It’s been clear for many years now that processless printing plates are the way forward to improve sustainability in the printing business. They are increasingly the preferred option for printing companies keen to cut their carbon footprints, as well as saving time and money. Kodak recently presented some compelling data to encourage more European customers to switch to process free plates, specifically to the Kodak Sonora Xtra plate. This plate is made in Germany at the company’s Osterode factory. Printing plates have been made here since 1962 for customers throughout the European continent.

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Already installed in over 30 locations across Europe as part of the Avery TrafficJet turnkey road signage printing system, the VKR3200 HS as shown at Fespa has an updated industrial design and prints CMYK plus white, with a further varnish option. The printer operates at up to 317sqm/hr in two-pass draft mode, which is also suitable for mesh work, and typically between 120 and 140sqm/hr in production mode.

The VKR3200 HS  can handle two rolls of up to 1.6m width, with independent control of each via a ‘novel’ user interface, as well as single rolls of wider media. Priced from €120,000 for the single row of Kyocera printheads version, the mesh kit and dual roll option may be added, and aa twin-row printhead version is also offered.

Unusually for a printer at this price point, it also offers full integration with Durst’s workflow and analytics software ‘ecosystem’, as well as being driven by Durst’s DFE, which offers preflighting as well as Ripping capabilities.

Distribution in the UK and Ireland is via Durst’s UK operation and distributor ArtSystems; Vanguard Europe has also struck deals with Netherlands-based Pixia for the Benelux region and most recently with Grup Transilvae in Romania.

Fabian Sottsas, managing director of Vanguard Europe, said, ‘Just a week after confirming Grup Transilvae’s partnership in Romania, we are preparing to share news of a new collaboration in France in the next few weeks, proving how committed we are to growing our operations quickly and efficiently. Our mission is to continue to replicate the success of our parent company, which has installed over a thousand LFP printing systems across the Americas.’

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Through this initiative, Clean Agency also developed an LCA tool that EFI customers can use to analyse their CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emissions as part of overall packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR).

According to the LCA, printing corrugated materials on an EFI Nozomi digital press reduces global warming potential (GWP) by approximately 50% when compared to analogue printing technologies.

Seri McClendon, CEO of Clean Agency, said, ‘No printing plates, less energy, less waste, and just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing all contribute to CO2e reductions for corrugated printing on EFI’s Nozomi digital press.

‘Packaging is a major contributor to Scope 3 emissions, so we not only partnered with EFI to conduct the LCA but also to build a calculator that enables users to quantify related kilograms of CO2e for specific packaging printing volumes and applications.’

Evandro Matteucci, EFI’s vice president and general manager of building materials and packaging, stated, ‘The insights substantiate digital print’s positive impact on sustainability as well as our overall commitment to our own and our customers’ sustainability goals.

‘The LCA tool is a key value proposition for all users, as the ability to demonstrate clear footprint reductions not only aligns with ethical values but also enhances brand reputation and competitiveness in the market.’

In 2023, UK converter Caps Cases has claimed to have saved 300,000kg of CO2e when compared to analogue production methods, following its investment in the world’s first EFI Nozomi 14000 LED single-pass UV LED inkjet press.

Trevor Bissett, CEO of Caps Cases, commented, ‘According to our calculations, our largest customer avoided 60,000kg of CO2e by switching to Nozomi digitally printed packaging in 2023. To have the ability to communicate this calculation and its impact provides a strong testimonial for our digital print solutions and indicates our commitment to being a sustainable manufacturer.’

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Ms Hodgson has joined Signbox after 14 years at Octink. During her time there, she project managed signage contracts whilst running a small team of junior project managers. She then became head of project management, looking after a team of over 20 project managers before taking on the role of general manager at the company in 2020.

Ms Hodgson commented, ‘I have known about Signbox for a long time, and I know they are a forward-thinking company with a fantastic culture for innovation and excellence in sign-making. I am also keen to get more involved in new sectors and products, there is great potential to do this with Signbox.’

