We often wonder what role we can play to keep our environment green. 

Let's all start by using Grafityp printable GEF, the green PVC-free alternative. 

Suitable for all indoor applications, this matte white self-adhesive film is environmentally friendly and has an outdoor durability of up to 5 years when used with matching non-PVC laminate.

For more information, contact your Print Media experts on 9735 3333 or sales@rickyrichards.com.au

US$200 million innovation investment will power both digital and sustainable print transformation in corrugated packaging and textiles.

HP announced a significant investment in the next generation of water-based ink solutions, ahead of PRINTING United 2019. The company has committed US$200 million over five or more years to develop water-based ink technologies for printing digitally on corrugated packaging and textiles.
 
The company’s commitment complements ongoing HP investments in other printing technologies and markets aimed at creating sustainable digital print solutions. Traditional textile coloration makes use of technologies that can be problematic from a water emissions perspective. World Resources Institute estimates that about 20% of industrial water pollution comes from garment manufacturing.[1]
 
“Investing in water-based solutions that meet market needs and the increasing sustainability requirements of graphics customers is expected to propel business growth for HP,” says Santi Morera, general manager and global head of graphics solutions, HP Inc. “We will be dedicating resources toward continued innovation and industry disruption to accelerate safer, simpler and more sustainable water-based printing technologies that meet the quality, performance and economics needed by these markets.” 
 
Future of the market
 
HP’s true water-based inks for corrugated packaging have already shown leadership for sensitive applications such as food packaging. The company is committing resources to enable the next major generation of ink, printhead and press technology, with improved quality, performance and sustainability in our solutions out of a belief that water-based solutions are the long-term future of this market.
 
While executing plans for transforming the textiles market, HP is mindful of the technology options from both the traditional analog and digital perspectives. As such, HP is collaborating with the textile industry in order to make the right choices for water-based digital platforms.
This announcement builds on HP’s existing innovation in water-based ink technology, such as for the sign and display market. Water-based HP Latex Inks, for example, established a durable, versatile and safer alternative for existing inks used for signage and displays. Additional sustainability achievements across HP’s graphics business allow brands to reduce waste and minimise their environmental impact.

“HP’s continuing investment in advancing water-based ink technology gives DS Smith confidence that we will meet the health and safety demands of our customers, along with our own high standards for the work environment of our employees,” said Ruediger Lindner, general manager, DS Smith.
 
Robert Seay, general manager, Georgia-Pacific Hummingbird said, “Water-based inkjet inks are a technology differentiator in corrugated packaging, enabling us to confidently address a broader range of applications from food and beverage to personal care products.”
 
HP believes that investing in water-based ink solutions for the corrugate and textile printing markets will have beneficial effects along the entire product lifecycle, for the people who operate our printing systems, for the end users of the printed product, and ultimately for the final reuse, recycling, or disposal of that product.

KernowJet KlearWipe is a clear PVC-free lamination film that offers durability and scratch resistance.

Kernow Coatings has launched new dry-erase technology in the form of the company's KernowJet KlearWipe. KernowJet KlearWipe is a clear PVC-free lamination film for dry-erase applications.

The product offers a thickness of 75µm, with a stiffness that makes it easier to apply. KlearWipe is durable and scratch resistant, as well, making it easy to handle and reassuring that it won't be damaged during lamination. KernowJet KlearWipe is highly transparent and comes with a special permanent adhesive to laminate over a plethora of prints, even UV-cured inks. It is available in widths up to 1,524mm.

The film has been tested with a wide range of water-based, solvent and acetone-based markers, and the product has been shown to pass all the tests. According to Kernow, there is no pearling of the inks when writing, and its erasability leaves no ink residue even after a long delay. Permanent markers can be cleaned off with alcohol without damaging the film, too. Dry erase surfaces can start to look tatty once they have been scratched and the ink imbeds inside the scratch. Due to its scratch resistance, KernowJet KlearWipe is an ideal solution for long term dry-erase surfaces.

This product is suitable for whiteboard and blackboard lamination for use in schools, offices, meeting rooms, convention centers. The material is compliant with the EN Standards: EN71-3 which is necessary for the safety of toys, and is therefore suitable for kids furniture, toys, child’s whiteboard, and more.

Next-generation bizhub i-Series seamlessly connects the dynamic office 

Konica Minolta Australia, a leader in delivering world-class business transformation solutions and technologies, has unveiled the new bizhub i-Series, the next generation multifunction device product line from the award-winning bizhub legacy portfolio. Born from the company’s continuing ambition to create value for customers and driven by the desire to rethink the way multifunctional devices work for them, the i-Series is a smart technology hub that fully embraces the way businesses are evolving and sharpens their competitive edge. 

The smart device technology augments office connectivity, optimising the way the office works while preparing it to be future-ready from operational improvements to digital transformation. Powering new opportunities for productivity and innovation, the i-Series provides the necessary tools for an effective communications network. It simplifies complexities to improve productivity and streamline business processes, for better decision-making and, ultimately, enable smarter business. Breaking through traditional office limitations, it helps navigate quickly to demands and changing conditions. 

Shane Blandford, director of marketing and innovation, Konica Minolta, said, “As office documents become more digitised and data volumes increase, document management and access assume more importance than ever. Remote access and cloud integration also heighten the need for security. 

“Multifunctional devices and printers are now expected to connect people, places and devices simply and safely and create a new way of working. Konica Minolta wanted to provide a new-value office tool that could be used intuitively by digital natives. That intent gave rise to the second generation bizhub, the bizhub i-Series. The consistent and simplified usability of the new i-Series range, along with class-leading performance and connectivity enhancements make these our most productive multifunction devices.” 

