acrylic coating provides ideal ink coverage.
Catalina Graphic Films provided attendees with samples and information on its entire product portfolio. Of note Clear-Ad Plus and Opti-Cling—part of the company’s window media lineup. Opti-Cling features Enviro-Cling technology with clear viewing. Clear-Ad Plus is an optically clear vinyl with a low-tack removable acrylic adhesive and a clear film release liner.
ContraVision introduced ContraVision HD Performance. The micro-perforated window film features smaller holes and a more compact arrangement of them, making the see-through view much smoother.
Cooley Group showcased Enviroflex PE products, all are part of the company’s goal to provide more sustainable alternatives to vinyl with PVC-free materials. PE Poster is UV printable and available in widths up to 135 inches. PE Latex SD is latex printable and offered in widths of 126 inches. PE Latex Hi-Res is also latex printable and available in widths of up to 126 inches as well.
D&K Group brought its Brilliance PSA Laminating Films to the show. The overlaminates contain UV inhibitors and are designed for short- to medium-term indoor and outdoor applications. They are available in gloss, luster, matte, and canvas finishes.
DAF Products consulted with many attendees on its portfolio of media products. Noteworthy was EZ-Tac Print Vinyl Matte 6-mil. It is a 6-mil PVC film used for stickers, labels, decals, and point of purchase (POP). It is printable with latex, eco/mild-solvent, and UV-curable printers.
Dazian Fabrics promoted its Acrobat with Mira-S and Acrobat HV with Mira-S. Mira-S is an elastomeric polyester fiber variant that provides ideal stretch properties while offering elasticity and softness. Both Acrobat and Acrobat HV are available in optic white and fast black styles.
Dietzgen’s Magic portfolio exhibited its lineup of products for graphic arts professionals. This includes RENEW, a 30-mil/4.5 oz. non-woven PET banner. It is 100 percent post-consumer waste, made from recycled plastic bottles.
DreamScape displayed its line of wallcovering media. Terralon Regatta is a PVC-free, 31 percent post-consumer recycled wallcovering product. It is part of its Terralon eco-friendly wallcovering media with no PVC, plasticizers, or phthalates. The company also showed its WallWraps repositionable peel-and-stick wallcoverings available in four textures—Brilliant, Ravello, Caviar, and Classic.
Drytac showcased SpotOn, 4-mil monomeric PVC films with a unique dot patterned removable adhesive. The adhesive allows for easy, bubble-free application of graphics to walls and windows.
Encore Products promoted its Mixed Metals Foam Board and Fine Art Board portfolios. Mixed Metals are fully printable metallic paper surfaces—brushed aluminum and gold foamboard. Fine Art Board includes canvas, cork, chalkboard, and extreme white textures.
Felix Schoeller celebrated its first appearance at the SGIA Expo. Its noted product was S-RACE sublimation transfer paper. The paper is fast drying, features excellent line sharpness, quick transfer properties, and quality lay flat performance. Options are available for both hard substrates and textiles.
Fisher Textiles shared its range of digitally printable fabrics. GF 6732 Apollo, GF 9049 EZ Stretch, and GF 6088 Motto were just some of the many items featured in the booth. Specifically, GF 6732 Apollo is ideal for backlit, retail displays, and silicone edge graphics. It features an extreme white point and utilizes a diffuser fabric behind it to enhance print and prevent hotspots.
FloorSignage showcased its AlumiGraphics line of floor graphics products, including AlumiGraphics Silver Smooth and Glow Grip. Silver Smooth is for outdoor walls and features a smooth silver finish that requires no overlaminate. Glow Grip is designed for pedestrian walkways/stairwells and offers a slip-resistant photoluminescent surface. The company also promotes its EZ Grip Graphics line, which is for smooth indoor floors requiring a peel-and-stick installation.
GPA discussed new products like Ultra Design 16 pt. Cherry Veneer and 40-mil Brushed Copper. Both products are ideal for POP and retail applications and are printable with UV inkjet.
Grimco is a distributor of major manufacturers. At the show it highlighted some of its own branded material including Briteline, FowardBanner, and KeyBanner media.
Heytex showcased its digitex luxor B1/Mi product. The textile is designed for backlit applications like light boxes, aluminum frame systems with silicone keder, and large format backlit advertising. It is available in a five-meter fabric width and is 100 percent PVC free.
