Onyx Graphics, Inc., a leading software solution provider for the wide-format printing industry celebrating 30 years of innovation throughout 2019, announced today that its ONYX software is certified for the HP Stitch textile printer line.

The HP Stitch S Series is the first widely available textile focused printing solution developed by HP.

HP’s RIP certification programme defines a comprehensive set of integration, compatibility and performance criteria aligned to the highest performance standards and the unique capabilities of HP printing technologies. The HP Stitch Certification is a process to differentiate HP partners who demonstrate conformance to these criteria in order to receive HP Stitch certification status.

For the new HP Stitch S Series printers, Onyx Graphics has designed the driver to include functionality for both direct-to-fabric printing and dye-sublimation transfer using paper or film. In addition, the ONYX driver provides a custom ICC build option preset specific to the HP Stitch as well as ONYX QuickSet options to simplify managing textile and dye-sublimation workflows. Combined with ONYX iccMAX v5 profiling found only in ONYX 19, users of the HP Stitch S300 and S500 printers have an easy way to achieve superior and consistent colour across their entire print production environment, as well as a simple way to automate complete textile print workflows.

“ONYX software certification by HP and its integration with HP’s first-ever textile printer defines quality and colour for textile and soft-signage print applications,” said Bryan Manwaring, Director of Product Marketing at Onyx Graphics, Inc. “HP Stitch S Series customers utilising ONYX software profiling and colour tools can feel confident in delivering fast, consistent quality output which can be automated at the click of a button.”

The LittleRed X1D Dryer, designed to match the output of DTG printing systems, is now available with a 76 cm wide conveyor belt, offering greater flexibility to the small shop operator, it was announced by Mark Vasilantone, president.

Equipped with a 61 cm wide heater, this dryer can cure up to 29 garments per hour DTG-printed with digital white ink at 2 minutes dwell time, as well as screen-printed garments at rates to 65 per hour for water-based ink or discharge, and 150 per hour for plastisols.

By curing DTG-printed garments in an infrared conveyor dryer, the garments avoid the flattened, ironed-on appearance and halo associated with heat-pressing of printed images.

The dryer can also be employed to dry the pretreatment, relegating the heat press to flattening of raised fibres prior to printing with a one second 'touch' per garment.
As standard, it is equipped with features found on the company's larger DTG-capable dryers including adjustable belt-to-heater clearance to accommodate bulky items, a dual digital PID temperature controller accurate to ±1°C, and an X-Series conveyor belt roller tracking system with Teflon-coated fibreglass belt. A powered exhaust removes moisture and air contaminants at a rate of 5 CMM, while cooling the housing and controls.  

The heaters of all Vastex dryers carry an industry-leading 15-year warranty, and feature closely spaced coils that provide high-density, medium-wavelength infrared heat for maximum cure speed without cold spots or under curing associated with conventional units.

Fully expandable, the X1D-30 can accommodate additional heating chambers and belt extensions as business needs grow. 

The company also offers DTG-capable conveyor dryers in widths up to 198 cm with capacities of up to 185 DTG-printed garments per hour, up to 555 per hour screen printed with water-based ink and discharge, and up to 1080 per hour screen printed with plastisol ink.

Vastex also manufactures heavy-, medium- and light-duty presses, athletic numbering systems, flash cure units, screen coaters, screen exposing units, screen drying cabinets, pin registration systems, washout booths and complete equipment packages for entry-level to large commercial shops. 

For information contact Vastex International, Inc., +1 610 625 2702, www.vastex.com

121 Creative Geebung (Kwik Kopy Geebung) has won a Bronze National Print Award in the Multi Piece Productions and Campaigns (Design) category. The award recognises the local business’ design capabilities and creative contribution to the print industry. 

The franchise was recognised for its design work by Senior Designer Isaac Gibson on a Kwik Kopy brand campaign to promote the wide range of large format printing and signage services that Kwik Kopy can provide. There were multiple touchpoints for the campaign including printed material, email marketing, online and social media. The printed direct mail included a gloss embellishment on the front and an eye-catching display of the range of products available inside. The campaign contributed to a 25 percent boost in sales in the large format category compared to the same time last year.

Commenting on the award win, AJ Hightower, Owner at Kwik Kopy Geebung and 121 Creative Geebung said, “Exceptional print products rely on compelling design but compelling design doesn’t come to life without print. The two go hand in hand. We take enormous pride in our creative work and it is wonderful to be recognised for it.”

After a 15 year career running an independent Brisbane-based design studio, AJ Hightower opened design studio 121 Creative Geebung and Kwik Kopy Geebung in 2008. According to Hightower, owning a printing business in tandem with 121 Creative provides a greater level of creative freedom by controlling production of print design. 

“The synergy between running a design studio and printing business enables us to provide our clients with a complete and fast service from design to finished product, making every project more seamless.”

The news follows several other award wins for 121 Creative Geebung and Kwik Kopy Geebung. 121 Creative won a Gold medal in the Multi Piece Productions and Campaigns (Design) category at the 2019 QLD Print Awards as well as a Bronze medal for Branding and Identity (Design). The design studio also won a Kwik Kopy Red Flame Design Award in 2017. 