Simple design and usability 

The stylish, contemporary design boasts an intuitive smartphone style user interface with a tiltable, floating 10” touchscreen panel, rounded edges, and LED status indicators. The interactive user experience provides ease-of-use through reduced wait times, vibration feedback, and customisation. Conveniently, both the A3 and A4 multifunction models function in precisely the same way so users can be productive, regardless of the specific device. 

High-quality performance, enhanced efficiency and seamless connectivity 

The i-Series multifunction models house a powerful engine, a quad-core Central Processing Unit with up to 8GB of memory and 256GB SSD, for quick-response, high-performance operations. And, the additional combination of full-speed media printing range, high-speed one pass double feed, digital skew correction, and large capability trays for the A3 models, expertly blends reliable functionality with versatile serviceability. Further extending the capabilities of the i-Series and adding flexibility, Konica Minolta MarketPlace gives the freedom to personalise the user interface and provides direct access to apps that boost business productivity. Efficiently integrating work processes and connections, it caters to all types of changing needs and fully accommodates evolving workstyles. 

Smart service and next-level security 

Minimising downtime and ensuring uninterrupted use, the i-Series intelligently collects data for self-diagnosis and for optimum replacement time predictions of parts and consumables. The exceptional service comes with an outfitted layer of top-grade security, which gives businesses one less thing to worry about. With bizhub SECURE services (optional) and self-encrypting SSD, the i-Series fosters a secure work ecosystem where data is protected and reliably accessible. Additionally, the optional BitDefender anti-virus extension automatically scans all transmitted and received data in real time, so data remains protected from external threats. All i-Series models are compliant with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and ISO 15408 certified HCD-PP, so data privacy standards and security requirements are met in order to stay productive. 

Commitment to sustainability 

Konica Minolta is committed not only to innovation but to environmental sustainability. The fruition of the new i-Series reflects upon this strong commitment. As part of the top energy-saving bizhub product line, each model conforms to globally recognised standards from such organisations as EPEAT and Blue Angel. The new fusing unit and low-temperature fixing toner help achieve lower energy consumption in operating and sleep modes. Environmental impact is reduced further through the new packaging design, as traditional cushioning material has been replaced with lighter air cushions, still ensuring safety during transport. Best of all, operating sounds are quieter due to improvements made to the cooling fan and the document feeder mechanism resulting in fewer distractions for a better-focused work environment. 

Shane Blandford said, “Konica Minolta recognises the i-Series as the next step; the innovative technology that lets businesses perform at their best and achieve high-quality work, all while providing the peace of mind for them to focus on more important matters. And, as businesses continue to evolve, the bizhub i-Series will grow with them.” 

The new i-Series models available now are the bizhub C250i, C300i, C360i, (A3 colour MFPs), C3350i, and C4050i (A4 colour MFPs), C4000i and C3300i (A4 colour printers) and the C3320i (A4 colour MFP). Additional models to the i-Series product lineup will be released in the coming months. 

iSeries will be on display at Stand E38 at CEBIT at the International Convention Centre Sydney from October 29-31.

Mutoh Industries, a leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers, is pleased to announce their new generation, MS41 EcoSolvent ink, has been certified for ‘Wallcovering’ - the highest-level category possible. Mutoh Australia General Manager, Russell Cavenagh commented: “Recently developed in conjunction with our new range of XpertJet printers, this latest Greenguard Gold certification further demonstrates Mutoh’s ongoing commitment to the environment and better workplaces”.

UL’s GREENGUARD Certification Program is a widely used standard for design professionals, consumers and others to find low emitting interior products that promote better indoor air quality. Products that achieve GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD Gold Certification have demonstrated low chemical emissions during normal use. 

The GREENGUARD test method includes standardised room exposure models for both an office and classroom environment developed by the California Department of Public Health. The stringency of these models is directly related to the surface area of product that will be used in the room. For products that may be used in many applications, UL considers all potential applications and awards certification for the highest surface area loading for which the products meet the GREENGUARD and/or GREENGUARD Gold Certification criteria. 

MUTOH continuously takes steps to ensure our company and our products are environmentally responsible. MUTOH has been committed to provide customers safe, environmentally- friendly and high-quality products by following industry standards in our product development process.

About MUTOH’s original eco-solvent MS41 ink

The MUTOH MS41 ink is their 4th generation of eco-solvent ink, which has featured a wide colour gamut that delivers vibrant, high density prints, with excellent dot gain.  It is capable of printing on a wide range of coated and uncoated substrates and suited for long term outdoor and indoor applications with excellent weather resistance, abrasion and chemical resistance. The outdoor durability without lamination is up to 3 years. The MS41 ink has less nozzle clogging due to high ink resolvability so that it provides easy maintenance.

Area of Application – printer compatibility:
- MUTOH MS41 ink is currently applicable to the MUTOH new eco-solvent printers; XpertJet 1682SR/1641SR. 
- XpertJet 1682SR – 2 print heads / 7colours (CMYK+Lc, Lm, Lk) or 4 colours (CMYK) x2
- XpertJet 1641SR – 1 print head / 4 colours (CMYK)
- It will be applicable to their ValueJet eco-solvent printers soon.

Mutoh Australia
Phone: 02-9437 1366
E-mail: sales@mutoh-au.com

Have you considered adding a personalisation solution to your business? With a growing demand by shoppers for custom and quality items that reflect their personal interests and tastes, there is huge potential for print and graphics providers to incorporate instant personalisation into their business. 

Our new Roland DG Academy course, Profit Through Personalisation, presents an overview of personalisation and different technologies that can be used to diversify your offering, increase customer loyalty and grow your profits.  

