The Big Picture - January 2011 by ST Media Group

01.11

www.bigpicture.net

CONTROLLING COLOR

Tools, Technologies, and Standards

PLUS: 路 Printing with White Ink 路 SGIA Las Vegas Recap 路 Sourcing Laminates

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in this issue

January 2011 Volume 16 No. 1

COLUMNS 4 InSight

roblem solving P for your customers.

14 Graphics on the Go

ix rules for S making a good impression.

15 Business + Management

FEATURES 16 The Great White Way

hite-ink technologies continue to improve and, as manufactures ratchet up W their product offerings, print providers find more and more ways to incorporate white into their stable of services. Six shops discuss their white-ink work.

20 SGIA 2010: Viva Las Vegas

ith a record-breaking 22,000 attendees and 478 exhibiting companies, the W SGIA 2010 tradeshow last October in Las Vegas brought together the best and brightest for a week of new products, educational events, and networking opportunities. Here are highlights from the event.

DEPARTMENTS 5 Wide Angle

loor graphics F go blotto, plus wide format takes to the street.

10 Up Front

ews + N noteworthy, including Iconography’s marathon work.

24 Controlling Color

40 Job Log

By Stephen Beals

New developments in color-management tools, technologies, and standards allow print providers to achieve top-flight color in their output.

28 Enhancing the Print

By Britney Grimmelsman

More than just “icing on the cake,” laminates and protective films can be the key ingredient when it comes to a print’s durability. We provide 70 sources for laminates and graphics- protection products.

ON THE COVER: The conundrum of color management. Cover design by Laura Mohr.

THE

oosting your B shop’s cash flow in 2011.

BIG PICTURE january 2011

resh fruit and F buses.

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insight by Gregory Sharpless

www.bigpicture.net Gregory Sharpless Editor/Associate Publisher gregory.sharpless@stmediagroup.com

Problem Solving For Your Customers It was the mid-1930s and the publisher of Time magazine, Henry Luce, had an idea for a new publication called Life– a weekly news magazine that would tell its stories primarily by large photographs instead of text. There was, however, one major problem: Luce wanted Life saturated with beautiful, professionally shot photographs onto glossy paper – not newsprint – and there was no printing process available at the time that met his standards while also being able to have the print dry quickly onto coated, glossy stock. Enter RR Donnelley, Time’s print provider at the time (and, in the interest of full disclosure, the current printer of The Big Picture, as well). At first, the company had no solution for Luce. But over the course of six months, Donnelley put its team to work on a combination of methods and materials, including new inks, new papers, and even a new gadget on a rotary press for drying. After much experimentation, Donnelley was able to come up with a heat-set solution that met its customer’s needs and in November 1936, the first issue of Life magazine was published. Life became an instant success: At its height, it had a circulation of 8.5 million readers, and lasted as a weekly photographic news publication into the early 1970s. To what degree are you a solutions provider and problem solver for your own customers? When was the last time you asked your top customers, “What is the biggest problem you have?” or, “What project/job would you like to do but you simply haven’t found a way to do it? Perhaps we can help.” I have no idea what amount of money and resources RR Donnelley spent to come up with a solution for Life, but I think it’s safe to assume that it was well worth it. Not only did the print provider solve a problem for a client to bring a new project to fruition, but it retained the existing project as well. And, with the new technology, it opened the door for many new clients and projects, too. As RR Donnelley indicated in an advertisement from that era, “We will welcome the opportunity to talk to you about your printing problems, big or small. No obligation, of course.”

Paula Yoho Contributing Editor paula.yoho@stmediagroup.com Britney Grimmelsman Contributing Editor britney.grimmelsman@stmediagroup.com Laura Mohr Art Director laura.mohr@stmediagroup.com Marty McGhie, Craig Miller, Jared Smith Columnists Linda Volz Production Supervisor linda.volz@stmediagroup.com Lou Arneberg - Midwest US Ben Stauss - Western US, Western Canada, Asia Lisa Zurick - Eastern US, Eastern Canada, Europe Business Development Managers Rick Bachelder, Kathy Boydstun, Terry Corman, Scott Crosby, Brandon Gabriel, Michael Garcia, Kirk Green, Robert Kissel, Craig Miller, Greg Root, Jared Smith, Mark Taylor Editorial Advisory Board

Tedd Swormstedt President Steve Duccilli Group Publisher Christine Baloga Audience Development Director John Tymoski Associate Director/Online

P.S. – The weekly version of Life magazine shut down in the early 1970s, but monthly and other versions of the publication continued into 2007, and a life.com website (a joint venture between Getty Images and Life magazine) still exists online. The Big Picture (ISSN 1082-9660) is published 12 times annually by ST Media Group International Inc., 11262 Cornell Park Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45242-1812. Telephone: (513) 421-2050, Fax: (513) 362-0317. No charge for subscriptions to qualified individuals. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in the U.S.A.: $42 USD. Annual rate for subscriptions in Canada: $70 USD (includes GST & postage); all other countries: $92 (Int’l mail) payable in U.S. funds. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2011, by ST Media Group International Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. Periodicals Postage Paid at Cincinnati, OH and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to: The Big Picture, P.O. Box 1060, Skokie, IL 60076. Change of address: Send old address label along with new address to The Big Picture, P.O. Box 1060, Skokie, IL 60076. For single copies or back issues: contact Debbie Reed (513) 421-9356 or debbie.reed@stmediagroup.com.

THE BIG PICTURE JANUARY 2011

Subscription Services (847) 763-4938 tbp@halldata.com bigpicture.net/subscribe bigpicture.net/renew Back Issues Debbie Reed debbie.reed@stmediagroup.com 11262 Cornell Park Drive Cincinnati, OH 45242 tel (513) 421-2050 fax (513) 421-5144

wide angle

Floor Graphics Go Blotto In conjunction with the Maryland Impaired Driving Coalition’s initiative, “DUI is for Losers,” Integrated Designs Inc. (integrateddesignscorp.com) and Idle Time Advertising (idletimeadvertising.com) developed life-size floor graphics depicting intoxicated potential DUI offenders in bar bathrooms throughout the state. For output, Annapolis-based Idle Time – which specializes in restroom advertising – utilized its HP Designjet 8000s mild-solvent printer, onto MacTac Imagin StreetRap matte film with Fellers Lamex laminate; finishing included contour cutting with a Mimaki CG130FX cutter/plotter (average cut size: 36 x 72 inches). Idle Time also did all install and removal. Bar owners reported that customers loved the graphics – so much so that some were found attempting to hold conversations with the lifelike floor décor. www.bigpicture.net

wide angle

THE BIG PICTURE JANUARY 2011

Setting the Pace The 77th annual UCI Road World Championships for cycling, held in Geelong and Melbourne Australia, called for street graphics that could endure five days of bicycle and vehicle traffic, along with unpredictable weather conditions. Asphalt Art Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (asphaltartmedia.com) solution was to utilize a Durst Rho 600 Pictor UV-curable flatbed to output onto its own proprietary slip-resistant, aluminum-based foil designed specifically for asphalt, concrete, and textured surfaces. Asphalt Art also executed the install of the 6 x 20-foot graphics, which were recycled as aluminum waste following the race.

www.bigpicture.net

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January 26-28, 2011 Saddlebrook Resort Tampa, FL

upfront upfront

Going the Distance for Healing

The 25,000 runners in the 2010 International City Bank Long Beach Marathon in Long Beach, California, were able to take in not only Mother Nature’s sights and sounds, but also be inspired along the 26.2-mile course by artwork from local children, thanks to Iconography Studios (iconographystudios.net). Los Alamitos-based Iconography donated the printing and installation work of more than 60 pieces of art that were created by young patients from Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach. Images of each piece of art, complete with the young artist’s name and age, were added to the 34 3 x 6-foot mile markers that adorned the race route. Iconography used its 6-color Roland SolJet Pro III XC-540 with Roland inks for output of the various pieces of artwork, printing onto Grimco Brite-Line Duration self-adhesive glossy vinyl. Each 26 x 26in. imaged piece of art was then adhered to the mile markers (front and back, diﬀerent images for each)

provided by the marathon organizers. No lamination was necessary, and the markers were then handed off to marathon staff for installation. “We are committed to supporting our local community by making donations such as this. It is our small way of giving back to the organizations that work together to make our community a special place,” says Sarah Naccarato, Iconography’s co-president. At a pre-race expo, race participants were able to bid on taking home a mile marker as a memory of their accomplishment via a silent auction. All proceeds went back to Miller Children’s Hospital as part of its “Artful Healing for Our Heroes” campaign. The mile markers were an early preview of steps the marathon is taking to make the event a “26.2 Mile Art Exhibit and Performance,” race officials say. Beginning in 2011, with the help of the Arts Council of Long Beach, it’s expected that the entire course will be lined with art and performance experiences.

“There really is no instruction manual for starting up a company, but if all else fails, try a variation of the directions on the back of shampoo bottles: ‘Try. Fail. Repeat.’” – TINA CANNON, CO-FOUNDER OF PETSMD, WRITING IN BNET’S “OWNERS ONLY” BLOG.

THE BIG PICTURE JANUARY 2011

An Overnight Success Sornkrit Thongalarm knew his Bangkok, Thailand-based restaurant needed to change, and needed to do so quickly. Although its food was decidedly upscale, the restaurant – Im Mee Pee Mun by Jakkajan – was failing to gain mass appeal. Part of its problem: It lacked color and life with its bare cement exterior and dark, wood interior. An avid art lover, Sornkrit wanted his restaurant to showcase artwork and become a gathering place for other art enthusiasts. He found two artists, Oh Futhog and P7, whose eye-catching graphics would help represent his vision of modernity and convenience, then opted to incorporate these vibrant graphics into every detail of the renovation. “We wanted to create something different,” Sornkrit explains. He partnered with Thamnaksilp Advertising Company, which houses an HP Designjet L25500 printer with Latex inks, and Hewlett-Packard itself, which donated all of the ink and media, to turn his restaurant dream into a reality. When all was said and done, the Thamnaksilp crew had produced graphics for the interior as well as the exterior of the restaurant, including wallpaper, tabletop graphics, curtains, and even aprons, coasters, menu covers, and posters and invitations announcing the restaurant redesign. And, because closing down the restaurant to redecorate simply wasn’t an option, Thamnaksilp installed all the graphics over the course of a single evening. “Within one evening, the work was done. It was like getting a new place overnight,” says Thongalarm.

59% Percentage of professionals who say the amount of information they have to process at work has significantly increased since the economic downturn. Source: The “2010 International Workplace Productivity Survey” of 1700 white-collar workers in five countries – the US, China, South Africa, UK, and Australia, commissioned by LexisNexis.

Making Cyber Friends a Reality Graduate student Benjamin Lotan developed the idea to print a poster comprising images of all his Facebook friends purely out of self interest – he wanted his cyber collection of friends to be tangibly depicted in a lifesize image. Once he had the first poster in his hands, however, “I knew that other people would want it. It’s simply amazing to have the photos in the real world. Totally different than online,” says Lotan, who attends the University of California, San Diego. He decided to launch his Facebook-centric online print service, Printing Facebook, in October of last year, deliberately piggy-backing on the buzz surrounding the premiere of the movie, The Social Network. The strategic release date coupled with the huge media wave for the film resulted in a surge in his project’s business, selling more than 100 prints in the first week alone. Not surprisingly, however, Facebook quickly forced Lotan to rebrand – and, by November, the re-branded Social Printshop (socialprintshop.com) was born. Here’s how the Social Printshop process works: On the company’s home page, customers indicate a margin size and background color for the print, then connect with Facebook (via an application interface from Facebook) and provide a Facebook e-mail address so that photo downloads from the customer’s “friend list” can take place (permissions are revoked once the print work is completed). After confirming order details and paying via Paypal, the customer’s work is done. Friend images in hand, Lotan uses PHP GD library, an open-source code library for the dynamic creation of images, to create the multiple-image graphics. Printing is then outsourced to online print provider Ookiimage (ookiimage.com), which utilizes a ZBE Chromira photo printer, outputting the 20 x 40-inch posters onto Fuji Crystal Archive photo paper. The final poster is shipped to the customer directly from Ookiimage. The Social Printshop project has been so successful that Lotan is now offering a similar print service for Tumblr users, and he’s also working on a project with Mashable to boost its Facebook following. www.bigpicture.net

upfront

Color of the Year for 2011: Honeysuckle If Pantone has anything to say about color, you’ll be seeing lots of Pantone 18-2120, aka Honeysuckle, in many of the graphics you’re printing in forthcoming months. The provider of professional standards for the design industries has named Honeysuckle its Color of the Year for 2011. “In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward oﬀ the blues,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “Honeysuckle derives its positive qualities from a powerful bond to its mother color red, the most physical, viscerally alive hue in the spectrum. The intensity of this festive reddish pink allures and engages.” Pantone (pantone.com) has been selecting its Color of the Year for more than a decade, influencing product-development and purchasing decisions in industries including fashion, home, and industrial design along the way. Past Colors of the Year have included: Turquoise (2010), Mimosa (2009), Blue Iris (2008), Chili Pepper (2007), Sand Dollar (2006), Blue Turquoise (2005), Tigerlily (2004), Aqua Sky (2003), True Red (2002), Fuschia Rose (2001), and Cerulean (2000).

market metrics

Which Post-Production Services Are You Offering? Lamination

93%

Grommeting

85%

Mounting

79%

Fulfillment

70%

Die/laser cutting

70% 56%

Sewing/seaming (graphic) Routing

51%

Warehousing

51%

Doming

13%

Vacuum forming/molding

Sewing (garments)

7% 0%

20%

40%

60%

SOURCE: “PRODUCT SPECIALTIES SURVEY” BY THE SPECIALTY GRAPHICS IMAGING ASSOCIATION (SGIA, SGIA.ORG).

