Friday, 11 Dec 2015 18:43 GMT

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.

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

If you have an interesting story or a view on this news, then please e-mail news@signlink.co.uk

Follow Brendan on:
Brendan Perring's Twitter Profile