Course Overview  

Profit Through Personalisation is primarily hands-on, features demonstrations and practical group activities for each technology, and guides you through the creation of personalised samples using Roland DG equipment and materials. 

The course covers the following main areas:  
- Personalisation introduction and technology overview  
- Benchtop UV printing   
- Direct-to-Garment printing and Heat Transfer  
- Dye sublimation  
- Impact Printing and Marking 
- Laser Foil Decoration 

Profit Through Personalisation begins in Sydney on November 27, 2019, with further dates and locations to be announced in early 2020. 

Special Introductory Price!  

To celebrate the launch of the new course we are offering a special introductory price of just $90 (normal course fee $129 inc GST) for the first course in Sydney. The full day course fee includes morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, light refreshments as well as samples created during the session, and workflow guides for each of the technologies presented.   

With only 12 places available, you will need to get in quick to secure your place. To book online, click the link below. To find out more, email training@rolanddg.com.au or call 1800 500 119.  

Fresh from its successful introduction at PrintEx19 in August, the new Colorado 1650 roll-to-roll production printer is about to start rolling out across the country, with new stock on the water and technical training underway to meet demand generated at the Sydney show.

The Colorado 1650 – the second machine to use Océ’s patented UVgel technology – was released to the world at FESPA in June, and debuted in Australia at PrintEx19 in Sydney, where Océ Australia’s Product Manager for Graphic Arts, Garry Muratore, says it was a ‘show stopper’.

“When the Colorado 1650 was launched at FESPA earlier this year, our intention was to introduce it to Australia as soon as practical. PrintEx gave us that opportunity,” Muratore explains.

“The machine we had on stand was one of the first to be released outside of Europe, and those who took the opportunity to see it in action immediately appreciated its advantages. In fact, several business owners indicated to us that they came to the show specifically to see the 1650, keen to find out if the hype was justified – and they weren’t disappointed.”

While it’s not the company’s practice to give out hard numbers on sales or leads, Muratore is happy to report that the machine generated significant interest at the show, with deals well into the double-digits expected to be contracted before Christmas, many more to follow in 2020, and installations set to commence from mid-October.

“We’ve probably had as much interest in this machine as any we’ve ever released, so we’ve been working hard to ensure we have adequate stock and to ensure we are well prepared to support the new model,” he says.

One printer. One set of inks. One roll of media. Two distinct finishes.

So, why the excitement? Muratore says it’s largely due to two new advances which further enhance the applications versatility, productivity and profitability of Océ’s UVgel technology - a newly-formulated, more flexible UVgel 460 ink range, and Océ’s innovative FLXfinish technology.

“Océ UVgel technology, as many will remember, centres around a gel-based ink that ‘pins’ instantly to media, and two-stage LED curing,” Muratore recaps. “First released in the Colorado 1640 in 2017, it offered- Print Service Providers the advantages of existing wide-format technologies like Latex and eco-solvent, without the ‘quality versus productivity’ compromises so often seen with these legacy technologies.

“The Colorado 1650 takes this further, with a new, more ‘stretchable’ ink formulation which provides perfect image stability, even when folded, bent or wrapped, and the ingenious Océ FLXfinish technology which allows printers to choose between high gloss or deep matte finishes, without changing inks or media.”

Add high speeds, to easily manage peak periods in the industrial print environment, reduced ink usage and premium print quality on even basic media, and high levels of automation which remove or minimise routine tasks like media loading and daily maintenance, and Muratore says the new printer is not only more versatile, but also demonstrably more profitable than its competitors.

Installations to Commence from Mid-October

With the first installations of the Colorado 1650 commencing this month, Océ Australia have been busy building on the already vast expertise and knowledge of its team, and its understanding of the local roll-to-roll market. This commenced with collaborative media and applications testing at a couple of launch customer sites – the Colorado 1650 has passed with ‘flying colours’, Muratore reports – and with extensive training of the Australian-based service, technical and sales support teams at our Customer Experience Centre in Melbourne.

“In addition, we have installed one of the new machines in both our Melbourne and Sydney technical centres, to facilitate on-going customer support and application demonstrations across Australia.

“Obviously technical support is crucial when rolling out a product of such importance, and we can now confidently say we are ready to go…and genuinely excited to see this revolutionary product start to roll out to the market this month,” Muratore says.

Currie Group, the leading end-to-end service supplier to the Graphic Arts industry in Australia and New Zealand, today announced that it has completed a partnership equity agreement with EVOK3D.

EVOK3D is a specialised 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing (AM) solutions company, now in the 7th year of operation and as the HP 3D Production Specialist Partner for Australia, are at the forefront of industry adoption of Additive Manufacturing.

EVOK3D’s core business is supplying and supporting professional and production 3D printing solutions which includes machinery, consumables and software.
Combined with EVOK3D’s deep specialisation in 3D printing solutions, the new partnership will accelerate the ongoing growth in EVOK3D’s sales and support capability whilst leveraging Currie Group’s management experience and Australian and New Zealand footprint.

Currie Group Executive Chairman, David Currie comments that “the strategic partnership represents exciting business opportunities in new markets for both companies and our customers. Celebrating our 70th anniversary this year, Currie Group brings a wealth of industry knowledge and experience relevant to the current industrial adoption of 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing.”

Joe Carmody, EVOK3D Managing Director says “3D printing has moved beyond just prototyping and is now a viable direct manufacturing technology. To meet the growing demand for these technologies we needed to scale the business and Currie Group is ideally positioned having pioneered digital disruption of the 2D print industry over the last 20 years. For our clients across education, design, industry and healthcare it means they can continue to invest with confidence.”