THE BIG PICTURE JANUARY 2011

80%

100%

Xpedx Ends Agreement with Agfa Graphics Eﬀective February 28, 2011, Xpedx will end its distribution of Agfa-branded graphics products. The news follows a joint decision between the two companies in December 2010 to discontinue their long-standing business relationship. Agfa purchased the assets of the Harold M. Pitman Company, the US supplier of prepress, industrial inkjet, pressroom, and packaging-printing products and systems, in July 2010. Shortly after, Eastman Kodak Company terminated Pitman’s right to distribute Kodak products in October 2010 and established Xpedx as its primary dealer. “The graphic-communications industry is in transition, and we acknowledge that new strategic partnerships are the result of the evolving needs of the marketplace,” says Peter Wilkens, Agfa president. Together, Xpedx and Agfa agreed to a transition plan to ensure joint customers continue to be properly supplied. “Our customers are our highest priority and whether they decide to explore new technologies, or to go elsewhere for Agfa products, Xpedx will support their needs. Equally important is helping customers grow with complete, integrated systems, and our supplier relationships must reflect that goal,” says Dennis Killion, Xpedx director of marketing, graphics.

Americas 8"x10.875"+BLEED_ENG 15/9/10 16:31 Page 1 C

CY CMY

graphics graphicson onthe thego go

The Six Golden Impression Rules By Jared Smith

veryone wants to look the best they can. People spend a lot of time and money putting together their image. Whether we like to admit it or not, we are a people who evaluate books by their “covers.” I recently attended a branding seminar where the speaker asked those who did not care about the brand of the car they drove to raise their hands. One person raised their hand. I was surprised when the speaker said, “The rest of us do care about what brand of car we drive, and that means when you pull up in your Suzuki Samurai we are not going to be okay spending a high rate to do business with you.” His point was clear to me: Regardless of your own personal point of view on making judgments based on appearance, the rest of the world is looking and they are judging. Shallow as it may be, to the viewer, appearances are true. We don’t have to agree with this thought, but we do have to acknowledge it. First impressions matter. As a matter of fact, all impressions matter. That is what we vehiclewrap shops actually sell: impressions. But did you ever stop to think about the actual impression that we make? We’ve all heard facts about the number of impressions a vehicle wrap can make during a typical day in a busy metropolitan city. Statistics, however, tend to focus on the number, not the quality of each impression. And I think most of us would agree that it is vital to convey a professional, attractive, and eﬀective message with each and every vehicle wrap we put out. So I ask you, what does your own shop vehicle or shop fleet say about your shop? I’m blown away when I see a vehicle from a graphic provider’s shop that leaves a bad impression. I liken it to an overweight physical trainer or a dentist with bad teeth.

JARED SMITH is president of bluemedia (bluemedia.com), a leading provider of design and printing for use in vehicle, large-format, and environmental applications, in Tempe, Arizona.

There is really no excuse for not putting your best foot forward on your own shop vehicles. As the ambassadors of this unique medium, we must never break the six golden rules that follow.

Rules one, two, and three Rule number 1: Good repair – You are in the vehicle business, so make sure your vehicle is in good repair. In addition to the obvious safety concerns with vehicles out of good repair, I’m also talking about image concerns. Broken tail lights, crooked license plates, and cracked windshields are a few examples of the image problems that you just can’t have. Make sure your trucks aren’t spewing smoke or screeching with loud brakes. Bald, mismatched tires, and bumpers falling oﬀ will not help customers flock to you. It doesn’t have to be a 2011 vehicle, but it does need to be properly maintained. Run a tight vehicle maintenance program and keep those vehicles running well. Your clients are watching. Rule 2: Shine –Windex and Armor All are cheap, so use them. Take pride in your work and teach discipline in the shop. Filthy windshields, caked-on mud, and water spots on the chrome are issues that are easily solved. UPS washes every truck, every day. We should be able to handle the one or two vehicles in our fleet. Make sure your vehicles are extra clean before they head out to represent your brand. Rule 3: Graphics are in great condition – This issue is probably my biggest pet peeve. You flat out cannot have graphics on your vehicles that show even the slightestevidence of wear or other issues. They must be straight, wrinkle-free, bubble-free with no peeling or fading. You should have the means to fi x this immediately. Walk around the vehicles and inspect for these issues. I know it seems obvious, but when was the last time you actually looked for issues on your fleet graphics? As a showpiece, the workmanship and condition of the materials should be perfect. Yes, perfect.

Rules four, five, and six Rule 4: Stunning design – I’m fully aware that not all shops that are great at printing and installing vehicle wraps >35

THE BIG PICTURE JANUARY 2011

business + management

Company Cash Flow: It’s King in 2011 H

ere we are again, poised at the start of a new year. Surely, 2011 will be an extraordinary year for American business – one of ongoing change and challenge on nearly all fronts – and to survive, print providers must continue to keep a close watch on their bottom line. With credit sure to remain tight for small businesses, cash is still king. What follows is a collection of useful tips from a trio of shops that participated in an earlier webinar presented by the Signage and Graphics Summit, “Finding Your Company’s Hidden Cash.”

Focus on cash flow A two-pronged approach to cash management – focusing on cash coming in as well as cash going out – is the key to success in 2011, says Marty McGhie, CFO of Ferrari Color (ferraricolor.com), Salt Lake City. When it comes to accounts receivable collections, communication with your customers is critical. “Everybody is trying to stretch their receivables out, so we begin talking to our customers as soon as the account turns 30 days. We are very firm with them and ask them to set up a plan in terms of when we will get paid.” The goal, he says, is to stay on top of the account, find out when the client is getting paid, then make arrangements for the money to be immediately turned over to his company. For accounts payable, McGhie works with his vendors to stretch out their payable cycle as much as possible. “If you sit down with your key vendors and talk to them about where you are and what your plan is, they’ll be able to live by that,” McGhie says. Whether it’s making arrangements to extend the 30 day billing cycle to 45, or stretching it to 60 days or more while you wait to get paid by your own customers, the key is open, honest communication.

Incentivize the sales team In many cases, engaging the sales team and company executives will speed the collection process. For Bob Kissel, president and CEO of KDM POP Solutions Group (kdmpop.com), setting a benchmark for “days outstanding” on accounts, then tying that benchmark to executive bonus

pay helps encourage management-level staﬀ to get involved in the collections game. “We also provide sales personnel a copy of the aging so they’re aware when their customer is slow paying and they can tell accounts receivable if there is an issue,” Kissel says. “After 90 days, we tend to deduct a percentage of commissions paid to the sales personnel; that way we get more buyin from the sales department and they’re more aggressive in trying to help collect the outstanding receivable.” To keep money coming in, his company sometimes asks for payment up front to cover the cost of materials and labor and occasionally accepts credit-card payment, despite the processing fees charged by card companies.

Examine your expenses For Kim Springer, CFO of Harlan Graphics (harlangraphics.com), keeping a keen eye on bills and expenses is critical to managing cash flow. “I can quickly run through the invoices that are the same every month, but if I stop to look at them closely, I always find something I can save money on,” she says. “An obvious example of this is the company’s cell-phone bill.” When renegotiating her company’s cell-phone plan, for example, she examined all the employees’ minutes and found a number of obvious areas where she could cut costs. She also shaved oﬀ some monthly expenses by turning a critical eye to the company’s utility bills. “We pay those without looking too hard at them,” she says. “But lately I’ve been looking at de-regulation and have found that I can save close to 50 percent on my electric bill by changing to another provider. Excerpted from “Finding Your Company’s Hidden Cash,” one of a series of several informational webinars sponsored by The Signage and Graphics Summit (signageandgraphics.com). The Summit is an executive forum for leaders of high-volume sign, screen printing, and digital print companies.

www.bigpicture.net

Should white ink be in your future? It’s a question more providers of wideformat digital services will need to entertain if they hope to remain competitive in years ahead. Early adopters of digital print systems with white-ink capabilities report growing interest in these services, whether or not their clients fully understand all that printing with white allows – particularly once they see examples. They begin thinking in terms of the visual possibilities. Wide-format specialists routinely use terms like “...broadens our horizons...,” “... opens new doors...,” and “...allows new levels of creativity...” to describe the positive impact printing with white ink has on their business. As evident in the range of brief project and company profiles that follow, these shops are employing white ink to deliver a range of digitally printed solutions that just weren’t possible before. Each job establishes new applications for the technology. After all, with white ink, any material, regardless of original hue – wood, stone, metal, film – can be transformed into a blank canvas for color digital printing.

Ultimate Image Printing: giant iPhones a home run

The Great White Way Opportunities abound for shops with white-ink capabilities.

THE BIG PICTURE JANUARY 2011

Visitors to Major League Baseballs’ 2010 All-Star Game Week FanFest festivities couldn’t miss the giant iPhones at the Anaheim Convention Center last summer. Impressive and lifelike as those giant smartphones were, they also served as a telling example of the advantages of printing with white ink. “If we didn’t have white-ink capabilities, we wouldn’t have been able to make them look so real,” reports Hemal Ratanjee, owner of Ultimate Image Printing (ultimateimageprinting.com) in Costa Mesa, California. “When the client saw the final results, they were absolutely ecstatic.” Ultimate Image’s Mimaki JF-1631 sheetfed UV press features white-ink printing, can handle media up to twoinches thick, and oﬀers maximum

print resolution of 1200 dpi. Ultimate Imaging employs that, along with a pair of Seiko digital printers, to produce graphics for vehicle wraps, tradeshows, retail accounts, and area ad agencies. “We’re not a huge company, but we’re known for the quality and reliability of our work,” he says. Referrals from satisfied clients helped garner an invite from Major League Baseball to submit what proved to be the winning bid to provide digital graphics for the five-day FanFest celebration. It was a showcase for all Ultimate Imaging can do: banners, signs, displays, floor graphics, daily event announcements – in all, more than 20,000 square feet of digital prints. The request for a pair of supersized iPhones came relatively late in the game, so to speak. “This was not part of the original plans we discussed,” Ratanjee says. Chevrolet needed the iPhones to draw attention to a newly launched baseball app. “They came to us with this idea just a few days before the event started, and asked if we could do this, too.” He really couldn’t say no, and confidently agreed, well aware of what’s possible with his JF-1631 flatbed with white ink. “I didn’t want to print and then mount a graphic onto acrylic because it just wouldn’t look as realistic. If we didn’t have white ink, everything would be translucent, and the result wouldn’t really look like an iPhone.” he says. “Printing with white ink also gives us the ability to keep a portion of the graphic clear while the rest of it is opaque.” That mattered in this case because their plans called for installing flatscreen monitors behind the panels to serve as the iPhone screen. As gamers sampled Chevy’s new baseball app at nearby stations, their game play would be channeled to those screens. To look convincing, the size of the displays meant the iPhones needed to measure nearly 4 x 8 feet. Working from designs created in Adobe Illustrator, Ratanjee printed

the graphics directly to Plexiglas panels, on what would be the backside of the installed image. “To make the iPhone’s ‘Home’ button look believable, we took the white ink and printed a white border, then overlaid it with a black gradient.” As a finishing touch, the panels were trimmed and the corners rounded. “Everything, including the cutting, was cranked out in one day,” Ratanjee boasts. “It was a tough project, but it showed what we can do because of the equipment we have. “White ink is something we don’t use much, but it’s one of those things that once you do have, you’re able to do some things that can’t be done by anyone else around.”

