|
           |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
CURRENT NEWS October 2008 Fujifilm launches the new Acuity Advance UV inkjet printer
September 2008 Inca Digital launches new high-speed Spyder V flatbed printer
June 2008 A Tasmanian first in wide format printing
June 2008
May 2008 A Brand New Head Quarters For J-Teck3 Italy
May 2008
May 2008 Megaink Digital a.s. signs an Exclusive Agreement with Fujifilm Sericol Australia
May 2008 Fujifilm Sericol rolls out the Acuity HD2504 RMO
April 2008 New Acuity UV printer quickly becomes a favourite at Ricci Signs (Australia)®
April 2008 Fujifilm Sericol announces agreement to distribute Mutoh Digital Textile Printers in Australia
February 2008 Fujifilm Sericol opens wide format inkjet showroom in Bangkok
January 2008 Fujifilm Sericol and J-Teck3 partner in Australia and New Zealand
August 2007 Inca Spyder 320 turns Concept plans into reality
June 2007 Inca Spyder 320 puts extra sting into CV business growth
May 2007 Inca Digital launches the Inca Onset: the world’s fastest digital UV flatbed printer
April 2007 Fujifilm announces
May 2006 Fujifilm Sericol acquires new agency
May 2006 The future of Textile Printing – Permaset Aqua
February 2006 Fujifilm Sericol launches a new range of water-based inks
February 2006 INCA announces expansion of Spyder models
NEWS ARCHIVE 2005
September 2005 Sericol receives fifth Queen's Award
March 2005 Fuji Photo Film Co Ltd Purchases Sericol Group Ltd
January 2005 Sericol to be acquired by Fuji Photo Film Co Ltd
|
News Fujifilm launches the new Acuity Advance UV inkjet printer
Fujifilm Sericol is pleased to announce the introduction of the new Acuity Advance wide format UV inkjet printer. The new Acuity Advance is the next generation of the highly successful Acuity HD2504, which was launched in April 2007 and has quickly become the fastest selling flatbed UV inkjet printer in the market today.
While the Acuity Advance maintains many of the leading design features of the Acuity HD2504, the Advance model incorporates a modified printhead array to achieve up to 40% faster printing speeds than the HD2504. In production mode the print speed is up to 22m2/hr, whilst in high quality mode the speed is 15m2/hr. In addition, the Acuity Advance expands the possibilities with the introduction of a white ink option, to complement the standard four colour CMYK offering. Utilizing Fujifilm Sericol Uvijet UV inks, the Acuity Advance delivers unmatched flexibility, allowing users to print a very opaque white under, over or between print layers.
The Fujifilm Acuity Advance UV inkjet printer has a print area of 1.25m x 2.5m, and prints onto substrates as thick as 48mm. Incorporating small drop, grayscale printhead technology, the Advance delivers near-photographic image quality, and includes a true flatbed platform to easily print onto a wide variety of rigid substrates. Additionally, an optional roll-to-roll module is ideal for printing onto all types of flexible media.
The Acuity Advance will be unveiled at the SGIA tradeshow, October 15th, on the Fujifilm Sericol stand and will be exhibited locally at the Sydney Visual Impact Image Exhibition from October 30th. Commercial shipments of the new Acuity Advance will commence in November.
For more information, contact Fujifilm Sericol Australia on 1300 650 504 or visit www.fujifilmsericol.com.au Inca Digital launches new high-speed Spyder V flatbed printer Inca Digital Printers announces the introduction of the Inca Spyder V, a new, faster printer based on the design of the popular and highly successful Spyder series of flatbed inkjet printers.
The Spyder V printer has a unique Inca designed printhead array to achieve a higher throughput than other Spyder 320 printers. Print speed is up to 93m²/hr in production mode with a maximum speed of 130m²/hr.
The Spyder V has a print area of 3.2 x 1.6m on substrates as thick as 30mm. While the standard colour set of the Spyder V is four colour CMYK, a six colour version is also available with the option of using Fujifilm Sericol’s unique Uvijet Ultratone colour system.
The Inca Spyder V’s 25 picolitre drop size, combined with Inca's own print module technology, delivers precise ink drop placement, producing the excellent print quality for which Inca is renowned. Its colour management flexibility and easy file set-up with the RIP, plus exceptional white ink opacity make it a highly adaptable system for the display printer producing a range of close viewing point-of-sale materials, external displays, backlit/frontlit displays and graphics.