Further enquiries can be made to: info@curriegroup.com.au

Best-selling manga and comic series of all time, One Piece, has marked its 20th anniversary with an exhibition featuring 24 huge 3D printed replicas of its leading characters which have been produced on a Massivit 3D printer.

Visiting fans have been able to interact with all the characters that have ever appeared in print or animation during this two-month show in Taipei, Taiwan.





One Piece, written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda – an artist renowned for changing the history of manga – has recorded the highest initial print run of any book in Japan. There are more than 450 million in circulation worldwide. It also set a Guinness World Record for "the most copies published for the same comic book series by a single author”. One Piece has been adapted into a festival film, an anime series, thirteen animated feature films, one original video animation, thirteen television specials and developed into a media franchise.

SID Installation Art was commissioned by event organiser Remake Works Co., Ltd and One Piece Mugiwara Store Taiwan, to bring these immensely popular characters to life using their Massivit 3D 1800 Pro 3D Printer. Fans at the event have revelled over the characters, interacting with the 1.8m-5m (5.9ft-16.4ft) tall models and sharing augmented reality clips of themselves on social media via the event app that films them in customised scenes.

Previously, SID Installation Art worked predominantly with Styrofoam and fibreglass to produce gaming and manga-related props. However, they found this process to be very tedious, requiring a lot of skilled labor and time. 3D printing has proven to be faster, with more creative possibilities, and capable of executing highly complex jobs in dramatically less time. For this reason, the business chose to incorporate large format 3D printing production capabilities into its offering with the adoption of a Massivit 1800 Pro 3D Printer. As a result, SID Installation Art has now established key relationships with events, exhibition and gaming producers, interior designers, and architects.





Hung Jui Chia, COO of SID Installation Art, said: “3D printing has proven to be a real game changer for us in terms of our overall turnaround time, the accuracy we’re able to achieve, the production size, and new possibilities for creative vision. Although our team is nationally recognised for its expertise in hand sculpting, the benefits of digital, large-format 3D printing are clear. We’ve dramatically reduced our lead time on projects due to the ability to share the initial digital 3D model and iterations with clients in order to finalise design specifications quickly and with the confidence that the 3D model accurately represents the final output. Moreover, the Massivit 3D printer enables us to produce models in half the time it would have taken with our traditional manufacturing processes, largely because we no longer need to create a preliminary mould which is the bottle neck. This means we can accept a greater volume of jobs - our Massivit 3D printer is in use 18 hours per day”.

“Creating props and scenic environments based on digital 3D models also brings us far greater design flexibility so we can propose and implement unique props and models. In the case of this high-caliber One Piece anniversary event, the event organiser, Remake Works Co.,Ltd, is an innovative organisation that required top quality production and was keen to try a new manufacturing process. 3D printing has allowed them to bring these characters to life so that One Piece fans can literally meet, touch, and interact with the characters they have grown to love on the page and screen. It is a great way of drawing the global community and celebrating.”





Erez Zimerman, CEO of Massivit 3D added: “We are delighted that the highly-skilled and creative team at SID Installation Art has been able to adapt their expertise to deliver such a breathtaking series of outstanding, 3D printed masterpieces. Building on their accumulated know-how in sculpting high-quality props and statues, they have been able to visualize just what is possible using Massivit 3D solutions and to bring these characters to life for a global audience. The results demonstrate how scenic fabricators can now execute huge creations at unprecedented speed. We look forward to helping our rapidly-growing community of customers in the entertainment industry discover how 3D printing can inspire and propel a fresh approach.”

Mutoh Australia is pleased to announce the appointment of Melbourne based Total Image Supplies as a new dealer across the full range of Mutoh printers. Mutoh General Manager, Russell Cavenagh, commented “Total Image Supplies have demonstrated a high level of professionalism and commitment to their customers and the broader industry.  Centrally located in Fairfield, Melbourne, with a great team they provide excellent market coverage, and are well respected within the industry.”

Total Image Supplies Managing Director, Tyson Buechler added, “We have been seeking the right partnership with a major printer supplier for some time. Mutoh’s new range of environmentally friendly, EcoSolvent XpertJet printers, plus their wide range of UV printers and dye-sublimation printers coupled with Japanese manufacturing quality and great business ethics made Mutoh an ideal fit for our business.” 

Established in 1952 with manufacturing located in Nagano prefecture, Japan, Mutoh produces highly productive, cost-effective printers for the signage and associated industries in EcoSolvent, LED-UV, Dye Sub and direct to textile. Buechler added, “We believe Mutoh is the ideal partner for Total Image Supplies, to better service our new and existing customers plus offer growth and productivity opportunities now, and in the future, to their businesses.” 

Total Image Supplies have the all-new XpertJet 1682SR & UV Flatbed ValueJet 626UF available for in-house demonstration.

For more information please contact: -

Total Image Supplies on 1 300 768 015 or tyson@totalimagesupplies.com.au

Mutoh Australia +61 2 9437 1366 or russell_cavenagh@mutoh-au.com 

For 20 years now, Note Printing Australia (NPA), as a close partner of KBA-NotaSys, has been using one of its security presses to produce not only banknotes, but also the inner pages of passports. To date, they have been printed in a combination of conventional and waterless offset. With the desire for greater design freedom and the ability to test new ideas on short-turnaround times, the company has switched to an exclusively wet offset process with a half-format sheetfed offset press. The project was completed right on schedule and to the full satisfaction of the customer.

A Rapida 76 with four printing units, a drying tower, a perfecting unit and four further printing units went into production in Craigieburn in April. This modern, high-performance sheetfed offset press enables NPA to introduce numerous innovative technologies. Numbering, rainbow printing and many other applications which are today standard in security printing can all be realised on the B2 press, thanks to the incorporation of a whole raft of special and newly developed features. Special accessories for the handling of lightweight substrates and plastic films round off the configuration.

