Signs of the Times - January 2014 - (Page 42)

Te c hno lo g y R e v i ew By Chris and Kathi Morrison The Agfa Jeti TitanX Today, it isn't all billboards. Chris and Kathi Morrison own and operate The Image Specialists, a full-service graphics company based in Clements, CA. Chris is also a Microsoftcertified systems engineer. U ntil recently, print quality seemed to follow an inverse square rule: Quality drops as the speed cranks up. This aging rule reigned because particularly long and wide prints were usually viewed from a distance. Who needs 1,200, 600 or even 300 dpi for billboards? Times have changed. Today, it isn't all billboards. Today, customers want images printed on numerous surfaces of myriad shapes and sizes and, typically, unusual print-machine performance. However, such frequent customer demands often lead to the positioning of multiple machines under one roof - typically, a UV-cure flatbed printer to manage unusual shapes and thick media; and a high-speed, roll-to-roll printer to produce banners, backdrops and other flexible signage. Want to struggle with day-to-day - hour-to-hour - challenges? Try to keep print runs, dpi, quality, color and production schedules matched Key Information Agfa Graphics 611 River Dr., Center 3 Elmwood Park, NJ 07407 (800) 540-2432, X4848 Contact: Lois Catala, marketing communications manager lois.catala@agfa.com (800) 540-2432, X 4848 between several print devices. Agfa Graphics, as a modern antidote, has introduced its Jeti TitanX UV flatbed printer with a roll-print option. As the name implies, it's made to handle big jobs, Specifications: The Agfa Jeti TitanX Media Sizes Flatbed 122 x 79 in. Rolls 126 in. Printing Area Flatbed - 122 x 79 in., Rolls - 122 in. Maximum Thickness 2 in. Print Speeds Up to 2,433 sq. ft./hr. Image Quality Up to 1,200 dpi Inks CMYKlclm plus white Printheads 48 Ricoh Generation 4, piezoelectric 42 SIGNS OF THE TIMES January 2014 like Atlas, and impart creativity and wisdom, like Prometheus or Athena. The TitanX can accommodate rigid media up to 122 x 79 in. and 2 in. thick. And, you can add a flatto-roll, flexible-media option that handles media widths up to 126 in. wide. Maximum media-roll weight is 250 lbs. The TitanX applies excellent print quality through its native 600 dpi (and up to 1,200-dpi) resolution and the precise application of CMYK and white, or CMYKlclm and white inks. You can switch between CMYK and CMYKlclm on a job-to-job basis. The maximum print speed is 2,433 sq. ft./hr., which equals 76, 4 x 8-ft.-sheets an hour. The TitanX employs numerous other innovations. For example, an auto-height system and a mediadetection sensor ensurecurled or damaged media edges - or tools left on the bed by the operator - will not damage the heads. Agfa's topology optimization ensures the image quality is always the best for the speed and media. The TitanX will produce printed boards, wood panels, films and, get this, precise lenticular images. It's an incredible printer that can handle virtual any media and print with near photographic quality at astounding speeds. ■

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - January 2014

Signs of the Times - January 2014
Contents
ST Update
Technology Update
Large-Format Design Strategies
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Commercial
Lighting Techniques
The Moving Message
Technology Review - Agfa’s Jeti Titan X
Technology Review - Polytype’s NQ32 UV hybrid printer
Design Matters
New Products
Industry News
GableSigns’ Casino Signs
Dynamic Digital Signage Made Simple
Building Street Cred
Modern Sign Engineering
Advertising index
Editorially speaking

Signs of the Times - January 2014