Already installed in over 30 locations across Europe as part of the Avery TrafficJet turnkey road signage printing system, the VKR3200 HS as shown at Fespa has an updated industrial design and prints CMYK plus white, with a further varnish option. The printer operates at up to 317sqm/hr in two-pass draft mode, which is also suitable for mesh work, and typically between 120 and 140sqm/hr in production mode.

The VKR3200 HS  can handle two rolls of up to 1.6m width, with independent control of each via a ‘novel’ user interface, as well as single rolls of wider media. Priced from €120,000 for the single row of Kyocera printheads version, the mesh kit and dual roll option may be added, and aa twin-row printhead version is also offered.

Unusually for a printer at this price point, it also offers full integration with Durst’s workflow and analytics software ‘ecosystem’, as well as being driven by Durst’s DFE, which offers preflighting as well as Ripping capabilities.

Distribution in the UK and Ireland is via Durst’s UK operation and distributor ArtSystems; Vanguard Europe has also struck deals with Netherlands-based Pixia for the Benelux region and most recently with Grup Transilvae in Romania.

Fabian Sottsas, managing director of Vanguard Europe, said, ‘Just a week after confirming Grup Transilvae’s partnership in Romania, we are preparing to share news of a new collaboration in France in the next few weeks, proving how committed we are to growing our operations quickly and efficiently. Our mission is to continue to replicate the success of our parent company, which has installed over a thousand LFP printing systems across the Americas.’

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The Jeti Condor RTR5200 is the latest addition to the Jeti high performance line. It is a 5.2m roll-to-roll inkjet printer, making it one of the widest in the market. Agfa claims it ‘sets the standard’ for both speed – at up to 672sqm/hr – and image quality in the roll-to-roll sector.

The Condor prints on a wide variety of flexible substrates, handling up to three rolls simultaneously. It is field-upgradable with light colours and features white and varnish inks for wider application options. The printer also features multiple media handling solutions for large and heavy rolls, and offers an ‘extensive’ range of money-, labour- and space-saving options to automate the end-to-end printing and finishing process.

On the hybrid side, the new Jeti Bronco H3300 builds on the field-tested reliability of the Tauro hardware and software. It is a 3.3m high-end UV LED inkjet printer suitable for printing a variety of sign and display jobs in six colours plus white, with an optional primer. Continuous board feeding enhances its productivity, while independent dual-roll printing allows for the simultaneous printing of differently sized rolls or media. Initially the Bronco will be available with two rows of print heads but it will be field-upgradable to a four-row version.

The latest evolution of the entry-level Anapurna range, which began life over 20 years ago, is the 3.2m hybrid Ciervo, which is pitched as a versatile printer to tackle a wide range of print jobs. The Ciervo is said to bring enhanced print quality and much higher productivity than its predecessor, offering an almost 70% increase in printing speed in production mode. It also features continuous board feeding, enabling efficient throughput of rigid materials, handling up to four boards simultaneously. 

Other members of the Agfa range now get ‘beast’ monikers, with the Onset X3 HS becoming a Grizzly, while the Tauro already had one. Agfa’s ink and industrial printing capabilities are also being highlighted at Fespa, with the decor-focused InterioJet, Alussa leather printer and high speed Inca Orca 1060 single-pass printers for the packaging market.

Arnaud Calleja, vice-president digital printing solutions at Agfa commented, ‘We are thrilled to unveil our transformed and enhanced inkjet printer portfolio, where proven wide-format inkjet technology meets the power of three brand-new beasts. Our overarching ‘powerful by nature’ portfolio theme emphasises that the performance of our printers stems from the way they have been designed. Whatever environment a printing company operates in, whatever its markets or applications, whether seeking high productivity, quality or versatility, there’s an Agfa printer that will deliver impressive results and give their business a boost.’

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Making its worldwide debut in Amsterdam, Netherlands, the 3.3m Vutek Q3h XP hybrid flatbed/roll-fed LED printer is designed to provide high-quality imaging and production-level printing for faster turnarounds, according to EFI. The printer is available with four (CMYK) or six (CMYK, lc, lk) colours and optional white and clear inks.