Technological sophistication

The Rapida 76 lays the foundations for even better exploitation of the manifold design and pre-press possibilities which today exist in document printing. NPA is now able to print photorealistic images, for example. In other words, the illustration quality is comparable to that of real photographs. To achieve this, parts of the image are printed in their full photographic resolution, while others are “softened”.

In addition, the press allows mixed UV operation, which means that certain security features can be incorporated into conventionally printed documents via a UV process. These features remain invisible under normal light. If the image is held under a UV lamp, on the other hand, the security feature is revealed – for example, native fauna might appear in the depicted landscape. Such effects represent significant improvements in the security standards for documents.

High quality and fast makeready

The Rapida 76 with perfecting unit for 4/4 production offers NPA all these possibilities. At the same time, a broad spectrum of automation functions serves quality monitoring and makeready savings. These functions include a facility to disengage unused inking units, fully automatic FAPC plate changers, CleanTronic Synchro for parallel washing of the blankets, impression cylinders and rollers in production with conventional and UV inks, non-stop pile changing at the feeder and delivery, and colour control on both sides of the sheet.

The Rapida 76 is an ideal solution for demanding projects in security printing.

Neil Taylor, NPA’s Capital Engineering Manager, puts it this way: “We’ve only had the press for a short time, but it’s clear the Rapida is providing NPA with a printing capability where there's a lot more control in colour management and visual inspection.”

NPA is thus well equipped to tackle passport projects in which it can empower customer decision-making as it enables the examination of initial print quality with trial material.

SCREEN Graphic Solutions (SCREEN GA) has added the Truepress Jet520HD AD to its Truepress Jet520HD series of roll-fed high-speed full colour inkjet presses. The new system features an Advanced Dryer unit that further enhances drying performance and will be released worldwide in late October.

The introduction of the Internet has triggered rapid diversification in the information media field. Likewise in the printing industry, the active use of digital printing technologies has led to an increasing need to create new added value for printed materials via approaches including mixed, small lot and personalized production.

In recent years, progress in inkjet technologies has enabled related systems to achieve both the quality to rival offset printing and outstanding throughput. SCREEN has been a leader in this new technology segment, launching its Truepress Jet520HD in 2015 and Truepress Jet520HD+ in 2018, and has made a major contribution to the development of new business models for the printing market.

The Truepress Jet520HD series offers high-precision printing at resolutions of up to 1200 dpi and the ability to output directly onto offset coated papers using SCREEN’s independently developed Truepress SC Ink. However, there are remaining challenges and demands from users who require both even greater productivity and further improvements in the volume achievable for images in printed materials.

The Truepress Jet520HD AD, featuring an Advanced Dryer unit that delivers enhanced drying performance, is specifically designed for users who require improved density and performance when printing on coated papers. The new addition to the Truepress Jet520HD series lineup is expected to further expand the business areas supported by inkjet presses.

SCREEN has an impressive track record of creating inkjet technologies that provide outstanding speed and quality as well as advanced production line automation and other solutions designed to solve customer needs. The company intends to use these and future developments to pioneer new markets and contribute to the continuing expansion of the printing industry.

Note: Truepress and Truepress SC Ink are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd. in Japan and/or certain other countries.

SCREEN Graphic Solutions has now shipped a grand total of over 1,500 presses including OEM partner systems. The landmark 1,500th system is already awaiting installation at the facilities of Access Direct Mail in the United States. Since 1984, Access Direct Mail has provided customers in the south-eastern United States with a single point of contact for direct mail and printing services, as well as cross-media and cross-channel marketing solutions.

SCREEN GA originally released its pioneering Truepress Jet520 full colour variable inkjet press to the industry in 2006. The system combined cutting-edge inkjet technologies with prepress technologies refined by SCREEN GA over many years. Its development answered the growing need for printing companies to be able to produce high value-added materials tailored to individual consumers. Since this time, SCREEN GA has expanded its product line-up and solutions, and the press’ outstanding productivity and quality have driven the shift toward full colour, inkjet production for transaction printing and also contributed to the expansion of the overall variable printing market.

Thanks to the strong support from users all over the world, SCREEN GA has now shipped a combined total of over 1,500 presses including OEM partner systems since it was initially released in 2006 until October 2019. SCREEN GA intends to continue utilizing its established high-speed, high-quality inkjet technologies as it works to further improve production line automation and develop solutions that can resolve the many challenges faced by its customers. It is confident these efforts will enable it to both open up new markets and contribute to the long-term development of the printing industry.

Comments by Takanori Kakita, President of SCREEN Graphic Solutions Co., Ltd.

When the first Truepress Jet520 system was launched, informational materials targeting individuals were mainly produced with monochrome printing on pre-printed forms. The Truepress Jet520 series has continued to develop right up until today in tandem with the growth of one to one marketing and the migration of transaction media to full colour on demand printing. In this time, a large number of innovative companies around the world have adopted Truepress Jet520 systems, and we have been able to successfully provide front line support to all of these users as they have worked to create new added value for both printed materials and the printing industry itself.

SCREEN GA is also extremely proud of the contribution we have made to this initiative, despite our limitations. A great many of our customers have requested upgrades and additional systems and some have also been using their existing systems continuously in production since the series was first released. The relationship of trust we have built with these customers over such a long period has enabled our digital printing business to grow consistently. Going forward, we intend to prioritize our customer first mindset, with further integration of our development, production, sales, marketing and service activities. Our focus will remain on digital printing technologies as we work with total commitment to advance the printing industry.

