Signs of the Times - June 2016 - (Page 82)

Cool Digital Printers Print machine highlights from ISA's Intl. Sign Expo 2016, Orlando. By Darek Johnson A ttendance at ISA's International Sign Expo 2016 (Orlando) topped 20,000, which, ISA said, made it the largest ISA Sign Expo in a decade and the largest ever in Orlando. The 200,000-sq.-ft. tradeshow floor encompassed approximately 600 exhibitors and featured numerous proceedings: ISA's Innovation Awards, various networking events, the Dynamic Digital Signage Education Day, the Nazdar SourceOne sponsored industry party and more than 2,500 education-session seats. The tradeshow also co-located with Roland's ImagiNATION training event, the Sign Biz International Convention and Signarama's annual convention. Lori Anderson, ISA president and CEO, said the tradeshow energy was palpable - conspicuous. ST columnists Chris and Kathi Morrison noted that the convention floor doors opened on Thursday and "...a flood of eager signmakers flowed in." Later, they wrote, "Normally, we can sense a theme for the show. Last year, it was finishing machines, at other times we found a proliferation of UV-cure printers, white ink, metallic ink and other innovations. This year was no different because soft signage seemed to be the 'hot' item." The Morrisons had recently reviewed Durst's dyesublimation printer and, as well, listened to several pundits forecast fabric printing as the next big thing for signmakers. Kathi said, "It seems everyone was reading the same marketing research." Chris noted that fabric-finishing gear was missing, 82 SIGNS OF THE TIMES June 2016 meaning exhibits that displayed the machines necessary to convert a printed image into a useable product. He surmised the industry would experience a growth evolution in this area, similar to the rise of automatic, flatbed-cutting machines that followed the introduction of flatbed printers. All said, however, the sign-industry manufacturers did not disappoint - numerous new, engineer-blueprinted machines gleamed brightly under the 2016 tradeshow lights. Here are a few devices we had time to study. (If you're a manufacturer and want to share new products with ST, please contact me at darek.johnson@stmediagroup.com.) Roland's true vision Roland DGA Corp. (Irvine, CA) displayed its 64- and 54-in.-wide, TrueVIS VG-640/540 eco-solvent printer/ cutters that include high-firing frequency FlexFire™ printheads that wide-swath-disperse three ink-droplet sizes. You can choose seven- (CMYKLcLmLk) or eight-color (CMYKLcLmLk + White*2) ink colors for producing vehicle graphics, banners, posters and displays, labels and decals, packaging prototypes, apparel heat transfers and more. Roland said its whiteink mix provides window graphics opacity and the addition of light cyan, light magenta and light black smooths gradations and provides accurate skin tones. For fabric printing, Roland offers its 64-in.-wide Texart XT-640 dye-sublimation printer that transfers inversely printed graphics on transfer paper for heat-

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - June 2016

Signs of the Times - June 2016
Columns & Departments
ST Update
Technology Update
Tips for Effectively Marketing Your Signs to Millenials
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Electric
LED Update
Software Update
Technology Review - The Summa F Series F2630 Flatbed Cutter/Router
Technology Review - The Durst Rhotex 180 TR
Shop Opps
Sign Museum News
New Products
Second Generation
Undertaking Monumental Tasks
The Light of Our Lives
Cool Digital Printers
Enter ST’s Vehicle Graphics Contest
Advertising Index
Editorially Speaking

Signs of the Times - June 2016