Expanse Premier Vinyl from
CWES proves to be a winner.
Expanse Premier provides Smart vehicle wrapFrost Signs are delighted with the new Expanse Premier Cast Vinyl and matched cast laminate provided by CWE Solutions Limited (CWES). Gareth Marchant, Production Manager at the Kent based company started using the recently launched Expanse Premier a few months ago for vehicle wrapping and has been extremely pleased with the results.
Established ten years ago, Frost Signs started as a sign installation company, providing trade services to clients across the UK and the world, installing a wide spectrum of sign and graphic projects including vehicle wrapping. In recent years the company have expanded its product portfolio allowing them to expand their direct customer base whilst still maintaining the valued trade service of installation and sub-contract work.
Marchant already had a great relationship with CWES. When he joined Frost Signs in 2011 he brought in the CWES team to profile the HP Designjet L25500 he inherited with the job and supply a new Onyx RIP to optimise his print solution.
Having experienced various vinyl failures, he started researching and testing different alternative vehicle vinyls and applications, particularly trialling the Expanse Premier Vinyl and matched cast laminate for a vehicle wrapping job over Christmas 2012.
“Some vinyl’s that we have used for vehicle wrapping in the past provide easy and smooth application but have been very problematic when it came to printing”, he explained. “Others were great to print onto but then difficult to fit to the vehicle. We were really struggling to get the branding right for our clients and we knew there had to be a better way. That’s when we decided to trial Expanse Premier and we’ve had great results ever since.”
Marchant continued,
“We were one of the first to use Expanse Premier and we don’t regret it. Without a doubt, Expanse Premier from CWES is the best vehicle wrapping product we have used and gives the best all-round result of any media we have tried. Expanse Premier gives a great print quality coupled with easy application.”
Specially designed for the vehicle wrapping market and rigorously tested, one of the secrets to the success of Expanse Premier lies in the new Micro-Air bubble releasing system adhesive. Expanse Premier also provides superior conformability, easily taking the form of the vehicle it is being applied to but without losing its shape. This ensures that it fits even the difficult curves of the Smart Car without messy mistakes and difficult reapplications. Frost Signs’ fitters enjoy using Expanse Premier and it is now their preferred choice for vehicle wrapping.
When Frost Signs upgraded to a new HP Designjet L26500 Latex printer a few weeks later in January 2013 to meet the ever increasing demands of their growing customer base, it was a natural decision to use CWES again. As Gareth describes,
“We needed a new machine and it had to be latex as so many of our jobs are fast turn-around”, added Marchant. “With latex you can print and as the signs are coming off the machine they are ready to use straight away. You don’t have to wait for inks to cure or gas off before laminating. Our need for a consistently reliable printer is paramount and that’s why we chose the HP Designjet L26500 Latex printer from CWES.”
Graham de Kock, commercial director at CWES commented,
“We are very pleased that our new vehicle wrapping vinyl, Expanse Premier, has had such a great impact at Frost Signs. The quality of the media can be seen in the fantastic work they have been completing recently including with the Smart car wrap. Our new Expanse media range was developed to answer the needs of our customers, identified from our years of working closely with them, and it’s great to know we have got it right with Expanse Premier.”
http://www.cwesolutions.co.uk/
Follow us on Twitter - @DigiPrintNews
Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/dpnlive - (click the ‘LIKED’ button/top of page as well)
Reports strong sales leads and sizable interest
in its prototyping and proofing solutions.
Handbag created by Pillbox Designs and printed using the Roland VersaUV LEC onto a Mirri Rainbow substrateRoland DG has declared Packaging Innovations 2013 a roaring success, with a number of strong sales leads secured and considerable interest shown in its prototyping and proofing solutions from businesses right across the packaging sector.
Steve Chappell, Packaging, Proofing & Industrial Labelling Business Manager at Roland DG commented: “Packaging Innovations 2013 was a great show in many respects for Roland DG. Partnering with packaging heavy weights like Esko and CGS provided us with an excellent opportunity to profile our brand at the show. It also gave us a unique insight into the needs right through the production chain – from agencies and designers to packaging printers and brand owners. The stand was busy throughout the show and the interest in all our solutions was incredibly high.”
