Digital Print 360 » Inkjet

Japs-Olson Company Purchases KODAK PROSPER S10 Imprinting System, Plans to Install 24 New Printheads

Editor — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:42:01 +0000

ROCHESTER, N.Y., June 30 — In the largest purchase to date for the KODAK PROSPER S10 Imprinting System, the Japs-Olson Company has signed for 24 PROSPER S10 Imprinting System printheads to upgrade its hybrid printing operations for high-volume direct mail and other variable data applications. Minneapolis-based Japs-Olson, one of the largest commercial printing and direct mail production companies in the United States, will use the PROSPER S10 Imprinting System to enhance high-quality, high-speed inline digital printing on its web offset presses with industry-leading 600 dpi capability.

“Japs-Olson is committing to the PROSPER System technology as the future platform for high-quality and high-production variable printing,” said Michael Murphy, company president. “Seeing the PROSPER S10 Imprinting System in action confirmed that this technology will take hybrid printing to the next level.”

The KODAK PROSPER S10 Imprinting System, which can be seamlessly integrated inline into a variety of web offset presses, operates at speeds of up to 1,000 fpm (305 mpm) with a resolution of 600 dpi, saving time and money over a traditional, two-step variable data process that combines offset pre-printed forms and offline laser imprinting.

For many years, Japs-Olson has relied on a full range of KODAK Solutions, including KODAK MAGNUS 800 Platesetters imaging KODAK THERMAL GOLD Plates, KODAK APPROVAL Proofing Systems, KODAK VERSAMARK DS9100 and DS5300 Printing Systems, KODAK PRINERGY Workflow System with KODAK INSITE Software, KODAK UPFRONT Software, and KODAK PREPS Software.

Japs-Olson Company, founded in 1907 by Barney Japs and G.F. Olson, owes its success in the direct mail industry to equipping highly skilled employees with state-of-the-art tools, and total dedication to the needs of the customer. The company, which started out as a modest job-shop printer, has evolved over its history through constant innovation and refinement of production processes. Since the early 1990s, Kodak has been Japs-Olson’s leading solutions provider.

KODAK Products are backed by KODAK Service and Support. KODAK Service and Support is made up of more than 3,000 professionals in 120 countries. It is a leading multi-vendor integrated services provider, delivering consulting, installation, maintenance and support services for commercial printing, graphic communications, document imaging, data storage and retail industries. KODAK Service and Support professionals are uniquely qualified to provide services that control costs, maximize productivity, and minimize business risk.

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About KODAK PROSPER Solutions

Based on innovative KODAK Stream Inkjet Technology, KODAK PROSPER Solutions deliver digital without compromise, enabling print service providers to produce offset class output in terms of speed, quality, and cost for their clients.

The family of KODAK PROSPER Products includes the KODAK PROSPER S10 Imprinting System, for direct mail, catalogs, magazines, newspapers, inserts, and transactional documents; KODAK PROSPER 1000 Press for books and direct mail; and KODAK PROSPER 5000XL Press for books, direct mail, catalogs/inserts and magazines. For more information, visit www.prosper.kodak.com.
About Japs-Olson Company

Japs-Olson Company, founded in 1907, has been at the forefront of the commercial printing and direct mail production industry for over 100 years. Based in Minneapolis, it is one of the 10 largest commercial printing and direct mail production firms in the country thanks to its highly skilled work force and ongoing investment in equipment and technology. Japs-Olson is a charter member of the PIM Great Printer Environmental Initiative, holds the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification and has achieved the SAS 70 Type II Certification.

For more information, visit the web site at www.japsolson.com or call 800-548-2897.

StylePrint Purchases Second :M-Press Tiger from Agfa Only Five Months After Installing Its First

Editor — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:00:00 +0000

“Since the acquisition of the first :M-Press Tiger our customers like the quality so much that the demand for the high-quality prints has gone up to the point where we clearly see the need for a second engine,” said Andrew Woodhouse, who heads production at StylePrint. “Our customers do not just ask us for print, they specify ‘Tiger Prints.’ A Tiger Print is becoming a new definition in Australia.”
“StylePrint is a true digital pioneer in screen printing. Their success is so pleasing to us because it is additional confirmation that :M-Press delivers the results for which it was designed,” said Tom Cloots, Agfa’s business unit manager for :M-Press.

Developed jointly with Thieme, Agfa’s :M-Press Tiger combines the printing expertise of both companies: screen printing from Thieme and digital inkjet printing from Agfa. The :M-Press Tiger can print up to 700 square metres per hour including loading and unloading, with no make ready, films or screens. It can handle substrates up to 10 mm thick. It features a colour gamut better than ISOcoated V2, the offset gamut. It also enables variable data printing.

“The ability to offer our clients photo quality as well as variable data is what our business is all about-opening up new opportunities for our customers,” added Woodhouse.

