The German publishing company, GGP Media has invested in an HP T410 Inkjet Web Press to meet the increasing demand for short run books.
L - R Mark Malekpour of HP, Uwe Schulz GGP Media, Christof Ludwig GGP Media and Wolfgang Kochan of HP
The installation of the press is scheduled for this month at the company's facility in Oppurg, near its main Pössneck operation and marks GGP Media’s first step into high-volume digital printing. It will complement the existing 14 conventional web presses and five sheet-fed presses that currently print some 225 million hard-cover and paperback books each year.
Uwe Schulz, production/technology manager, GGP Media said:
"Our main reasons for moving to digital production now include the growing demands for short-run jobs as well as all the advantages that the new press brings to our company, such as increasing flexibility and cost-efficiency. The book printing industry has undergone some changes in the last years, and we can see a trend to digitally printed products. Nowadays, end users are more impulsive in their decisions about which book to buy, and high-number production runs are decreasing.”
GGP Media said that already a large number of its orders are runs under 3000 copies which are simply not economical for the business. The new investment is designed to address this difficulty and will allow the company to satisfy special customer needs. An added bonus is that the need to store stock will be greatly reduced.
Schulz added:
"We decided to invest in the HP Web Press because we are sure that our company will benefit from the press's short set-up times and the fast coordination between jobs. It will make us more flexible which in turn means that we will be able to offer our clients a much better service."
Part of the Bertelsmann Group, GGP Media employs 1000 people and has more than 100 years of production experience. The HP T410, which has a production speed up to 244 m/min (800ft/min) and up to 1060.45 mm (41.75in) print width, will be used for the production of paperback and hardcover books with run lengths up to 3000 copies.
Schulz noted that it was extremely important for GGP Media to maintain its high performance in quality and delivery time and to ensure that existing substrates can be used on the HP T410 as well as on other machines. The press can print on a wide range of media, enabling it to match the specifications of longer run books produced on conventional presses. HP recently announced the availability of coated papers from ColorPRO Technology for its inkjet presses, further expanding opportunities for publication printers.
"We aim to invest in other HP technology in the near future, as we are planning to replace some of our existing web presses and sheet-fed presses to focus more on the digital side of the business," Schultz concluded.
More information is available at www.youtube.com/hpgraphicarts
Copyright © 2012, DPNLIVE – All Rights Reserved
Xerox has announced that over 100,000 people visited its stand at drupa 2012. Jeff Jacobson, the man leading the company’s graphic communications charge said: “drupa is only the beginning. Going forward we will further strengthen relationships with customers, deliver technology and services that make print more relevant and earn the right to be the industry leader.”
Xerox said drupa had been very successful and released the following details.
• Sold more than 300 digital systems, workflow and finishing solutions including the Xerox CiPress® 500 Production Inkjet System, the new iGen™ 150 Press, the Colour 1000 Press and the Xerox 700 family of presses.
• Exceeded the number and quality of contracts signed and sales goals.
• Generated more than 14,000 specific requests for information about Xerox’s solutions – twice as many as expected.
• Engaged in more than 4,500 social media conversations on Twitter and Facebook.
The company also highlighted the fact that there was strong interest in the CiPress 500 with CW Niemeyer Druck purchasing the system to produce individualised magazines, direct-mail pieces and catalogues.
Joachim Glowalla, director, CW Niemeyer Druck commented:
“Since the CiPress prints on the same substrates as our offset presses we will no longer need to use expensive coated substrates,” he said.
Xerox’s virtual drupa trade show is now live and offers a collection of videos capturing highlights from the show, including technology announcements and customer stories.
Copyright © 2012, DPNLIVE – All Rights Reserved
The Czech company, KZK, has invested in its first digital production unit with the purchase of an EFI Jetrion press at drupa 2012. The company hopes the investment will help them reduce waste as well as allow it to move into the shorter run market, creating benefits not achievable with its analogue units.