Chappell says agencies and designers who visited the stand were especially interested in CGS’s new ORIS Flex Pack // Web contract proofing solution, which includes ORIS software and Roland’s VersaCAMM VS-series of printer/cutters, and has been developed as an on-demand alternative to slow and expensive legacy systems for packaging proofing. Packaging, box and carton printers took particular interest in the LEC printer/cutter solution, which allows users to create realistic mock-ups quickly using virtually any material, including final production stock. There is also the option to print prototypes with white and gloss ink, and embossed effects on-demand, offering the packaging designer and printer total versatility without additional cost.
He continues: “In the ORIS Flex Pack and our LEC printer/cutter series, we have a unique proposition for the packaging market that we believe will revolutionise packaging prototyping and proofing. Both of these solutions aim to challenge the status quo and get designers and packaging producers thinking differently in terms of how they approach proofing and prototyping.
“In the six months since we exhibited at the last Packaging Innovations in London, we have 
Roland VersaUV LEC-540started to see a breakthrough in understanding and interest in this sector and this was confirmed at Packaging Innovations Birmingham 2013. Visitors took the time to understand how these products could become real game changers by offering a quicker, more cost-efficient and on-demand proofing and prototyping solution without any compromise on quality. The industry is definitely ready for this change as the general environment is calling for packaging designers and printers to be even more creative and competitive. We are very excited about Roland’s prospects in this market.”
For more information about packaging prototyping using your final production stock with Roland’s VersaUV LEC visit www.rolanddg.co.uk/lec or call 00 (0) 845 230 90 60. For details on producing colour accurate packaging proofs with Roland and CGS visit www.flex-pack.co.uk.
Website: www.rolanddg.co.uk / www.rolanddental.co.uk
Press Release by Roland DG
Follow us on Twitter - @DigiPrintNews
Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/dpnlive - (click the ‘LIKED’ button/top of page as well)
Two day event provided a free educational
experience for many participants.
The Wide Format Wave was a busy eventMimaki’s UK distributor for the UK & Ireland, Hybrid Services, played host to an inaugural learning event in February for the printing industry alongside Soyang, Solent Sewing & Welding, Curvorama, CADLink and keyringfab.co.uk.
Entitled the ‘Wide Format Wave’, the event provided a free educational experience where participants were given the opportunity to try out different applications, ranging from producing pull up banners and coasters to keyrings, t-shirts and vehicle graphics. There was also the bonus of being able to talk on a one-to-one basis with industry experts in an informal environment.
The two day occasion, which was the first of its kind to be hosted at Hybrid, proved to be a great success they said, with companies travelling from all over the country to have a go at producing something ‘different’. Hybrid’s marketing manager, Duncan Jefferies, commented “The aim of the event was to offer participants an enjoyable and hands on experience, giving them new ideas of how to generate new revenue streams within their existing setup and the feedback received has been extremely positive.”
“It was good to see a wide range of applications from start to finish,” said Jason Middleton, MD of Abalone Graphics, who visited the event. “I came to the Wide Format Wave because although I knew how the machines worked, it was good to find which different materials were available.”
“The Wide Format Wave was very informal,” remarked another visitor – director at Williams Design & Print, Rob Williams. “There was no pressurised selling and it was good to be able to use all the machines to produce different jobs.”
Hybrid’s Duncan Jefferies added: “We intended that the Wide Format Wave enabled people to just come along, have a go at trying out new applications they may not have considered before and take away something positive for their own businesses and we really feel this was accomplished.”
A video of the event is available to view at www.wideformatwave.co.uk along with complete contact details of all the partner companies.
Follow us on Twitter - @DigiPrintNews
Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/dpnlive - click the ‘LIKED’ button/top of page as well
Copyright © 2013, DPNLIVE – All Rights Reserved
 The Mimaki UJF-3042 helped visitors to the Wide Format Wave print their own designs onto products like coasters |  Abalone Graphics’ Jason Middleton was one of the attendees at the event |
Co-operation agreement with Color Concepts.
Mimaki Media Certification ProgrammeIndependent, third-party certification of media for use with Mimaki’s JV400LX printer and latex inks is now available after Mimaki Engineering Co. Ltd. announced it has teamed up with Color Concepts, a leading independent creator of media profiles.
