The Big Picture - July 2012 - (Page 36)

For 14 days in May, Dusseldorf was the epicenter of the graphics world. By Gregory Sharpless As always, the post-Drupa numbers are simply intimidating. The massive twoweek exposition, which took place in May in Dusseldorf, Germany, boasted 19 separate halls and other buildings totaling 1.8 million square feet of space, drew nearly 315,000 attendees from 130 countries, and featured more than 1800 exhibitors. Saying the show is like a small city unto itself is not much of an exaggeration. It’s also no overstatement to say that inkjet once again was the technology of greatest interest, just as it was four years ago. Digital inkjet technologies were everywhere, including the attention-grabbing display put on by Landa Corporation (see Insight, pg. 4, and pg. 38). About the only places failing to have inkjet technologies on display were the more than 50 restaurants on the Drupa grounds. What follows, then, are thumbnail descriptions of various wide-formatrelated technologies that were introduced. (Looking for further details? The expanded version of this report is posted on bigpicture.net.) Keep in mind that, in some respects, Drupa is like the big annual car shows in Detroit or Los Angeles – some of the models making their debut are months away from being commercially viable, while some might first be released overseas and then only gradually become available in the US. The next Drupa will be held June 2-15, 2016. 36 THE BIG PICTURE july 2012 Epson (epson.com) launched the 64in. SureColor SC S50670 rollfed, available in 4- or 5-color versions (CMYK and CMYK + white) and featuring twin Thin Film Piezo Epson printheads, plus dual inksets, a built-in dryer, and a new jack system for easier one-person media loading. It uses Epson UltraChrome GS2 eco-solvent inks, which are odorless and nickel-free. Top speed is 573 sq ft/hr in high-speed mode (193 sq ft/hr in production mode); maximum resolution is 1440 dpi. Also introduced: the 8- and 10-color SureColor SC-S70670, Epson’s first 64-inch rollfed printer that simultaneously supports white and metallic inks. Both the 8-color (CMYKcmk + orange) and the 10-color version (adds white + metallic) offer resolutions up to 1440 dpi and 294 sq ft/hr in 8-color, high-speed mode (198 sq ft/hr in production mode; 44 sq ft/hr with metallic ink enabled). Fujifilm (fujifilmusa.com) introduced its Uvistar Pro8, the latest in its Uvistar series. A rollfed UV printer with a flatbed option, it adds a set of light colors (cmyk) and the ability to switch between 4- and 8-color printing modes. It also features: Parallel Drop Size technology to smooth images; an auto media-handling system for rigid media; and an automated backlit print option. The Pro8 utilizes Fujifilm’s new Uvijet QN inks. Top speed is more than 3229 sq ft/hr; maximum resolu- tion is 600 dpi (1200-dpi apparent). It can accommodate media up to 150-in. wide and approximately 1-in. thick. Available in August. Matan (matanprinters.com) launched the Barak 8Q, an 8-color UV hybrid. Available in 11.4- and 16-ft versions, the Barak 8Q features Matan’s Parallel Drop Size technology, enabling printing of 20- and 40-pL drops in the same print pass to smooth images and also achieve ink coverage and density. It uses Barak UV low-odor pigmented inks and supports a wide range of environmental media; inkset is CMYKcmkY. Top speed is 3800 sq ft/hr and the 8Q offers a 600-dpi max resolution (1200 dpi apparent). Options include: automatic double-sided printing; an automatic rigid-media loader and unloader; inline finishing; and a wrinkle analyzer that adjusts the carriage height for media imperfections. Inca Digital Printers (incadigital.com) unveiled the Inca Onset S40i flatbed, which supersedes the company’s Onset S40 machine. The new printer utilizes 168 new-generation, userreplaceable printheads (28 per color) on a full-width print array, delivering a 28-picoliter drop size. The 6-color printer (CMYKcm) also offers: a 15-zone vacuum table to reduce bed-masking requirements for substrates thinner than 3 mm; an auto sensor system to http://www.epson.com http://www.matanprinters.com http://www.incadigital.com http://www.bigpicture.net

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Big Picture - July 2012

The Big Picture - July 2012
Contents
InSight
UpFront
Wide Angle
Inside Output
Decision Time: Rollfed Printers
Virtual Walk-Through
Laminators: Protecting Aesthetics
Inkjet Drupa 2012
Job Log

The Big Picture - July 2012