Employing 60 people, StylePrint, which was founded by Terry and Elizabeth Woodhouse, is one of Australia’s most respected screen printers serving advertising and retail clients with posters, point-of-sale (POS), indoor and outdoor displays and more. It was their sons, Andrew and Michael that took the company into the digital era.

“Agfa’s M-Press Tiger is the first true production digital machine that really bridges the gap between speed and quality. It is economical and the quality is unbeatable,” said Michael Woodhouse. “it’s been designed in a way that mimics screen systems, so it suits operations like ours precisely.”
The Woodhouse’s also appreciate the “Green” aspect of the :M-Press Tiger. “Digital does not require screens, films, chemistry and water, so it is easy for us to be more environmentally responsible,” added Michael Woodhouse.

HP Expands Portfolio of Sign and Display Printing Solutions

Editor — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:47:43 +0000

MUNICH, Germany, June 22, 2010 – HP today expanded its portfolio of sign and display printing solutions to accelerate the industry’s conversion from solvent-based to UV-curable and latex-based large-format printing.
The company is refreshing its product line to help customers pursue profitable growth opportunities and capture a larger share of the growing digital printing market.(1)

At FESPA 2010, the major large-format printing and imaging tradeshow of the year, HP announced:

— The new HP Scitex FB700 Printer, a versatile 98-inch (2.5-meter) flatbed printing solution that can load, print and collect up to six sheets of media simultaneously and offers an optional White Ink Upgrade Kit for specialty applications.
— The first public demonstration of its expanded HP Latex Printing Technologies portfolio, an innovative technology that is only offered by HP.
— Plans to spearhead a group of industry leaders to define open Job Definition Format (JDF) specification features for large-format printing, making it easier for print service providers (PSPs) to automate printing jobs and accelerate the web-to-print process.
— The expansion of the HP Large-format Media take-back program to include six new compatible media and seven additional participating European countries.

“Since we began shipping latex and UV-curable printing systems, demand has increased steadily as our customers recognize the superb image quality, ability to pursue new applications and significant environmental advantages over traditional solvent technologies,” said Yariv Avisar, vice president and general manager, Scitex Large-format Solutions, HP. “In just two months, we have made significant advancements to our portfolio, including the addition of five new UV and Latex printers and new workflow solutions and services offerings, that will help the entire industry to transform.”

Expanded portfolio helps accelerate the conversion from solvent to UV and latex

The HP Scitex FB700 Printer helps PSPs increase their capacity to fulfill customer requests and grow their businesses with high-quality prints on virtually any rigid or flexible media.(2) The printer features efficient media loading and the ability to print on materials up to 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) thick and up to 98.4 inches (2.5 m) wide by 120 inches (3.05 m) long(3) for the production of durable outdoor and indoor applications, including point-of-purchase displays, tradeshow graphics, interior decorations, banners and furniture.

Advanced features such as an onboard camera, an HP Embedded Web Server and a solid media feed system help ensure consistent results and worry-free operation. An easy-to-install White Ink Upgrade Kit also is available for the HP Scitex FB700 Printer for specialty applications, such as printing on glass or other substrates for retail window displays, creating two-sided or backlit prints, and printing on corrugated substrates for packaging applications.

With the addition of the HP Scitex FB700 Printer to its robust portfolio, HP is leading the market transition from solvent-based printers to UV-curable technologies, providing profitable new growth opportunities to customers through increased productivity and new applications, such as polyethylene billboards and high-quality backlit displays. According to analyst firm I.T. Strategies,(4) UV inkjet printer unit sales are forecast to increase 9 percent by 2014, while also opening high-volume application markets to UV solutions at the expense of solvent inkjet and screen printing.

HP’s latex solutions also are accelerating the conversion from solvent and eco-solvent technologies by offering more consistent image quality while delivering comparable performance in terms of productivity, size, durability and media choices. By supporting a broader range of applications, latex-based printers offer PSPs more versatility and also help reduce the environmental impact of printing. HP’s latex-based solutions have gained tremendous market acceptance since their introduction. The company has shipped more than 2,500 printing systems, which customers have used to produce more than 5 million square meters of materials.(5)

“Latex printing technology from HP is coming to be seen as a near universal chemistry with a favorable environmental impact both for users and in the print workplace,” said Mark Hanley, president, I.T. Strategies. “Solvent markets in particular have been placed on the defensive since early this year by HP’s initiative.”
HP’s solutions showcase at FESPA in stand 120, hall B2, also features recently announced printers and solutions contributing to the market shift from solvent-based printers to UV-curable and latex technologies, including:

— The HP Scitex LX800 Printer, a 126-inch (3.2-m) solution that extends the benefits of HP Latex Printing Technology to the industrial large-format market
— The HP Scitex LX600 Printer, a versatile 104-inch (2.6-m) device
— The HP Scitex TJ8600 Printer, which features full and selective gloss print modes with exceptional quality and new HP TJ210 Scitex Inks
— The HP Designjet Z5200 Printer for copy shops, quick-printing firms and other small commercial print businesses interested in entering the large-format market
— HP Scitex Print Care, a set of tools and services that anticipates technical issues, enables remote diagnosis and provides performance information to help customers maintain uptime and smooth operations(6)
— HP SmartPlanner 3.0, a turnkey job estimation and business planning tool offered to HP Scitex customers that accurately estimates jobs, compares digital and conventional output and calculates the complete job cost

As part of HP’s leadership in driving the solvent to UV and Latex conversion, the company will discontinue sales of the HP Scitex XL1500 Printer, which uses solvent inks. In its place, HP offers the HP Scitex XP Series Printers with UV inks and the HP Scitex LX Printer series, which are ideal replacements for solvent applications. HP plans to provide support, spare parts and consumables to existing customers for five years after the printer is discontinued.

HP leads committee to establish new JDF features for large-format printing

HP has been selected to chair the Wide Format Workgroup of The International Cooperation for the Integration of Processes in Prepress, Press, and Postpress Organization (CIP4) with the goal of defining open JDF standards for wide-format printing workflows. The initiative is designed to resolve interoperability shortfalls between web-to-print tools, production devices, raster image processors and digital front ends so that they work together to streamline wide-format printing workflows for increased productivity.

In conjunction with the creation of JDF features and specifications for wide-format applications, HP is rolling out a new certification program that allows partner workflow solutions to be “HP Certified for Wide Format Printing JDF Exchange.” HP certification assures that workflow solutions exchanging JDF will interoperate properly with each other, allowing PSPs to easily build an e-storefront to market their services, take advantage of production automation tools to reduce costs and differentiate their service offerings through automated customer relationship management tools.

“At Gardners, we strive to remove as many operational inefficiencies as possible so our employees can concentrate on high-value activities for our customers and our business,” said Richard Gardner, managing director at Gardners, a large-format digital print shop based in Cardiff, U.K. “The leadership role HP has taken to improve workflow interoperability for digital wide-format printing will provide print service providers with more opportunities to streamline and automate their operations.”

Alliance partners collaborating closely with HP in the certification program include Caldera, ColorGATE, EFI, EskoArtwork, Four Pees, GMG, ONYX and Printable Technologies. HP and these partners are working to improve the wide-format printing experience for customers by using HP-certified definitions in their products.

Continued growth in large-format recycling efforts

The HP Large-format Media take-back program for recyclable printing materials(7) – which provides free return and recycling of eligible media – has added six new media compatible with HP Designjet printers: HP Durable Banner with DuPont Tyvek®, HP Clear Film, HP Matte Film, HP Premium Vivid Color Backlit Film, HP Matte Polypropylene and HP Everyday Matte Polypropylene. These media join the five signage materials compatible with HP Designjet and HP Scitex Latex Ink printers already included in the take-back program.
Seven additional European countries – Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Poland and Portugal – have recently joined the HP Large-format Media take-back program, bringing the total to 17 European countries. In North America, Canada is scheduled to join the United States in the take-back program this month.

The HP Large-format Media take-back program is now part of the HP Planet Partners program, which has been expanded to support free consumables return and recycling efforts for HP inkjet printheads compatible with HP Scitex LX Series printers. The printhead cleaning cartridge and printhead cleaning container for the HP Designjet L25500 Printer also have been added to the program.

More information on HP activities at FESPA 2010 is available at http://www.hp.com/go/fespa2010 and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HPgraphicarts.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/.

(1) HP expects the global digital print market to reach $124 billion (€96 billion) by 2014.
(2) Flexible media printing with an optional HP Scitex FB700 Roll-to-Roll Upgrade Kit.
(3) HP Scitex FB700 Extension Tables are required for long materials. Two sets are required for printing materials up to 120 inches (3.05 m) long.
(4) According to a May 2010 report from I.T. Strategies.
(5) Based on HP internal estimates.
(6) HP Scitex Print Care is currently available with the HP Scitex LX600 Printer, HP Scitex LX800 Printer and HP Scitex FB500 Printer.
(7) HP offers the HP Large-format Media take-back program in the United States, Europe and Canada, through which most HP recyclable signage media can be returned; availability varies. Some recyclable papers can be recycled through commonly available recycling programs. For details visit www.hp.com/recycle. Aside from this program, recycling opportunities for these products are currently only available in limited areas. Customers should consult local recycling resources for recycling these products.

Kern Druck achieves flexible direct mail production with Kodak Prosper S10 Imprinting System

Editor — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 18:42:01 +0000

STUTTGART, GERMANY, June 16 — German full print services provider, Kern Druck GmbH, has invested in three new Kodak Prosper S10 Imprinting Systems. The Bexbach-based company has installed the machines in a unique configuration, enabling it to automate its workflow processes and streamline its direct mail production.