The new Mimaki Media Certification Program (MMCP) is available to providers of media in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) that are suitable for the JV400LX printer. Mimaki is hoping to expand this program to other Mimaki printers and ink technologies in the future.
“We are very excited to be launching this EMEA Media Certification Program,” said Mike Horsten, Marketing Manager of Mimaki Europe. “In working with Color Concepts to construct the program, we focused on ease of participation on the part of media suppliers as well as building in extra benefits for approved media. This includes marketing by Mimaki on behalf of media suppliers at key trade shows and events beginning with Fespa Digital 2013, as well as online and in print advertising. Suppliers of approved media can also participate in a special swatch book program that will give their products extra visibility in the marketplace.”
One benefit for media suppliers whose media is approved through the Mimaki Media Certification Program is that they will be able to use MMCP logos that demonstrate a solid relationship with the Mimaki brand. Another is the ability to be able to take advantage of Mimaki’s marketing muscle and have their profiles available for download by JV400LX users at http://www.mymimaki.com, which will be launched shortly. Mimaki has said that participants can already easily register, apply and submit profiling orders online at http://mimaki.color-base.com, where they will also be able to check on the status of their media certification.
The company said that it will offer end users information about new available profiles or updates of their current profiles that have been downloaded via the MMCP system. Distributed in the UK & Ireland by Hybrid Services Ltd, its national sales manager, John de la Roche anticipates strong user demand. “Utilising correct profiles gets the most out of your Mimaki,” he said. “Working with key media suppliers ensures our customers benefit from output of the highest quality.”
Mimaki JV400LX is first printer for MMCP schemeAlso as part of the program, Color Concepts will produce special MMCP Media Swatch books printed to Mimaki’s quality standards. The reason is that this process makes swatch books available with minimal effort on the part of the media supplier. The swatch books will be distributed free of charge to Mimaki dealers and distributors, latex customers, and at Mimaki tradeshow stands for a broad distribution throughout the EMEA region.
“We chose to partner with Color Concepts for this important initiative,” added Horsten, “because they are the world’s number one creator of external profiles and are very well respected in the industry. Color Concepts has its own lab equipped with printers for profiling. This means that media suppliers who do not have profiling systems in place can easily contract with Color Concepts to make those profiles as part of the certification process."
Follow us on Twitter - @DigiPrintNews
Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/dpnlive - click the ‘LIKED’ button/top of page as well
Copyright © 2013, DPNLIVE – All Rights Reserved
Expertise, experience and service central to retaining customer loyalty.
Fast Signs’ network’s youngest franchisee, Gill Brown of the Derby branchIn December 2009, Gill Brown became the Fast Signs’ network’s youngest franchisee in the UK. Previously a bid manager in the IT industry, Brown brought solid project management and sales skills to her new venture and now with her young team of five staff runs the Derby branch of Fast Signs, a leading global signage franchise company.
Fast Signs Derby serves a broad range of local clients from its high street location. "Our business is not simply about selling signs," says Brown, "It's about giving our customers a positive experience. We listen to clients and aim to fully understand their requirements so that we can recommend the best possible solution from a broad range of options. We give customers a level of service that ensures we retain their loyalty and, most importantly, their future business. This is central to how we work."
She gave an example of how a local hairdresser came in with a very general brief for a sign. Through the company's in-house design service, a lot of listening and some intricate manufacturing, the hairdresser is delighted with her salon's brushed stainless steel signage. "This particular client invested in a premium product that was never going to be the cheapest option, but was right for what they wanted." explained Brown.
When it launched, Fast Signs Derby invested in a Mimaki JV33 outdoor durable printer, Mimaki CG-FX cutting plotter and Hybrid Titan laminator from reseller Graphic Printing Technologies (GPT). Brown appreciated the franchise support and advice they received, drawing on the training and backup of a time served operation. "We were guided in the right direction," she recalls, "The Mimaki has been a great asset to the business and GPT has been a supportive and very knowledgeable supplier."
This equipment has been used to fulfil a large contract for the Derbyshire Fire Service; producing and applying vehicle graphics to a fleet of 30 appliances and half wraps to additional ancillary vehicles in order to promote the organisation's current 'Think Sprinkler' campaign. A series of hard-hitting visuals were produced on the Mimaki JV33 printer before being laminated to protect them from the elements and abrasion.