KZK tiskarna was founded 17 years ago with the aim of specialising in price labels. It started with a single flexo label press, and the company now has three Mark Andy units on which it produces a variety of applications, mainly in the automotive and electro
technical market. KZK realised that it needed to save materials and reduce waste and decided to look for a suitable digital production unit that would deliver these savings. After considering a number of options, the company chose the EFI Jetrion 4900, which it purchased through Czech Republic reseller, Macron.
Michal Silling, KZK's CEO commented:
"Since deciding to purchase the Jetrion 4900, which we'll drive with EFI Fiery, we've looked at other benefits that can be gained from this investment," he said. "As well as make-ready, time and material savings, we can now proof straight on press to final stocks, run small and medium volumes, and incorporate VDP (variable data printing) into jobs. The durability of the UV-curable inks is vital, as is opaque white ink, and the integrated cutting is perfect for all run lengths. But longevity and reputation are also important, and EFI offers us the support we need when adding digital to our existing analogue production processes."
For more information on the Jetrion 4900, go to www.efi.com/jetrion
Copyright © 2012, DPNLIVE – All Rights Reserved
KZK, drupa, EFI Jetrion 4900 press, flexo, label press, Macron, UV curable, VDP, Michal Silling, digital production
Innovation is the buzzword for the breadth of EFI's solutions at drupa 2012. On stand C01 in Hall 5, the company’s industrial inkjet solutions will include introductions to its wide-format platforms, the award-winning Fiery® portfolio, and complemented by the latest productivity software including new cloud-based MIS and web-to-print offerings.
VUTEk® HS100 Pro“Delivering innovations that empower our customers to successfully transform their business is our primary mission – it's very simple,” said Guy Gecht, chief executive, EFI. “2012 drupa visitors will see we are focused on creating amazing new technology that will accelerate the ongoing transformation of the print industry. We couldn't be more excited to be at our industry's largest trade show with our next generation inkjet technology, the latest in Fiery innovation and new MIS and web-to-print offerings that extend our leadership as the largest cloud services provider in our industry.”
At drupa, EFI will demonstrate how its latest integrated technology can enable customers to transform their businesses and benefit from areas of solid growth in print across all commercial sectors.
Visitors to the EFI stand will see the debut of the 3.2m VUTEk® HS100 Pro, which the company says is set to become a true screenprint replacement with image quality approaching offset. Driven by EFI's advanced Orion software and the Fiery proServer, the HS100 Pro is billed as having “blazing fast throughput rates, low ink consumption and innovative pin curing to guarantee precise droplet placement”. The VUTEk QS2 Pro is also being launched at the show, targeting the mid-range 2m sector with six-colours plus three layers of white. EFI maintains this printer has a low print cost that doesn't compromise colour quality. Both machines benefit from variable drop greyscale printheads and EFI's advanced ink formulation.
EFI Orion OS is a robust, integrated operating system specifically engineered to maximise the capabilities of every new EFI Wide Format and VUTEk inkjet printing system. Orion OS contains a special set of expandable features that optimise printer technology and functionality. It controls a powerful combination of software and hardware that work together to provide greyscale readiness, remote assistance, enhanced colour, integration and improved performance.
Another printer on show is the EFI's Jetrion® 4900 which the company says has brought print-and-cut capabilities to label converters in a fully integrated narrow-web digital press that caters to shorter runs and greater levels of flexibility. This digital label production machine features CMYK and a highly opaque white ink, plus powerful laser cutting, resulting in a complete production line that’s ideal for the manufacturing of high-quality durable labels on a wide variety of substrates.
Fiery digital front-ends continue to provide cutting-edge RIP performance and support for leading VDP (variable data printing) industry standards. EFI said visitors to its stand would also see the fastest-yet Fiery server with HyperRIP technology which it claims reduces processing times by up to 40 per cent, running the latest VDP standard, PPML 3.0. The company will have Fiery technology demonstrations include new workflow automation, advanced job make-ready software, and new voice activated commands that remotely control the Fiery as well as the digital engine attached to it. The stand will also showcase Fiery's support for the new Altona Test Suite 2.0 and advanced colour profiling and spot colour solutions for demanding colour professionals.