Kern has a long tradition producing top-quality, complex commercial collateral in sheetfed offset, frequently featuring spot inks and special coatings. The company has 35 staff and a branch just across the border in Sarreguemines, France. About a decade ago, the company decided to extend its portfolio by producing direct marketing and mailers.

Personalized mailers for demanding clients

Today Kern prints direct mail and self-mailers for major cosmetics retail chains, consumer goods manufacturers, tour operators and insurance companies, typically in runs from 10,000 up to one million: “It was our mailer business that originally stirred our interest in hybrid printing,” says André Kern, joint Managing Director. “Output is produced in sheetfed offset on five, six, and eight-color presses—mainly in 3B format—before imprinting the variable data digitally in one color.”

After trying out simple inkjet printheads, the company switched to laser printers because of its customers’ exacting quality specifications. “We were forever thinking about how we could meet the exemplary standards demanded by our clients using a more affordable inkjet system,” continues Kern. “We wanted to completely re-launch the mailer side of our operation with an end-to-end solution that would give us maximum flexibility regarding formats and paper types. The Prosper S10 Imprinting Systems fit perfectly with this concept.”

The Kodak Prosper S10 Imprinting System is the first product to implement KODAK Stream Inkjet Technology, and was launched in 2009 as a monochrome imprinting system for delivering offset-class variable data applications at up to 1000 fpm / 305 mpm. Each printhead is designed for an imprint width of 105.6 mm. The PROSPER S10 System uses pigment-based inks with micro-milled pigments, and has a resolution of 600 x 600 dpi.

The system’s ability to handle a wide variety of uncoated, coated and glossy substrates was an important consideration for Kern. The company’s variable imprinting and personalization applications call for diverse materials—from 60 g NCR paper through 80 g/m² offset paper to matte-coated art paper weighing 250 g/m²: “At high printing speeds, the inkjet quality on all of these materials is at least as good as laser—crucially, however, the costs for inks and operation are much lower,” reports Kern.

Imprinting solution in a unique configuration

In a joint engineering venture involving Popp Maschinenbau, Heidelberg, and Kodak, a unique imprinting and finishing system was installed at Kern, enabling variable data to be imprinted on preprinted color offset sheets. The system handles sheets up to 820 x 1280mm in size and supports two-sided variable data printing with the Kodak Prosper S10 Imprinting Systems.

A HEIDELBERG folder/continuous feeder feeds the sheets to the first Popp vacuum drive table, on which two Prosper S10 Imprinting Systems are mounted side by side. The sheets are printed continuously at high speed, and dried using an IR dryer before being transferred to a second perpendicular vacuum drive table via a sheet turning unit. Before the reverse side is printed with the third Prosper S10, a camera barcode reader checks the content to ensure it matches the variable data printed on the front. The printed sheets can either be supplied to a delivery or finished directly in-line in folding machines. If required, Kern can also mount all three Prosper S10 Systems on one table and print variable data on just one side of the sheet across a width of more than 316 mm.

Top quality and flexibility for direct mailers and more

“The KODAK Inkjet Imprinting Systems combine laser quality with low costs per print, regardless of the substrate,” adds Kern. “They also give us the flexibility we’ve always longed for in terms of format, materials and options for use, allowing us to meet even the most unusual customer requirements.”

The advantages of the Prosper S10 Systems are not restricted to mailers. Kern anticipates using the machines for other applications, such as variable editorial content for customer magazines.

Agfa’s new :Anapurna 2500LED with LED UV curing and a 2.5m width extend Agfa’s technology lead in wide format UV printing

Editor — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:00:00 +0000

The latest addition to Agfa’s portfolio of wide-format digital ink-jet printers introduces LED curing technology for the first time on a UV-curable 2.5 m flat-bed and roll-fed platform. Agfa Graphics’ Anapurna 2500LED incorporates many of the company’s established technologies with advanced refinements to make it a high quality, cost effective solution for print service providers, display producers and sign-makers.

The :Anapurna 2500LED uses the latest durable UV-curable inks and has been designed to accommodate the company’s latest UPH-2 greyscale print-heads, successfully introduced in the :M-Press Tiger. These heads, together with an automated maintenance system, deliver 764 nozzles each. The eight picolitre output, combined with a maximum output resolution of 1440 dpi, ensure crisp text down to 4 point as well as smooth solid colours and fine photographic detail.

Incorporating LED curing in this advanced system brings reduced running costs and the ability to print on a wider range of materials. The :Anapurna 2500 LED’s technology uses low power solid state diodes which need no warm-up time and offer a very long life when compared with mercury arc UV lamps. Because the ultra-violet radiation is more consistent and the diodes generate no infra red, even heat sensitive and traditionally difficult media can now be handled with confidence.