Fast Signs Derby’s Mimaki JV33 has stood them in good stead from day one.Brown adds, "As a group, we are open to new ideas and are certainly not set in our ways. The team is always willing to consider new technologies, new opportunities and new ways of working. This has resulted in the business turning a profit, both for Fast Signs and our customers, despite the difficult trading conditions of recent times.”
Brown concluded, "The big contracts, such as the fire brigade, recent work for the National Trust and signage produced for a large care home group, pay well and bring in good business. But it is also the existing customers returning for more and helping the local businesses starting up that make this job so rewarding, interesting and, most of all, successful.”
Further information on Fast Signs Derby can be found by visiting www.fastsigns.co.uk/886 or by calling 0044 (0) 1332 861690. The full range of Mimaki’s products is distributed in the UK and Ireland by Hybrid Services Ltd – www.hybridservices.co.uk and GPT’s homepage is www.g-p-t.co.uk.
Follow us on Twitter - @DigiPrintNews
Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/dpnlive - click the ‘LIKED’ button/top of page as well
Copyright © 2013, DPNLIVE – All Rights Reserved
Roland’s VersaCAMM SP-300i reduces costs and
saves time on the set of Coronation Street.
Signs Graphics and Labels printed as necessary to appear in DS Alahan's corner shop with their Roland VersaCAMM SP-300iCoronation Street is one of the UK and Ireland’s most loved television programmes. Much effort goes into making sure the set looks as realistic as possible – from billboards and flyers posted on walls to packaging labels on items for sale in the Corner Shop. Lynsey Shepard is the programme’s principle graphic designer and is responsible for creating all these applications as authentically as possible, and her Roland VersaCAMM SP-300i printer/cutter has been crucial to ensuring the set’s printed materials are ready whenever the show’s demanding and fluid filming schedules require them.
The Roland was purchased and installed two years ago following a recommendation from another graphic designer who was familiar with Roland’s products. It is the first machine to be used by Coronation Street’s design team and Lynsey has been very happy with the performance of the VersaCAMM and after-sales support received through the RolandCare service and support package.
“I’ve been really impressed with our Roland machine,” she said. “The majority of the material we print is on vinyl, as it’s far more practical to have waterproof labels and signage given the nature of this business. The print & cut function is excellent and saves so much time, and it’s very precise – even when cutting circles. We’ve had a couple of small teething problems along the way, but with the RolandCare warranty service we are able to call out an engineer to get us back on our feet again quickly.”
Keeping overall production costs down was another decisive factor in Lynsey’s decision to stop outsourcing and purchase the SP-300i, and the machine has already paid for itself many times over.
Lynsey added:
“We used to outsource our print jobs to a local printing company. While the quality was good, it was more expensive and really restricted our flexibility on set as if we needed something last minute we would either have to wait or reschedule filming around this. Having the Roland on site means we are now able to quickly re-print material for extra takes and ensure we can always keep up with the schedule.”
The VersaCAMM is a very versatile machine and is used to print a wide range of set graphics including those that are iconic to the soap from beer labels for the Rovers Return’s house ale, Newton and Ridley, or posters on the wall of the pub, to stickers on the door of the Corner Shop, signage for the taxis or a vehicle wrap for a courier van if someone on the street is due to receive a package, for example.
The Roland VersaCAMM provides authentic looking signage for crisp packets wine and beer labels in the Rovers ReturnThe VersaCAMM SP-i series comprises two models – the 30inch SP-300i and the 54inch SP-540i. One of Roland’s most popular printer/cutters, the machine delivers reliability and performance for a low initial investment. Available with a four-colour printing system, the SP-i series can be left unattended for long print runs leaving the user free to perform other jobs safe in the knowledge the Roland is managing the task in hand.
Concludes Lynsey: “I’ve been a graphic designer for nearly ten years and I’ve witnessed a great number of changes in the industry over this time, many as a result of the technological advances companies such as Roland have made in the development of printers and ink. Print quality is certainly one of the biggest improvements I’ve seen. The vibrancy of the print finish from today’s printers is astonishing and the quality of the Eco-Sol Max inks with the Roland is brilliant. What’s very impressive is there is really no compromise to bringing a machine in house. With the Roland we have a print and cut device on-site that is of the highest production quality and flexible enough to handle whatever is required of it.”