Jessup Manufacturing Co. promoted its line of self-adhesive graphics products primarily used on floors. TexWalk, SportWalk, CatWalk, ClearWalk, SoftWalk, Glo Brite, and Asphalt Art are all part of its non-slip family.
Kapco Graphic Products discussed its broad portfolio of digital products. This includes Kapco Solvent Cast Air Release Vinyl, 1.2-mil Cast Gloss Laminate, Kapco Solvent 19-mil Satin Canvas, Kapco Solvent 3-mil White Vinyl, and 5-mil Embossed Laminate.
Katz Americas displayed Katz Display Board, made up of all-natural wood pulp board core. The product is eco-friendly and 100 percent recyclable. It comes in a number of different thicknesses, but at the show the company highlighted the 120 pt. thickness.
LexJet’s booth provided graphic applications in every corner. Of note was its newest member of the brand family, Vescom Sand 20oz. A Type II compliant wallcovering it provides a seamless surface. Also in the booth was EnduraFab Frontlit Premier fabric compatible with latex printers.
Lintec of America, Inc. exhibited its Vision Control Film. As viewing angles change, so does the transparency of the glass until it appears fully frosted. There are four versions of this film and each offers two choices of viewing angles.
Low & Bonar brought its AirTex 7535 FR Duo wallcovering to the show. It’s a coated polyester fabric with a grey coating on the back of material so that the user doesn’t have to clean the wall surface prior to application.
Mac Papers invited attendees to pull out their passports and travel around the world in their booth learning about its different offerings. Its focus at the show was dye-sub and Coldenhove sublimation transfer paper, which the company distributes.
Mactac exhibited IMAGin DecoMural wall media, which recently underwent several enhancements. The material’s new PVC face stock is an 8-mil textured film that is scratch resistant and simulates canvas. Also updated is a more robust removable adhesive and a new lay flat liner.
Magnum Magnetics highlighted its DigiMaxx Latex material, optimized for printing with latex devices and certified by HP.
Master Magnetics, Inc. featured new ThinFORCE high-energy magnetic sheeting. It provides exceptional magnetics strength in a thinner and lighter material.
Mohawk highlighted new products in its growing wide format digital media line. These include Metalik pressure-sensitive adhesive-backed material, non-skid floor graphics, a white satin roll-up film, and pure cotton for fine art applications.
The Mosaica Group introduced its Poly Pro line of products. Poly ProBlend and Poly GloBlend are blended polyolefin. Environmentally friendly, they are made with 30 percent post-consumer content and do not contain carcinogens. They will not crack, yellow, or become brittle in outdoor environments.
Neenah Paper focused on promoting the company to the wide format audience. Two of its newest products are wallcoverings, a pressure-sensitive product and Type II material.
Nekoosa showed a range of products including its Ztac and ClingZ product lines. It also showcased LumaPrint, a backlit polyester. Ztac is an ultra-low tack, repositionable polyester film. ClingZ is an adhesive-free, electrically charged graphic film that adheres to any dry surface. LumaPrint is a printable backlit polyester designed for eco-solvent, latex, and UV printing. With a translucent polyester base stock, it is matte, water resistant, with double-layered coatings.
New Force Magnetics brought its new 48-inch wide media product to the show. Available with or without adhesive or in white, this flexible magnetic sheeting can be manufactured as a plain surface or with several different laminates—available in multiple colors.
Newlife Magnetics showcased Miracle Mag and its Wall Lizard product. Miracle Mag combines micro-suction cling technology and magnet sheeting technology to create super holding force—more than 220 lbs. per square foot. Wall Lizard is ideal for short- and long-term applications and adheres to windows, metal, PVC, wood, and low volatile organic compound painted walls. Not only is it removable, it is repositionable, bubble free, and dry apply.
Orafol Americas invited attendees to learn more about of some of its newest product announcements. ORACAL 641 Economy Cal just released 21 new matte colors in the portfolio. Also highlighted, ORACAL 970RA, which is available in three product lines—Premium Wrapping Cast, Premium Shift Effect Cast, and Unique Colors by Will Castro Designs.
Palram introduced Palboard, a multi-layer PVC sheet. It provides an ultra-smooth surface for excellent ink adhesion, is easy to fabricate, can be cold bent with a v-groove cut, and offers good mechanical strength and excellent chemical resistance.
Perception Wide Format exhibited High Gloss Canvas. The 70 polyester/30 cotton product is 19-mil thick and ideal for printing with either eco-solvent, solvent, latex, or UV-curable ink. It is archival, features a non-yellowing imaging layer, and a weight of 340gsm.