Featuring an industrial build for multiple-shift operation and 24/7 printing, the Q3h XP printer produces up to 905sqm/hr, equivalent to up to 96 8 x 4ft boards per hour, and features advanced board/sheet and roll-to-roll media handling and high-speed automation options, to minimise labour requirements.

The new 3.2m EFI Pro 33r roll-to-roll LED printer is based on the successful Pro 32r+ model, with a significant enhancement to overall printer performance – up to 35% faster in PoP mode – and higher imaging quality, reliability and dot accuracy with the new 5pl Ricoh Gen 6 printheads. Standard features that improve efficiency include an integrated mesh kit for printing on porous substrates, a wrinkle analyser to help avoid printhead strikes, built-in backlit proofing lights, and a built-in Fiery digital front end (DFE).

Value-added options that add versatility and further efficiency include white and clear (UltraClear Coat) inks, Y-slitters, automatic blockout and backlit printing. With print speeds up to 260sqm/hour, the Pro 33r platform is intended to help customers be more competitive and profitable, win more jobs, confidently commit to larger capacity runs, and lower their operational costs, says EFI.

Other exhibits on EFI’s stand at Fespa include the 558sqm/hr Vutek Q3r roll-to-roll LED printer, Fiery DFEs, and samples from the Nozomi 14000 SD single-pass corrugated printer and the EFI Reggiani EcoTerra pigment-based textile printing system.

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The LXa5 is said to offer photorealistic printing with Konica Minolta 6pl printheads delivering high resolution and variable dot capabilities. It prints with speeds up to 37sqm/hr and has a maximum resolution of 1440 x 726 dpi and can take media up to 100mm thick. It also has pneumatic pin registration designed for fast and accurate media placement and an anti-crash system to protect print heads.

Joey Kim, managing director at InkTec, said, ‘With Fespa’s theme being Opportunities Revealed, the exhibition is the ideal event to have the European launch of the Jetrix LXa5 printer. Positioned to appeal to those that are seeking to extend their wide format print offering or to potentially enter the sector for the first time, the printer totally reflects the overall sentiment of Fespa this year.’

InkTec’s stand will additionally be showcasing DTF and UV-DTF printing. The DTF solutions range will feature DTF printers, oven/shaker, film, inks and powder, while the UV-DTF solutions will aim to show produce designs that can be easily transfer directly onto hard, smooth objects and even irregular shapes.

Also shown at the exhibition will be the Jetrix XGR320, a 3.2m UV LED roll-to-roll printer with Ricoh Gen6 printheads.

InkTec will be showcasing its products at Fespa in Hall 1, Stand C72.

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EFI will sell Agfa’s high productivity Tauro H3300 hybrid systems under its own brand and colours, while Agfa will rebadge the top-of-the-line 5m machines from EFI, filling a gap in its present range. Service and support will be handled by the selling company but the machines will use their original manufacturers’ inks.

Questioned about the possibility of the two companies competing for the same sales, Agfa’s Mike Horsten told Digital Printer, ‘Strangely the overlap of our customers is not as big as expected, the result is it will be incremental business for both companies, and the savings on the R&D side are also beneficial to both companies.’

CEO of the Agfa-Gevaert group Pascal Juéry commented, ‘This strategic partnership with industry leader EFI will broaden the range of options we can offer to our customers and expand the market reach for our state-of-the-art solutions.

‘It truly is a milestone for our company and for the wide-format printing industry at large.’

EFI CEO Frank Pennisi also expressed, ‘We are excited for this next chapter and the ability to leverage the strengths of both organisations to move the industry forward.’

Arnaud Calleja, vice-president at Agfa, explained, ‘By integrating their roll-to-roll platform into our sign & display offerings, we are poised to deliver an exceptionally diverse product range with unprecedented value to our customer base.’

Todd Zimmerman, senior vice president and general manager at EFI, further stated, ‘The integration of Agfa’s hybrid platform into our solutions reaffirms our commitment to providing our customers with the most advanced and comprehensive options available.’

