Agfa Graphics’ series of Red Carpet events brings breakthrough hands-on inkjet technology to Canadian printers

Following Agfa Graphics’ recent world premiere of two new groundbreaking wide-format inkjet systems, the Jeti Tauro and the Jeti Mira, the company held another invitation-only Red Carpet Event at its Mississauga, Ontario production facility June 9 and 10, which I attended. The event had an international flavour, attracting printers and Agfa executives from Canada, the U.S., Europe and Latin America. But it was the hands-on samples and close-up demonstrations of the actual technology itself that printers were talking about.
Showcased was the 98-inch Jeti Tauro – a hybrid UV inkjet press with 32 heads for 6 colours and optional white or primer, designed for high productivity printing on both rigid and flexible material, with speeds up to 2,960 ft.2 per hour. The other was the Jeti Mira – a 6-colour and white UV inkjet flatbed printer with optional varnish or primer that features moving-gantry architecture with split-vacuum table and speeds up to 2,217 ft.2 per hour. Both printers are aimed at the higher-end segment of the sign and display markets. Also demonstrated was the Jeti Titan HS + varnish, Anapurna M3200iW RTR, Anapurna M2450 and Esko cutter.

Also front and centre was workflow automation that included more new features in Agfa’s wide-format Asanti 2.0 software, and new UV inks designed for specific inkjet print applications that require flexibiltiy in challenging outdoor conditions. Breakout sessions also included insights into substrates and Asanti StoreFront web-to-print solutions.
On a personal level, what impressed me the most was the meticulous attention to detail and quality control evident during our plant tour, which guided visitors through every single stage of the building of a Jeti UV inkjet printer. I believe that most Canadian printers don’t even realize that these industry-leading machines are built from scratch here in Canada and shipped worldwide. Finally, seeing as how the bulk of a printer’s costs still comprise paper and ink, the fact that Agfa’s proprietary thin-ink technology can result in ink savings up to 40% with no loss in print quality was also impressive.

As Dominiek Arnout, Vice President of Inkjet at Agfa Graphics, said earlier this year: “We promised a series of new state-of-the-art products in the course of 2015 and we’re happy to deliver. We truly believe the market will embrace these two new systems that make ultimate use of our dedicated ink technology and our tailored sign and display workflow.”
Overall, Agfa Graphics has installed over 3,000 hybrid, flatbed and roll-to-roll sign and display systems worldwide.