Stephen Penfold recognised for 65 year career in the Australian print industry which included launching Kwik Kopy in Australia

Sydney, 16 August, 2019: Stephen Penfold, Executive Chairman at Kwik Kopy Australia was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2019 National Print Awards, recognising his invaluable contribution to the print industry over 65 years. 

Penfold has been a key disruptor in the print industry's evolution in Australia, bringing the Kwik Kopy franchise to Australia from the U.S. in 1982 to leverage ‘instant printing’ and more recently branching out into digital, design, wide-format and signage at Kwik Kopy.

With a history dating back to the 1800s, the Penfold family has been a fixture in the printing industry for five generations.




Stephen Penfold would join the family firm of WC Penfold & Co in 1956, following an 18 month cadetship at Sydney printer S.T. Leigh & Co at just 17 years old. 

Stephen would became a major part of the WC Penfold plan to innovate and move with emerging trends within the print industry such as rotogravure flexible packaging and in 1987 instant print. The latter would lead to his most significant contribution; the launch of Kwik Kopy in Australia. The launch of instant print in Australia was a major disruption in the industry at the time, paving the way for print’s future. 

Stephen purchased the Australian franchise rights to the US company on behalf of WC Penfold and opened the first store in 1982. The first Kwik Kopy Centre opened in Sydney’s CBD and was run by Stephen’s sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Mary and Reg Waite. 

When WC Penfold decided to offload its franchise business just a few years later, Stephen seized the opportunity to purchase the business. He left the family business and became the Franchisor for Kwik Kopy Printing in Australia in 1985.

Since that time, Kwik Kopy Australia has emerged as one of the most successful print businesses and franchise groups in the country and has expanded beyond just print to also provide design, wide-format and signage, and other services. 

Continuing his record of innovation in print, Stephen would lead Kwik Kopy into the digital era strategically transitioning the business from offset printing to xerography, then to desktop publishing and colour copying. More recently, Kwik Kopy has emerged as one of the fastest growing businesses in the wide-format and signage space and has also built a software as a service (SAAS) offering, launching Print Speak in 2013. 

Stephen has contributed significantly to the franchise sector, holding positions as Director and Chairman of the Franchise Council of Australia and as a Board Member for the Federal Government Franchise Review Board. In 2003 he was an inaugural inductee to the Australian Franchise Hall of Fame.

Stephen’s commitment to the Penfold family business has continued with his children. More than 150 years after the original Penfold printing business opened on Pitt St, the Penfold family would come full circle with Stephen’s son Matthew Penfold purchasing the Darling Harbour Kwik Kopy franchise in 2016 following a long career at Kwik Kopy Australia including as MD and CEO. Stephen’s children Mark, Annalise and Matthew are shareholders of Kwik Kopy Australia and Annalise has recently joined Stephen and Matthew on the Board of Directors. Four other extended family members are also contributing to the business in operational roles within the company. 

Stephen’s son and owner of Kwik Kopy Darling

Harbour Matthew Penfold with co-owner Genevieve Rechner

Commenting on the Lifetime Achievement Award, Stephen Penfold said, “It is an honour to be recognised for my life’s work in the industry I love. Print continues to be a dynamic and ever evolving industry with an exciting future ahead. I’m proud that Kwik Kopy is making its mark in print now and will continue to do so in the future.” 

The latest Kongsberg digital cutting and creasing innovation from Esko, a global provider of integrated hardware and software solutions for the packaging, label and wide format sectors, makes it possible for corrugated converters to cut, crease and perforate jobs without the need to change tools, boosting finishing productivity by up to 50%.





Kongsberg Dual-HDU-1The newly launched Dual Heavy Duty Unit means operators no longer need to manually intervene in tool changes on Kongsberg digital cutting tables for those jobs that require creasing, cutting and perforation. The machine will automatically switch and use the right tool throughout the job, significantly ramping-up production efficiency.

Thanks to the uniquely engineered design of a Kongsberg table, it is possible to exercise an unrivalled 50kg of downforce on corrugated materials from single to triple wall, without compromising speed or quality. The Dual Heavy Duty Unit delivers better crease quality, even on materials with a high recycled material content. When combined with the Esko CorruSpeed Tool, converters can cut and perforate corrugated substrates with die-cut like quality at full machine speeds of up to 100m/min, offering the ultimate short run digital cutting solution for corrugated applications.

The CorruSpeed Tool is designed specifically for high-speed digital finishing of corrugated board and is unique in that it uses a static knife in combination with a patented knife foot design to simulate the effects of ejection rubbers in conventional die tooling. The unique design results in cleaner, more accurate cuts, without burrs. It produces a crisp edge finish even at the highest speeds,  smoothly cutting a wide Kongsberg Dual-HDU-2variety of corrugated board types up to 7mm double wall BC flutes.

The new Dual Heavy Duty Unit is a unique step forward for the Kongsberg range. It combines, for the first time, two independent wheels in one heavy duty unit. Unlike other solutions, operators maintain all the advantages of superior downforce and speed with the advantages of additional flexibility and higher throughput.