Development of Truepress Jet520 Series (SCREEN Brand Models)

Launch       System                          Features

2006            Truepress Jet520   – Launch of SCREEN GA’s first full colour variable inkjet system, enabling high-speed printing of up to 64 meters per minute (colour)

2008            Truepress Jet520 High-speed option – Release of an option delivering outstanding productivity of up to 128 meters per minute (colour)

2010            Truepress Jet520EX – Launch of a specialized monochrome inkjet printer offering throughput of up to 128 meters per minute (monochrome)

2010            Truepress Jet520ZZ – Launch of a high-productivity model offering throughput of up to 220 meters per minute (colour)

2012            JetInspection – Launch of an integrated unit providing comprehensive full colour variable inspection

2012            EQUIOS RIP – Release of an EQUIOS platform specifically designed for the Truepress Jet520 series

2013            JSPST1 Technology Award Receipt of award by Truepress Jet520

2015            Truepress Jet520HD – Launch of a high-precision inkjet press with a resolution of 1,200 dpi

2016            Truepress Jet520 Advanced – Launch of the Advanced series, offering exceptional definition and productivity

                    Truepress Jet520EX Advanced

                    Truepress Jet520ZZ Advanced

2017            Truepress Jet520NX – Launch of a next-generation full colour variable inkjet press with the increased responsiveness needed for mixed and small lot printing

2017            Truepress SC inks – Introduction of inks specially developed for the offset coated papers used in the Truepress Jet520HD

2017            PIA2 2017 InterTech Technology Award – Receipt of award by Truepress Jet520HD and Truepress ink SC

2018            JSPST Technology Award Receipt of award by Truepress Jet520HD and Truepress ink SC

2018            Truepress Jet520HD+ – Launch of a model equipped with a new drying unit that supports throughput of up to 75 meters per minute for offset coated papers

2018            EQUIOS PrintSimulator – Release of a tool for PDF pre-flight as well as the simulation of RIP speed and ink consumption

2019            Truepress Jet520HD+ High-speed option – Release of an option that delivers throughput of up to 100 meters per minute on offset coated papers

2019            Evaluation by Image Test Labs – Test program by Image Test Labs reveals the quality of the Truepress Jet520HD+ equals that of offset presses on standard offset coated papers 2019

                    Truepress Jet520HD AD – Launch of a high-speed model that delivers throughput of up to 150 meters per minute on offset coated papers

Agfa announced that its Jeti Mira 2732 HS LM LED printing system has been named as the winner of the 2019 Product of the Year by the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) in the UV/Latex Flatbed ($200,000 - $500,000) category.

The Jeti Mira features a moving-gantry flatbed specifically designed to offer optimal flexibility. The Jeti Mira is 8.82 feet wide (2.69 meters wide), features print and prepare functionality, a dockable roll-to-roll option, two table versions, and prints at speeds up to 2,669 ft²/h (248 m²/hr).

The Jeti Mira is a six colour (white colour standard) system with highly-pigmented UV inks and two rows of fast-firing Ricoh inkjet printheads. The system’s UV LED curing technology offers minimal heat output.

“Our specially-formulated UV LED inks are ideal for heat-sensitive substrates while at the same time reducing energy consumption, increasing productivity and ultimately yielding a higher ROI in the long run. Agfa-made UV inks also boast a wide colour gamut and high col-or vibrancy in both indoor and outdoor applications, while our Asanti colour management optimisation ensures low ink consumption,” said Deborah Hutcheson, Agfa, director of marketing.

Bobst has formally entered the hybrid printing market with the launch of Master DM5, a platform combining its flexo expertise with Mouvent UV inkjet printing technology.

Announced earlier this year, the digital capability of Master DM5 is built on the Mouvent Cluster, a compact printhead design with all-in-one fully integrated inking, conditioning and electronic circuits. Bobst’s DigiFlexo technology has automated key parts of flexo in an effort to ‘digitise’ the process.  The new Ink-on-Demand (IoD) system is available as an optional extra for DigiFlexo print units, which replaces conventional inking reservoirs with a single rubber pipe that dispenses 30g of ink to the print unit. The system eliminates ink trays and chambered doctor blades and performs fully automated washing of the print unit in less than one minute.

Bobst CEO Jean-Pascal Bobst confirmed, ‘Master DM5 is our first ever fully digitally integrated hybrid press and represents a new era in the production of self-adhesive labels with totally new standards of productivity and profitability.’

Moreover, by combining Mouvent’s inkjet technology with Bobst’s DigiFlexo analogue process, Master DM5 is said to combine the best of both worlds.

Federico D’Annunzio, hybrid printing programme manager at Bobst, said, ‘Two of the greatest benefits of the Master DM5 are productivity and reliability. It represents a total flexo-digital-converting integration, with non-stop productivity, and the highest press uptime in the industry. It prints at speeds of up to 100m/min at the highest quality, 1200 x 1200dpi. Full digital automation means that only one press operator is needed to print high added value label jobs, in short and medium runs. Job changes on-the-fly, without stopping the press, are possible for flexo, digital, die-cutting and stripping processes. All analogue tools (print cylinders, flexible dies) are changed automatically. Waste stripping is also fully automated. Eliminating traditional analogue bottlenecks, the Master DM5 is the very first digitised ‘non-stop’ label press.’

Mactac has introduced three new oil-tolerant labelstocks that are marketed for a wide range of product labelling applications: LTC0T8060 white matte polypropylene film, LTC0T5040 white gloss polyester film and LTCOT5050 clear polyester film.