PhotoTex Group displayed Photo Tex High-Tack EX and EXS versions. Both products feature a 50 percent stronger adhesive. They are ideal for textured walls with eggshell or orange peel paints and permanent installs.
Piedmont Plastics focused on Palram’s newest product. A distributor of the rigid media brand, it provided insight to attendees on the new multi-layer PVC sheet available in a range of thicknesses.
Plaskolite highlighted its OPTIX media portfolio, which includes OPTIX DA. It is an acrylic sheet designed for directly printing on the media with UV curing ink.
PreMex Solutions premiered its DuraVibe fabric line. Of note, is the company’s DuraVibe Latex home décor fabrics, which provide some of the best available crock fastness in the industry, according to the company. A popular product in the portfolio is Leenane, a medium weight textured weave. It is composed of 96 percent cotton and four percent linen and available in a width of 56 inches.
Presto Tape showcased CanvasTac #343, a 17-mil adhesive-backed canvas designed for wallcovering applications. It is printable with UV, latex, solvent, and eco-solvent inks. CanvasTac is available in gold iridescent and silver finishes.
Quality Media & Laminating Solutions promoted banner stand, backlit, and wall graphics applications in its booth. It also displayed the Foster On-a-Roll Lifter Standard and Standard Plus models, which allow users to maneuver heavy media rolls.
S. Walter Packaging discussed its dye-sub backing tissue with attendees. It offers a full line of dye-sub backing tissue for blanket protection of rotary heat presses. The tissues withstand heavy ink loads to extend the life of calender belts. Material is offered in widths up to 130 inches.
SENFA debuted its Alterra product line. 65 percent of the textile is composed of recycled yarn and the base is coated polyester. It is available in widths of 126 inches and both UV and latex printable. Alterra’s main use is for indoor backlit displays.
Sihl USA highlighted Sublicolor transfer paper and Design2Wall wallpaper. The Sublicolor portfolio includes papers for universal use, sports—elastic-based fabrics, and impact—hard substrates. Design2Wall is compatible with both latex and eco-solvent printers. The product line is made up of six different solutions with matte, satin, and linen finishes.
Tekra, a division of EIS, Inc., expanded its JetView product line. JetView UV Chalkboard Film is a non-PVC printable, erasable material with a removable adhesive. JetView Latex Low Tack Window Film is ideal for storefront signage printed using latex ink. JetView Solvent Blockout Film is a 99 percent opaque, PP/PET blend film designed for trade show graphics.
Top Value Fabrics—found in both its own booth and newly acquired company Pacific Coast Fabrics—displayed its newest digitally printed textiles for upholstery applications. For example, Glacier S/567 is a 100 percent polyester heavyweight textile. It is designed with a DuPont Teflon Durable Water Repel coating—making it ideal for indoor and outdoor environments.
Ultraflex Systems, Inc. debuted the VorTex Bolero S225, a 6.5 oz. woven polyester fabric. It is fire retardant and available in widths from 54 to 126 inches. The material can be printed using solvent, eco-solvent, UV, and latex printers.
United Industries shared information on its Ultra Board, a heavy duty, all-plastic panel with a high-impact polystyrene surface. It is available in black, white, white/black/black, and white/black/white stock colors. Standard sheet sizes are 48×96, 60×96, and 60×120 inches.
Verseidag US highlighted its seemee 3P Value Premium Backlit FR B4400. It is designed for use in LED light boxes and backlit applications printed using direct or transfer dye-sub processes. The material features a tight weave and wrinkle, crease resistant yarn.
Yupo exhibited its Yupo Octopus and Yupo Jelly no-adhesive synthetic papers. Yupo Octopus uses micro-suction cups to grip onto any flat, smooth surface. Yupo Jelly is the same, except it is a clear substrate with a clear micro-suction back.
Printers
Whether looking to print on fabric or a premanufactured piece, vendors brought printers large and small, wide and narrow to the SGIA Expo.
Agfa Graphics highlighted the Jeti Tauro LED. It offers six-color plus white or primer printing for both rigid and flexible media. The printer is 2.54 meters wide and can print up to 275 square meters per hour.
Afinia Label promoted the L801 Industrial Color Label Printer. Based on Memjet technology, the printer outputs at speeds of up to 60 feet per minute. It is ideal for short- to medium-range print runs for inventory and product identification applications.