Russell Weller, Esko Product Manager, commented: “The new Dual Heavy Duty Unit is perfect for corrugated point of sale and packaging jobs, allowing our customers to run without changing tools, delivering productivity boosts of up to 50%.”

“It enables faster machine setup and higher quality digital cutting and creasing of corrugated board - targeted at sample making and short run production of corrugated containers, displays and signage – so most importantly speed and quality does not suffer,” he said. “Both positions still pack a 50kg downforce and run through material at full machine speeds. When converters add the CorruSpeed tool into the mix, corrugated board can be cut at 100m/min with die-cut like quality that is not achievable anywhere else.”

The Dual Heavy Duty Unit and Corruspeed tool retrofit on all existing Kongsberg C, Kongsberg C Edge and Kongsberg XP tables running iPC. To find out more about how the new Dual Heavy Duty Unit and CorruSpeed tool can benefit your business, please visit www.esko.com.

Durst, manufacturer of advanced digital printing and production technologies, will launch and present groundbreaking innovations and show live demonstrations of the updated Tau RSC portfolio – including the launch of a new model – on its stand C50 in Hall 9 at Labelexpo 2019 in Brussels, Belgium, from 24-27 September.

Introduced two years ago, the Tau 330 RSC and Tau 330 RSC E UV inkjet single-pass presses set new benchmarks in the label industry with already more than 50 installations all around the world. Visitors will be able to have a close look at the technology and different applications used by customers. New features such as a special high opacity white and high speed white print mode are helping to boost the performance and range of applications for customers.

The focus on the booth will also be on the new software portfolio offered by Durst Professional Services. New features of the Durst Workflow Label combined with the Durst SmartShop and integration packages help to fulfil Industry 4.0 standards to drive the Tau RSC portfolio.

Helmuth Munter, Durst’s Segment Manager, Labels and Package Printing, said: “We are really looking forward to Labelexpo 2019 where we will be unveiling more groundbreaking innovations. This will include new software and the expansion of our updated Tau RSC portfolio that will set the base for the future of industrial digital inkjet printing.”

Join EFI at PrintEx19 

Just click on the video below. 

“EFI” or the “Company”) today announced the appointment of Jeff Jacobson, a 30-year veteran of the digital imaging and industrial technology sector, as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Jacobson will retain his position as Executive Chairman. Mr. Jacobson succeeds Bill Muir, who is stepping down for personal reasons.
 
Prior to joining EFI, Mr. Jacobson served as Chief Executive Officer of Xerox. Mr. Jacobson also served as both President of Xerox's Technology Business and President of Xerox's Global Graphic Communications Operations. Prior to joining Xerox in 2012, Mr. Jacobson was the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Presstek, a leading manufacturer of digital offset printing solutions.
 
Jeff Jacobson said, “I am thrilled to be expanding my role on EFI’s leadership team to identify unique opportunities for innovation across the Company. EFI’s portfolio of best-in-class solutions presents an exciting opportunity to drive further growth in high-quality inkjet and integrated, digital workflows. Together with my experienced and talented colleagues on the EFI team, we will provide the leadership needed to help EFI accelerate the transformation of industries where colourful images matter. I also want to join the EFI team in thanking Bill for his contributions to the Company’s success and wishing him the best in his future endeavours. Bill played a pivotal role in successfully positioning EFI for the next chapter of our evolution, always doing so with integrity and the best interests of customers and employees.”
 
Throughout his career, Mr. Jacobson has displayed an on-going commitment to helping customers improve their productivity and enhance their operations. As CEO of Xerox, he oversaw Xerox’s largest product launch in its more than 100-year-history and led the company through a strategic transformation, delivering best-in-class customer service, and driving innovation, while improving Xerox’s operating margins and cash flow.
 
Before his time at Xerox and Presstek, Mr. Jacobson served as Chief Operating Officer of Eastman Kodak's Graphic Communications Group, where he was responsible for managing operations in Eastman Kodak's Global Graphics operations, which included manufacturing locations throughout North America, Europe, Japan, China, Israel and South Africa. Mr. Jacobson also served for five years as Chief Executive Officer of Kodak Polychrome Graphics, a highly successful joint venture between Sun Chemical and Eastman Kodak.
 
“It has been a privilege to lead EFI through an important chapter in the Company’s history, and I look forward to seeing EFI thrive as it continues to collaborate with customers and partners worldwide,” said Bill Muir. “I have admired Jeff as an expert in the digital imaging space, and I am confident that with his vision and under his leadership, EFI will be able to successfully write the next chapter of innovation and market leadership across the Company’s portfolio of solutions.”

Imagination Graphics, a professional printing company based in Marrickville in Sydney’s inner west and Konica Minolta National Specialised Print Awards 2018 winner, is the first NSW customer to invest in the AccurioJet KM-1 from Konica Minolta. 

Imagination Graphics provides graphic design, print, and pre-press services to help customers maximise the value of their promotional material. Imagination Graphics focuses on delivering high quality outcomes for a reasonable price. The company was on a solid growth path and had gone from strength-to-strength over the past three years. This made it the right time to invest in new technology to support that growth, and future growth. 