Matrix Imaging: targeting niches “White ink is just something you now must have, in case a client asks about it,” says Brian Freije, president of Matrix Imaging (matriximaging.net) in Indianapolis. “And a lot do: They want to know if you have this capability, even if they don’t fully understand what it means, or how they will use it.” Last March, Freije made a strategic investment in the Inca Onset S20 UV flatbed with white-ink capability, which prints directly to media up to two-inches thick and as large as 5 x 10 feet. The white-ink option now makes it possible for his shop to produce a 4color job, no matter what the original color of the substrate. “We’re now able to tell people if they want something on acrylic or glass in color we can do it,” says Freije, citing one of the most obvious advantages. “We can compete against screen printing for short runs up to 1000 pieces, and we can also do variable printing” on those longer runs. In the year or so since installing the printer, Matrix has utilized white ink for lenticular printing, direct printing to acrylic and glass, and to produce custom carpeting. All work is done using Fujifilm Sericol inks.

Although awareness of white-ink printing is growing, demand is still limited, Freije notes. “Even with all the interest, only five to 10 percent of our work actually requires the white-ink capability. Some people are educated about what white ink means, but a lot still aren’t. It’s up to my salespeople now to explain to clients what can be done with white ink.” At the same time, the company is doing its part to develop new markets for its white-ink capabilities. “We’re always trying to find little niches where we can offer something different, and we hope this will be one of them,” Freije explains. One example of Matrix’s niches: Madd Mats, officially launched in January, which offers custom-printed

Once you’ve brought white ink in-house, says Ultimate Image Printing’s Hemal Ratanjee, “you’re able to do some things that just can’t be done by anyone else around.” Far left: one of two giant iPhones his shop created for the 2010 All-Star Game Week FanFest. Above: Custom-printed Madd Mats with white ink, by Matrix Imaging. www.bigpicture.net

white ink White ink offered City Graphics Designs the ideal window solution for its restaurant client, Wa-Hoo. “White ink allows us to achieve significantly deeper tones of colors, and lighter tones, as needed,” says Mark Voorhees, City Graphics’ general manager.

floor and counter mats on a durable clear or translucent polyurethane material. The bottom side is smooth while the top side is offered embossed with a diamond plate, coin pattern, or smooth. Graphics or text are printed on the back side of each panel. “For retail, Madd Mats can be used as welcome mats or counter mats,” he says. “They can also be used on a garage floor or for lining truck beds. We can even combine multiple prints in 5 x 10-foot sections to completely cover the floor in a store or a tradeshow booth as an alternative to carpet.” By adding white ink to the process, he says they can now print whatever message a client wants, in any color combination. “With white, we can control colors much better when printing on any type of clear material than we could using four colors,” he adds.

City Graphics: white for Wa-Hoo When a client inquired if it were possible to put up window graphics that would let the light in but would not be transparent, Mark Voorhees, general manager of City Graphics Designs (citygraphicsllc.net) in Fraser, Michigan, quickly said, “Yes!” Just months ago the company purchased and installed the Roland VersaCamm VS-640 printer/cutter with metallic and white-ink printing features. “We really thought its ability to 18

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print with metallic inks would allow us to offer something no one else in our area has,” says Voorhees. “The white-ink capabilities just seemed like something extra.” On this project, though, white ink offered the perfect answer. The owner of Wa-Hoo, a popular Asian eatery in downtown Detroit, planned to expand the restaurant into newly leased adjacent space. “While the work was going on, he wanted to cover the windows with graphics that would look the same, whether viewed from inside or outside,” reports Voorhees. “Before we had the VS-640, the only thing we could offer would have been window film.” With white ink, he advised the client, passersby on the street would see the graphics, without seeing inside. “It doesn’t seem like printing with white ink should be such a big deal, but our options would have been limited if we could only print in color on clear media,” says Voorhees. “White ink also allows us to achieve significantly deeper tones of colors, and lighter tones, as needed,” he adds. “It opens doors in what we can do, and the choices we can offer our clients.” The project entailed a total of six windows, as large as 12-feet long x 7-feet high, for a total of 18 individual panels. “They brought us a rough layout of what they were looking for,

super-imposed over photographs of the windows, and we collaborated for the final design.” says Voorhees. “The capability of the printer to print with white ink was a huge selling point on this job. The restaurant owner’s biggest concern was that light could come in from the outside, but that people couldn’t see the renovations taking place.” Before getting the go-ahead for the full project, though, Voorhees had to design, print, and install two sample window panels to demonstrate that white ink could deliver as promised. Those prints of the restaurant name and logo now adorn its entrance. All of the graphics developed by Voorhees have an Asian theme: Buddha, the Great Wall of China, dragons, fish, and statuary. Golden browns and bronze colors dominate. “We used Roland’s eco-solvent CMYK inks with white, and the extra light cyan and magenta to get those colors,” says Voorhees. Most images were tiled from horizontal strips of Roland clear window film printed at the VersaCamm 640’s full 64-inch width. Installation of all six windows took about nine hours. “We’re definitely breaking new ground in what we can do for our clients,” Voorhees says.

Photocenter Imaging: years of thunder With its reputation rooted in the photographic industry, Burbank, California-based Photocenter Imaging (photocenterimaging.com) has no room to compromise the image quality of its digital prints. The company invested in the white-ink-capable Océ Arizona 350 as the printer that would allow it to take its digital services in a new direction. “We bought it for the size of the flatbed, its white-ink capabilities, and ability to print at 1440 dpi,” says executive vice president Boris Winogradow. “During holiday seasons in the past we were getting requests from

customers asking if we could print on silver or gold,” he says. “Without white ink, we just couldn’t deliver that photographic quality they expect from us.” Since the company installed the Arizona in 2009, it has spawned an entirely new subset of specialty services. It’s been employed to produce P-O-P displays, limited runs of digital fine-art prints, lenticular prints, decals on a variety of media, even direct printing of graphics to candy tins. “The 350 has helped separate us from the pack, because we can achieve things others can’t,” says Winogradow, “It’s really enhanced the range of services we can offer to our clients, and opened up our business,” agrees executive vice president for sales Ron DeJesus. “The registration is perfect, and we can print in all different shades of white while getting opacities from zero to 100 percent.” Recently, the company was called on to put those capabilities to work for a special exhibit at Los Angeles’ Peterson Automotive Museum. Photocenter Imaging provided all the graphic support for a special exhibit “NHRA: Sixty Years of Thunder,” celebrating the best in dragsters, funny cars, and hot rods.

The exhibit runs through May 2011. The installation required a variety of visuals, many printed directly to colored acrylic and Plexiglas panels ranging from 10 x 14 to 30 x 40 inches. “It’s a good representation of what we can now achieve with white ink,” says Winogradow. Some of the digitally printed panels accompanying the cars feature a ghosted image of the vehicle, others a combination of text and photos with frosted or ghosting effects. White ink “is giving designers an opportunity to take their visuals to a whole other level,” says Rick Bradford, sales executive for this project. Winogradow notes designers are now seeking out the company because they’ve heard of or seen prints produced with white ink on different media. “Once they see the results, they tend to say ‘Wow!’ and start thinking about how they might use it,” he reports. “It’s enabling them to achieve some very artistic effects on a range of media they just couldn’t use before,” according to Winogradow. These capabilities, borne of the Arizona’s white-ink option, have drawn such a positive response within

For the “NHRA: Sixty Years of Thunder” exhibit at the Peterson Automotive Museum, Photocenter Imaging utilized white ink for an array of visuals. Designers are now seeking out the company because they’ve seen its work produced with white ink on various media.

the creative community that DeJesus expects the opportunities are only beginning to develop. “Demand for printing with white ink will only get bigger,” he predicts. “It’s the future of digital printing, and within the next five years, something everyone will have to offer.”

Astek Inc.: custom wallcovering work As a leading provider of specialty wall and interior coverings, Astek, Inc. (astekwallcovering.com) of Van Nuys, California, prides itself on continually providing clients with the latest, most creative solutions for transforming rooms and interiors into graphically stunning settings. Today, that means offering its clients the white-ink option, and all that white ink allows. The company first added white-ink capabilities with the purchase of a Durst 600 Pictur flatbed in 2007. Demand for digital services quickly followed, prompting the company to add the Durst 320r roll-to-roll UV printer, then the Rho 800 high-speed UV flatbed. The company is currently considering adding a fourth Durst printer with this feature, and switching all of its Durst systems over to the latest HD white inks. “White ink gives us the ability to print in full color on anything other than white media,” notes production manager Brian Preble. “We’re able to lay down a layer of white and use any media like it’s a clean sheet. The new HD inks will give us even brighter whites to work with.” Astek has utilized white ink to treat a range of materials as if each were a fresh white canvas, primed for printing: MDF, plywood, wood, glass, steel, metals, static cling film, acetate, carpets and all types of vinyl. “We do a lot of custom digital prints for walls,” he continues. “That can mean fine-art prints, wall murals, even scanning and recreating old wallpaper.” Astek’s expertise also reaches into the film industry, recreating >36 www.bigpicture.net

SGIA 2010:

VIVA LAS VEGAS

Expo broke records, generated buzz, introduced new technologies.

By Gregory Sharpless What happens in Vegas definitely no longer stays in Vegas, certainly not when it comes to the digital-print marketplace. The 2010 SGIA Expo (sgia.org) proved this in mid-October, when nearly 22,000 registered attendees hit the event floor (a show record), did their legwork for the latest information on new technologies, workflows, and products, and then returned home with that information to put all they learned to work in their own companies. It’s likely they also brought back to their shops some of the marketplace buzz generated by the show – attendees and exhibitors alike were decidedly 20

THE BIG PICTURE JANUARY 2011

optimistic about where the market was headed in the months ahead. During their time at SGIA Expo, attendees took advantage of more than 25 educational sessions tailored to each sector of the specialty-imaging industry, as well as a first-ever Pre-Expo Business Development Conference where speakers discussed how to increase ROI and boost a shop’s bottom line. Also available to them were five sales-free interactive demonstration areas on the show floor for those seeking new market opportunities, including: Digital Apparel Production Zone, DSA Digital Signage Zone, Industrial Application

Zone, PDAA Graphics Application Zone, and the Screen Printed Apparel Training Zone. Meanwhile, on the 184,000-squarefoot SGIA Expo show floor, attendees were busy checking out products and wares from 487 exhibiting companies. We provide information on nearly 50 of those newly released technologies on the pages that follow. If you missed the excitement at the 2010 SGIA Expo, it’s not too late to begin thinking about the 2011 edition of the show. It will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, October 19-21.

JFX Plus Printers from Mimaki Mimaki USA (mimakiusa.com) debuted its JFX plus series of LED UV-cure printers, including the JFX1631 plus and JFX-1615 plus. The new machines feature a post-cure unit, and as a result, reports Mimaki, now offer a top speed of 254 sq ft/min (at 600 dpi), an 80% increase over the previous 1615/1631 models. Both machines feature a top resolution of 1200 dpi. The 1631 plus can handle media up to 65 x 126 in., while the 1615 plus can handle media up to 65 x 63 in.; both accommodate media up to 1.97in. thick. Two inksets are available: Rigid (CMYK+W+Clear) and Flexible (CMYK+W). A roll unit is optional for continuous roll-media feeding.

3M New Media 3M (3mgraphics.com) introduced an array of new media updates, including: • 3M Scotchprint Wrap Film Series 1080 is available in four matte colors – black, white, silver, and military green. These pressure-activated, 3.5mil cast films are designed to provide dimensional stability and durability without the need for an overlaminate. The films feature non-visible air-release channels and 60-in. widths. • Scotchcal brand Changeable Graphic Film IJ36-20 now features adhesive technology designed to improve removability and pliability in colder temperatures. The film applies easily and removes without heat (some heat may be required in colder temperatures), 3M reports, and is solvent and UV-print compatible; also features a lay-flat liner. • 3M Wall Decorating Film IJ86E is a 6-mil changeable film designed

for interior wall graphics using UV inkjet and UV screen printing. Its adhesive technology provides excellent adhesion but still allows sliding and repositioning of the graphic, the company reports. IJ86E is a non-PVC film made with less solvent and designed for use with UV inks.

Durst’s Rhotex 320 The Rhotex 320 printer from Durst (durstus.com) made its North American debut. Aimed at the soft-signage markets, the printer is available in 4-color standard or in an optional configuration of CMYKcm+light black and/or spot colors. The Rhotex 320 features Durst’s Quadro Array 30D AQ printhead technology, an inline ink dryer, an automated capping station that covers all printheads automatically when the sled is in “park” position to eliminate evaporation of the printer’s water-based inks, an integrated ink absorbing system to keep inks from penetrating through the media, and more. It offers P-O-P quality output at up to 775 sq ft/hr (645 sq ft/hr in High Resolution mode) and a top resolution of 600 dpi. See September 2010 for more information.