EFI believes its productivity software portfolio caters to every type of print business, with MIS and web-to-print products designed to simplify operations for a more streamlined workflow and intelligent automation. The latest versions of the browser-based EFI Pace™, EFI Monarch, EFI Radius, and EFI PrintSmith™ Vision will be on display at drupa as well as the latest version of the EFI Digital StoreFront® web-to-print platform with integration to Fiery technology. During the show, EFI will announce cloud-based remote data protection offerings for Print MIS and web-to-print customers.
For more information visit www.efi.com/drupa
Copyright © 2012, DPNLIVE – All Rights Reserved
EDP 2012 WinnersMimaki’s advances in print technology have been boosted by winning two coveted European Digital Press (EDP) Association Awards. This recognition by industry professionals is an endorsement of the company’s strides over the last year or two to bring to the table products which deliver both excellent price/performance ratio and sustainability.
Mimaki won the Best Wide Format Textile Printer accolade for the Mimaki TS500-1800, while the Mimaki JV400-LX Series was named the Best Environmental Printing Solution.
The EDP Association cited the Mimaki TS500-1800 because of its”breakthrough in price and performance for indirect dye sub printing and a print speed of 150m2/h”. Mimaki said that the TS500-1800 has been designed to provide a “powerful solution for the fashion/sportswear exhibition graphics and retail POS markets” where a combination of speed and high quality are vital components for responding to volume demand. The printer is expected to be available in June 2012.
The second printer to win an award, the new Mimaki JV400-LX Series is a latex printer featuring what Mimaki claim is ‘state a state of the art, environmentally friendly ink’. It also received high praise from the EDP Association. A spokesperson said: “With the new piezo head, the viscosity of the ink is higher, meaning less drying time. Combined with the white ink option and lower energy consumption, the Mimaki JV400-LX is a worthy winner.”
Mimaki products are distributed exclusively in the UK and Ireland by Hybrid Services Ltd. Marketing manager Duncan Jefferies commented:
“The range of textile solutions available from Mimaki continues to grow and to receive such an accolade for the TS500 is a great appreciation of what the company is achieving,” he said. “For the EDP to recognise the exceptional environmental credentials of the Mimaki JV400 latex printer is equally high praise."
The EDP Association is a not-for-profit organisation that recognises the latest innovations in the digital print industry. The Association comprises publishers of leading European magazines devoted to digital printing and associated products. The publications cover 14 countries, with a readership exceeding one million graphic arts professionals.
Awards presented by the EDP are designed to acknowledge best-in-class products across the digital print landscape following an assessment by the organisation’s independent panel of digital print experts.
“It’s always an honour to be recognised by highly respected print professionals,” said Mike Horsten, Marketing Manager at Mimaki. “The award underlines our commitment to research and development, and to delivering the very best products to our customers.”
Copyright © 2012, DPNLIVE – All Rights Reserved
Ramzan Anwar, DrWraps with his golden ticketEverybody seems to have had a successful few days at the recent Sign & Digital exhibition and HP from all accounts was no exception. It has reported that its presence at the show was a huge success for the company, with a significant number of sales secured and widespread interest shown in the company's latest wide-format products.
In line with may other manufacturers, HP's stand featured an extensive product line-up, all designed to demonstrate its position as a leading supplier of innovative wide-format digital printing technology for high impact graphic arts applications.
One clever marketing tool employed by HP at Sign & Digital was that visitors could take advantage of an exclusive at-show £1000 or €1250 'golden ticket' cashback promotion redeemable on its two latest HP Latex Printers, the HP Designjet L28500 and HP Designjet L26500.The tickets were on offer to the first 50 customers to confirm orders for either of these two printers.
"The Golden Ticket promotion proved to be an enormous success, with the demand for tickets outstripping the 50 tickets available," said Phil Oakley, UK & Ireland country manager, HP Designjet, GSB (Graphics Solutions Business). "In addition, visitors showed a huge amount of interest in the other solutions from our large-format portfolio and the total orders placed included several for the HP Scitex FB500 and FB700 Printers. Sign & Digital 2012 was one of our most successful UK shows in the last five years based on the amount of customer orders placed."