The AccurioJet KM-1 is a B2+ sheet-fed UV inkjet press that delivers all the quality and versatility of offset printing with the convenience and flexibility of digital printing on any type of stock for projects such as bound books, presentation folders, and packaging. 

Emmanuel Buhagiar, director, Imagination Graphics, said, “This investment was a big step for Imagination Graphics, however, it was the right one. We did our due diligence and had faith that the KM-1 and Konica Minolta, as a trusted partner for more than 10 years, would deliver. 

“Imagination Graphics chose the KM-1 due to its ability to print on a wide variety of stocks, which gives us great versatility in the types of work we can take on, as well as the colour and quality reproduction and ability to match Pantone colours. 

“The KM-1 will open up a whole new market and client base for Imagination Graphics. It will also give us more speed, faster turnaround, the ability to bring work in-house that we have previously had to outsource, and the opportunity to take on short-run projects, which will make us more competitive. For example, using the KM-1, we can print up to 3,000 A2 posters in an hour, all with different designs, which would be far more costly and time-consuming on an offset press. As a customer-focused business, the ability to deliver on time with quality is critical to our success.” 





Adam Todd, industrial print solutions consultant, Konica Minolta, said, “Konica Minolta is excited that Imagination Graphics is the first NSW installation of the game-changing KM-1, and the third in Australia. The KM-1 will open up new markets for Imagination Graphics and let it produce a much wider variety of high-value applications for its customers. We are proud that Imagination Graphics has selected Konica Minolta as its strategic partner for this venture.” 

Emmanuel Buhagiar said, “Imagination Graphics has worked with Konica Minolta for more than 10 years, and every time we have upgraded our equipment we have seen business growth right up to our last investment, which was the AccurioPress C6100 and C1085. We expect the KM-1 to bring the same benefit.” 

This is the first NSW install for the KM-1, the third in Australia, and the 100th globally since its introduction to the market just over two years ago. 

VersaWorks: Beyond the Basics has been developed to increase the efficiency and productivity of Roland users, and take their knowledge of VersaWorks to the next level.

Register Today!

With just 3 weeks left until the final Sydney course for the year on September 4, and only a few places remaining, you’ll need to get in quick to secure your spot. Go to www.rolanddg.com.au/academy to register. 

Feedback from Students:

Since 2009, over 700 students have attended our Roland VersaWorks training, and we’ve received some great feedback:

Ash Carver from Infinity Signs in SA: "Great course - a must to unlock the full potential of your productivity. So many features I never knew about VersaWorks, but will definitely explore and use in everyday jobs."

Michael from Signarama Pakenham in VIC: "I've been using VersaWorks for 13 years, yet by doing the course I've learnt a lot more about how it can help in my day to day work."

Course Content:

- The main areas covered in the course are:
- Colour management
- Printer calibration, set up and maintenance
- Settings and features including variable data, custom cut, step and repeat, and special colour plate generation
- Advanced production techniques and tips
- Workflow automation
- Overview of new features in VersaWorks 6

Contact Us

Go to www.rolanddg.com.au/academy to register or find out more, or contact Roland DG on 1800 500 119.

PrintEx 2019 will see Epson Australia launch and have on display the SureColor F560, a new world-first, single-vendor, 24-inch dye-sublimation printer with integrated bulk ink system designed for small business and fine art production that combines compact size with high format flexibility in a cost-effective package.





SureColor F560
 
The SureColor F560 has been designed to replace small-format screen printing. When used in conjunction with a small-format heat press it provides an ultra-low-cost solution for custom and short-run imaging on a wide range of materials.
 
The new printer produces images that are bright and colourful in super-high 2400x1200 dpi maximum resolution and when images are sublimated, the resulting products have high durability and are Oeko-Tex certified for the safe use by all age groups.
 
The dye sublimation process suits materials that have moderate heat-resistance and will accept a polyester coating including ceramic, glass, metal, wood, certain plastics, fibreglass and polycarbonates. It can also be used for fabric that contains 50% or more artificial content including Polyester, Lycra and Neoprene.
 
The SC-F560 is designed to use Epson UltraChrome DS ink that is applied with the latest PrecisionCore printhead and Precision Dot processing technology to achieve the best possible image quality. When combined with the sublimation process, despite using only 4 inks, it enables a colour gamut that rivals traditional print processes that require 6 or 8 inks.
 
It has multiple features that have specifically been designed with ultra-flexible production and a very efficient workflow in mind. It will produce a sellable A1 fabric print in just over a minute and a high resolution hard surface A4 print in under a minute.
 
Accepting roll-based media in widths from 210 mm to 610 mm, the SC-F560 has an integrated auto-cutter, will sit on a desktop and has a convenient ‘hold’ on exit so prints don’t drop to the floor.
 
The SC-F560 also incorporates a pop-up multi-page cut sheet tray that will accept A4 and A3 stock and will auto-switch between the roll and sheet format. For customers that have higher production requirements there is an optional stand that incorporates a media bin.
 
Cleverly and efficiently, ink is held in a convenient tank system that is refilled using cost-effective 140 ml bottles and refilling can even be undertaken while printing is underway.