“The incorporation of LED UV-curable technology in the new :Anapurna 2500LED offers greater flexibility on more materials and substantially lower energy costs,” said Willy Van Dromme, Business Line Manager for Wide Format Inkjet at Agfa Graphics. “The launch of our 2500LED printer will see the start of a revolution in the wide-format printing sector as users look to reduce their running costs and maintain high quality output on all types of media.”

Suitable for sign-makers, POP printers and display producers who want consistent, high quality results with lower running costs and greater versatility, throughput speeds on the :Anapurna LED2500 are up to 54 square m/hour (581 square ft/hour) on both rigid and flexible materials. Users will also benefit from the printer’s practical 2.5m width that can print industry standard 2.4 x 1.2m (8 x 4ft) boards across the long edge to reduce printing time.

The machine, which is available now, is shipped as a total solution including workflow, roll to roll system, two rigid tables and a start-up quantity of :Anapurna ink.
Agfa Graphics’ :Anapurna 2500LED has recently been successfully introduced into the market and is on display for the first time at FESPA 2010.

Cowan Imaging Group Improves Productivity with Agfa’s :Jeti Inkjet Printing System

Editor — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Agfa announced today that Cowan Imaging Group of Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) has logged over 7500 hours on its :Jeti 3150 system and expects to do more. Founded in 1945, this family-owned company has transitioned from a small, two-person shop to a leader in screen printing and digital graphics with over 100 employees. Today, Cowan Imaging Group produces everything from decals, transit shelter advertisements, billboards to fleet signage and more.

According to Ian Stirling, Technical Services Manager at Cowan Imaging Group, “We strive to produce the best output for our customers. About three years ago, we needed a solid flatbed so we could move away from vinyl mounting which was a more costly and labor-intensive process for producing signage. We looked at other printers but went with the :Jeti 3150 system because it is an example of superior engineering.”

Agfa announced the acquisition of GandInnovations in November 2009. The acquisition enables Agfa Graphics to significantly increase its presence in large format inkjet printing. The :Jeti portfolio of mid-range large format printers is completely complementary to Agfa Graphics’ inkjet business. The deal closed in January 2010.

According to Stirling, “For us, our :Jeti 3150 is like the Swiss Army Knife of printers. You can do all kinds of work with it. The 3150 is reliable and it just keeps going. And the :Jeti service organization was stellar and available when needed. So from my perspective, the product line was too good to just die.” Stirling also offered, “This is a positive step for Agfa and the :Jeti systems. The :Jeti systems have a stable future. Agfa now has introductory options with :Anapurna, high production with the :M-Press TIGER, and for everything else in between they have the :Jeti systems.”
About Cowan Imaging Group

Cowan operates one of Canada’s largest screen and digital printing plants. Cowan has grown the business from providing corporate images such as decals, signage and promotional banners to a full production screen and digital print environment producing large-format graphics for billboards, transit shelter advertisements, fleet signage, wall murals, vehicle murals, scrim, banners, directional signage and point of purchase displays. Cowan Imaging Group has led the Alberta Graphics and Screen Printing industry in R&D and new product development, and has worked closely with manufacturer partners to ensure that new development in raw materials meets strict quality requirements. For more information on Cowan Imaging Group visit them at http://www.cowan.ca.

New Agfa Graphics’ Anapurna M 2050 targets 2m UV printer market with higher productivity and white ink

Editor — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:00:00 +0000

This year’s FESPA sees Agfa targeting the wide format market with the world-wide introduction of the flatbed/roll-to-roll :Anapurna M 2050. Combining the productivity of two of the existing machines in this family with a new 2,05 metre width, this new UV-curable printer also benefits from white ink printing and the company’s latest M-series G2 inks, which are designed for applications on the latest rigid and roll materials that demand more flexibility.

The six-colour and white :Anapurna M 2050 benefits from the white ink capabilities already proven in the popular :Anapurna Mw whilst integrating the additional speed found in the :Anapurna M2. The new machine’s versatility is enhanced with flexible media handling capability and a four-zone vacuum table which give additional strength for handling a wide range of substrates varying in size and thickness.

Built to be robust yet easy to operate, the :Anapurna M 2050′s productivity is achieved with its eight print-heads for a total of 8,192 nozzles, plus the ability to output in both uni- and bi-directional modes without compromising on performance or quality. These features make it ideal for all types of applications up to a maximum size of 3 x 2m and 4.5 cm thickness on rigid media, with consistently fine photographic quality where detailed rendering, graduated tints and sharp text are essential.

The :Anapurna M 2050 combines with the company’s new :Anapurna M-series G2 UV-curable inks to result in a solution which is ideal for use on a broad range of rigid substrates and flexible roll materials. Finished output can be cut and creased without flaking or cracking, thus extending the options available to display producers and designers.
Typical throughput speeds of the :Anapurna M 2050 in four-pass bi-directional mode are around 24 m2/hour, optimised for poster and banner production.