Neschen SolvoPrint Nolite 175 Media Neschen (neschenbrands.com) made its first showing of SolvoPrint Nolite 175, a 7-mil matte polyester media for use with solvent, eco-solvent, latex, and UV-curable printers. Suitable for indoor and short-term outdoor projects, it features 100% opacity to remove shadows and image washout due to backlit conditions, edge-curl resistance, and a scratch-resistant coating. Applications include P-O-P displays, retail signage, tradeshow graphics, and display systems. Available in 36 x 98-in. rolls.

HP’s Certified for JDF Program HP (hp.com) announced that it has created a new HP Certified for Wide Format Printing JDF Exchange

program for third-party workflow solutions. HP certification ensures that workflow solutions exchanging JDF will interoperate properly with each other, enabling print service providers to easily build e-storefronts to market their services, take advantage of production-automation tools to reduce costs, and differentiate their service offerings. Several companies already have achieved certification through the program. HP is chair of the CIP4’s Wide Format Workgroup.

Agfa Debuts Jeti 3020 Titan Flatbed The Jeti 3020 Titan flatbed from Agfa Graphics (agfa.com) is a high-production machine, designed and constructed using a modular format so that, as users’ demands increase, the printer’s color and speed capabilities can be extended. The Titan’s entry-level version incorporates 16 Ricoh Gen 4 grayscale printheads resulting in CMYK output at a native resolution of 600 dpi, able to deliver 1200 dpi for photorealistic image quality. The machine has a maximum print area of 124 x 79.5 in. and prints up to 1216 sq ft/hr in highspeed mode (370 sq ft/hr in quality mode). It can be configured, however, with up to 48 grayscale heads (boosting the maximum print speed to 2432 sq ft/hr in high-speed mode, 740 in quality mode); in addition, the standard CMYK configuration can be extended adding light cyan and light magenta for better image rendering; double white; white and clear varnish; or orange and green to extend the color gamut. The Titan can accommodate flexible and rigid materials up to 2-in. thick. www.bigpicture.net

Array of New Media from Sihl Sihl (sihlusa.com) premiered various new media at SGIA, including: • Sihl 3166 ClearStick clear film with adhesive for aqueous inkjet printers; a 2-mil polyester film with an optically clear inkjet coating on the image side and an optically clear, repositionable adhesive with a thin opaque, white polyester release liner on the reverse side. Applications include P-O-P/P-O-S, event signage, and digital packaging prototypes. In 24- to 50-in. widths. • Sihl 3182 Latex Backlit film compatible with HP Latex inkjet printers; a dimensionally stable 5-mil polyester film with a Latex ink-receptive matte top coat and a light-diffusing coat on the reverse side; can be used for shortterm outdoor lightbox applications and does not require lamination. In 36-, 50-, and 60-in. widths. • Two new white polyester films,

3198 Instant Dry Block-Out and 3199 Instant Dry White film for solvent, UV and Latex inkjet printers. Sihl 3198 is a 7-mil polyester film with a glossy instant-dry, ink-receptive layer designed to produce photo-quality, high-definition images; available in 36- and 50-in. widths. Sihl 3199 has the same unique ink receptive layer as 3198 but on a thinner, more economical 5-mil white polyester film base without the blockout layer on the reverse side; available in 54- and 60-in. widths. • Sihl 3516 PolySol Pop-up 12-mil display film, compatible with solvent, UV, and Latex inkjet printers. A thick, dimensionally and color-stable polyester film with a textured satin print surface and a gray light-block layer on the reverse surface, for ultra-durable pop-up displays; 36-in. widths. • Three new inkjet canvas products for use with aqueous inkjet printers, including Illumina Gloss Canvas

3185 (19-mil), Illustra Satin Canvas 3186 (19-mil), and Irradia Matte Canvas 3184 (15-mil). All three are available in widths from 13 to 50 in. • Sihl 3176 QuickStick self-adhesive vinyl for aqueous inkjet printers; a 4-mil pressure-adhesive-backed media designed for a strong initial bond and zero residue after removal; in widths from 24 to 50 in.

Gandy Digital Introduces Pre8tor UV Flatbed Gandy Digital (gandydigital.com) introduced the Pred8tor, a UV flatbed with a roll-to-roll option. The 5-color

Honoring ‘Product of the Year,’ and More The SGIA announced its 2010 Product of the Year awards, which recognize digital equipment and supplies in the specialty imaging marketplace. Entrants in the competition were SGIA member exhibitors with products available in the 2010 market. Each entry was judged based on its perceived value to the digital imaging community. Winners included (by product category; product followed by manufacturer/supplier): • Digital inks: LF200 UV Flexible Inks for Backlit/Display, Mimaki USA • Media, paper: TerraSkin XP, Xcel Products • Media, vinyl: Glow Mesh, Ultraflex Systems • Media, films: HydroSol Satin Textured LightBlock 230STL, Continental Grafix • Media, textile: 100% Post-Consumer/Industrial Materials, Vapor Apparel/SourceSubstrates • Media, rigid: Eco-Finish Rigid Print Media, Panel Processing Inc. • Media, non-PVC (nonwoven): Terralon, Dreamscape • Business or other workflow software: Costview 2.0 (optimized for iPad), Caldera Graphics • Finishing - laminates, adhesives, films, coatings: Print Shield Anti-Graffiti Laminating Film, Neschen Americas

THE BIG PICTURE january 2011

• Finishing - equipment: Fotoba Dreamcut XLD-170D, Fotoba International (exclusive US distributor is Colex) • Printers: ∙ Poster Size-Solvent/Latex < 96: JV33-160, Mimaki USA ∙ Rigid Substrate UV <$200K MSRP: Arizona 550 GT, Océ Display Graphics Systems ∙ Rigid Substrate UV >$200K MSRP: Arizona 550 XT, Océ ∙ Rigid White Ink UV <$200K MSRP: JFX-1615, Mimaki USA ∙ Flatbed - Rigid White Ink UV >$200K MSRP: Arizona 550 XT, Océ ∙ Grand Format Roll-to-Roll-Solvent & Latex inks: JV33-260, Mimaki USA ∙ Grand Format Roll-to-Roll-UV-Cure ink: JFX- 1631R, Mimaki USA ∙ Direct to Garment Inkjet Printers: Veloci-Jet XL, Equipment Zone Inc. “The Product of the Year competition recognizes the top equipment and supplies currently on the market that are advancing the specialty imaging industry,” says SGIA president Michael Robertson. “Winners represent

(CMYK+W) printer offers resolution up to 1200 dpi (apparent) and a top speed of 1920 sq ft/hr in Production mode (400 sq ft/hr in Extra Fine mode). Maximum print size is 48 x 96 in. (rigid), and the Pred8tor can accommodate media up to 2-in. thick. The machine’s touch-and-drag GUI runs on the WiFi-enabled Apple iPad, which comes loaded with video tutorials and a live diagnostic system; also available on the GUI is a materials inventory-control ordering system. A print extension table is optional.

Budget-Inks for Designjet Budget-Inks (budgetinks.com) introduced a Sam Ink solution for the HP Designjet z6100 printer. Engineered to match HP colors, the Sam inks boast good adhesion to micro-porous media. Available in 750-ml cartridges and 1-liter bulk containers.

Aurora Encore FR Fabrics Aurora Specialty Textiles (auroratextile.com) added Encore FR to its Weaves of Green line of 100% recycled polyester fabrics. Made from postconsumer plastic drink bottles and constructed of spun yarns to give it the drape and hand of a natural fiber fabric, Encore FR features a rugged texture and the durability of polyester. It meets the NFPA 701 small-scale flammability standard for indoor use and is compatible with sublimation transfer and UV-cure printing. Available in 100-yd rolls, 58-in. wide. The company also introduced six new knit fabrics to its Northern Lights Printable Textiles line: Heavy Knit 9

FR, Stretch Knit 5 FR, Soft Satin Knit FR, Ultimate Knit FR, Durable Flag FR, and Universal Flag (also printable with direct disperse inks). All six styles are made from 100% polyester; the FR styles for sublimation transfer and UV-cure styles meet the NFPA 701 small-scale flammability standard. Widths range up to 126 in.; standard roll length is 100 yds.

INX Debuts EDX Eco-Solvents Inx Digital (inxdigital.com) showcased its EDX line of eco-solvent inks and Eco Bulk ink-delivery system. A fast drying ink with low odor and dual compatibility, EDX allows users to perform cartridge-by-cartridge changeover without wasting ink. The EDX inks were launched specifically for Roland series printers with Epson DX4 printhead technology. Eco Bulk is a new, easy-to-use inkdelivery system for wide-format inks. >32

One Week Prior… the best consumables and output devices that offer faster, higher quality output for the wide-format digital market.” SGIA also announced the winners of its 2010 Golden Image Award Competition. The competition recognizes the top works from nearly every sector of the specialty imaging industry. Hundreds of entries were evaluated by a team of imaging professionals, who awarded gold, silver, and bronze ribbons to the best prints. Winning entries included: • Best in Show - Graphic: Solutions Unlimited (entry title: ‘High Shine’); • Best in Show - Garment: Tarun Print Tech (entry title: ‘Michael Jackson’); and • People’s Choice: Brilliant Graphics Group (entry title: ‘Eric Drury Sculpture’). The complete list of Golden Image winners can be viewed on the SGIA website, sgia.org. And SGIA announced the winner of the Howard A. Parmele Award: Michel Caza, owner of Michel Caza Erul in France and an industry veteran of more than 50 years, was selected for his extensive contribution to screen printing and the SGIA community.

Several companies also showcased products that were introduced at Graph Expo, held the week prior to SGIA. See our December 2010 issue for details. Here are some quick notes on these companies’ products from the Chicago show: • EFI’s (efi.com) new Rastek H652 UV hybrid and Rastek T1000 UV flatbed • The new Anapurna M 2050 printer from Agfa (agfa.com) • Roland (rolanddga.com) 54-in. VersaUV LEC-540 printer/cutter • New options for the TruePress Jet2500 UV printer from Screen USA (screenusa.com) • Canon’s (usa.canon.com) new imageProGraf iPF825 and iPF815 printers • The new CP100 UV digital can printer from INX (inxintl.com)

www.bigpicture.net

CONTROLLING COLOR

New developments in color-management tools, technologies, and standards. By Stephen Beals If you think there’s nothing new in the area of color management, think again. Researchers and vendors continue to be hard at work developing new products, standards, and technologies to get color under control. In some respects, the idea of attaining perfect color control is an unattainable goal: Color, after all, will always be somewhat subjective; as we know every human eye sees color a bit differently. Nevertheless, new measurement tools, calibration hardware, profiling software, and some agreements on color standards have come a long way to give print providers control over their color output. Print shops utilizing wide-format technologies have long been con24

THE BIG PICTURE january 2011

strained by other print media’s lower gamut capabilities. But the industry has seen a rapid increase in Web and cross-media production in addition to the lengthening of print’s color gamut. Increased color capabilities resulting from new inks (including ink models beyond the traditional CMYK gamuts) and ultra-bright papers for offset devices, plus the increased capabilities of some digital-imaging devices, have brought new demands on the industry. In many cases, the limitations of the old SWOP color gamut no longer apply. Customers are looking for more “pop,” more saturation, and more contrast in their wideformat output and are inclined to look at what they see on flat panel screens

as the color standard to shoot for. The internationalization of print is also a factor in the requirement for a broader and more universal approach to color management. Are you up to date on the new options that are available to you when it comes to color management? The list that follows includes some of the advances that have been made in the past 12 months or so (keep an eye on this magazine’s “R&D” section throughout the year for color-management technologies as they are introduced to the marketplace). For the sake of convenience, I’ve grouped tools and technologies into three distinct categories: software, standards and training, and hardware and targets.