HP's stand featured an extensive product line-upThe HP Designjet L28500 and L26500 Printers feature HP 792 Latex Inks that enable print service providers (PSPs) to produce odourless prints to help meet the needs of environmentally-conscious customers. Both printers are ideal for the production of indoor and outdoor signage, such as point-of-purchase displays, soft signage and vehicle graphics.
One company, Budgeprint, based in Brighton, UK, purchased a HP Designjet L26500 Printer on the first day of the exhibition. "The environmental credentials of the HP Designjet L26500 were paramount but in addition, the media versatility and fast throughput made it the clear choice to enable us to extend the variety of applications we offer in the short turnaround times our customers require," said Matthew Etkin-Budge, managing director of the company.
Another lucky recipient of the Golden Ticket promotion Ramzan Anwar came to the show to purchase a printer that would enable his newly founded company, DrWraps Signworks, to open for business. "When deciding which printer would allow us to fulfil our company's first orders, we knew we needed a versatile solution that would produce high-quality graphics and meet our objectives as an environmentally-conscious print supplier. The HP Designjet L26500 Printer ticked all these boxes,” he explained.
One of the first golden tickets issued went to Sunderland-based, large-format printer, Wherethetradebuys. Managing director, Martyn Young, came to the show to place the order for the company's seventh HP Designjet printer.
“We currently have two HP Latex printers and we find one of the biggest advantages of this technology is its ability to deliver quick turnaround times.” Young said. “The output dries inside the printer so we can use or finish it immediately. Not only does this boost our productivity but it helps us to keep our next-day delivery promise to our customers, and their satisfaction is crucial.
"Our new HP Designjet L28500 Printer will increase our ability to meet our customers' requirements and take on new business, while giving us the extra print-width we need to enhance our product range," he added.
To hear more from HP's Sign & Digital 'golden ticket' customers, see:
Copyright © 2012, DPNLIVE – All Rights Reserved
Or to watch James Deacon's, Bigger Stickers, live application demonstrations on the HP stand:
MOD 
MUTOH VJ-1638WMUTOH will showcase its latest wide-format digital piezo inkjet solutions at drupa 2012 (Hall 09 – Booth A44). The range includes the new ValueJet 1324 – 54” and 1624 – 64” eco printers and the ValueJet TD 64” & 104” direct to fabric printers, featuring new head technology and a new set of electronics for improved quality and performance.
Drupa also coincides with the availability of the company’s first two models of its new ValueJet 1638 line, featuring a staggered dual head setup for improved productivity.
Arthur Vanhoutte, president, European operations, Mutoh, said: “Drupa will be an excellent opportunity for us to show the realignment of Mutoh’s manufacturing processes to the printing industry. As part of Mutoh’s worldwide strategy to improve efficiency, all key manufacturing and development activities are now centralised at our factory and R&D centre in Suwa, Japan.”
MUTOH VJ1638Vanhoutte added: “The timing of drupa is excellent for us. During the past eight months, Mutoh has brought to market a completely new generation of wide-format printers that cover just about every aspect of wide format digital printing, from sign and display and dye sublimation through to dedicated textile machines for soft signage, flags and garment/apparel applications. Drupa will also coincide with the commercial availability in Europe of the first two models of our new ValueJet 1638 range, with more models to come out later this year. The ValueJet 1638 printers are the first Mutoh ValueJet printers offering a staggered dual head setup. The printers offer an impressive increase in production speed in combination with an optimised ink spread and improved drying behaviour. They will enable us to perfectly address the needs of volume-oriented users requiring high print speeds and who at the same time put impeccable print quality on top of their wish list.”