“Amongst the print options available on the :Anapurna M 2050, Agfa has also integrated a higher speed uni-directional mode for photographic quality,” said Willy Van Dromme Business Line Manager for Wide Format Inkjet at Agfa Graphics. “Every application requests a different balance between speed and quality, and the system must allow for the best-fit printing mode. That is why the new printer is simple to control via an integrated touch screen, and internal hard disk system for fast and secure transfer of data. Media loading and changing on the :Anapurna M 2050 from rigid to flexible materials works is fast and straightforward… all these benefits accommodate the need to change media quickly from job to job.”

The system includes registration bars, anti static bars, shuttle safety sensors , automatic head height adjustment and a refined vacuum power control, all combined to deliver flawless rigid and roll-to-roll transport. The :Anapurna M 2050′s six-colours (CMYKLcLm) plus white capability and its 12 picolitre print-heads produce high quality solids and tonal rendering at up to 720 x 1440 dpi with vibrant colours and a wide colour gamut. White is printed in-line with the other colours, so printing pre-white or post-white is carried out in the same printing pass.

The :Anapurna M 2050 2.05m wide-format UV-curable printer joins Agfa’s established series of 1.6m machines, designed to give users a tough and reliable solution for their display needs. This new addition to Agfa Graphics’ portfolio is indicative of the company’s continuing investment and commitment to the digital print market which now includes solutions for all applications and budgets.

HP Introduces the Future of Printing: Web Connected and Cloud Aware

Editor — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:45:01 +0000

HP today unveiled a new category of web-enabled printing solutions designed for the cloud that will, for the first time, allow people to:

* Print from any email device to any new ePrint-enabled printer from anywhere in the world through the new HP ePrint platform;(1)
* Store documents or files in the cloud and print direct when needed;
* Transform their printers into publishing platforms from which they can customize print apps and schedule timed delivery of content – such as news from msnbc.com and Yahoo! and creative after-school activities from Disney – directly to their home or business printers;(2)
* Manage and customize their full printing experience through the new HP ePrintCenter to enjoy relevant, fun and interesting content that is formatted for efficient printing.

To showcase these new solutions, HP announced a full suite of web-empowered e-All-in-One printers for home and business that start at $99.(3) These will be the first printers able to “talk” to the “Google Cloud” without requiring a local proxy PC or web appliance, which means people will be able to access Google Docs, Photos and Calendar directly from their printers. A selection of new print apps from partners such as Yahoo!, msnbc.com, Facebook®, Live Nation, Crayola, Reuters, DocStoc and Picasa Web Albums™ also will be available.

“We are once again revolutionizing printing to make web-empowered, cloud-enabled printing the new industry standard,” said Vyomesh Joshi, executive vice president, Imaging and Printing Group, HP. “We know that our customers want an easy way to print their content, anywhere, anytime. We’re making that a reality today by giving people the power to print from any web-connected device – smartphones, iPads, netbooks and more – to any printer in our portfolio above $99. The world has changed.”

HP web-connected products and services are supported by a digital print advertising platform that can be leveraged by print app partners. Customers can get premium content at no additional cost and brands can add value to their audience by populating select print content with customized messages, promotions and information like coupons or local services.

HP ePrint: if you can email it, you can print it

The HP ePrint platform harnesses the cloud to break down the barriers of distance and connectivity and allow people to send the files they want to print from their mobile devices.(1) From a mom and son printing drawings from an iPad, to an executive on a train sending a presentation from a Palm Pre or Blackberry® smartphone to print and pick up at a FedEx Office store, HP ePrint allows people to print anytime, anywhere.

Every HP ePrint printer will have a unique simple email address that allows the sender to deliver a print the same way they would send an email message. Customers also can send documents to print through an HP ePrint mobile app on their smartphone device to a home, office or public print location such as a hotel or FedEx Office store. Customers will be able to send Microsoft® Office documents, Adobe® PDFs and JPEG image files, among others.

HP ePrintCenter: a home for all things printing

The HP ePrintCenter is an online hub for all HP customers to explore new services and customize their printing experience. For example, people can register their products and receive updates according to their preferences, configure their devices, track ePrint jobs, and browse and suggest new print apps.

Scheduled delivery available through HP e-All-in-One printers

Following a successful pilot study in two major cities, HP has announced a new service called Scheduled Delivery, which allows customers to choose content to be pushed to a printer at a designated time each day or week.(2) For example, they might choose a customized news feed from msnbc.com to arrive at 7 a.m. for picking up on their way out of the door, or they might choose fun kids activities from Disney to be ready when the children get home from school.

Users simply register for the news or content feeds of their choice through the HP ePrintCenter and schedule the day, time and frequency of delivery so items will be printed and waiting when they want them.