Software solutions Cromanet – what’s old is new again: John Poore of Cromanet (cromanetcs. com) reports, “I, along with a number of others, have spun off and resurrected the old DuPont Cromanet RIP and are currently in the process of rebranding it as a color-management solution. Some of our new developments include state-of-the-art ICC profiling and a highly accurate color engine that is very competitively priced and includes multi-channel and expanded printing profiling. All of our technology is based on a spectral matching model that we have developed.” The product includes Cromanet Color Manager for color profiling, characterization, matching, basic and advanced color editing; and digital print gamut optimization, supporting CMYK, RGB, and spot and special color data, Cromanet proprietary spectral-based profiling plus support for ICC input and output profiles and Cromanet color and substrate libraries. CGS color-managed output across multiple units: CGS (cgs-oris.com) has released a new version of its Oris Press Matcher//Web, designed to bring color-managed output across multiple presses, conventional and digital, including wide-format printers. The product is available as a stand-alone color server or as a color-link generator. The company also released Oris Aproove, an interactive Web collaborative approval tool for ad agencies and their clients. The interface features a decision-tree workflow and allows for unlimited users using client server architecture. And the company’s Oris Certified Suite has been extended to offer an enterprise-level business solution for the quality control of proof, press, and environments across customer sites worldwide. Apogee Color 7: One of the features in the new release of Agfa’s Apogee (agfa.com) is called Smart Input Space Color Recognition (SISR). It’s an Apogee Preflight Action List that automatically detects the most prob-

able ICC profile for CMYK objects in a PDF document. Different action lists are available that warn in case

Productionserver 6 COLORGATE of wrong tagging, or if the requested tag/untagged CMYK objects have the best matching profile. Other action lists use statistical analysis to apply the most recurrent ICC profile as document profile and as such can automate and optimize press repurposing. The Apogee system needs the Color Quality Manager license (ColorTune, the engine of Apogee Color) to get it working. Curve2’s virtual press run: A new feature in Curve2 software from Chromix (chromix.com) and HutchColor (hutchcolor.com) is an option called Virtual Press Run (VPR), which can eliminate the need for a second press run when doing G7 calibrations. Without VPR, the companies report, obtaining a press profile from a G7calibrated press requires at least two press runs: one with null plate curves to calculate the G7 calibration curves, and a second to print the profiling target through the resulting plate curves to profile the press. VPR is designed to eliminate the need for the second press run; the G7 curves calculated from the first run are applied to the profiling target measurements of the first run, producing measurements that appear as if they were produced on a second “virtual” run. ColorGate support for G7: ColorGate (colorgate.com) has unveiled a G7

calibration extension module, G7CM, for its ColorGate Productionserver 6 and Proofgate 6 RIP and profiling solutions. The module performs calibrations to meet the requirements of the IDEAlliance for the G7 standard for color reproduction. The support for the G7 standard based on the ISO 12647 standard ensures that G7 is achieved for all the printing systems supported. The module includes a recalibration option to allow users to revert to reference output quality even when using ICC-based color management. Saving ink via ColorLogic: It’s no surprise that print providers working with wide-format technologies use a considerable amount of ink – which is where ColorLogic’s new CoPra (color profiling application) products come in, says the company. “Benefits in saving ink without degrading quality can be reached by using SaveInk DeviceLink profiles created with ColorLogic CoPra. These profiles can either be applied in the RIP or a ColorServer supporting DeviceLinks,” reports Dietmar Fuchs, product and project manager at ColorLogic (colorlogic.de). Fuchs also explained how the company’s new DocBees product works: “Print shops need to print jobs from a lot of sources, mostly data without any assigned profiles to it. Which means that the color identity of those jobs is not clear and so the workers must do

Apogee Color 7 AGFA an intelligent guess to figure out the correct profile. DocBees ProfileTagger is a color-management pre-flighting tool that automatically identifies the profile that suits a CMYK separation best. In addition, it checks if images in PDF/X files are correctly separated www.bigpicture.net

controlling color

Press Matcher//Web ORIS according to the given output intent. For example, the tool enables CGS users to check whether the image data in a PDF/X file matches the output intent, or needs to be ‘made to fit’ by means of color conversion. It also helps prevent data from being incorrectly converted in a downstream color workflow because of an undetected, incorrectly assigned profile.” A plethora of X-Rite products: X-Rite (xrite.com) has announced its new portfolio of i1 Professional Color Management Solutions, including i1Basic Pro, i1Photo Pro, i1 Publish, and i1Publish Pro. All four versions feature new technology and applications: i1Profiler, X-Rite’s latest color-profiling software; new Pantone Color Manager color swatch bridging software; and ColorChecker Proof, a color checker chart for direct viewing analysis against a printed target. PrintCheck and PressOptimizer are X-Rite’s automated print quality control and standardization solutions designed for printers who want to print to international ISO standards using industry specifications for process control like G7 or PSO. Users can also set their own tolerances. A new enhanced version of X-Rite’s EasyTrax, a semi-automated press-side color scanning solution, also has been released. The new version supports Windows 7, and offers additional functionality for customers with perfecting presses to handle up to eight colors, support of Japan Color libraries, an enhanced Wizard-style editor interface, and a series of easy-to-follow animated tutorials. 26

THE BIG PICTURE january 2011

On the Pantone side of things, the new Pantone Plus Series was introduced in 2010, expanding the previous Pantone system with hundreds of new colors. Among the new features is a chromatic arrangement for more intuitive color selection, an index to aid in specific color location, a ColorChecker lighting indicator for finding the proper conditions for color evaluation, and a ColorChecker primer for digital image color correction. Colibri color-matching software: At the most recent Graph Expo, Konica Minolta Sensing Americas (konicaminolta.com/sensingusa) showcased the Colibri color-matching software designed for recipe formulation and correction of opaque, translucent, and transparent colors and inks. The software also optimizes the pigment load, preventing over-pigmentation in opaque inks. The template function allows the user to predefine the software features and screen layout so all functions not required are suppressed. This allows users to greatly simplify operations. Colibri has full enterprise network capability connecting users worldwide via the Web to share a central database. The Colibri software is produced by Switzerland-based

Onyx X10 ONYX GRAPHICS Nexirius (nexirius.com); available in the Americas by premier distributor Konica Minolta. ColorProof 5.2: GMG (gmgcolor. com) has introduced version 5.2 of its ColorProof, which now integrates Adobe PDF Print Engine 2.5 and adds improvements to the SpotColor Edi-

tor. It’s also compatible with the new GMG ProofControl Inline module, allowing for fully automated proofing and verification of contone proofs on Epson Stylus Pro printers with an integrated measuring device. Onyx X10 simplifies color management: Onyx Graphics (onyxgfx. com) has debuted version X10 of its

CoPra COLORLOGIC RIPCenter, PosterShop, and ProductionHouse workflow solutions. The new software, Onyx reports, simplifies color management while also improving file handling, delivering smoother color blends and gradients, offers better control of inks costs, and more. Caldera’s smoother and larger gamuts: Caldera Graphics (caldera. com), in early 2010, launched its new v8 software version optimized for X-Rite iPrism and the Adobe PDF Print Engine. X-Rite’s i1Prism colormanagement engine contains a new ICC profile generator that enhances color separation and color matching in the Caldera print workflow. With this option, Caldera reports, users benefit from state-of-the-art algorithms to print colors that were not reachable using previous profilers with better accuracy than before. The resulting smoother and larger gamuts provide extended and better color matching.

Standards and training G7 certification: The IDEAlliance (idealliance.org) has created an “Official G7 Master Printer and G7

Expert” database, which is now available on the IDEAlliance home page. The organization now offers G7 training classes and a Color Management Professional Certification program, as well as a basic Color Management for Printing certificate. CxF, a ‘universal container’: In response to an increased need for the interpretation of color data across media, X-Rite has developed CxF (Color Exchange Format), a file format designed to accurately and unambiguously communicate all commercially relevant aspects of color across devices, applications, and geographies. CxF is an XML (Extensible Markup Language)-based color specification applicable to any industry including design, print production, film, and video. CxF acts as a universal container for carrying the entire set of color reference data supplied by the content creator. CxF can include spectral color values, named colors such as Pantone, color spaces and appearance effects (specific lighting conditions, type of substrate, type of ink, density, opacity, transparency of the color,

FD-5/FD-7 KONICA MINOLTA SENSING gloss, texture, position and shape of color patches), as well as commercial aspects, mathematical, optical conditions, etc. XRGA instrumentation standard: X-Rite has also released a new instrumentation standard, XRGA (as reported in our December issue, pg 16). There are a couple of reasons for the new standard. One is that when Gretag and Macbeth merged, differences

EasyColor CALDERA in the calibration standards used in the legacy product lines needed to be addressed. The process allowed the company to implement new advances in color technology to the calibration standards for ISO-13655. The company says, “For most of our products, the switch to XRGA results in very small differences in measurement values, so many customers will not need or want to make any changes.”

Measuring color, density with Konica Minolta: Konica Minolta Sensing Americas also has released a new series of spectrodensitometers. The FD-5 and FD-7 are handheld models that can measure density and color while taking into account the fluorescence of the paper substrate. They use Konica Minolta’s Virtual Fluores-

Hardware and targets EasyColor spectrophotometer: The Spectro EasyColor from Caldera is an automatic reflection/transmission spectrophotometer for linearization and profiling of photographic and wide-format output devices for flexible reflective and transparent materials. EasyColor specifications include the ability to measure flexible materials with a thickness up to .07mm (paper, banner, canvas, canvas cover for trucks, backlit, film, etc.); measure targets with up to 3000 patches; measure the ECI2002 and IT8/7.4 chart in original size; measure aperture reflection (2mm) and transmission (2mm). Its target markets are aqueous and solvent large-format inkjet printers, entry- to mid-range UV-cure flatbed printers, packaging, proofing, fine-art printing, and prepress. Discus calibration: The Discus high-end monitor/projector/ambient calibration device from BasicColor (basiccolor.de) has been designed specifically to maximize profiling precision for today’s wider gamut LCD and LED displays. The device is built out of machined aluminum, uses fade-resistant glass filters, and incorporates a laser aiming device for off-display measurements.

Capsure PANTONE cence Standard (VFS) technology that enables color evaluation while taking into consideration the fluorescence of paper under D50 (the standard light source used for color evaluation). The FD-7 meets the ISO 13655 M1 standard for fluorescence and color measurement; it also includes an Automatic Wavelength Compensation feature that automatically calibrates in the wavelength direction when white calibration is performed. Capsure for matching colors: Pantone’s Capsure is a handheld device that lets users instantly measure and match a color source – everything from small, patterned, multi-colored textures and textiles to walls and carpeting. Created for professionals in fashion, home furnishings, interior, industrial and graphic design, Capsure allows users to quickly identify colors from any surface, material, fabric, or other color source and match them to a Pantone Color. Capsure can record the last 100 colors measured for later reference, and allows users to annotate colors with a voice recording as well as a time and date stamp. >37 www.bigpicture.net

ORACAL ORAGUARD 290M LAMINATE; WRAP BY LORING STUDIOS (LORINGSTUDIOS.COM)

Laminates: Enhancing the Print

More than 7 0 sources for laminates and graphics-protection product s. By Britney Grimmelsman More than just “icing on the cake” for a graphics job, laminates and protective fi lms also can be the key ingredient when it comes to a print’s durability. Plus, a laminate can add to the graphic’s aesthetic – providing a texture and visual feel that really pulls the viewer’s eye. Add in other qualities like enhanced slip-resistance for floor graphics and an anti-graﬃti agent for public venues and it’s all but impossible to ignore how critical laminates are in today’s wide-format world. On the pages that follow, we’ve compiled an extensive list of laminate and graphic-protection sources. For the purposes of this list, only primary producers and manufacturers of laminates and graphic protection for the wide-format market are included, as are companies that have their own branded media; not included are distributors/dealers who simply oﬀer another company’s brand.

THE BIG PICTURE JANUARY 2011

Advanced Greig Laminators aglinc.com Cover-Rite thermal and pressure-sensitive overlaminate fi lms in matte, gloss, textured, and luster finishes; Cover-Rite V2 overlaminate in gloss or luster finish. Advantage Distribution advantagedistribution.com Advan-Tac Economy laminating fi lms include pressure-sensitive GlossLamUV, PS Laminate, PS High Gloss PolyLam, and PS Clear Dry Erase. Advantage Sign Supply advantagesignsupply.com Various Optima Opti-Koat laminates for floor graphics, window graphics, dry-erase apps, and more; in gloss, luster, satin, and matte finishes. Arlon arlon.com Series 3200 2-mil, optically clear; Series 3220, luster, satin, matte or

gloss; Series 3420, satin or gloss; its Series 3350 is specifically designed as an anti-graﬃti overlaminate. Artgrafix artgrafix.com Acid-free cold (matte, gloss, luster) and canvas-texture laminates; scuﬀresistant fi lms (matte, gloss); also rolllaminator fi lms (matte or gloss). Art Unica unicadigital.com DuraLam+ (gloss, matte, luster, satin) and DuraLam+ Crystal laminates. Aslan-Schwarz aslan-schwarz.com Self-adhesive polyester and PVC laminating fi lms, including Aslan SL Series, in various finishes, textures, and thicknesses; MP Series for floor graphics and DFP Series for outdoor graphics.

