Celebrating more than fifty years as Canada’s national graphics and printing show, Graphics Canada took place April 6-8, 2017 and is Canada’s largest graphics and printing exhibition.
Large format printing once again was a highlight of the show and I was impressed by many of the other technologies that were on display, but for this article I will focus on products for the large format printing industry. The nice thing about a show like this is that you can meet the experts from many manufacturers and vendors all under the same roof. From big to small – they had it all! Here are a few technologies that might be of interest and that are relatively new.
Canon
Canon was the largest exhibitor at the show and had a myriad of offerings, for both the newcomer to large format printing and commercial print shops. The new Canon Colorado 1640 64” UVgel roll-to-roll print technology was not there live, but a video was on display, as was a portfolio of sample substrates. This new technology promises to combine the highest speeds (up to 1710 sq ft/hr) with beautiful colour over a broad choice of media. From indoor graphics to durable outdoor applications, prints come out instantly cured and ready to finish and display – at substantially lower running costs (up to 40% less ink). Keep an eye open for this one.
Canon also had the imagePROGRAF printers on display integrated with an easy to use web-to-print software package. For new print shops looking to get into large format and drive business via the web, this is a very cost effective solution starting at around $20k. The printers range in size from 24” to 60” wide and provide a turnkey solution for adding on an extra revenue stream for any print business.
Epson
Epson was introducing their new SureColor S80600 64-inch solvent printer which featured a newly-developed Epson UltraChrome® GS3 9-colour solvent ink – including an all-new red solvent along with the option for white or metallic silver inks. It was touted as the world’s first solvent printer with same-day lamination due to the formulation of the new inkset. Operators can easily switch between white and metallic ink to suit job requirements. This flexible printer delivers print speeds up to 95.1 m2/hr in single-pass banner mode, and up to 12.5 m2/hr in 8-pass film mode. From outdoor signage to high-end interior displays and décor, the Epson can create products on a range of coated and uncoated substrates. Exhibition displays, posters and backlit panels, POS materials, vehicle wraps, wallpaper and photo canvases are all produced with a high level of accuracy. The price at the show for the 64” S80600 was $26,945.
d.gen Teleios Grande H6
The Teleios is touted as the world’s most installed 3.3m width (130″) direct-to-textile dye sub printer. With the Teleios Grande H6, colours are now more vivid because it uses a 6-colour system. Widely used in the home textile market, its applications include bedding, curtain, blinds, sofa covers, etc. This printer offers many textile printing business opportunities, including soft signage for both indoor and outdoor use, decorative products such as furniture coverings, pillows, curtains, tradeshow graphics, large outdoor building murals, flags, banners and even backlit graphics. The d.gen Teleios Grande H6 wide format dye-sublimation printer enables your business to “go large” with a 10 foot wide roll capability and up to 1,905 ft2/hr at top speed.
Direct-to-fabric printing eliminates the need for a paper transfer process and allows for greater control of the final image density on the fabric. The d.gen Teleios Grande H6 digital textile printer incorporates an inline fixation unit that provides high speed heat fixation sublimating that disperse inks into the fabric right after it’s printed. This means there is no need to take the printed roll of fabric to a secondary calender/fixation device. What comes off the d.gen Teleios Grande printer is ready to finish, allowing you to turn around work quickly and more cost effectively. The unit is priced around $165k including the inline fixation unit.