Mr Zimmerman concluded, ‘This partnership represents a convergence of industry leaders, each bringing unique strengths to the table.’

The collaboration will make its public debut at Fespa Global Print Expo in Amsterdam, Netherlands in March 2024, where Agfa and EFI will showcase its potential on their respective stands.

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The sixth-generation family-run Dublin sign specialist worked with local Epson supplier digitalprint.ie to bring its production in-house and to expand into new markets.

Managing director Tom Freeney commented, ‘We were originally sign writers but today we are producing digital print, large format print and a lot of vehicle graphics. We were early adopters of digital printers and as their technology has evolved, we have evolved with them, and the business has grown.’

The two Epson systems were chosen to help continue that growth, with local support and confidence in the Epson brand being key factors. The flatbed in particular has opened up new opportunities, as Mr Freeney explained, ‘The flatbed solution is a new technology for us. It is very versatile. We find we are doing some nice niche work which we wouldn’t have previously done or we would have outsourced. It has a wide range of features, features that other machines in its class simply don’t have. It has the ability to print white inline. It prints varnish. It has a wider colour gamut than any other machines we inspected and after printing the same file on a range of printers the Epson was far superior.’

While the roll-fed SC-S80600 was a more familiar type of machine, it too has exceeded expectations, according to Mr Freeney: ‘We hit the ground running with the SC-S80600. It has been very easy to use. The colours are far beyond our expectations and it has been a great success.’

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Available in the UK and Ireland through exclusive distributor Hybrid Services, the new UCJV330-160 integrated printer/cutter is said to offer versatile LED UV roll-to-roll inkjet printing with significantly improved productivity and image quality. It has a production speed of 28sqm/hr in four-colour configuration, dropping to 18sqm/hr with white and/or clear inks. These speeds can be achieved with high output quality, thanks to Mimaki’s newly-developed ink firing technology that improves colour reproduction in high density areas even in high-speed output mode.

The printer is equipped with white and clear inks as standard, and users can print high quality images on conventional media used for outdoor sign graphics applications, as well as translucent, transparent, and coloured materials, including PET, polyurethane and other resin films, textiles and uncoated paper. This media flexibility is complemented by the ability to produce 2.5D print, watermarks or five-layer printing, and the UCJV330-160 is also equipped with advanced features for contour cutting to deliver stickers, decals and labels.

The UJV100-160Plus model is described as ‘affordable’ and has been designed to consume an ‘exceptionally low’ amount of power. At 0.5kW, MImaki estimates it consumes less than half the power of alternative eco-solvent and latex/resin printers on the market, helping to reduce running costs and CO2 emissions. A new ink saving function reduces consumption by up to 50% while maintaining the colour balance of the printed work; ink reduction levels are set by the operator using RasterLink7 software, and do not require specialised knowledge or equipment for colour adjustment.

A new function included in the printer pulls back the printed substrate to enable up to three-layer printing, extending application scope and allowing colour-white-colour or white-colour-clear printing, giving more flexibility in the range of applications, for increased creative effect or to add value to applications such as window graphics.

The two new printers are compatible with Pict, Mimaki’s new cloud-based printer status monitoring tool for all Mimaki products. Available for customers to download, Pict improves the efficiency of Mimaki customers’ print operations and production management by giving them the ability to monitor the operational status and performance of their printers from a PC or mobile device.

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The company is particularly keen to emphasise the benefits of the white ink capability at this point in its range, where it should appeal to 300-series Latex user as well as competing against eco-solvent alternatives, enabling a wider range of applications to be produced. It said that colour reproduction is also improved thanks to Pixel Control technology developed for its DesignJet photo printer range which has not previously been used in the graphic arts models.

‘The new HP Latex 630-series packs our leading latex features, such as white ink, into a more compact and affordable form factor, allowing even the smallest of print businesses to effortlessly deliver high impact signage and décor applications, boosting margins,’ commented Daniel Martinez, general manager, HP Large Format. ‘Beyond the hardware, we have continued to innovate when it comes to services and solutions, with new cloud-based HP Print OS functionalities giving time-pressed users the ability to process and monitor jobs from virtually anywhere.’