Oracal Oraguard 290m laminate; wrap by Loring Studios (loringstudios.com)

Avery Dennison averygraphics.com DOL pressure-sensitive overlaminates include ultimate cast DOL 1060 (gloss), 1080 (matte), 1360 3D (gloss), and 1560 (optically clear); high performance calendered DOL 2060 (gloss), 2070 (luster), and 2080 (matte); promo calendered DOL 3060 (gloss), 3070 (luster), and 3080 (matte); and DOL 6060 anti-graffiti specialty film. New to ultimate cast line are 1.3-mil DOL 1370 (luster) and 1380 (matte). Breathing Color breathingcolor.com Glamour 2 Veneer is a canvas/giclée varnish that is water-based and nonyellowing; available in gloss or matte. New: Timeless is true matte, waterbased and non-yellowing; available in gloss, satin, or matte. Bulldog Products bulldogproducts.com Fine-art/canvas coatings include ultra glossy/gloss/semi-gloss (liquid or aerosol); AquaLam gloss/satin (liquid); Dreamguard matte/satin (liquid); and Impasto textured gloss/satin (gel). CalComp Graphic Solutions calcompgs.com Pressure-sensitive, cold-laminated PVC films include Artisan Econo, PS, Crystal PS, Polycarbonate PS, and PS Dry Erase; thermal-laminated cast films in gloss, satin, matte, clear.

Series 3220 ARLON Catalina Graphic Films catalinagraphicfilms.com CM polyester films, CP polypropylene and polycarbonate films, CV flex-

ible vinyl, and SRV embossed rigid vinyl available in matte, clear, gloss, textured, and velvet. Mojave Digital Media “green” water-based adhesive laminates available in gloss, highgloss, matte, and textured finishes. Clear Focus clearfocus.com ClearLam optically clear polyester, pressure-sensitive, cold-mount overlaminate (flat installations only); CurvaLam conformable, glossy, coldmount PVC for vehicle- and windowgraphics; and PerfxCoat hot-mount coating for solvents. ClearStar clearstarcorp.com ClearShield (water-base) and ClearJet (solvent-base) liquid laminates. ClearShield is available in several versions, including Anti-Graffiti; ClearJet is also available in a Fine Art version. New to the ClearShield line is CSX5000, designed for high chemical resistance and UV protection. Coda codamount.com ThermaPro series of low-melt laminates available in gloss, satin, and Sparkle; Cold-Mount pressuresensitive textured overlaminates, in Smooth, Gloss Poly, Textured, and Lexan versions. Creative Banner Assemblies creativebanner.com Titan Cold Lamination Film, 4-mil, for indoor and outdoor use. D&K Group dkgroup.com Expression line of thermal, pressuresensitive, and low-melt films and laminates, in various thicknesses, widths, scuff resistance and finishes; also available is its SuperStick line of heat-assist, linerless laminates. Daige daige.com Rollaguard liquid coating

Solo Cold Laminate DAIGE (gloss or satin finish) for outdoor signage as well as canvas fine-art prints. Also offers a line of Daige Solo cold laminates in gloss, luster, and matte. Denco Sales Company dencosales.com Aspire 3-mil PVC laminate in luster, gloss, and matte finishes. Drytac drytac.com Pressure-sensitive overlaminates, HeatSet overlaminating films, and MHL low-temp thermal overlaminating/encapsulating films. Its Interlam Bio line of laminates are designed to be fully biodegradable after use. Also offers a range of EnduraCoat Aqueous low-VOC liquid coatings, including EnduraCoat UltraMaxx Gloss and UltraFlex Matt for wrap applications, as well as EnduraCoat Transit for transit apps, plus InstaCure UV-curable liquid coatings. DuPont dupont.com Tedlar PVF and PVF SP (Special Properties) line of overlaminates. Eastsign eastsign.com Thermal and cold laminates in gloss or matte finishes. FDC Graphic Films fdcfilms.com FDC Series premium-, intermediate-, and promotional-grade, pressuresensitive laminating films for various applications. Fellers fellers.com Gamutskin and Lamex laminates in gloss, luster, matte, clear, or textured finishes.

www.bigpicture.net

laminates Flexcon flexcon.com BusArt, Brushcal, FlexMark, ClassicsPlus, FlexVu, and JetBond overlaminates. Its FlexMark floor art OV6604 is a clear overlaminate for floor graphics. GBC gbcconnect.com Laminates include thermal films Octiva, Nap-Lam, and AccuShield in gloss, matte, luster, or textured finishes; Arctic pressure-sensitive laminates and adhesives in gloss, matte, luster, satin, or textured finishes; and HeatSeal laminating pouches. New is Nap-Lam II, a clear polyester film coated with a low-temperature copolymer adhesive in various finishes. General Formulations generalformulations.com Concept pressure-sensitive, adhesive-coated C1, C2 (clear), and M1 (matte) polyester films; VF (clear, luster, matte), SR5 (clear) vinyl and CAN (clear) embossed vinyl films; PC polycarbonate films (velvet, gloss); and PP2 polypropylene film (clear). Gerber Scientific Products gspinc.com Laminates include GerberGuard (3mil, gloss), StrikeGuard (8-mil, gloss), and UVGuard (1-mil, clear Tedlar). Graphic Laminating graphiclaminating.com Durafilm pressure-sensitive, thermal, and low-melt films in matte, luster, gloss, satin finishes; also, laminating pouches (gloss, satin). Graphics One graphicsone.com GO PermaFilm pressure-sensitive, cold laminate in gloss or matte; GO PermaShield liquid laminate. Gregory Inc. gregory1.com TrendFilm 2-mil, permanent adhesive in clear or gloss.

THE BIG PICTURE january 2011

and finishes. Thermal and self-seal laminate pouches also available.

CurvaLam CLEAR FOCUS Hahnemühle hahnemuhle.com Hahnemühle Shield Protective Spray is odorless, transparent, fast-drying, and non-yellowing. Hexis USA hexisusa.com PVC and polyester laminates in gloss, matte, satin, or embossed. Its PC30 cast laminate is designed for vehicle wraps (matte, super matte, or gloss). Ink2Image ink2image.com Lyson Print Guard spray or brushon lacquer in satin or gloss, slow or fast dry. Integument Technologies integument.com Peel-and-stick FluoroGrip clear, single-sided and double-sided films. INX Digital International inxdigital.com Triangle Products-brand liquid laminates include ClearFlex (gloss), Fleet ClearFlex (gloss, semi-gloss, matte), ClearFlex ME (gloss), Ultra (gloss, semi-gloss), and CristalBond gloss for UV-curable prints. Kapco Graphic Products kapco.com Kapco pressure-sensitive (vinyl, polyester, and polycarbonate) and thermal (low-melt and heat-assist) laminates in a variety of finishes. Lamination King laminationking.com LK Series standard, low-melt, and pressure-sensitive cold-mount laminating films in various thicknesses

Lamotex lamotex.com Thermal laminate films in General Purpose, CoPolymer, Heat Seal, and Pouch varieties; UniLam pressuresensitive laminates. LexJet lexjet.com LexJet’s low-melt laminates include DisplayGuard, CrystalEmboss, ArmorGuard UV Hardcoat, and polyester films; also PreLume, GraphicsGuard UV, PVC/vinyl-free EcoGuard satin, and ExhibitGuard UV pressure-sensitive laminates. Also available is 3-mil GraphicShield UV satin. All available in various finishes, and textures. Lintec of America lintecofamerica.com Pressure sensitive L-AG Protect laminates available in a variety of constructions and sizes. Its Revi overlaminate films are iridescent and change color when viewed from different angles. LG Hausys America lgvizuon.com 3.5-mil Vizuon Cast LP80990 highgloss, 3.7-and 4.7-mil LP2712G/M high-gloss (matte), clear PVC films.

GraphicShield LEXJET MacTac mactac.com Permacolor pressure-sensitive, optically clear overlaminates (in three finishes); Permacolor rigid and intermediate overlaminates; and Permacolor thermal overlaminates (Thermacolor). Permacolor lines also

include ColorGard for image enhancement and adhesion, and PrintCover for short-term graphics. Recent additions include Permacolor Permaflex and Rayzor Gloss for short-, medium-, and long-term applications. Media One mediaoneusa.com Its Professional Series laminates are available in gloss, luster, and textured matte versions. Milano Digital milanoinc.com PS Series PVC and polycarbonate pressure-sensitive laminates; DI Series thermal laminates; also ProTect lamination spray. Montroy Supplies montroy.com Moncor cold- and pressure-sensitive laminates available in gloss, luster, matte, and satin finishes. Neolt neolt.it NeoFilm, NeoFilm Floor cold and Neo-Ultralam low-melt laminates. Neschen Americas neschenamericas.com Neschen UltraCoat and AccuLac water-based coatings and AccuCure UV-based liquid laminates. Also, Filmolux pressure-sensitive laminates available in various finishes and textures. Via its Seal brand, the company offers heat-set (Print Guard, Floor Guard), heat-activated (Jet Guard, ThermaShield), and pressure-sensitive (Print Shield, Floor Guard) laminating films, available in various finishes and textures; also Seal heat-activated Pouch Boards and laminating pouches in gloss or matte finish. Nu Sign Supply nusignsupply.com Nuflex line of 4-mil pressure-sensitive or cold laminating film offered in matte or glossy.

OcĂŠ North America oceusa.com TSLA10 (10 mil) and TSLA65 (6.5 mil) pressure-sensitive laminate films with a clear, matte-textured surface. Optima International optima-int.com Liquid laminates include Optima Millennium XE/Giclee Elixir, Medallion XE, Maxim XE, Marquee XE, and Aqua Max II. Oracal oracal.com Oraguard 200 Series laminates include PVC, Anti-Graffiti, Skid-Resistant, Premium Cast, Optically Clear Cast, and Ultra Flexible Cast films. Finishes include: gloss, semi-gloss, matte, high-gloss, and textured. Pacific Studio Supplies coatac.com Laminate films in a variety of textures, finishes, and thicknesses. Pitman pitman.com ProGuard UV plasticized PVC laminates (gloss, satin, luster, matte); Sentinel Low-Temp laminates (gloss, satin, matte); Low-Temp Display Luster, Dry Erase Gloss, Hard Coat Luster. Premier Imaging Products premierimagingproducts.com Liquid coatings include lacquer-based Print Shield for paper, water-based Eco Print Shield for canvas (in gloss, satin, matte), and Eco Elegance water-based gel for fine art and photography. Protect-all Inc. protect-all.com Protect-all clear laminate films in polyester, polypropylene, and nylon; Taffeta and Deep Silk textured films. Proveer proveer.com SS Velvet and Safari Finish vinyl laminates.

Permacolor Rayzor MACTAC Quality Media & Laminating Solutions qmls.com Instashield and Exhibitshield pressure-sensitive laminating films; Hard Guard and Digi Guard thermal laminating films; and Dura Guard heat-set laminating films. R Tape rtape.com Eclypse series PVC, polycarbonate, and polyester overlaminate films available in various finishes and textures. Eclypse Patterned overlaminate films are available in linen, frost, diamond plate, carbon fiber, and glitter. Remington Laminations remingtonlaminations.com RemiGuard low-temp, heat-activated film in luster or satin; RemiGloss, RemiSatin, RemiLustre, RemiWhite, RemiMatte, and RemiTex thermal laminating films; RemiCrystal, RemiChrome, RemiFrost, RemiClear, RemiGlossy, and RemiLustre pressure-sensitive, cold laminates. Ritrama ritrama-us.com Vinyl, polyester, polypropylene, and polycarbonate overlaminates in various finishes (gloss, luster, matte, scuff-resistant, gloss velvet). Also: clear, scuff-resistant Floor Talkers for floor applications, and more. Roland DGA rolanddga.com PGM line of pressure-sensitive overlaminates in optically-clear, gloss, luster, and matte finishes. Royal Sovereign International royalsovereign.com Royalam I and II and Lomel >38 www.bigpicture.net

<23 Featuring a cardboard box design consisting of 100% recycled materials, it replaces five 440-ml cartridges. The ink is housed within a foil bag and, once emptied, is disposed of. The foil bag can contain up to two liters of ink.

(8-mil) and 73689 Satin Poster Paper (6-mil). All in widths ranging from 38 to 63 in., on 6-in. cores.