F560 Ink Set

Concurrent with the release of the SC-F560 printer Epson has also announced a range of transfer media that has been custom designed to enable optimum results with UltraChrome DS ink and support a range of fabric and hard surface applications. The new media will be available at the time of printer launch in both roll and sheet format.
 
The SureColor F560 is expected to be commence shipping in November 2019 with pricing to be announced in September.
 

Roland DG Corporation, a leading manufacturer of wide format inkjet printers and printer cutters worldwide, announced today that owners of VersaUV LEF-20 and LEF-200 printers can now upgrade their devices to the latest functions of the recently launched LEF2-200 for enhanced product reliability, efficiency and output quality.

Motokuni Kishita, Product Manager of Digital Printing Business Division said, "To maximise the value that our LEF-20 and LEF-200 customers can obtain from the LEF2-200’s newest capabilities, we are pleased to offer a Value Up Kit that will give owners three major enhancements for their printers."

According to Kishita, the first benefit is increased reliability. A new Head Refresh Feature removes any ink remaining on the printheads and cleans the surface of the printheads to maintain the health of the printer. An Extension Plate prevents UV light from being reflected under the table to minimise the curing of UV ink on the printhead surface. A new wiper cleaner more efficiently removes extra ink remaining on the wiper that cleans the head surface, enabling the printhead surface to stay in good condition. Should a printhead clog, a new Nozzle Mask function allows you to continue printing while using the remaining printheads.

A second key benefit is the addition of a host of advanced functions to simplify high quality printing jobs. A Start Timer Function completes the setup procedures of printhead cleaning and white ink circulation automatically by your designated start time, so you can begin printing immediately after loading the materials. A positioning jig makes it easy to align items on the print table. When printing data with separate layers, grouping the data in the order of printing can reduce mistakes. In addition, the table can move to the next printing start position without returning to the origin. 

The third critical benefit of the upgrade is improved printing results. "A True Rich Colour preset is now available," Kishita said, "allowing you to produce vibrant colour, neutral greys, smooth gradations and natural skin tones all at the same time. And the standard print mode now incorporates 16-pass as well as conventional 12-pass, leading to smoother output quality."

To schedule an Authorised Roland Technician to perform the upgrade or to find out more, please visit www.rolanddg.com.au/lefvalueup

 David Crowther, the Colour Doctor of Colour Graphic Services has attained G7 Expert status having recently attended the G7 Professional Training course held at Heidelberg USA’s Kennesaw, Georgia headquarters and organised by the Idealliance and hosted by industry colour legend Don Hutcheson.

The G7 course at Heidelberg USA was the 150th course, with 28 attendees. The Idealliance manages and facilitates the G7 Master Facility Qualification that allows Print Service Providers to achieve G7 Master certification, a growing global colour methodology that bridges the legacy differences between European and US pathways to ISO 12467 certification.

G7 is a specification that defines a ‘common appearance’ for printed greys for ALL printing systems, controlling the two important aspects by which we judge monochromatic images, which are Tonality and Grey Balance. This makes it ideal for aligning print appearance across offset, flexo, gravure, wide format, digital inkjet & toner, dye sublimation – any process. As Crowther notes: “I was trained as a scanner operator and we always used to say: get the grey balance right and you will be well on your way to achieving excellent CMYK colour quality.”

G7 Experts are individuals certified and licensed by Idealliance as proven leaders in print production and global standards to align all proof and print applications regardless of process, ink, or substrate. G7 Experts are taught and certified in substantial cost reductions of production, speeding product to market, significant reduction in waste, extraordinary increase in color consistency - no matter the substrate or print medium, and consistently maintain their client’s brand image and print production requirements. G7 colour is now mandated by several of the world’s leading brands.

Don Hutcheson - G7® inventor and David’s trainer - had this to say about David’s recent certification as a G7 Expert: "It was a great pleasure having David Crowther in the recent Idealliance G7 Expert training at Heidelberg, Atlanta. As an expat Kiwi, I’m always happy to get visitors from down-under, even from that little island to the left of NZ! 

During the class, David asked all the right questions and had all the right answers. His extensive knowledge and experience in the printing industry was immediately clear and contributed significantly to the training experience for the other attendees.

The fact that David flew all the way from Australia to Atlanta, just to take the G7 Expert training, indicates how important G7 has become as a world-wide standard. Since its inception in 2005, around 5,000 printers and pre-press houses globally have become “G7 Masters” and the number of un-registered G7 users is in the tens of thousands. 

G7 really does deliver better print consistency across all print technologies - not just offset - with or without additional colour management.  And it does so with less effort and lower costs than legacy TVI calibration.  G7 makes CMYK files more exchangeable across borders and technologies and makes standardized printing easier, cheaper and more accessible to everyone from creation to output.”
Jordan Gorski, Vice President of Global Certification Programs for Idealliance adds:
 “Idealliance certified G7 Experts support, align, and maintain the highest levels of print quality, color management, and process control around the globe for print service providers, OEMs, creatives, brands, and print buyers. G7 Experts like David Crowther support these members of the print and packaging supply chain by giving them the tools critical for their business performance through added efficiencies, profitability, and continually raising the bar for print production quality and consistency across all print technology.”