Mutoh product highlights at drupa 2012:
-New ValueJet 1638 64” high speed sign printer
-New ValueJet 1638W 64” high speed dye sublimation printer
-ValueJet 1324 & 1624 eco printers
-ValueJet TD series printers
For more press information about the new ValueJet 1324/1624 printers, visit:
http://www.mutoh.be/01/MyDocuments/PR-Mutoh-New-Generation-ValueJet-Printers.pdf
For more press information about the new ValueJet TD series printers, visit:
http://www.mutoh.be/01/MyDocuments/PR-Mutoh-New-Direct-to-Fabric-Printers.pdf
For more press information about the new ValueJet 1638 line, visit:
http://www.mutoh.be/01/MyDocuments/PR-Mutoh-ValueJet-1638-1638W.pdf
MUTOH Belgium nv
Tel: 0032 (0) 59 56 14 00
Copyright © 2012, DPNLIVE – All Rights Reserved
Peter Williams Ricoh EuropeRicoh plans its biggest presence yet at drupa 2012 and visitors to its stand in Hall 08a (B46-1 and B46-3) will see software and hardware, suitable for print service providers which are growing their business beyond print or expanding into marketing and communications services. Corporate reprographic departments, or CRDs, can also see how Ricoh proposes to help them increase their commercial contribution.
Also on view will be the Ricoh TotalFlow portfolio, Ricoh Pro C901 Graphic Arts Edition, Pro C751 digital colour cut sheet presses, and the InfoPrint 5000 VP full colour continuous feed platform. Ricoh is also showcasing the new Ricoh Carbon Balanced Printing Programme – the next generation of the Ricoh Business Driver Programme – and a new colour wide format printer.
Ricoh application zones will be a special exhibition feature. Here, visitors can experience practical demonstrations on moving into new markets, how to access the latest industry knowledge and expertise and how to implement new digital workflows. The zones include marketing, packaging, publishing, transactional and enterprise. Ricoh customers at each zone will share their experience of transformation through offering new digital print applications and services.
Ricoh is creating a personalised experience for guests who pre-register at www.ricoh-europe.com/drupa2012. They will be recognised through QR code technology and can enjoy a bespoke and interactive journey around the stand. This will be configured precisely to their needs whether it is to understand Ricoh’s web-to-print solutions or to gain insight into how Ricoh can support their business development needs.
Ricoh at drupa Peter Williams, executive vice president, Ricoh Europe plc, and head of the production printing business group in Europe, says: “There is no doubt that printing companies need to make changes to adapt to today’s new market realities. And there are many new trends towards targeted marketing campaigns, print on demand and just-in-time delivery – all opportunities for businesses to take full advantage of now and in the future.”
New Ricoh products and services set for drupa 2012 include:
The next generation of Ricoh’s Business Driver Programme. This online portal will include new market intelligence reports, e-learning courses and services to support business transformation and print application development. It also allows members to connect with a community of leading consultants, Ricoh business specialists and other users through blogs and online networking tools.
The Ricoh stand will also showcase the newest addition to its colour wide format inkjet range, the Ricoh Aficio CW 2200SP which addresses the growing CAD market.
Ricoh’s carbon balanced printing programme, to be found in the environmental zone, is a European initiative which the firm intends to roll out globally. It is specifically designed to help print service providers reduce the environmental impact of printing when using Ricoh production printing systems, while providing a carbon neutral service to their clients. It follows a three-step process: analyse, optimise and neutralise. The first step involves an in-depth analysis of printing activity. The second step involves optimisation of the print environment. A carbon calculator – available through the Ricoh’s business driver programme – determines the carbon generated per print job. Optimal environmentally responsible ways to print are then identified and implemented. The final step involves neutralising the remaining and unavoidable carbon emissions.
Also on show will be the InfoPrint 5000 VP full-colour continuous form platform which is the newest offering in the InfoPrint 5000 product family. It delivers production speeds of up to 722ft/220m per minute and is aimed at companies with extremely high volumes and tight print windows.
Graham Moore, director business development, Ricoh Europe, said: “Print service providers do not need to face the challenges of expanding into some of these new business areas alone such as cross-media campaigns featuring personalised direct mail and PURLs, transpromo and precision marketing applications,” he said. “Drupa 2012 is a unique opportunity to meet Ricoh and explore how our proven solutions, services and business development support can be combined effectively to help businesses transform and grow in print and beyond.”
www.ricoh-europe.com/drupa2012
Copyright © 2012, DPNLIVE – All Rights Reserved
Mutoh VJ-1638W pressMutoh Belgium launched its new ValueJet 1638 line at Sign + Digital UK 2012 and inCOM France 2012 trade shows last week. Both new four-colour 64” (165 cm) wide high speed printers are Mutoh’s first valuejet printers to feature a staggered dual head setup, which the company says offers improved productivity.