Coronation StreetRob Goleniowski, Business Manager - Sign and Graphics at Roland DG UK commented: “We are delighted Roland has a role in the production of Coronation Street! The SP-300i is an all-rounder ideal for these kinds of jobs - offering the user a fantastic, cost-effective, high quality finish and the space-saving benefit of having the printer and cutter in one machine.”
To find out more about Roland’s VersaCAMM SP-300i, please call 00 (0) 845 230 90 60 or visit www.rolanddg.co.uk/VersaCAMMSP
Follow us on Twitter - @DigiPrintNews
Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/dpnlive - click the ‘LIKED’ button/top of page as well
Easy build “connect, twist and lock”
system that doesn’t require tools.
Replica ‘Good Times Sound System London Bus’ at the Snowbombing Festival in Mayrhofen AustriaIn one of their most unusual jobs to date Tecna UK Limited, T3 distributor, have created a replica of a London Bus. The bus was built for famous DJ Norman Jay MBE, using T3 Fabframe.
Norman Jay is one of the world’s most renowned DJs and a pioneer of house music. In great demand around the world, Jay was keen to recreate his iconic “Good Times Sound System” London Bus at the events and festivals he is invited to DJ at.
The replica ¾ scale London Bus has now appeared at events around the world including the Snowbombing Festival in Mayrhofen, Austria where Jay was to be found on the London Bus half way up a mountain, playing to amazed partygoers.
Simeon Wicks, Managing Director of Tecna UK was delighted to be involved in the project,
“It’s not everyday that we get involved in such a unique project as this one but jobs like these show exactly how versatile T3 really is,” he said.
The T3 Fabframe London Bus was built using the patented T3 easy build “connect, twist and lock” system that doesn’t require tools. The T3 frame is then clad in fabric graphics that attach quickly and easily to the modular frame.
“Easy build was a really important factor in this job as the T3 Fabframe London Bus needs to be built quickly by different teams of unskilled labour in various locations,” explained Wickes. “In all it takes as little as two hours for two people to build the London Bus set for Norman Jay.”
When dismantled the T3 Fabframe London Bus packs neatly and easily away into specially designed T3 storage bags and crates than can be easily transported and stored ready for the next big party that Jay attends.
Jonathan Evitt, Managing Director of Tecna Display Limited and inventor of T3 commented:
“Once again, Tecna UK have really pulled out the stops and created an inspirational set that is an amazing showcase for the T3 display system.”
Tecna Display is a world leading supplier of high-quality portable and modular displays. Its T3 Modular Framing system is used to build dynamic structures and display environments for trade show stands, graphic displays and signage, conferences and events and retail interiors.
http://www.tecnadisplay.com/T3HOME.aspx
Follow us on Twitter - @DigiPrintNews
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dpnlive
Exclusive workshop aimed at helping print service providers to learn new skills and applications.
The Wide Format Wave takes place at Hybrid’s Crewe head office Sign and graphics professionals are invited to “ride the Wide Format Wave” this February at Hybrid’s UK headquarters, exploring ways to add value to their digitally printed output by learning new skills and production techniques. Attendees are invited to join Mimaki’s exclusive distributor, along with Soyang Europe, Solent Sewing & Welding Solutions, CADLink and Curvorama, for a special, free, learning experience where they can design, print and finish and then take home a selection of interesting applications.
The Wide-Format Wave is an exclusive event which will give visitors the opportunity to find out how to get the most out of their digital printer, building new revenue streams with real application creation experience that they can take away with them. “If you’re new to wide-format, or looking at expanding your existing setup, then this is a great opportunity to come and learn how to add new profit centres to your business,” says Martin Morrissey of Miller Weldmaster’s UK distributor, Solent Sewing & Welding.
During the event print professionals will have the opportunity to use their own artwork to create finished products such as banners, iPhone covers or pull up displays, and will be able to utilise the knowledge and experience of a printer distributor, software company, materials manufacturer, finishing equipment supplier and applications experts so that they leave with real skills and ideas. Hybrid’s marketing manager, Duncan Jefferies, commented, “In a tough economy, print companies need to look at ways of bringing in new customers as well as keeping their existing ones and this event is designed to provide a wide scope for printers who want to give their customers creative options beyond their standard range.”