Mactac has introduced three new oil-tolerant labelstocks that are ideal for a wide range of product labelling applications: LTC0T8060 white matte polypropylene film, LTC0T5040 white gloss polyester film and LTCOT5050 clear polyester film.

The new labelstocks feature an oil-absorbing adhesive that allows them to be applied to oily surfaces that would typically need to be cleaned before application—reducing production time and material costs.

'The new oil-tolerant labelstock offerings are a testament to Mactac’s focus on innovation and ongoing commitment to meeting the needs of businesses across industries,' said Kim Hensley, senior marketing manager, Mactac Performance Adhesives. 'Historically, it has been a challenge for brands to keep labels in place on oily products. By developing our new oil-absorbing labelstocks, we can offer brands a simple, yet effective labelling solution for even the greasiest surfaces.'

Mactac’s oil-absorbing labelstocks include:

 - LTCOT5040, a 2-mil top-coated white gloss polyester film coated on one side with an oil-tolerant acrylic adhesive and protected by a 45# blue glassine liner.

 - LTCOT5050, a 2-mil top-coated clear polyester film coated on one side with an oil-tolerant acrylic adhesive and protected by a 60# blue glassine liner. • LTCOT8060, a 3.1-mil top coated white matte polypropylene film coated on one side with an oil tolerant acrylic adhesive and protected by a 45# blue glassine liner.

 - Mactac’s oil-tolerant labelstocks can be applied to smooth or textured surfaces.

They can be applied in temperatures ranging from -40 degrees to 212 degrees Fahrenheit. The labelstocks can be printed with conventional ink or thermal transfer ribbon and will remain legible and firmly affixed under all conditions.

Roland DG Corporation, a leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and printer/cutters worldwide, today announced the expansion of its already extensive UV-LED print portfolio with a new large-format UV-LED flatbed printer, the IU-1000F. Capable of printing on an impressively wide range of substrates and objects at up to 116 sqm per hour, the IU-1000F is designed to meet the diverse needs of busy print service providers and commercial printers, with unsurpassed performance.

As life cycles and requirements for communication tools such as outdoor and indoor advertising, event decoration, and store displays become shorter and more diverse, the sign and display industry is increasingly becoming one-stop shops offering quick response. Under such challenging circumstances, high performance large-format UV flatbed printers that enable a more efficient production process and that are capable of printing on various materials for a wide range of applications are attracting greater attention than ever before.

According to Kohei Tanabe, the President of the DP Business Division, the IU-1000F boasts breakthrough speed and quality while also eliminating the need for mounting and drying processes. “It is a powerful solution for the sign and display or print production business that seeks more efficient and faster-turnaround production capability. By offering increased productivity, material compatibility, image quality, ease of use, and all the other aspects of this product, I am confident that the IU-1000F will achieve increased profitability for printing businesses," he said.

In addition to high-adhesion, high-density CMYK UV inks, this highly versatile large format device supports White, Gloss and Primer inks to create a wide variety of stunning applications, from impressive and highly-profitable signs, displays, backlits and exhibition graphics to custom-designed interior décor applications such as canvas wall panels and furniture.

Equipped with 12 high-performance printheads in a staggered 3-row arrangement, the IU-1000F can print up to 635 x 1800 dpi with variable droplet technology which can simultaneously fire 3 sizes of droplets at high speed. Printing time for a typical 1220 x 2440mm rigid board averages about 15 boards per hour (48.5 sqm/hr) in the everyday “Standard” print mode for typical point of purchase display applications. About 10 sheets can be printed even in the “Quality” print mode (32 sqm/hr).

The IU-1000F employs UV-LED flatbed printing technology to print directly on a huge variety of materials and objects, including rigid boards up to 2510mm x 1310mm, 110mm in height and 45 kg/sqm in weight. The exclusively-developed, high-performance UV inks cure immediately, enabling the IU-1000F to print on substrates such as acrylic, PETG, PVC board, foam board, PC, wood, corrugated polypropylene board, aluminum composite plate, and even on metal and glass that are generally difficult to adhere to by using the Primer ink.

The IU-1000F features a number of new functions to optimise efficient performance, including an ionizer that removes static electricity, a versatile print bed that can handle materials of various sizes, from one large board to multiple small panels, and media alignment pins for easily aligning materials to be printed.

The IU-1000F will be unveiled at major exhibitions of large format printing solutions such as Viscom, Italy (October 10th to 12th) and Printing United in North America (October 23rd to 25th). Sales will start in Europe, North America and Japan from the first quarter of 2020 with other regions to follow shortly after.

Durst, manufacturer of advanced digital printing and production technologies, has announced major expansions with its leading-edge RSC platform of UV inkjet label presses.

New dedicated label workflow and prepress software together with an advanced modular Tau RSCi UV inkjet digital label press and low-migration inks were shown for the first time on its stand C50 in Hall 9 at Labelexpo.

Under an official slogan of “We Keep You Printing”, Durst announced a raft of groundbreaking innovations and world firsts as it continues to accelerate its presence in digital label inkjet printing, an industry it first established a presence only a decade ago.

Dedicated workflow software for Web2Production and Durst’s own prepress software “Workflow Label” offered by Durst Professional Services to customise MIS integration software packages were being showcased. New features of the Durst Workflow Label combined with the adapted Durst Smart Shop and integration packages help to fulfil Industry 4.0 standards and drive forward the expanded Tau RSC portfolio.

The new Tau RSCi - on show together with current Tau 330 RSC and RSC-E presses - has print widths of 330, 420 or 508mm (13, 16.5 or 20 ins) and a higher printing speed of up to 100 linear m/min. New features for the RSC portfolio include a high opacity White Print Mode for an increased screen-like opacity and a High Speed White mode that allows high speed printing at 80 lin. m/min of all colours, including white. Another spotlight at Labelexpo was the new low-migration UV ink developed for the RSC platform, which is compliant with EUPIA and Swiss Ordinance regulations for food and pharmaceutical packaging.

