After looking earlier in the year at just some of the wide-format print kit on the market, in this second part we look at some of the other machines and brands making waves in the industry
This year’s FESPA Global Print Expo and European Sign Expo focused on the theme of ‘New Perspectives’ in order to highlight the new ways print and display companies can captivate audiences.
Whether it be through personalisation, 3D effects, or new inks and colour options, the exhibition truly embraced the theme as each company approached the show with a revamped look and business ethos.
Known traditionally as a wide-format and graphics exhibition, FESPA demonstrated the different ways that businesses can expand and show off their new perspectives by adding more to their offerings than just inks and printers.
Many large-format printers highlight their ability to print on a range of substrates like objects and fabric. Options like wallpaper highlight how a wide-format printer can be used in a number of sectors other than display and signage.
While there are new verticals in the market like label printing, packaging, and software, the standouts for many brands and businesses at FESPA were still the impressive wide-format and super wide-format printers.
In the past year, new kit and innovations have altered the playing field for customers and manufacturers meaning businesses have even more options to choose from when purchasing new wide-format printers.
Continuing on from our first look at new releases in the market earlier in the year, we detail more of the wide-format printers that have debuted and what they can do for your business.
The growth of wide-format machines has been a promising sign of the continuing expansion of the large-format sector. As well as upgraded printers, the addition of new machines from well-known and newer brands makes for an even more competitive market.
With several years of experience in industrial garment printing, Brother has now entered the wide-format market with its latex wide-format printer the WF1-L640.
The new printer has been designed for a large range of applications including banners, window graphics, signage, exhibition graphics, vehicle wraps and outdoor advertising. The machine has a quick roll change to easily change substrates like paper, canvas, PVC, or wallpaper.
The machine was presented for the first time at FESPA Global Print Expo 2023 where Brother detailed its capabilities and professional production RIP software.
Using its already established Piezo electric printheads the L640 can achieve a wide colour gamut to reach a print result of up to 1200dpi. Brother comments: “This colour spectrum and high resolution can be achieved with three variable droplet sizes down to 5 picoliters, leaving plenty of room for a wide palette of colours and colour depth. Smooth gradations, blends and neutral grey tones are therefore effortless.”
As prints and displays become more complex, with greater needs for bold colours and special effects, many manufacturers are entering the market with new innovations that can suit a number of applications.
A company with a long history of wide-format inkjet printers after being founded in Japan back in 1952 is Mutoh. The business has unveiled a range of hardware in the past year, some of which also debuted at FESPA Global Print Expo.
Its XpertJet 1682SR Pro is a part of the XpertJet Pro range and demonstrates the manufacturer’s dedication to advancing ink capabilities and user productivity. The machine was launched with the MS51 quick dry CMYK ink set which is well suited to indoor and outdoor signage applications.
The inks are also GBL-free and according to Mutoh don’t require any health and safety pictograms. Due to this, the machine is suitable for office, home, and retail environments yet with the same colour gamut as traditional sign and display inks as well as “excellent gloss preservation and weather resistance, abrasion, and chemical resistance with UV durability up to three years without lamination”.
Describing the machine’s most unique feature, Mutoh adds: “The new XPJ-1682SR Pro carries two AccuFine HD printheads, each with 3200 nozzles, a new weaving algorithm and Mutoh’s genuine VerteLith RIP software to deliver a significant improvement in both print quality and print speed.”
With its high productivity twin head system, the machine can deliver high-quality production speeds of up to 35 m²/h.
As interior applications in locations like hospitals, offices, and schools become more popular, more and more manufacturers are ensuring they obtain certifications in order to suit sensitive areas. The MS51 inks used by the XpertJet Pro range are GREENGUARD Gold certified for the category of wallpaper, meaning output can cover entire rooms.
Recently Wrexham-based company, Graphtec GB, has become a UK distributor of Mutoh’s sign and display and UV LED product range.
The extensive lineup of printers offered by Mutoh is great for entry-level products like the ValueJet machine, while the XpertJet Pro printers and award-winning series of direct-to-object UV LED machines offer my high-production options.
Tom Kneale, Graphtec GB’s managing director, comments: “Mutoh has an excellent reputation for its high-quality, reliable, and innovative printers that cater to a wide range of industries. This gives us an extensive lineup of products that we can offer to our resellers to help them deliver complete wide-format solutions for their customers.
Factoid: Mutoh has an excellent reputation for its high-quality, reliable, and innovative printers that cater to a wide range of industries
“This one-stop-shop approach means that the products, installation, training, and support can be carried out by one company, adding value, peace of mind and ensuring better service for the end user.”
The Print Show in September will be the first time that Graphtec GB will be able to showcase the Mutoh range of products to a UK audience.
Also previewed at FESPA was Mutoh’s new flatbed printer, the XpertJet 1462UF, a wide-format machine engineered for CMYK, white, and vanish UV applications. The machine has a moving gantry and a print bed of 1470 mm x 740 mm which can print on products up to 150mm in height.