New Production Roll Arkwright Media Arkwright Advanced Coating (arkwright.com) announced a new line of digitally coated inkjet media targeted for high-speed, production printers. The Production Roll line includes: 22150/22180 Light-Block Film Gloss (5-mil, 8-mil); 22340/22270 White Film Gloss (4-mil, 7-mil); 22450 Matte Backlit Film Gloss (5-mil); 70900 Latex Saturated Poster Paper, Satin (213 gsm); and two FSC-certified poster papers, 73686 Gloss Poster Paper

SGIA 2010: By the Numbers • T otal registrants: 21,956 (new SGIA record) • Total number of exhibitors: 487 companies • Percentage of first-time attendees: 40% • Total size of 2010 Expo floor: 184,060 square feet (up 30,000 square feet from 2009) • Registrants from top five US states: 1. California, 27% 2. Nevada, 8% 3. Texas, 5% 4. Illinois, 4% 5. Arizona, 4% • Percentage of US Registrants of total registration: 83% • Top country for registrants (not including the US): Canada; 5% of total Expo registration • Overall international registrants: 17%

THE BIG PICTURE january 2011

Impala Hybrid from Polytype Americas Polytype America Corp. (polytypeamerica.com), exclusive distributor for the SwissQPrint printer line, introduced the Impala hybrid UV printer to North America. It uses an 8-color inkset (CMYKcmk+W)+varnish, supports drop sizes from 12 to 42 pl, offers resolution up to 1440 dpi, and print speeds up to 1441 sq ft/hr in flatbed mode (high-print quality is 387-720 sq ft/hr at 720 and 360 dpi). Maximum print area is 5 x 8 ft. The company also showcased several new print modes for the Oryx UV flatbed printers that increase the maximum print speed to 828 sq ft/hr in draft mode.

StarLam 1600R Laminator Clearstar LP (clearstarcorp.com) released its redesigned StarLam 1600R roll-to-roll liquid laminator. The new model features rotating metering rods, a self-contained cleaning system and an advanced drying technique. The 1600R can handle media up to 64-in. wide and offers speeds of 1 to 4 ft/min.

the buffered tissue) is also available for use as a heat-set repair tissue.

New Overlaminates from Arlon Arlon (arlon.com) showcased its new Series 3220L (Luster) and Series 3220S (Satin) overlaminates. These multipurpose, 2-mil cast-vinyl laminates are recommended for vehicle wraps and for any type of outdoor digitally printed signage. Available in 30-, 36-, 48-, 54-, and 60-in. roll widths. The company also launched three new banner products: DPF 303 smooth, blockout, double-sided banner, a 13-oz white scrim polyester available in matte and satin; DPF 308, an 8-oz white fine-hole mesh banner that comes with or without a PVC liner; and DPF 310BB, a 9-oz white, blackback flexible polyester scrim banner with blockout properties.

Fisher Textiles’ Three New Fabrics Fisher Textiles (fishertextiles.com) added three new fabrics to its EnviroTex Plus fabrics line for dye sublimation and UV printing: ETP 9372 Reclaim Soft Knit (FR), ETP 9373 Reclaim Heavy Knit (FR), and ETP 9374 Reclaim Open Knit (FR). All are eco-friendly and are made from 100% Repreve yarn and 100% post-consumer waste. All are 122-in. wide and meet NFPA 701 flame requirements.

Drytac Artsafe 200 Mounting Tissue Drytac (drytac.com) showcased its Artsafe 200 mounting tissue, a highquality, buffered, acid-free, non-yellowing, stable and safe adhesive for fine-art prints, posters, photo, and clippings. Artsafe 200 mounting tissue is supplied on a special “carrier release” paper, and can be used for small and large prints. A single-sided version (with adhesive on one side of

A Faster Inca Onset S20 Inca Digital (incadigital.com) showcased its faster Onset S20, which now boasts an additional 15% speed boost (a 24% increase since its initial launch). The printer’s new high-speed mode lets users print graphics at

surface of the film. This allows a user to place magnets directly on a printed image, and the image can be removed at will. PolyPeel’s removable adhesive adheres to most smooth surfaces, the company reports. Applications include menu boards and the temporary placement of any magnetic-receptive removable panel. PolyPeel is available in 54-in. widths and is compatible with UV-curable, screen, HP Latex, solvent, and litho printing platforms. The film is made from 25-50% postconsumer soda bottles.

speeds ranging from 1600 to 3330 sq ft/hr, the company reports, and offers resolutions from 600 to 1000 dpi. The new print mode is standard on all new Onset S20s; existing S20 units can get a free upgrade. Fujifilm (fujifilm. com) is the exclusive Inca distributor.

New i-cut Suite From EskoArtwork EskoArtwork (esko.com) showcased its new i-cut Suite, targeted specifically for companies that operate a large-format digital printer and/or digital finishing system, and require professional tools to streamline their workflows. The Suite comprises various modules, including i-cut Preflight for efficient PDF preflighting and editing, i-cut Layout for interactive layout and nesting, and i-cut Vision Pro control system for precise and accurate die-less cutting. Users can also add supplementary modules: a structural design module; a graphics preparation module, and a true shape nesting module for irregular shapes. The company’s Kongsberg XP-Auto, an extended new version of the XP cutting table, also received its first US showing. The XP-Auto can handle a wide range of materials from highdensity, rigid sheets to flexible materials; maximum sheet size is 91 x 142 in.

Oracal Introduces New Media netics Graphic System, introduced its new PolyPeel magnetic-receptive film. The 3-mil magnetic-receptive satin polyester film boasts a highly magnetic coating on the back, which allows for the printing of images that will hold magnets through the

Oracal USA (oracal.com) showcased OraJet Series 3951HT High-Tack cast PVC digital media. Designed for “hard-to-stick,” rough or textured, lowenergy plastics or substrates, the 2-mil 3951HT is aimed at long-term, solvent inkjet printable graphic applications

InteliCoat Magic GFPhoto-240 Paper InteliCoat Technologies (magicinkjet. com) introduced Magic GFPhoto-240, a heavyweight 240-gsm photo-realistic paper specifically designed for solvent, eco-solvent, latex, and UV-cure printers. The 8-mil, satin paper boasts a bright white surface, very high color gamut and saturation, and is aimed at high-resolution graphics, posters, and displays. Available in 30-, 50-, and 60-in. widths.

Visual Magnetics’ PolyPeel Magnetic Receptive Film Visual Magnetics (visualmagnetics. com), developer of the Visual Magwww.bigpicture.net

requiring a gray, permanent adhesive, the company reports. Available in a gloss finish, 54-in. width, and lengths of 25 and 50 yds.

speed is 410 sq ft/hr and maximum resolution is 1200 dpi. It utilizes pigmented aqueous inks. The Express-Jet/ASI is an industrial direct-to-substrate printer that uses UV LED curing and is engineered to handle ad-specialty applications. It offers 5 colors (CMYK+W) and resolutions up to 1200 dpi. Maximum print size is 18 x 18 in., although the XL Print Option allows for 20 x 30 in.

MacTac’s New B-free Gruv Line

Fotoba Dreamcut XLD-170 From Colex The Fotoba Dreamcut XLD-170 made its US show debut, from the company’s North American distributor, Colex (colex.com). The XLD-170 is designed to work with rolls and sheets up 67-in. wide and 35-mil thick; it offers a max linear speed of 50 ft/min. Features include: self-squaring, automatic tracking of image edge, adjustable cutting lengths, self-sharpening blade, and more. It can handle polycarbonate, photo paper, vinyl, selfadhesive vinyl, PVC, film, duratrans, TDF, canvas, laminated or encapsulated prints, and other media.

MacTac Graphic Products (mactac. com) expanded its Imagin B-free portfolio with the introduction of its new Imagin B-free Gruv pressure-sensitive media. The B-free Gruv line features three products: • Intermediate GV529BFD, a 3-mil gloss white, soft calendered PVC film ideal for quick turnaround time on installation to a variety of substrates. It offers ease of installation for shortto medium-term indoor and outdoor advertising and signage, such as point-of-purchase (P-O-P), tradeshow and museum graphics. • High-performance GV729BFD, a 2.8-mil gloss white vinyl designed for use on flat or simply curved surfaces such as indoor and outdoor signage, displays and P-O-P, as well as partial vehicle wraps. • Ultra-conformable GV929BFD, a 2.1-mil gloss white vinyl designed for long-term outdoor and permanent vehicle markings on flat, curved, complex and riveted surfaces, such as full and partial vehicle wraps, bus wraps, museum signage, and more.

TS-300 Hybrid from Teckwin Express-Jet Printers by Lawson Lawson Screen & Digital Products (lawsonsp.com) debuted its Express-Jet line of inkjet printers. The Express-Jet Graphic is a 5-color (CMYK+W) wide-format flatbed inkjet printer that features a moving table and scanning head and supports a maximum print size of 58 x 72 in. Top 34

THE BIG PICTURE january 2011

Teckwin (teckwin.com) showed its TS300 printer, a hybrid UV printer that offers 7 colors (CMYKcm+White) and an eight-zone vacuum bed. Top print speed is 900 sq ft/hr, and the TS-300 can produce prints up to 60 x 97 in. (flatbed) and 72-in. wide (rollfed). It can handle media up to 2-in. thick. A Teckwin-edition Caldera RIP comes bundled with the printer.

Avery 900 Supercast Opaque Films Avery Graphics’ (averygraphics.com) new Avery 900 Supercast Opaque films feature the company’s Supercast technology and are intended for screen, thermal-transfer, and/or cut technologies (not inkjet). The 2.1-mil Avery 900 films offer various adhesive options – Permanent, Hi Tack, and Permanent Long Term Removable adhesives – and a range of Kraft, StaFlat, and Easy Apply liners. Enhanced conformability allows the films to stay down over deep channels, complex curves, and rivets without the need for applying primer, Avery reports, making them good choices for fleet graphics, wraps, outdoor and architectural signage, and public transportation. The films are high gloss.

CET Color’s FK512-X Printer CET Color (cetcolor.com) showcased its 4 x 8-ft UV flatbed printer, the FK512-X. The printer offers a 14-pl drop size, white ink, and varnish capabilities, a scalable platform from 6 head to 16 head configurations, and an ink-tank capacity of 3 liters. Maximum print speed is 800 sq ft/hr, with a top resolution of 720 x 1440 dpi; it can handle media up to 3-in. thick.

graphics on the go <14 also have an in-house design team. But I would remind those shops that this is no excuse for amateur-looking designs on your own vehicles. Spend a lot of time and thought on exactly what your vehicle graphics should look like and, if you need help, hire a pro. Each and every day a new potential client will glance at this design and judge you, right there on the spot. The number-one thing you will be judged on is that design, so it better be good. Look at your vehicles today from an outsider’s viewpoint. Is the design amazing? If not, schedule time to redo it now. Rule 5: Current design – Okay, so we recognize that the vinyl can’t be old and the design must be creative and eﬀective. But many shops overlook the fact that potential customers may be bored of the look of your vehicle graphics. When was the last time you rewrapped your vehicles just to update the messaging or new photos of your work you could be featuring? Do you have any new sponsorships or certifications you could leverage with a new design? At bluemedia, we look for reasons to redo the fleet. As I write this, we are doing our first 100-percent “non-printed” design for our entire fleet featuring the new 3M 1080 matte black and cut vinyl films. Because the material is new, the look is new – and new is good. Think of the roadway as your tradeshow. Don’t feature old products at the tradeshow. Rule 6: Picture-perfect driver – You don’t have to hire models for delivery drivers, but those drivers should still represent your image very well. For many customers, this individual will be the only person they ever meet from your company. They’re not only representing your brand when they are loading or unloading, they are representing your brand to thousands of people when they drive and how they drive. We are servants to the public at large. We don’t need to just obey the speed limits – when driving our branded vehicles we need to let people in, look for children, signal early, and slow down. We need to be the concierge of the roadway. It speaks volumes about your company, your training, your hiring process, and your upbringing when you drive in a courteous manner. Use the way your vehicles are driven as a marketing tool that just adds one more attractive attribute about your company.

Making the right impression If you can check oﬀ the above list today without any issues, congratulations. I know it’s a lot of work. But it’s worth it. There are few better feelings for me than to see one of our company vehicles heading down the street all shined up and ready to work. This is an image game and you’re representing that you can make a customer’s vehicle look good, so it’s vital your own vehicles also look good. Your customers and competitors will notice anything you do exceptionally well – or poorly. So change the oil, check the tires, spruce up the graphics, and get out there and make the right impressions.