Crowther explains, “We have been planning this for a number of years now, and it all came to fruition recently, when well-known colour colleague and friend Don Hutcheson hosted the G7 Expert/Professional Training at Heidleberg USA. Don, an expat Kiwi, is the inventor of the G7 specification and method. It was great to learn about G7 from the original source.” 

A G7 Expert can deliver G7 Master certification for printers, publishers and agencies. The IDEAlliance, a global non-profit think tank, focused on innovation, education, certification and integration looks after and manages the G7 programs worldwide.

Crowther says: “We have always highlighted the importance of grey balance with our tireless work in ISO 12647 implementations with print providers all over Australia and New Zealand. High quality consistent CMYK colour reproduction has always been dependent of grey balance, even going back to the days of camera and drum scanner operators.”
 
“The phone has been running hot with inquiries. G7 Expert consulting adds to our key colour quality products: Techkon precision instruments, JUST Normlicht ISO 3664:2009 lighting and viewing systems, Eizo calibrated monitors, ColorLogic CM & ICC systems, Mellow Colour colour reporting and analysis systems and CHROMAtrain CM training. We believe we have the best-in-class colour solutions to suit any print requirements,” concludes Crowther.

Colour Graphics Services will be at PrintEx, Sydney Showgrounds August 13-16, stand I11! For the duration of the show only, and orders placed for Techkon colour measuring instruments will attract a 20% discount. Offer ends at 4pm Friday 16 August.

EasyCut Studio, a leading developer of vinyl cutter software programs, today announced the launch of its new edition of Easy Cut Studio. To be specific, it is Easy Cut Studio 4.1.0.7 which now supports ability to design in vector and cut the design with a Mutoh Kona, Mutoh SC, Gerber FasTrack, or Liyu SC-A vinyl cutter. Exclusive Print and Cut Technology allows you to print designs to a colour printer and then cut them out with your Mutoh cutter.

Easy Cut Studio is one of the most popular and widely trusted vinyl cutting applications for Mac and Windows. support for all the latest as well as legacy cutting plotters. The software packed with a large selection of tools and features for designing and laying out all types of signs, decals, lettering, posters, and graphic artwork to be cut out using a vinyl plotter. You can also open bitmap graphics or scan logos and convert them into cuttable vector graphics. With countless features and advanced cutting settings, Easy Cut Studio will make your sign design and cutting tasks a pleasure while increasing quality and productivity!

Since it has been a while since Easy Cut Studio 4.1.0.7 was released, an update was pending. According to the engineers working on the product, the update took a while since they wanted to deliver the best-possible results. The team claims that over 200 different cutting plotters were tested. The team even visited a number of cutting plotter manufacturers and talked to different engineers to understand their pain points. All of this helped the developers come up with a one-stop vinyl cutting software with exceptional results and increase your productivity.
 
Easy Cut Studio v4.1.07 includes the following new features and bug fixes:

What new in version 4.1.07:
1. Added support for Liyu SC-A, TC-A, TC-AA and HC-AF Series; 
2. Added support for Mutoh Kona and Mutoh SC series cutters; 
3. Added support for Gerber FasTrack cutting plotter;
4. New Mutoh Kona plotter driver including support for Mutoh 4 point cropmarks for Print and Cut jobs;
5. Added cut selection only and mirror options for Rabbit cutter;
6. Fixed a problem with cutting with Silhouette CAMEO 3;
7. Fixed a problem with editing nodes after cutting the design;
8. Other stability improvements and small bugs fixed.

To learn more about Easy Cut Studio 4.1.0.7, please visit https://www.easycutstudio.com/ 

Pricing and availability: 

Easy Cut Studio version 4.1.0.7 comes with Lifetime License at a starting price of $59.95 USD. This software is available for both Windows and macOS platforms. You can get a free trial of Easy Cut Studio from the official website. Since Easy Cut Studio offers a free lifetime upgrade on its products, the existing users of Easy Cut Studio 4.xxx can upgrade to version 4.1.0.7 easily.

At PrintEx 2019 on stand C18, Epson Australia will demonstrate two new signage printers, the SC-S60660L and the SC-S80660L. These 64” printers extend the award-winning SureColor S-Series into the high productivity market segment with integrated bulk ink systems for improved workflow, reduced running costs, and a lower total cost of ownership (TCO).




 
The new models use the same advanced Epson MicroPiezo Print Heads and UltraChrome GS3 ink as the rest of the SureColor S-Series range. They provide the same outstanding operational reliability with truly comprehensive service cover that is extendable up to five years and  the same, highly-acclaimed exceptional print quality with colour gamut, image brightness and gloss levels. They also incorporate new integrated bulk ink systems for continuous ink supply which use large 1.5L bags for extended unattended production with a lower running cost.





Designed to address the needs of the ever increasingly competitive signage industry, these new SureColor S-Series models combine superior print quality with a superior print cost. For manufacturers involved in high volume production they offer the potential for a significant reduction in TCO.
 
As with all models in the S-Series, and unlike many of the competitors, the new SureColor S60660L and S80660L are designed to run off a standard power supply, consume a lot less power and require very little maintenance. The print heads are self-cleaning while the capping station is easy to access for occasional wiping. The ink lines are self-mixing to ensure consistent colour and there is an air filtration system to reduce the potential for print contamination and wastage.
 