Visitors to the Durst stand will have the chance to have a close look at the software and printing technology and how it is used by customers who benefit from an automated production unit. The offering is completed by consulting, training and integration provided through Durst Professional Services.

Helmuth Munter, Durst’s Segment Manager, Labels and Package Printing, said: “Labelexpo marks 10 years of Durst in the label industry with a raft of new innovations: first with 7 colours, first with chill roller, first with low-migration ink and first with an inert curing system. Introduced two years ago, the Tau 330 RSC and Tau 330 RSC E set a new benchmark in label printing and we now have more than 50 installations around the world. We are confident that our updated Tau RSC platform will once again set the base for the future of industrial digital inkjet printing in the label industry.”

Melanie Fergin is the first woman to be crowned Continental Winner for Australia and New Zealand

Avery Dennison has named five continental winning vehicle graphics installers in the “Wrap Like A King” 2019 Challenge. These winners, who showed their prowess with a variety of Avery Dennison® films including Supreme Wrapping™ Film, the Conform Chrome™ Series and MPI 1105™ Supercast Digital film, come from Australia and New Zealand, South Africa, North America, Europe and North Asia.

- Australia and New Zealand - 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S TECHART GT street R by Winguard Paint Protection Specialists
- South Africa - Eric The Viking – Sharpline drift car wrap by Sharpline Signs and Graphics
- North America - Creature from the Wrap Lagoon by MetroWrapz
- Europe - BMW M135i / / / Artist by WrapStyle s.r.o.
- North Asia - Wrap Like A King 2019 – SLS AMG by Shanghai DC Town Auto Service Co., Ltd.

“Congratulations to Melanie Fergin and her team at Winguard Paint Protect Specialists for taking home the Continental crown for Australia and New Zealand!” said Jordan Leach, Senior Business Manager, Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions Australia & New Zealand. “It is an outstanding entry and we wish Melanie the very best as she heads to Las Vegas for the finals of “Wrap Like A King” Challenge!”

Since the Challenge opened on 3 June 2019, wrap installers from 55 countries across the globe had submitted their wrap projects to be judged by a panel of judges from around the world including Justin Pate, co-owner of The Wrap Institute and Peter Wright, technical marketing manager for Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions Australia & New Zealand.

The judges evaluated the submissions based on the following criteria: visual transformation based on the difference between the before and after pictures submitted (35%), quality and skill level of installation (30%), overall public look and appeal (25%), and uniqueness of the
design (10%). “I’m honoured to be recognised as the Continental Winner for Australia and New Zealand,” said Melanie Fergin, Winguard Paint Protection Specialists based in Adelaide. “This wrap installation for the Porsche GT Street R is one of the most complex yet rewarding wraps I’ve ever done. A big thank you to the incredible effort and dedication of the Winguard team who made this car look so good and achieve a paint-like finish! I also want to thank the car’s
owner, Scott Bormann, for his vision and trust in our team, and massive thanks to Avery Dennison for organising this global challenge, giving us vehicle wrappers something extra to work towards!”

Melanie’s prize consists of return airfares to Las Vegas, a four-night stay in Las Vegas during SEMA between November 4 and 8, 2019 as well as a large banner stand display, continental winner’s trophy, exposure on Avery Dennison Graphic Solutions’ Facebook, USD$500 gift vouchers and SEMA passes.

At the 2019 SEMA Show, the overall winner will be chosen by the judges as the best in show and crowned the “King of the Wrap World”. The winner’s grand prize package is worth almost USD$5,000, with additional gift vouchers and exposure via the Avery Dennison website, social media and web advertisements.

Wishing Melanie Good Luck at the grand final in Las Vegas in November!

With an already impressive range of 3D Systems’ printers in its portfolio Konica Minolta Australia, a leading supplier of 3D printing equipment and services in Australia, has announced a partnership with Markforged, a leading provider of atomic diffusion metal printers and composite carbon fibre 3D printers. This rounds out an impressive portfolio that lets Konica Minolta address any industry application requirements and budget.   

Markforged offers an end-to-end 3D printing system with a wide range of manufacturing-ready materials. The Markforged solutions rival traditional manufacturing processes in speed, quality, and cost, and expand the applications for additive manufacturing with purpose-built industrial technologies. 

In today’s global market, Australian manufacturers and designers are rapidly becoming leaders with the next generation of additive technologies. They’re bringing composite and metal materials to market that are easy to implement and operate and are backed up by uncompromising service and support. 

Eric Holtsmark, general manager – strategy, transformation and technology, Konica Minolta Australia, said, “There is now a real shift in the industry from prototyping to end-use applications. With Markforged 3D printers the ability to produce affordable, strong parts in a range of exciting new materials will accelerate manufacturers speed-to-market in way never seen before, giving them a massive competitive advantage.” 

Adding Markforged to Konica Minolta’s 3D line-up extends its industry-leading capability in delivering high-performance, advanced 3D printing solutions to Australian innovators in many industries including: manufacturing, aerospace, engineering, automotive, medical, and universities. These industries will have unprecedented access to both groundbreaking technology and essential fundamental infrastructure. 

Ved Narayan, Vice President, APAC, Markforged, said, “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Konica Minolta to provide Australian manufacturers with the essential tools to unlock their manufacturing potential and to help build the factory of the future. Konica Minolta has the experience and skills to help Markforged provide unprecedented levels of access and support to the world’s leading manufacturing providers.”