AnaJet exhibited its RICOH Ri 3000/Ri 6000 direct to garment (DTG) printers. The Ricoh Ri 6000 prints full-color 12×10-inch graphics on light garments in less than 27 seconds. Both printers utilize water-based inks that provide soft and vibrant output.
Brother International highlights its GTX line of DTG printers, the company’s newest generation of devices. The print area is 16×21 inches and new ink, Innobella Textile, water-based pigment inks provide a larger color gamut then past iterations.
Canon Solutions America showed a video at its booth depicting its High Flow Vacuum in action on an Océ Arizona 6100. It is designed to handle hold down of porous, warped substrates without using tape. The table features 250,000 air holes for maximum hold down.
DGI premiered its Fabrijet FT-1908SE with fluorescent ink. The printer is upgraded to include six or eight colors and is ideal for dye-sub printing of textiles. At 74 inches it reaches maximum print speeds of 615 square feet per hour (sf/h).
DigiFab Systems exhibited the StampaJet K2/K4-330TX printer series. Direct to fabric devices, the printers are equipped with tension-based feed and take up. Both offer 130-inch wide printing with Kyocera industrial printheads and the company’s exclusive line of DigiDye inks.
For the first time in the U.S., Durst Image Technology US LLC showed its Delta WT 250 using Durst Water Technology. The printer is designed for corrugated packaging and display applications and the Durst WT inks comply with the strictest health and safety regulations.
EFI premiered the EFI Pro 24f 4×8-foot dedicated flatbed printer. It prints in four colors plus white on materials up to two inches thick. A multi-zone vacuum system eliminates masking. It also showcased the Reggiani Renoir Flexy printer with Dynaplast fabric adhesion designed for industrial apparel and décor textile applications.
Engineered Printing Solutions demonstrated the Roto-Jet UV LED printer designed specifically for printing onto cylindrical objects. The device prints and cures, so the object comes off the printer fully ready to use. White, primer, and varnish are all options for the printhead channels, in addition to traditional CMYK.
Epson showcases its newest dye-sub printer, the SureColor F9370, which is designed for millions of garments and not short runs. The 64-inch device can handle industrial-level production with speeds up to 1,169 sf/h.
Fujifilm North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division brought the new SpyderX flatbed to the show, as well as the Onset M. The SpyderX is a combination flatbed and roll-to-roll UV inkjet press. A mid-range inkjet printer, it is available in a width of 126 inches. The Onset M is a B1 format printer designed to offer high-quality, short runs to the industrial print market.
GSG exhibited HP Print and Cut solutions. In the booth it demonstrated the HP Latex 315 solution. The HP Latex 315 is a 54-inch printer available through GSG with a SAi FlexPrint HP edition RIP. It can be installed by GSG trained technicians.
Graphics One—recently acquired by Prism Inks—debuted the GO 901X dye-sub printer. At 24 inches, the printer is a complete system that includes DTX Industrial Dye Sub Ink from Prism, Wasatch SoftRIP, GO Xtreme Dye Sub Paper, and stand/catch basket.
HP, Inc. highlighted the newest addition to its latex printer line. A new 54-inch HP Latex 115 printer delivers high image quality for applications both in and out. The HP Latex 115 Print and Cut was also shown, which offers an end-to-end solution for printing and cutting.
Inkcups exhibited the Helix, a rotary inkjet printer for straight walled and tapered cylinders. The machine is servo-driven and offers resolutions of 1,200×1,200 dpi. Cylinder length ranges from three to 12 inches.
IT Supplies demonstrated Canon Solution America’s Océ Colorado 1640 roll-to-roll printer. It uses UVgel technology, a UV-curable ink that instantly gels on contact with the media.
Kip America displayed the KIP 900 series. The KIP 970 is a color print system and the KIP 980 and KIP 990 are multifunction systems. All three devices feature 7,800 square foot media capacity and 5,760 sf/h color productivity.
Kornit provided live demonstrations of its Allegro printer, running for the first time using pink and yellow neon ink. The Allegro is a 70.8-inch wide direct to fabric textile printer that can print onto natural, manmade, and synthetic fabrics. The new inks are field upgradeable for existing customers.
The M&R Companies’ Novus Imaging showcased the Textura 1800 dye-sub printer. It is designed for unattended roll to roll, high-speed transfer printing. At 70 inches wide it is rated to print at speeds of up to 1,500 sf/h.