Both of the new models ship complete with blower driers to enable high speed roll-to-roll production. They feature a high-precision Auto-Take-Up for maximum parallelism and an advanced media management system that ensures prints have consistent and accurate sizing. Output will satisfy the most demanding requirements and suit the most exacting tiling applications.
 
The SureColor S60660L and S80660L ship complete with an extensive suite of software that has been designed to make production simple and efficient. Epson Edge Print provides all the tools required to produce high-quality output via an interface that is easy to learn, powerful to use, and has advanced visualisation so what you see on-screen is what you get in print. Epson Edge Dashboard facilitates remote management while also providing access to downloadable profiles for a wide range of media types. The Epson Accounting tool tracks consumption costs for business analysis and easier job costing. 

As you would expect from Epson, the new SureColor S-Series models support a wide range of media, from clear film and photographic paper to wallpaper, canvas and vinyl. They suit outdoor signage and banner production, point of purchase displays and pull ups, back/front-lit signage and vehicle wrapping.

The new SureColor S-Series range is ideal for print service providers and sign makers. The SC-60660L offers maximum speed and efficiency with a dual 4-colour ink set that produces a colour gamut that is equal or high than competitors with 7 or more while the SC-80660L offers even greater colour with Pantone certification for accuracy and user selectable and interchangeable white and metal ink for maximum production flexibility and presentation value.
 
The SureColor S60660L and the SureColor S80660L are expected to ship later this year with prices starting from $31,995 RRP (ex tax).

Konica Minolta Australia is extending its existing partnership with HP to include reselling its wide format printer range, the HP Latex Production Printers and Print and Cut solution up to 1.63 metre roll widths, in the Australian market. 

The HP Latex Production range is capable of printing both indoor and outdoor wide format applications, with a wider application versatility and a higher profit potential. The HP Latex range expands print opportunity beyond vinyls and banners to include films, papers, textiles, canvas, wall papers and more. It offers faster production speed, and eliminates wait times as the prints come out completely dry and ready for finishing. This can save up to 48hrs of wait time before lamination. The range has high levels of scratch resistance, also making this a safer option for operators of the printing equipment. 

Tatjana Ferguson, product marketing manager, industrial print, Konica Minolta, said, “Konica Minolta is pleased to have strengthened its existing relationship with HP as a reseller of its wide format printing equipment. In addition to reselling the HP DesignJet and HP PageWide XL Series, the agreement means we can now offer HP Latex production printing solutions to the Australian market.” 

Zoran Novakovic, country manager, Large Format Production Business, HP Australia, said, ‘HP is excited to extend our partnership with Konica Minolta and expand into the Large Format Production space. We believe the expansion will contribute to growth in our market segments. We look forward to continuing working with Konica Minolta in the future.” 

Konica Minolta offer businesses the complete solution for their printing needs, with ranges including digital presses, wide format, digital B2 inkjet and embellishment systems. The HP Latex range will benefit customers looking to diversify with wide format, and will let them add an addition revenue stream. 

Tatjana Ferguson said, “Konica Minolta offers the complete solution for commercial printers to ensure they will always be printing. The HP Latex range will be serviced by our highly-skilled engineers at Konica Minolta, which means existing customers can rely on the service levels they know and expect and be confident that they are dealing with a trusted team of industry professionals.” 

Electronics For Imaging, Inc. and Konica Minolta® Australia are pleased to announce they will be bringing EFI™ MarketDirect software to the Australian market. The appointment sees Konica Minolta Australia as a partner for sales and distribution of the EFI MarketDirect customer engagement platform in the country. 
 
The platform’s two advanced, cloud-based components, EFI MarketDirect Cross Media and MarketDirect StoreFront, give print and marketing service providers tools to ensure optimum productivity in multi-channel campaign management, web-to-print and online job procurement. The products also simplify the online interaction process between users and the print and marketing campaign clients they serve.
 
MarketDirect Cross Media’s robust customer engagement platform gives users the ability to develop, distribute and track customer communications for loyalty programmes, offers, newsletters, surveys and communications rapidly and with ease. The software includes next-generation technologies to deliver comprehensive cross-media marketing applications for lead generation, new customer acquisition, prospecting and more.
 
The software is available as a standalone application or alongside EFI MarketDirect StoreFront – an award-winning web-to-print solution that gives users more power than ever before to plan, manage and execute complex print and cross-media marketing programmes.
 
“We are pleased with our decision to add EFI’s MarketDirect solutions to our portfolio,” said Grant Thomas, Product Marketing Manager, Konica Minolta Australia. “We are looking forward to demonstrating with our customers how they can build campaigns quickly and efficiently to drive more revenue, as well as compete with larger organisations who rely on more-complex solutions.”
 
“This next-generation customer engagement platform in MarketDirect significantly expands what our customers can provide in marketing and communication services,” said EFI Regional Vice President of Sales Rodd Harrison. “From storyboarding and campaign design to visual automation, this is an elegantly simple tool for businesses looking to drive greater customer loyalty and deliver higher-value services to their client base.”
 