“When you’re in a competitive market, exciting new products with broad appeal can give printers the edge,” says Curvorama’s Miles Harris. “Able to both free-stand and line shell schemes, only Curvorama ticks all the boxes for portable displays – and you can see how to create it for yourself at the event.”
The hands-on workshop environment is designed to promote a valuable learning experience By registering in advance, visitors will receive a free memory stick containing templates for them to save their designs in and bring on the day. “Giving our guests meaningful projects makes the experience more valid,” added Soyang Europe’s MD, Mark Mashiter. “As a materials supplier, we’re keen to work with people to demonstrate how a broad substrate portfolio can help them win new business.”
Software experts CADLink are part of the event, revealing the productivity advantages of their SignLab package as visitors produce a set of stickers to their own design. "Utilising a single software application that is able to provide all of the required design and layout tools for a project, then also RIP, print and cut the completed project streamlines the entire process from start to finish" explained Bernhard Nitsche of CADlink Technology Corporation. "The correct software can save the print provider a great deal of production time and costs in day to day operations".
See exciting new applications that your business could be producing at the event vWide Format Wave will be hosted at the UK home of Mimaki in Crewe, Cheshire on the 5th and 6th February 2013. You can find further information and register for this free event by visiting www.wideformatwave.co.uk or speak to a member of the Hybrid team on 0044 (0) 1270 501900.
Follow us on Twitter - @DigiPrintNews
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dpnlive
Copyright © 2013, DPNLIVE – All Rights Reserved
Great offers still available for printers to buy from
Mimaki authorised resellers in the UK & Ireland.
A Mimaki CJV30 starts at just £5,995Mimaki’s JV33 printers and CJV30 printer/cutters form the mainstay of the company’s printer portfolio and attractive pricing from authorised Mimaki resellers in the UK and Ireland mean there’s never been a better time to invest in one of these award winning solutions.
Both machines sport latest generation print heads, an industry leading print quality and multiple choices when it comes to inks (which include eco solvent, low odour outdoor durable solvent as well as dye sublimation for transfer printing) and even white and metallic options. With a strong heritage in the sign industry and a reputation for delivering production quality solutions, Mimaki has become the de facto choice for a considerable corner of the market.
The complete Mimaki product range is distributed in the UK & Ireland by Hybrid Services Ltd and speaking with the company’s national sales manager, John de la Roche, it is clear that its resellers have some very attractive options for customers to invest in these core products.
“The Mimaki JV33 has a justified reputation for delivering high quality prints onto a very broad range of materials at speeds that allow most print companies to deliver high volumes of work each and every day,” says de la Roche. “If you’ve not already added a Mimaki to your print arsenal, there’s never been a better time to invest as our resellers have some unbelievable offers at present.”
The CJV30 utilises the same high quality print engine as the JV33 and adds the cutting functionality found on Mimaki’s CG-FXII range of plotters. De la Roche explains the draw of the integrated printer / cutter to sign makers, “The CJV30 comes in four sizes, starts at just £5,995 and is unrivalled in its ease of use and feature set. Printing, cutting and even die cutting from the one unit means a small footprint and true unattended operation leaves sign makers to get on with other jobs whilst their Mimaki is printing away and making them money,” he continues. “Following the success of this summer’s promotion on the 60cm CJV30-60 we’ve created a permanent RRP of just £5,995. That includes RIP and cutting software, take up unit and a stand - just add some ink and you’re away.”
The Mimaki JV33 offers great value and performance in a proven packageThe Mimaki CJV30-100 also benefits from a new RRP of just £7,995 and with offers available on the 1.3m and 1.6m options, de la Roche is keen to ensure customers benefit. “I’d urge printers to discuss pricing with their Mimaki reseller soon as some of these offers are for a limited period only – we don’t want companies to miss out!”
Full details on the CJV30 and JV33 models as well as the complete range of Mimaki products can be found at www.hybridservices.co.uk or by calling Hybrid on 0044 (0) 1270 501900.
Feature on behalf of Hybrid Services Ltd