Mimaki USA, Inc. announced its new UCJV Series UV LED cut and print devices. The four-color UCJV150-160 and seven-color UCJV300-160 were both on the show floor. The UCJV300-160 model is capable of multilayer printing, enabling backlit graphics that are transformed by different light sources.
Mutoh America, Inc. performed a technology preview of the Performance 2508UF 4×8-foot flatbed printer with four vacuum zones. The ValueJet 626UF tabletop UV LED flatbed printer was also on the floor. It allows for printing onto three-dimensional objects up to 5.9 inches thick.
New Solution Engineering showcased the NS Pro Evo printer. The NS Pro Evo is based on Memjet technology and is a single pass inkjet printer ideal for label print solution providers. It offers a web width of 3.18 to 9.44 inches and print speeds of 30 or 60 feet per minute.
Oki Data Americas brought its range of printers to the show, in addition to demonstrating vehicle wraps with Troy Downey. Of note was the ColorPainter M-64s. It is equipped for low-odor, eco-solvent ink and is Greenguard Gold Certified for the safety of indoor graphics. The 64 inch printer outputs at 900×900 dpi visual resolution.
Ricoh highlighted its new flatbed printer, specifically designed for industrial décor, the RICOH Pro T7210. It supports substrates up to 4.3 inches thick with a print size of 6.9×10.5 feet. Maximum speed is up to 538.2 sf/h.
Roland DGA Corporation’s VersaUV LEJ-640FT was on the floor. It allows users to print directly to rigid materials up to six inches thick and weighing up to 220 pounds. Some materials include foamcore, plastic, wood, glass, metal, USB drives, or smartphone cases.
SCG Digital America demonstrated the Grando GD-3200AE-X4 sublimation printer. At 128 inches wide it prints at a maximum 430 sf/h in four pass at 720×720 dpi. The machine offers a stable feeding system and an integrated post heater, infrared dryer, and fan system.
swissQprint exhibited the new Nyala LED printer complemented by Rob, the loading/unloading robot that can handle almost any rigid material with a non-porous surface. The Nyala LED delivers a maximum output of 2,217 sf/h from a 126×79.9-inch bed.
Vanguard Digital Printing introduced the VSP1400, a single-pass UV digital press that prints to boards up to 48×104 inches. It also showcased the VT2000 and VT3200 dye-sub printers. Both utilize Kyocera printhead technology with water-based inks.
Xanté demonstrated the new UV4000 UV flatbed. It allows for printing onto coroplast, clear acrylic, foamboard, wood, steel, and more at 720×1,200 dpi. It also can output onto irregular shaped three-dimensional objects with the ability to accept media up to 11 inches tall with a 36×24-inch print area.
Workflow
With customers requesting finished product faster than ever, software solutions that drive efficiencies throughout the workflow process are a must.
4over demonstrated PrinterBridge, a white label print site the wholesale printer designed for its customers. Users can fully customize their web to print storefront to offer their customers mobile optimization, designer templates, preflighting, and live status updates.
Caldera showcased all of its workflow products with a focus on applications in its booth. Of note was StreamLive, a SaaS application for production submission and tracking. Cloud based, the program creates customer job sheets, submits files to software workflow, connects with Caldera RIP, and automates email reporting.
GMG exhibited PrintFactory, a complete production suite for banner, sign, and superwide format printing. The solution includes the latest ink optimization technology that can reduce ink usage by up to 20 percent. In addition, cloud-based tools now allow users to view printers and jobs all in one web interface at any time.
Onyx Graphics, Inc. demonstrated its ONYX Hub software solution. Part of the ONYX SiteSolutions family, it is designed to bring real time, historic and trend data to business owners and production managers. It is licensed through any ONYX Thrive workflow software key and includes a browser-based dashboard with reporting features.
Pixta brought PixtaFlow, a cloud-based, job management tool to the show. The product is accessed through a web browser and brings scheduling, estimating, templates, and more into a sign shop’s workflow to streamline and improve efficiencies.
SA International provided attendees with information on its DisplayGenie software, in addition to other products like sign.com and Flexi Subscriptions. DisplayGenie assists those looking to design custom corrugated boxes and packages. The solution is equipped with three-dimensional design templates to simplify construction.
Next Year
We continue to cover the graphic arts and all of its newest product announcements. Next year, the SGIA Expo takes place in Las Vegas, NV October 18 to 20, 2018. It is the last event under the SGIA name, as the 2019 trade show premieres in Dallas, TX as Print United.
Dec2017, Digital Output