Unlike many other platforms which are digital only, EFI MarketDirect is built to include print along with digital channels, offering customers a higher level of creativity with their campaign design and audience reach. One of the platform’s components enables rapid setup and prototyping of multi-channel marketing campaigns for print, email, web, mobile and social. A powerful image personalisation engine within MarketDirect gives users the power to create and embed highly relevant individualised elements into campaigns to drive greater marketing response.
 




Both EFI MarketDirect Cross Media and MarketDirect StoreFront can be incorporated within broader, end-to-end MIS/ERP business and production workflows from EFI for streamlined, fully integrated efficiencies from job submission through final billing and shipping.
 
The new partnership agreement is an expansion of a longstanding partnership between EFI and Konica Minolta worldwide that includes development and distribution of advanced EFI Fiery® digital front ends and Fiery workflow software for use with Konica Minolta digital production printers and presses.
 
Konica Minolta will be exhibiting EFI MarketDirect on the Konica Minolta stand (#D37) at PrintEx in Sydney, 13-16 August. For more information about advanced print and digital marketing technologies from EFI, visit www.efi.com.

Labelmakers Group is set to acquire the country's biggest linerless labels producer, Le Mac Australia. The transaction is expected to be completed next month.

Labelmakers says the synergies created through this transaction will generate enormous value for our customer base, combining Labelmakers’ extensive range of printed label and packaging solutions with Le Mac’s capabilities across Linerless Labels, shrink sleeves, and tamper evident labels and packaging.

Paul O’Sullivan, CEO of Labelmakers, said, “Le Mac is undeniably the market leader for Linerless Labels in Australia, which are generating significant interest from customers across the labelling arena. Furthermore, its shrink sleeve capability further complements our own leadership position in shrink sleeve labelling. The bringing together of the two businesses makes complete sense in terms of Labelmakers supporting customers in these two growth areas.”

Le Mac was established in 1984, three years before Labelmakers. Le Mac was the first company in Australia to introduce the complete Linerless Labelling System, which effectively eliminates the requirement for a release liner and associated waste, which is environmentally problematic.

The label application system itself also delivers greater line efficiencies to sectors where faster labelling speeds are required, such as the pre-packaged meat sector.

With environmental packaging and operational efficiencies a key focus for brand owners and companies across the value-chain, Labelmakers sees significant growth potential for this innovative labelling solution, and says it is excited to welcome these capabilities into the Labelmakers offering.

Labelmakers says it is is committed to improving environmental outcomes within the sector, with its team working on a number of initiatives including waste minimisation and closed-loop recycling, to deliver on these commitments. Extending its offering to include Linerless Label technology is part of this strategy.

The company says this acquisition will cement Labelmakers as Australasia’s pre-eminent partner for printing and packaging solutions.

Mark Andy has announced the launch of Digital Pro, the latest development to its digital product offerings. The new product line comes to market with 77 fpm (23.4 m/m) production speed for all applications and low cost to print, allowing businesses priced out of production systems the opportunity to benefit from digital.

Available for immediate order, the CMYK dry toner Digital Pro line includes a roll-to-roll press, Digital Pro 1, and a configurable inline hybrid model, Digital Pro 3. The systems are priced starting at $199,000 USD and $295,000 USD, respectively, and will be initially showcased at regional events throughout North America starting August 2019.

The product will make its European debut at Labelexpo Europe this September in Brussels.

Digital Pro 1 is a roll-to-roll machine, fitted with an unwind, state of the art print engine and rewind, providing 12.5" digital print width. The introductory Digital Pro system is important for plants with established converting and finishing workflows, simplifying digital print for operators to a click of the button. As business and workflows evolve, the modular nature of Digital Pro 1 provides an upgrade path with scalable inline printing and converting options.

Digital Pro 1 is joined by the advanced inline hybrid model: Digital Pro 3. This system includes a multi-purpose flexo station for inline embellishment and is fueled by a robust DFE that supports variable data printing and versioning needed in the short- and micro-run market segment.

Digital Pro 3 can be configured with a single slot die station or with a semi rotary die module to finish labels inline. The semi-rotary system reduces die inventory and comes with a standard 19" magnetic cylinder to accommodate most repeats without tool changeover.

Digital Pro system is fueled by a high-yield toner and supports a wide range of substrates and applications with no priming or coating required. Additional media capabilities supported by the product line include vinyl, PVC, foil.

Joe Calmese, chief business officer, Mark Andy Digital, says, “Printing digital at high speeds with inline converting is at the top of many converters' wishlists. Same with roll-to-roll devices. We’ve been listening. The end result is the Digital Pro line with configurable hybrid print systems that provide a powerful path to profitability, both now and in the future as we continue to push the envelope in digital innovation”

Digital One press owners are eligible for a field upgrade of the new Digital Pro engine into their existing machine to optimize production and help increase margins with a substantially lower cost to print structure. The Digital Pro engine upgrade provides a 70% increase in speed and a 30% lower cost to print over the previous generation Digital One press. Current Digital One customers will continue to receive the high level of support and service they have come to expect from Mark Andy.