The Scheduled Delivery service also opens up a new era of digital print advertising for HP and content partners. HP and Yahoo! plan to launch the service as a pilot program to help marketers consider ways to provide added value to their audiences by populating select print content from partners with customized messages, promotions and information like coupons or local services.

New HP Photosmart printers at every price

The new line of web-connected HP Photosmart printers allows consumers the freedom to access content and print from anywhere without a PC. This can be achieved through HP ePrint from any mobile device or by touching a variety of customizable apps and printing options on the printer’s intuitive HP TouchSmart screen.(2)

* The HP Photosmart Premium e-All-in-One – This top-of-the-line printer provides wireless access to the web and can be customized by selecting from the full line of advanced print apps such as Fandango and Coupons.com.(2) It features a 4.3-inch HP TouchSmart screen with enhanced touch technology and can save paper by up to 50 percent using automatic two-sided printing. Expected to be available worldwide in September for $199.(3)
* The HP Photosmart Plus e-All-in-One – Produce lab-quality photos, everyday documents and creative projects using this printer’s 3.5-inch HP TouchSmart screen. Quickly print web content such as coupons, recipes, quick forms, greeting cards, HP Games, crafts and news without a PC.(1, 2) Expected to be available worldwide in August for $149.(3)
* HP Photosmart e-All-in-One – Quickly print web content using the 2.4-inch HP TouchSmart screen. Create impressive photo projects affordably using individual inks and photo printing features such as the auto-engaging photo tray and direct access to Snapfish, the No. 1 online photo service. Expected to be available in North America later this month for $99.(3)
* HP Photosmart Premium Fax e-All-in-One – Easily fax, scan and copy using the automatic document feeder; plus, print photos and web content easily through the touchscreen interface. Incorporates a host of connectivity options including wired and wireless networking.(1, 4) Expected to be available worldwide in September for $299.(3)

New free HP Photo Creations software ships with all the new printers and allows people to create photo books, calendars and other fun projects. All of the printers announced today reduce packaging waste by using an innovative, reusable bag and are ENERGY STAR® qualified.

New for these printers is HP Everyday Photo Paper, an affordable, glossy photo paper designed for value-conscious customers. Constructed from Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper fiber, this recyclable photo paper makes it easy to print colorful, everyday snapshots and photo projects on any inkjet printer. HP recommends ColorLok® papers for best printing results.

New print app partners for consumers and businesses

Newly available print apps include: Yahoo! and msnbc.com for daily news; Crayola and KoL.com for coloring pages and fun family ideas; Picasa Web Albums for printing photos from a user’s personal account; PBS KIDS literacy, math and science activities featuring popular characters such as Curious George; Facebook for printing from a user’s photo album or listed events; MapQuest for maps and directions; Artsonia for images from the world’s largest kids art museum; Arrival Guides – travel guides for hundreds of destinations around the world; and Live Nation for access to concert tickets and promotions.

Later this year, business customers can enjoy print apps from services such as: Marketsplash by HP for a shortcut to print customized marketing materials such as brochures and flyers; Google Docs for easy document scanning to the web for printing at a later time; Box.net to scan, share, manage and access business content online; Portfolio.com and Reuters for the latest news articles; Daily Brief for business essentials in one place including calendar, to-do list and news from American City Business Journals; and DocStoc and Biztree for immediate access to business forms such as invoices, contracts, receipts, legal agreements and checklists

HP is working with a select group of developers to refine its beta software developers kit and to add hundreds of print apps by the end of the year. Developers can request the kit from the developers tab of the HP ePrintCenter.

HP iPrint Photo for Android

Now available for Android smartphones, HP iPrint Photo is a free photo printing application for quick and easy direct wireless printing to HP inkjet printers connected to a local Wi-Fi network. The Android version joins HP iPrint Photo for Symbian, Windows® Mobile, iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. The Snapfish by HP mobile app for Android is expected to launch this summer.

HP at Internet Week New York

All of HP’s new products, solutions and features will be on display June 7-10 at Internet Week New York headquarters at the Metropolitan Pavilion.

HP executives will speak at the Federated Media Conversational Marketing Summit June 7-8 at the Hudson Theater and Millennium Broadway Hotel:

* Tariq Hassan, vice president, Worldwide Marketing and Communications, Imaging and Printing Group, will speak on the “Marketing to Businesses in Real Time” panel. June 7 at 12:05 p.m. ET.
* Tuan Tran, vice president and general manager, Inkjet Consumer Solutions, will present a case study on marketing opportunities made possible through web-empowered printing. June 8 at 11:50 a.m. ET.

HP also will support the Mashable Media Summit on June 8, will power the blogger lounge and have its newest web-connected printing lineup available at The TimesCenter.