Detailing this new machine, Mutoh says: “The printer has an integrated multi-zone vacuum bed and is equipped with two piezo drop on demand printheads mounted in a staggered setup. The first head will print CMYK, and the second head white and varnish, which will enable two-layer printing or braille and 2.5D structure prints without speed loss. Fast curing is enabled by two new 4” wide UV LED lamps.”
More and more printers and end-users are focusing on special effects like braille, 3D, and embossing to make print truly stand out. Because of this, machine manufacturers are heavily investing in new technologies in order to enable print service providers (PSPs) to offer as much variety as possible.
A manufacturer that has focused on new tactile applications is Canon, which at this year’s FESPA unveiled two new products, the PRISMAelevate XL and Arizona 1300 flatbed printer series.
The Canon stand focused highly on applications with the theme ‘make it BIG’, building a streetscape which featured an applications store, concept store, café, and inspiration wall.
The company also debuted the Canon Colorado M-series to the European market. The system is the first roll-to-roll large format graphics printer platform that is modular in speed configuration and media handling.
Thanks to its ability to produce special effects and white ink printing, the machine recently won the EDP Award for Best Roll-to-Roll Printer <170 cm in the Printing Systems category.
Jennifer Kolloczek, European planning, marketing, and innovation senior director for production print at Canon Europe, says: “Ever since they burst onto the market, Colorado printers with UVgel ink have set the highest bar for speed, quality, and all-round productivity.
“On top of these business-critical performance criteria, large format graphics providers today want to make smart, environmentally responsible investments in printing solutions that can evolve with them and help them tap into lucrative creative applications, products, and growth markets.
“With its modularity and the addition of an easy-care white ink option, the new Colorado M-series is the growth engine that businesses can rely on to level up their capabilities and turn ideas into reality.”
The scalable M-series offers a choice of output speeds, Colorado M3 or M5, with the option to upgrade from one speed to another, either temporarily or permanently, making it a much more future-proofed system.
Canon UVgel ink means printers can produce a fast build-up of dense and opaque images using white ink in fewer passes than conventional printing technologies.
The PRISMAelevate XL software also highlights Canon’s focus on tactile print applications and elevated prints by creating textured effects and raised lettering of up to 2mm.
This solution succeeds the Arizona Touchstone and delivers twice the elevation with up to 20% higher speeds. Being a part of the PRISMA XL Suite, customers are able to design creative and high value applications for signage, interior and exterior décor, awards, fine art reproduction and packaging prototyping.
The software supports the Canon Arizona 1300 and 2300 flatbed series of printers, both of which use FLOW technology.
Discussing the launch of the Arizona 1300, Matthew Faulkner, EMEA director of marketing and innovation at the Wide Format Printing Group of Canon Europe, says: “Having launched the first Arizona flatbed printer 17 years ago, we’re building on a solid foundation with our world-leading flatbed printing technology to support the growing mid-volume segment of the market and respond to print buyer demand for faster turnarounds.
“We’re now expanding the Arizona 1300 series with FLOW technology and automation enhancements, these new models deliver the proven Arizona quality and versatility, but make production quicker and easier than ever, boosting our customers’ competitiveness.”
Just as other manufacturers have demonstrated the ability to print on a range of substrates with various effects, producer of wide-format kit, swissQprint, has made this one of the key benefits of its machines.
The company has recently celebrated key moments like selling its 1,000th Nyala model, winning two EDP Awards, and highlighting its sustainability concept.
Since 2015 swissQprint’s Nyala flatbed printer has been ranked as one of Infosource’s top-selling machines in Europe. The model was launched in 2012 and is now on its fourth generation and sits among five other flatbeds in the swissQprint range.
The machine has a 3.2x2 metre print bed with the standard model outputting up to 206 m²/h, or 370 m²/h with the speed model. With its roll-to-roll option, the flatbed printer is capable of a wide range of high-quality applications.
Christof Lüchinger, production manager at swissQprint, says: “Right from the start, practically every customer has ordered the roll-to-roll option and thus, so to speak, gets two printers in one.”
Carmen Eicher, chief sales and marketing officer at swissQprint adds: “Nyala's unbroken success confirms something enormously important to us: over multiple generations, our products meet customer needs.”
SwissQprint is known for its high quality range of applications including wood, glass, fine art, and interior decor. Its flatbed range including the Oryx, Impala, and Nyala are all known for their versatility and efficiency and are capable of being used with special inks like neon, white and varnish.
Factoid: In 2022 Geneva-based market research institute, Infosource, named swissQprint’s Nyala model as the most sold 60” or above UV flatbed/hybrid printer in the €130,000 to €500,00 (£111,000 to £428,000) price segment in Europe
Customers can enhance and differentiate themselves thanks to the capabilities of swissQprint’s other roll-to-roll and high-end printers. The Karibu 2 has special capabilities thanks to its neon, varnish, white and relief printing as well as features like the Tip Switch Vacuum, and multilayer mode for registration accuracy while overprinting various layers.