Mark Bartlett, managing director of Signbox, said, ‘Hayley brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success in the industry. She has delivered and overseen some truly incredible projects, as well as having an extensive background in account management, business strategy and senior leadership. She will play a pivotal role in taking Signbox into a new and positive era of innovation and success for our company.’

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Established in 2000, 3 Way Displays (3WD) provides print solutions to customers in the beauty and fragrance industries. Specialising in temporary and permanent point-of-sale displays, the company works with clients such as Harrods and Charlotte Tilbury.

In 2017 the business chose a SwissQprint Impala to deliver the detail and precision needed for luxury brands and retail displays. With the machine proving successful for the company’s needs, the 3WD team decided to visit SwissQprint UK’s Bracknell headquarters last year to see a demonstration of the latest Impala. The decision was made to invest in a second machine for installation in February 2024.

Steve Pridham, SwissQprint UK Sales Manager said, ‘Adding a second SwissQprint machine is not only testament to the Impala’s quality, but also reinforces the confidence our customers have in our machines and us as partners.’

The new Impala has a six-colour configuration including CMYK, light magenta, and light cyan, complemented by white and varnish.

The need for precise colour matching and glossy finishes are important for the business. The inclusion of varnish increases resistance to alcohol, scratching and moisture, crucial for the durability of the displays.

Olivia Stroud, 3WD’s sales director explained, ‘Accuracy in colour replication is vital for us. With the Impalas’ capabilities, we’re able to meet the high demands of the sector to produce visually stunning displays that give off a luxury feel.’

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The new dittomi.co.uk site is understood to be the first UK implementation of the HP web-to-print software that was launched in September 2023, alongside the HP Latex 630 roll-fed printer, though Time 2 Display had been working with HP on development and implementation of the pilot site since the summer of 2021. HP’s software is described as an intuitive web-to-print solution that saves time with simplified print application design capabilities, efficient production paths and step-by-step guidance on how PSPs can integrate it with an existing e-commerce store.

In addition to enabling Dittomi customer to create their own designs, the site offers a selection of professionally-designed templates, allowing customers to further reduce the cost of design.

‘We are extremely proud and excited to introduce the HP PrintOS Design & eCommerce software to the UK market through our customer validation test partnership with HP,’ said Andrew Wilson, director of Time 2 Display Group, which includes Fordingbridge Print, Xconsumables, Paper Mountain and Paper Meadows, recently joined by merger with banner and flag printer Big Print Little Print.

‘With Dittomi, we aim to revolutionise the way customers approach large format printing. Whether they are professionals or individuals, our platform provides the tools and flexibility to bring their designs to life effortlessly,’ added Mr Wilson.

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Described as ‘the next evolution in colour calibration; G7+ is a new and improved calibration specification that replaces legacy G7 with new logic and algorithms, but delivers similar overall appearance. It is designed to address the widest range of printing technologies, including digital toner and inkjet on substrates ranging from paper to textiles, rather than being offset-based as is the existing standard, which is now 19 years old.

G7+ is said to maintain the features, benefits and general appearance of G7, but with more accurate grey balance, improved tonality and better performance in unusual printing conditions. Colour management consultant Paul Sherfield of the The Missing Horse Agency told Digital Printer that it will be integrated into the forthcoming revision to the ISO 12647–2 standard, which will also support the current Fogra model plus the Spot Colour Tone Value (SCTV) approach, which he noted works better in extended gamut printing, particularly in controlling the generation of orange and green channels/inks.

‘Printing United Alliance is excited to announce G7+ to continue our mission in supporting leading printers and print buyers around the world,’ said Jordan Gorski, executive director, Idealliance. ‘G7 has raised the bar in the world of print and colour output as colorimetry and visual output became the norm rather than simply relying on density for matching colour. G7+ now integrates all modern print technology to be a standard that is applicable to all print, on all media, paper, board, film, signage or textile, for any output condition that will truly provide print buyers and printers the ability to match color on packaging, publications, signage and wide-format graphics, while maintaining alignment to the standards in place among existing workflows.’

