AGFA technology starts its ascendancy
Agfa’s ‘Thin Ink Layer Technology’ has helped the multinational secure the first UK sale of its flagship new wide-format inkjet technology. The system underpins its Jeti Mira and Tauro printers and sees seven picolitre drop sizes carrying nano particles of pigment cover one square meter of substrate with just seven to eight millimetres of ink.
Friday, 11 Dec 2015 18:43 GMT
(L to R): Rob Hill and Nick Halford from Graphica Display that have invested in a Agfa Jeti Mira
It is this super-high concentration of pigment that is the game changer,
as users can achieve very high-quality graphics for far less ink usage.
And while Agfa’s ink costs may be slightly higher, its inkjet marketing
and channel manager Steve Collins believes their ‘fuel efficiency’ far
outweighs this factor.
This is certainly a trend that will grow in 2016, as key manufacturers
begin to fight less over hardware, chassis, and speed. Instead they will
start to focus more on providing inks that cover more ground without a
loss in quality or a large cost increase.
This news also seems to affirm what many believe will be a key trend in
2016, namely the ascendancy of Agfa’s technology, spearheaded by its
first installation on these shores at Graphica Display. Part of a
£400,000 investment, a Mira was ordered as a six-colour printer with
white plus varnish. Graphica Display also opted for the roll-to-roll
option so it can print flexible media as well as rigid materials.
Over the past 18 months we looked at a number of options but eventually
discovered the Mira which offered the best quality and flexibility”
“Over the past 18 months we looked at a number of options but eventually
discovered the Mira which offered the best quality and flexibility. We
also found Agfa to be the most responsive company of those we
contacted,” explained Rob Hill, managing director at Graphica Display.
The white ink especially will reportedly enable the company to print on a
wide selection of transparent materials and the varnish provides the
scope to produce special effects.
The Jeti Mira was purchased at the same time as a Blackman and White
cutter/router. Rob Hill strongly believes that these two pieces of
equipment complement each other. For example, Graphica can print on
rigid acrylic and cut to shape with clean smooth edges that require no
further finishing. The two machines also reportedly provide real
advantages when faced with tight deadlines for retail promotions and
Hill views the two machines as an integral investment for a whole range
of applications.
“Another advantage is that the Mira produces superb colour quality
images using only a thin layer of Agfa’s inks resulting in a substantial
saving on ink usage compared to other printers,” enthuses Nick Halford,
production manager at Graphica Display.
Sign7 News was on hand to cover the launch of the Agfa Jeti and Tauro printers
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