The only printer in swissQprint’s ranger to include ten colour channels and up to 30 print heads is the Kudu. Speaking about the machine’s presence at FESPA, swissQprint said: “Audiences at the stand were impressed not only by Kudu’s print quality, but also its productivity of up to 304 m²/h, for both its flatbed and optional roll-to-roll printing option (3.2 m).”
The printer was recently awarded Best flatbed/hybrid printer > 250 m²/h' at the EDP (European Digital Press) Association Awards and has received a flux of orders in the UK following its first installation in March.
The Kudu like all swissQprint flatbed printers is certified first-class energy efficient consuming just 2.2 kilowatt-hours of electricity, the same amount as an average kettle.
Erskine Stewart, managing director of swissQprint UK, says: "We are delighted with the interest in the award-winning Kudu. The fact that we can now show its many benefits to our clients at our Bracknell demonstration centre is great news and will ensure that the Kudu continues to meet the demand for high-volume, high-quality print production."
As printers continue to diversify and add new solutions to their portfolio, the need for agile and supportive manufacturers becomes more and more important.
One brand that has focused more and more on direct-to-object and substrate printing is Roland DG which supplies a large range of user-friendly, colour printers, and printer/cutters designed to meet the needs of graphic and signage professionals.
Print ranges like the VersaOBJECT, TrueVIS, and MG series have demonstrated a need from PSPs for versatile and high-speed machines.
The LG series which is available in up to 64”, can work with CMYK, gloss, white, red, orange, and primer inks and has performance features like one-touch auto-calibration and an integrated take-up unit.
The MG Series has a number of optional extras that can help when printing on different substrates and product types. Users can get more stability and accuracy when printing onto thicker card stock with the ET-64/30 extension table which provides a firm platform for semi-rigid media or folding carton paper stocks.
Users also have the option of adding the TB-30 tension bar which adds stability when printing onto thinner media and films of 30 microns and above.
Higher up in Roland’s range the VersaOBJECT EU-1000MF is a LED-UV flatbed printer capable of printing on the likes of PVC panel, foam panels, corrugated cardboard, and aluminium plates.
Describing the product, Roland says: “Whether you supply signage and graphics for shopfronts, events, corporate, interior decoration, or any number of other applications, the VersaOBJECT EU-1000MF is a revolutionary way to print and create new business opportunities.
“Compatible with hundreds of substrates and delivers high-impact graphics, the EU-1000MF fits seamlessly into your workspace and offers the ease, speed, quality and value you need to take your business to the next level.”
The machine comes with SAi FlexiPrint Plus RIP software and boasts low ink costs advanced technology like printhead protection and an Anti-Static Ionization System which reduces static interference and increases print quality.
Tony Miller, president of Roland’s Global Sales and Marketing Division, comments: “The EU-1000MF is a product with an excellent balance of functionality and price. Until now, the machine was only sold in limited regions, but customers in Europe that are increasingly looking to new solutions will be able further accelerate their print businesses with this new solution.
“By expanding the sales area of the EU-1000MF to the European region, we are aiming to create new opportunities to assist our customers in growing their businesses and increase sales.”
In order to provide customers around the globe with effective flatbed solutions companies like Durst have also offered solutions through Vanguard Europe, a part of the Durst Group since 2020.
Durst offers a range of solutions for PSPs and sign makers including ceramics, industrial 3D, software, textile solutions, as well as wide-format machines via Vanguard.
Shown for the first time in public at FESPA in Munich, Vanguard’s VK3220T-HS is another example of a machine that has been created to solve the issues of customers and serve a global audience.
Speaking at FESPA, Fabian Sottsas, managing director of Vanguard Europe, said: “We are incredibly excited to be at FESPA for this world launch of the Vanguard VK3220T-HS next-generation UV flatbed printer. Together with a new modular design with user-friendly design changes that are more intuitive, ergonomic, and optimized for the operator, we know this will be of huge interest to visitors at the show.
“Our strategy to become a market leader will only happen through growing profitable business together in partnership with our customers.”
The machine was created as a part of a collaboration with Zanzotti Industrial Design which has previous experience with Durst in creating more intuitive, ergonomic, and user-friendly designs.
The VK3220T-HS is a 3.2m x 2m flatbed which uses up to three rows of the four-picoliter drop size Kyocera print heads which operate at up to 1800 dpi print resolution and run at up to 360 sq m/h.
It’s undeniable that PSPs and sign-makers have a vast array of wide-format kit available, all suitable for a range of different applications.
As businesses continue to diversify and new trends come and go in the worlds of business and marketing, certain machines will clearly suit some companies more than others depending on their output and clientele.
Companies that deal with customers in live events, interior décor, or fine art may find themselves going for an advanced flatbed printer capable of different special effects and finishes.
However, businesses that cater to retailers, the public sector, advertising, or the entertainment industry may be better suited to traditional large-format printers or roll-to-roll devices which incorporate high-quality inks and quicker turnarounds.
Investment in any type of kit should always come with optimism but also a critical eye in order to know which machine is right for you. Events like FESPA or open house events run by the likes of swissQprint and Graphtec are an ideal chance for potential customers to get up close and personal with the kit and see if the results justify the investment.