About HP

LYFT Visual Gets Boost in Short-run Projects with Agfa’s :Dotrix Modular Digital Press

Editor — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Agfa Graphics today announced that Agfa’s otrix Modular digital press has been installed at Boehmer Box’s LYFT Visual of Canada, a packaging printer that manufacture carton and packaging products, signage and POP materials. LYFT Visual were created out of parent company Boehmer Box in order to accommodate variable data projects. A digital environment, including the otrix, was necessary to help brand owners make the most of their logos and designs in multiple applications.

The otrix can print on virtually any substrate, from flexible film to carton stock made from materials as diverse as paper, boxboard, label stock, styrenes and PVC. The otrix gave LYFT Visual the ability to provide high-quality packaging and other marketing materials simply and easily.

“Brand owners can easily repurpose their packaging graphics into signage and display materials, and produce these quickly on the digital press. This allows fast and low-cost production of a variety of support materials for the POS support market. These can include free standing inserts, retail-ready packaging, in-store banners and signage which are extensions of what consumer product goods companies need to procure”, said Mark Caines, group president and COO, Boehmer Box. “We have created a value proposition that differentiates us in the marketplace and has allowed us to grow our business”.

LYFT Visual were the first company in Canada to install the otrix digital press, the speed of which will help the company reach its goal of producing two billion folding cartons a year. With the trend going towards shorter runs, variable data and higher quality, the otrix gives LYFT a distinct advantage over their competitors in the Canadian folding carton market.

“Traditional flexo or UV offset printing is expensive and time consuming to reach ‘make-ready’ on press. Historically, that was not so important so long as the run lengths could stay long enough. However, for some time the trend has been towards progressively shorter and shorter runs. This trend has allowed digital UV inkjet and the otrix to find an important place in the market and help companies like LYFT Visual stand apart”, said Richard Barham, Vice President, Inkjet, Agfa Graphics.

The otrix digital UV inkjet press, with a printing width of 63cm, is the most productive UV, single-pass printing press in the industry. otrix is the only digital press able to print with high production capacity on a wide variety of substrates ranging from flexible foils, 20 micron over self-adhesives, to folding cartons up to 600 micron. With its modular construction, traditional UV flexo printing stations that can serve as coating and varnishing alleys can be added to the roll-to-roll basic configuration. Slitting and die-cutting as well as sheeter installations can also be integrated to complete the system.

Kodak and Sun Automation Address the Packaging Market with Kodak’s Inkjet Technology

Editor — Thu, 27 May 2010 13:56:01 +0000

BIRMINGHAM, UK, May 25 — Built on KODAK VERSAMARK Printing Systems technology, the new CorrStream™ High-Speed Digital Printer from Sun Automation is the first product of its kind designed specifically for the corrugated packaging industry. The CorrStream™ Printer is a result of a product development and commercialization agreement between Kodak and Sun Automation and is part of Kodak’s plan to extend the application of its core technologies into a variety of targeted markets.

Running at production speeds of up to 500 fpm, the CorrStream™ High-Speed Digital Printer provides 45 inches of color print area across a corrugated sheet up to 60 inches wide. The printer utilizes up to 20 KODAK VERSAMARK DH90 Printheads to produce color images suitable for corrugated applications such as point-of-purchase displays and versioned or variable primary and secondary graphic image packaging.

Jeff Peterson, President, Sun Automation, noted: “Introducing digital inkjet technology to this market makes it possible to reduce lead times, provide mass customization, and reduce overall costs. Kodak’s proven inkjet technology is an ideal foundation for this revolutionary new corrugated printer, and will help us enhance our product line and meet the needs of our customers.”

The CorrStream™ Printer is targeted at brand owners and corrugated box plants looking to enhance the production of individual or bulk packages as well as point-of-purchase displays. With a digital solution, brand owners can produce smaller runs of versioned or customized local packaging that connects with consumers and drives a much higher ROI.

“Kodak offers a number of production solutions in the packaging market, and by partnering with Sun Automation, we are able to implement our inkjet technology in additional solutions,” said Mike Marsh, General Manager, Inkjet Printing Solutions, Kodak. “We are excited by the growth opportunities in this area.”

Sun Automation is an employee owned company located in Sparks, Maryland, near Baltimore. The company has a history of innovation, including Extend-O-Feed® feeding systems for corrugated sheets, MicroGrind® technology for improved performance of rotary die cutting systems, and the digital harmonic register system for improving productivity on corrugated finishing machinery.

About Kodak

As the world’s foremost imaging innovator, Kodak helps consumers, businesses, and creative professionals unleash the power of pictures and printing to enrich their lives.

To learn more, visit http://www.kodak.com and follow our blogs and more at http://www.kodak.com/go/followus.

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In the graphic communications market, Kodak offers the broadest portfolio of integrated solutions to help customers grow their business. For more information, visit www.graphics.kodak.com. For downloading photos and videos from Kodak’s image library, visit www.kodak.com/go/gcgimages.