Electronics for Imaging (EFI) has launched no less than six printers at the show, while HP Inc. revealed its flagship HP Scitex 9000 industrial press and its HP HDR245 Scitex inks.

EFI’s top billed system is its high-speed 3m wide Vutek LX3 Pro hybrid, which can hit an astonishing 318sq m/h. The printer offers high-resolution greyscale imaging and its ‘cool cure’ LED technology is reportedly a ‘greener solution’ that reduces energy usage and costs while giving users the ability to print on a wider range of media—including media that cannot withstand the heat of other curing or drying methods.

One firm to have invested early in the technology is U.S-based Nutis Visual Communications. Its communications group vice president of print production, Joey Nutis: “The Vutek LX3 Pro is a terrific addition that complements our other digital presses and enhances our overall capabilities.

“With the new printer, four-colour 600-dpi imaging with light smoothing is now our go-to print mode. We have seen improved quality at faster print speeds at that setting on jobs that would have run at 1,000 dpi with heavy smoothing on our previous printer.”

The huge emphasis being placed on quality and speed to cater for an increasing demand for tight turnarounds on long large-format print runs is likewise being addressed by HP with the new Scitex 9000, which has a print area of 1.6 x 3.2m and can hit 300sq m/h.

“Sign and display PSPs are constantly challenged with finding the right printing solutions that fit both their business needs and budget,” says Xavier Garcia, vice president and general manager, large-format printing, HP.

He adds: “The affordable new HP Scitex 9000 Industrial Press and HP HDR245 Scitex Inks enable more customers to take advantage of the quality and productivity of HP Scitex HDR printing technology for higher-value jobs, while offering a clear upgrade path for customers as their printing needs evolve over time.”


FESPA has also seen HP showcase the latest iterations of its Design Jet and Latex 300 series, its 120sq m/h Latex 3500, the HP Scitex FB750 industrial printer, and its flagship Page Wide XL 8000—one of the fastest wide-format devices in the world.

Serious ambition

Returning to EFI, its next piece of flagship technology that was unveiled for the first time in Europe is the 3.2m wide Vutek HS125 Pro UV, which looks as though it has come straight out of a Transformers movie.  The new technology is the fastest Vutek ever developed, at north of 650sq m/h or 125 boards an hour, and with quality that EFI claims is comparable to offset litho.
 
FESPA is also the site of the worldwide launch of EFI’s Vutek FabriVU printers for soft signage after it bought Italian textile print giant Reggiani earlier in the year. The purchase and development of the new product line-up has been spurred by bullish growth in the soft signage market, which IT Strategies says has expanded by 8 percent annually since 2015 and will continue to do so until 2020.
 
“With this product line launch, we are making EFI Reggiani’s technology and know-how in textile printing available to EFI signage and display graphics customers to positioning them to grow along with - or even faster than - the soft signage market at large,” says Frank Mallozzi, EFI’s senior vice president of worldwide sales and marketing.
 
This technology offers 464sq m/h at 600dpi and ultra-high resolution up to 2,400 dpi. It also features four-level greyscale printing with 4- to 72-picolitre drop sizes. Other new EFI printers making their European debut at Fespa Digital stand include the Matan Quantum LXr LED printer, the entry-level 1.65m EFI H1625-SD, and the Reggiani Renoir Next 180.

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