The new ValueJet 1638 model, with a production speed up to 36 m2/h at 720 x 720 dpi, focuses on the sign & display market. This printer uses Mutoh Eco Ultra CMYK inks and aims to address the needs of PSPs and commercial printers seeking a high volume printing solution. The second new model, the ValueJet 1638W was designed specifically for the sublimation transfer market. It is capable of delivering production speeds up to 65 m2/h and uses Mutoh water-based direct disperse inks.
The new dual head printers incorporate Mutoh’s Intelligent Interweaving print technology and also feature a newly designed keyboard, an automatic sheet off system and a tiltable ink cassette holder to save space and enable loading of different ink volumes.
Mutoh VJ1638 pressMutoh believes the new staggered head setup is a good example of how ‘1+1’ can be more than ‘2’. In essence three elements have been brought together. First of all two latest generation 1440 nozzle heads in a staggered setup; second, higher carriage speeds and ink firing frequencies thanks to new machine electronics; and last, adapted weaving algorithms tuned to the new print heads. Mutoh says this mix significantly increases production speed combined with an optimised ink spread and improved drying behaviour.
“The new 64” wide ValueJet 1638 line will enable us to perfectly address the needs of volume-oriented users requiring high print speeds and who at the same time put impeccable print quality on top of their wish list”, says Arthur Vanhoutte, general manager, Mutoh Belgium.
“The ValueJet 1638 is now the fastest 64” Eco printer on the market today! It will replace our Blizzard 65” model and is an addition to the recently launched ValueJet 1324 – 54” and ValueJet 1624 – 64” models. The ValueJet 1638W has been purpose-built for high-speed digital transfer printing. This model will replace our Viper Extreme 65” printer and complement our existing ValueJet 1304W – 54” and 1604W – 64” dye sub printers. With sellable production speeds up to 65 m²/h, the 1638W will set a new performance benchmark for wide-format dye sub printers in the growing market of soft signage applications”.
Vanhoutte highlighted key features of the new machines.
VJ-1638
- Targeted at the sign & display market: high volume and high quality production of long-term outdoor posters, signs and banners, backlit signage, POS displays, vehicle graphics as well as high quality durable prints for indoor use.
- Prints directly onto a wide range of uncoated and coated substrates.
- Three individually controlled heating elements below the print platen for media pre-heating, ink fixation and drying.
- Mutoh Eco Ultra inks, CMYK – 220 + 440 ml cassettes. Inks do not spread any harmful VOCs in working environment. No need for forced ventilation. Inks are UV and water-resistant for up to three years outdoors.
- High quality speed up to 20 m2/h (720 x 1080 dpi)
- Typical production speed up to 36 m2/h (720 x 720 dpi)
- Top speed up to 48 m2/h (360 x 720 dpi)
Key Features VJ-1638W (W=Water)
- Targeted at the sublimation transfer market: soft signage and graphics for events, home decoration, flags and pennants, sportswear, in-store banners.
- Prints on all typical dye sub transfer papers from 66 g/m² to 150 g/m².
- Mutoh highspeed quick dry water-based disperse dye inks, CMYK, 1 and 5 l bottles which give rich, vibrant colours for wash fastness, rubbing and perspiration. Do not spread any harmful VOCs in the working environment.
- Ready for connection to Mutoh’s optional bulk ink system.
- For heat transfer of dye sub prints from paper to fabric, Mutoh’s Unifixer calender can be used.
- Production speed range: 10 m2/h – 65 m2/h
- Typical production speeds up to 42 m2/h (360 x 720 dpi) / up to 65 m2/h (360 x 360 dpi)
Engineered and manufactured in Japan, the new ValueJet 1638 line will be showcased at all major sign & print industry events throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa during the next coming weeks and months. It will be available during May 2012.
For more information on Mutoh and its products, visit www.mutoh.eu
Copyright © 2012, DPNLIVE – All Rights Reserved