Enhancements and optimisations include improved grey balance and tonality across a wider range of print systems, including textile, web offset, newsprint and inkjet, while maintaining Gracol visual similarity; smooth, highly saturated colour in high-coverage inkjet printing; the use of Substrate Colorimetric Colour Aims (SCCA) for more precise neutral grey on coloured substrates; and the attainment of accurate ICC profiles and lifelike images on calibrated systems without colour management.

The first opportunity for those interested in learning more about G7+ in person will be during the Printing United Technical Event Series in March 2024 in Dallas, Texas, USA. Training and certification will also be offered via Printing United.

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The company, which recently added a Canon iX 3200 sheet-fed inkjet press to its fleet, has now acquired Xerox Iridesse and Versant 4100 digital dry toner presses, plus Xerox FreeFlow Core and FreeFlow Vision workflow software. The Iridesse will add new capabilities such as foil-like effects, iridescent hues, and fluorescent colour capability that can help capture mail recipients’ attention. FreeFlow Core will enhance prepress automation, integrating with CFH’s back office and the recently announced FreeFlow Vision Software. This software provides automate, real-time data on production print operations within Xerox and third-party environments.

‘Investing in class-leading Xerox workflows and technology, particularly the additional functionality of the Iridesse, will give new and existing clients more choice and effectiveness in their communications while adding value to our capabilities as we pursue market opportunities,’ commented CFH group production director Steve Cray.

“For over 20 years, CFH has chosen Xerox innovation to complement its growth and commitment to delivering exceptional communication solutions. This investment in the wider Xerox ecosystem leverages leading-edge Xerox technologies and automated workflows that deliver even better service and innovation to clients and prospects,’ said Nick Bridge, general manager of graphic communications and productions systems at Xerox UK.

CFH has recently celebrated its 45^th anniversary as a provider of secure printing. Its Docmail hybrid mail solution is used by over 30,000 organisations. The company says the new investment signals the next phase in the its transformation into a multi-channel communications provider.

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The VersaObject MO-240 printer offers a printing area of 610 x 458mm (24 x18-in), and accommodates three-dimensional objects up to 204mm (8-in) thick. With an optional rotary axis unit, cylindrical objects such as bottles from 10 to 121mm in diameter can be printed.

Roland’s EUV5 inks include orange, red, white and gloss in addition to CMYK, expanding the colour gamut by approximately 20% compared to CMYK-only printing. The gloss ink enables gloss or matte finishes and realistic textures, including 3D embossed effects. The UV-curing inks suit a variety of materials, from soft to hard, covering plastic, paper, leather, wood, and glass and metal with the use of a primer ink.

The MO-240 features a 7-in colour touch panel for operation, an automatic cleaning function to maintain print quality, and ships withRoland’s  VersaWorks 6 Rip software. It has large print heads in a staggered layout, plus a ‘potent’ UV-LED lamp, for optimised high-speed output which here means just over 2sqm/hr. Productivity for simultaneous white printing has doubled compared to previous models, according to Roland.

Tony Miller, president of Roland DG’s global sales and marketing division, commented, ‘Our VersaObject series has been meeting the needs for small lot high-mix production in manufacturing and services with its high definition and beautiful printing. In recent years, new services such as customisation and personalisation have been attracting attention in various fields based on diversifying and individualised consumer needs, and the MO-240 with its advanced productivity will bring a high level of competitiveness to customers in these businesses.’

The company has also launched PrintAutoMate, cloud-based software aimed at standardising output operations and streamlining print workflows for businesses dealing with diverse data, media and products. It automatically converts printing data into pre-registered fixture layout data, assigns print jobs to operators, and seamlessly integrates with VersaWorks 6 Rip software, to improve efficiency and minimise errors in production.

Mr Miller added, ‘PrintAutoMate is an asset for businesses offering personalisation services, particularly in e-commerce, by automating complex printing tasks and significantly enhancing work efficiency.’

Accessible via the Premium Plan of Roland DG Connect, PrintAutoMate is offered on a 90-day free trial, inviting Roland DG inkjet users to experience the benefits of its enhanced workflow.

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