The four printer options add white ink the standard CMYK set, and a dual-device print-and-cut capability in all possible permutations. A spindle-less front loading system and ability to print up to the leading edge of the media save operator time and material wastage respectively, while HP’s inks are now supplied in recycled and recyclable cardboard cartons. The printers operate at up to 14sqm/hr and the thermal printheads are user-replaceable The printers have 10GB of on-board job storage for quick reprints and are driven by the SAi Flexi Rip, which is included as standard.

HP has also announced HP PrintOS Design & eCommerce, which it describes as ‘an intuitive web-to-print solution that saves valuable time with simplified print application design capabilities, efficient production paths, and step-by-step guidance on how PSPs can integrate it with an existing e-commerce store’.

‘We spend a lot of time listening to print providers about what they need to grow, and one key area was evolving their e-commerce capabilities and better connecting the front and back-ends of their business,’ added Mr Martinez. ‘HP Print OS Design & eCommerce is our response, giving PSPs a quick and easy way to enhance their online shop, as well as new ways to process orders and automate jobs.’ The software is available as part of HP’s PrintOS suite to subscribers to the HP Professional Print Service Plan ‘Plus’ tier,

The HP Latex 630, HP Latex 630 W, HP Latex 630 Print & Cut Plus, and HP Latex 630 W Print & Cut Plus available immediately. The HP Print OS Design & eCommerce solution is expected to be available from November 2023 in the UK, Spain, Australia and New Zealand.

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The new printer joins the company’s fleet of three Epson SureColor SC-S80600 machines, a 1.6m EFI Pro 16H UV hybrid printer, and finishing arsenal of two Zund cutters and two Seal laminators. Part of the company’s Prestige Events System is a unique all-graphic exhibition stand solution that centres on attention-grabbing high-quality graphics and integrated bespoke features, the company’s photo floor graphics are claimed to be unique and are said represent an additional way to make the most of valuable exhibition space.

Quadrant’s Carl Garner-Watts told Digital Printer, ‘We selected the Jetrix XGR320  for a number of reasons – the quality of ink and vibrant colours, the low running costs of consumables and the dual heads which provide excellent print speed without compromising print quality.

‘We use the printer with a single print media, so don’t need the big box of tricks you get with an Agfa or EFI. It gave us everything we needed at an excellent price point.’

The Jextrix XGR320 was launched at Fespa in Munich in May 2023. The 3.2m LED UV printer features Ricoh Gen6 printheads complemented by heavy-duty components for smooth media feeding and which allow for printing on heavy materials, supporting rolls up to 200kg. Quadrant’s choice of the machine is its first installation in the UK.

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Atlantic and NDI’s combined knowledge and technical experience are expected to give current and prospective SignRacer users, confidence in a first-class national support mechanism to provide fast and effective service response through a combined resource of experienced industry-trained engineers. Atlantic will also sell the range of GreenGuard-certified SignRacer OEM Premium hard and flexible CMYK, Lc, Lm, Lk, orange, violet, white, varnish and dedicated primer Inks.

SignRacer has R&D centres in both Switzerland and Italy, with production at its facility in Germany. It is claimed that the SignRacer range benefits from fast carriage speeds, high image quality and efficient production. SignRacer printers are also field-upgradeable and built and configured to allow the fitting of additional printheads for increased speed or additional colour channels for varied applications.

The SignRacer UV flatbed models from the 1610 up to 3020 offer printing with either Ricoh Gen 6 or Kyocera KJ4A printheads to enable printing onto most medias, such as MDF, aluminium, glass, plastics, wood, Dibond, acrylic and leather surfaces up to 400mm thick, with High Bridge models including 3D printing. The range also offers UV roll-to-roll and hybrid options with print widths available from 1800 to 3200mm, with the 3200 Turbo supporting output at up to 156sqm/h.

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