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TS-300 TS 300

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white ink

In producing several thousand square feet of a gradient pattern of white dots for lobby panels in the Spin restaurant in Las Vegas, Astek Inc. printed the dot patterns on acetate, which was then laminated between glass panels. <19 the floors, walls, and ceilings which lend authenticity to popular movies like 2009’s Angels and Demons. “When you see all those marble floors in the film, that’s our work,” Preble points out. “We’ve done our part to spread the word about what we can achieve with white ink. Designers of all types are starting to take advantage of it.” He points to the custom wall mural the company produced in 2008 for the redesign of the Latin-themed Conga Room nightclub at LA Live as one example. “The designer wanted a gold and white wall mural in a pattern that complements the wood panels in the main room’s ceiling,” Preble recalls. The geometric honeycomb pattern was printed directly onto gold mylar film for a result he considers superior to what can be achieved with current metallic-ink technology. “When you can print with white and then add other colors to silver, gold, or other metallic mylar film, it gives you that iridescent quality that I just haven’t seen yet with metallic inks,” Preble maintains. On a more recent project, Astek was asked to print several thousand square feet of a gradient pattern of white dots for lobby panels in the Spin restaurant at the Las Vegas City Center. The clarity and quality of printing with white ink was just what the job required, according to Preble. “We printed the dot patterns on acetate, 36

THE BIG PICTURE january 2011

which was then laminated between a pair of glass panels,” he says. “Gradients can be tricky to print on some printers, but with our Durst 320 and its white-ink capabilities, it was no problem at all.” Each new project seems to spur demand for more white-ink services. “Right now, probably 50 percent of the digital work we do involves white ink in some way,” he estimates. “We’re able to say to our clients, ‘Whatever you want, we can make it for you.’”

G-Way Marketing Gymnasium: one-stop shopping Wide-format printing has been a standard offering from G-Way Marketing Gymnasium (gwayonline.com) in Norwalk, Connecticut, since 1994. As a full-service marketing solutions provider, the company offers a complete menu of traditional and digital print services – whatever clients require to get their message out and seen. “We’re like a Kinko’s on steroids,” says president David Cudiner. When G-Way finally added a flatbed printer with the purchase of its new HP Scitex FB500 last year, he considered it primarily a cost-savings measure. The new printer allows G-Way to print directly to a variety of material up to 5 x 10 feet and 2.5inches thick. “As much as 25 percent of our business is in wide-format printing today,” Cudiner points out. “We bought this

press to eliminate the need for mounting and finishing. With our flatbed, we’re now printing direct to all types of media.” He says the system is already paying for itself in eliminating all costs and labor associated with laminating, lower costs of ink, and increased efficiency. But Cudiner and crew are just beginning to explore the benefits of another feature of the FB500: the ability to print with white ink. “Ninety-five percent of the work we do will not require white ink, unless it’s a specialty project,” he says. “But, I think we have to have that capability.” He sees strong potential using the white feature for producing window graphics. “People want both sides of their window cling printed, so it can be seen inside and outside. We’ve got a lot of clients who are looking for a knockout white.” G-Way also has experimented with using white ink for printing directly to ceramic tiles, printing on doors, producing comps on fluted cardboard, and printing photographs on black boards. And the shop is planning to use the system to print color graphics directly to hockey pucks. As clients learn of G-Way’s whiteink capabilities, they’re exploring this option for their promotional needs. In one of the most recent tests, Cudiner printed an 18-inch knockout image of a new watch on a clear Dura vinyl, printing white behind 4-color, to highlight the graphic. “Our client wants to display the watch in a window at one of their stores as a test to see if it increases sales,” he reports. Cudiner believes the ability to print with white, now possible on the FB500 flatbed, equips his company to better accommodate clients, whatever their requirements. “Our goal is to be that one-stop-shop, their complete solutions provider and problem solver,” he concludes. “We’ve got to have all the options. Now, being able to print with white ink gives us the ability to lock our clients in, for all their needs.”

controlling color >27 Profiling via SpyderCheckr: Datacolor (datacolor.com) has released a new color chart for camera profiling. Called the SpyderCheckr, it has software that produces DNG profiles from a chart image. The product includes a neutral gray target and gray ramp for in-camera white balance and visual neutrality analysis and extensive skintone samples for portrait and fashion photography. The targets are replaceable and FadeCheckr, a light sensitive patch to warn you when its time to replace the Target Sheets, is also included. The software interacts with Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, Elements, and Camera Raw. Universal test target: Tools to verify digital capture such as the UTT (Universal Test Target) from Image Engineering (universaltesttarget.com) and the Golden Thread from Image Science Associates (see below) allow users to manage the digital-capture process. The UTT is a single test target that’s designed to provide insight into the complete image quality of all types of high-end cameras and scanners following the current ISO standards. The target is available with various options in the DIN sizes A3 to A0. Analyzing images via Golden Thread: Image Science Associates’ (imagescienceassociates.com) Golden Thread is a sophisticated image analysis package that includes two quality targets that incorporate the necessary features to specify and assess the quality of your imaging system, including: 12-step Spectrally Neutral Patches for measuring the Opto-Electronic Conversion Function (OECF), color

Wide-Format Test Form PIA

read by scanning, strip-reading, and handheld spectrophotometers, and is designed to tell users which of their devices are accurate, which require recalibration, or which should be upgraded or replaced. NIST-traceable, it’s distributed by FineEye Color Solutions (fineeyecolor.com). SpyderCheckr DATACOLOR neutrality, and noise; 18 Munsell color patches to assess color encoding accuracy; neutral density patches to assess uniformity; and a “slanted-edge” feature for measuring spatial frequency response and color plane registration. PIA’s wide-format test form: The new 20 x 40-inch Wide-Format Inkjet Test Form from The Printing Industries of America (PIA, printing.org) is the organization’s first test form designed exclusively for evaluating inkjet equipment. The test form comprises 18 test elements, all developed specifically to help printers gauge the performance of wide-format inkjet devices. Companies can use the form to generate color-management profiles to improve a device’s color output. The new form is also designed to help shops compare the print capabilities of various wide-format inkjet equipment so that work can be directed to the right device. In addition, users will be able to more easily spot and correct problems that might otherwise create waste and customer complaints, PIA reports. The form’s Open Designation Region includes two 8.5 x 12.5-inch areas that are left open so the user can add his own choice of color-management images, ink and substrate targets, artwork, and client-specific images; several free images and targets are included with the form for that purpose. Voglesong ColoRef: The Voglesong ColoRef 1.0, is a Color Reference Material (CRM) compliant with ISO 15790-2004. Designed to be durable, uniform, and stable, it can be easily

Choose a point person Yes, color will always be an ongoing battle – it’s inherent in the nature of output and in the subjectivity of those evaluating it (both shop and client). One key, however, is to have someone in your operation stay up to date on what technologies are available to you to ensure that color is initially correct as possible and that makeovers are kept to a minimum. In Tempe, Arizona, for instance, print provider bluemedia has its VP of production, Hayes Holzhauer, as that point person. Holzhauer has been

i1 Portfolio X-RITE instrumental in implementing a G7 workflow into the shop, “because G7 is quickly becoming the standard for calibration in wide format,” he says. And he also ensures the shop’s other color-management tools are kept up to standard, including RIPs, monitors, printers, and any other related technologies. By doing so, the shop is better able to control color from input to output. Long-time contributor Stephen Beals is based in Seneca Falls, New York.

www.bigpicture.net

laminates <31 thermal laminates; Royal Clear Mount, White Mount, and PrintPro UV pressure-sensitive laminates; and Royal Foto-Flex Sand heat-activated laminates. Roysons dreamscapedirect.com DreamScape DreamGuard Protex3 liquid topcoat in gloss, matte, and satin finishes; compatible with solvent, mild-solvent, and UV-curable prints. Sign Warehouse signwarehouse.com PrismJet 200 series anti-skid overlaminate films. 3M Commercial Graphics scotchprint.com Offers an array of overlaminate films, including 3M overlaminates (interior matte, polyester, transparent velvet

polycarbonate), Scotchcal overlaminates (gloss, high gloss, luster, matte, ultra matte, clear), and Scotchgard Graphic and Surface Protection film in high-gloss and for textured surfaces. Also offers 3M Piezo Ink Jet Protective Clear liquid coating.

USI usi-laminate.com Cold, roll laminates include ProTac UV pressure-sensitive, Expression, and Print Shield Xtreme UV lines. Other laminate lines include Opti Clear (available in pouch form), DigiSeal, and Jet Guard.

Transilwrap transilwrap.com DigiKote series of low-temp laminates includes Display Lustre, Display WO (white opaque), Gloss/Satin, HC (hard coat) Lustre, and Matte; Trans-Kote polyester, polypropylene, and nylon thermal films.

Valspar Digital valspardigital.com Valspar’s AquaGuard liquid laminate line includes its 80 Series in gloss or matte; 100 Series in gloss, luster, or matte; and 500 Series in gloss or matte.

Universal Products u-p.com Solut series cast, calendered, and polycarbonate overlaminates for vehicle, floor, P-O-P and tradeshow graphics.

Varitronics dev.varitronicsystems.com ProFinish dual-side, cold-laminate media and one-side laminate/one-side mounting adhesive products.

January 26-28, 2011 Saddlebrook Resort / Tampa, FL signageandgraphics.com

Epson Offers True-to-Life, 8-Color Solvent Printing Corporate Headquarters

The Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 was designed with one simple philosophy in mind: to make its owners more money by delivering unparalleled print quality while reducing overall cost of ownership. ®

The fastest 64-inch printer in its class, the Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 produces stunning photographic-quality prints up to 1440 x 1440 dpi at true production level print speeds of up to an amazing 340 square feet per hour.

It also boasts the industry’s widest color gamut—with eight individual colors—for color fidelity and spot color accuracy other solvent and signage technologies simply can’t match. Designed with one simple philosophy in mind: to make its owners more money. Plus, its profit-focused design sets new standards in overall reliability and easy maintenance to help keep your overhead low.

3840 Kilroy Airport Way Long Beach, CA 90806 proimaging.epson.com

Most important, while its unique Epson UltraChrome GS Ink Technology is compatible with virtually any solvent-based media, it contains no cancercausing Nickel (Ni) compounds. The result? It has less impact on both the environment and worker health, while eliminating the need for costly ventilation systems. ®

Primary Products Industry-leading commercial printing, proofing and photographic equipment, including the featured GS6000 solvent printer.

To learn more about the way solvent printing should be, visit us at proimaging.epson.com 38

THE BIG PICTURE january 2011

ad index

January 2011

Epson America Inc.

www.epson.com

www.palramamericas.com

FESPA

www.fespaamericas.com INX Digital International

Palram Americas

Seiko I Infotech

IBC

www.seiko-i.com OBC

www.inxdigital.com Mimaki USA, Inc.

IFC

www.summausa.com 3

www.mimakiusa.com Panel Processing

Summa

Teckwin International US

www.teckwin.com 33

www.panel.com

Signage and Graphics Summit

8-9

www.signageandgraphics.com

07.10

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job log

Fresh Fruit and Buses “One of the big challenges on bus wraps is to maintain consistent color from panel to panel to panel. It’s really important that color is perfect and you have to have the color staying consistent from bus to bus to bus.”

THE BIG PICTURE JANUARY 2011

The Client Target Fresh grocery stores The Player MetroMedia Technologies (MMT, mmt.com) Tools & Supplies Epson GS6000 printer, ColorBurst RIP, 3M IJ3552C and IJ8171 vinyl, 3M 8519 and 8914 overlam, GBC Pro-Tech Orca III laminator The Job When Target cut the ribbon last fall on its 35 redesigned stores in the Washington, DC area, it took to the streets of the nation’s capital to draw the attention of shoppers. The company rolled out 10 bright and colorful, fully wrapped buses featuring stunning images of fresh fruit and, naturally, Target’s recognizable logo. The bus campaign was implemented by MetroMedia Technologies’ Chicago office in consort with the local transportation operator. Production Target provided MMT with finished, templated art. Little work was required from MMT’s prepress team – no color corrections or editing were needed – but the crew had to ensure that the window perfs for each bus were perfectly aligned. Once approved, the graphics were output on MMT’s Epson GS6000 with ColorBurst RIP using Epson inks. The company chose two different media on which to print: 3M IJ3552C self-adhesive vinyl with 8519 overlam for the bus main bodies, and 3M IJ8171 vinyl with 8914 overlam for the window perfs. Finishing was done on the company’s GBC Pro-Tech Orca III laminator. All told, more than 10,100 square feet of material was printed for the job. The real challenge, says Traci Grieme, account director for MMT’s Chicago office, came when it was time to collate and ship the various pieces of the job. “The installer didn’t have a lot of space to work with, so he could not lay out all the graphics and figure them out. It was really important that the materials came packaged very organized, and that there was a rhyme and a reason to how they were packaged so that they could go up quickly.” Careful labeling of each item within the set of graphics was key. “The self adhesive comes in four-foot strips and the buses are 40 or 50 feet long, so we’re talking about a lot of pieces. You have to properly order the pieces, number them, and then stack them.” Grieme says the installer was extremely appreciative of the company’s attention to detail in packaging and shipping the graphics, and the system helped him complete the job in record time.

Seiko Instruments USA Infotech Division 2060 Wineridge Place Escondido, CA 92029