Valley Printing in Bingley, UK, the beta test site for the Spyder V and a long time Inca customer, is delighted with the performance of the new printer. “I’m very impressed with its speed, performance and quality,” says John Haggas, Chairman and MD. “We produce ink heavy displays for retail POS customers and the Spyder V produces high impact results with good ink adhesion on a tremendous variety of base materials. The beauty of the Spyder is the consistency of the print it produces which reduces waste and keeps production costs down. Plus, I like its small footprint which allows me to pile in/out stock close to the machine.” The Spyder V will complement other Spyder models in the range. Its faster speed enables the Spyder V to fill the gap between the traditional Spyder 320 series and the faster Turbo Plus which delivers speeds of up to 160m²/hr. For customers still requiring the widest colour gamut, the 8 colour Spyder 320 will continue to be a preferred option.
“Although the Spyder 320 is our most popular printer, customer feedback told us that they would like a Spyder printer with speeds closer to that of our Turbos,” explains Heather Kendle, Inca Digital’s director of marketing. “Now, our customers can be even more productive, allowing them extra capacity than they were previously able to generate with the 320 range, whilst still offering versatility on colour options, the Spyder V, with 4 or 6-colour options, provides an even greater selection of Spyder printers from which to choose.”
Inca Digital’s distribution partner, Fujifilm Sericol, will demonstrate the Spyder V at the upcoming SGIA show and is currently taking orders for the Spyder V.
For more information, contact Fujifilm Sericol Australia on 1300 650 504 or visit www.fujifilmsericol.com.au A Tasmanian first in wide format printing Dean Kearney started his printing company, Typeface Design and Print, around 18 years ago, and in that time he has steered its growth to become one of the major printing businesses in Hobart, Tasmania. “We started out as pre-press, doing film work, then about five years ago we moved into computer to plate,” explains Dean. “We deal with files of any type and specialise in getting the result the customer wants. We can design the job, produce the artwork and deliver the finished product in a timely fashion.”
Typeface’s customers include small graphic designers to advertising agencies to government departments. “Besides doing the traditional print work such as stationery, brochures and annual reports – the bread and butter of the print business – we also offer large format posters and sign writing,” says Dean. As part of Typeface’s growth strategy, the company has moved recently into large format printing. Here’s where Dean’s new purchase comes in, which has helped the business to take another leap forward in growth.
Typeface sees perfect match with new Acuity UV flatbed Typeface recently installed the new Acuity HD 2504 wide format UV flatbed printer from Fujifilm Sericol. The Acuity is the latest breakthrough in wide format UV digital imaging technology, offering photographic quality printing at speeds that provide a quick return on investment.
“The Acuity is perfect for us,” says Dean. “We’ve been wanting to get into the short run one-off part of the market and the Acuity allows us to print full colour onto any substrate in a run of only one or two.
“It has opened up a large market segment that we could not easily deal in before. To be able to print onto things like Dibond and concrete or ceramic tiles is amazing. We’ve even printed onto house doors!” Dean had been looking to purchase another flatbed and had done his homework. “I first saw the Acuity at the Sydney Show last year and thought that it would be good for us to be the first in Tasmania to have one. I had been looking at buying another flatbed, and in doing my homework through the year I saw the flatbed market move quickly with a lot of new products coming out.”
What was it that helped Dean to make the final decision to purchase the Acuity? “The brilliant photographic reproduction quality of the machine and the ability to print onto almost any substrates. It’s great to be able to print a full sheet in one pass.”
Acuity is the first hi-res, value based UV flatbed At the heart of the new Acuity wide format UV flat bed printer is a new imaging technology that enables each print head to produce variable size droplets as opposed to traditional fixed droplets. Droplets as fine as 6 picoliter are jetted to produce sharp, precise images with smoother transitions and halftones. Jetting larger droplets up to 42 picoliter delivers denser, more uniform solid image areas. The result is image quality usually seen at resolutions of 1200 dpi or higher. Additionally, the Acuity delivers the high quality finish while using up to 25% less ink.
“The installation went smoothly and we were up and going the same day,” says Dean. “The Sericol installation team was very organised and very helpful. Matt, Steve and Liz have all been extremely helpful with after sales service on issues such as substrates and colour management. We couldn’t be happier.”
The Acuity is allowing Typeface to take on work that the company could not undertake previously, especially in the signage market and in cheaper, short-term colour corflutes. “I would recommend the Acuity to anyone that asked,” says Dean. “I think the machine is robust and technically very capable of producing any job that you want.”
For more information, contact Typeface Design and Print on 03 6234 3636 – Our printing sticks to anything!
See for yourself The Acuity HD 2504 with roll media option is the latest addition to the Fujifilm Sericol printer range, continuing the tradition of developing high quality products and solutions designed to meet virtually any wide format printing need. You can see a demonstration of the new Acuity with roll media option at Fujifilm Sericol’s showroom and head office in Kings Park, Sydney. An Inca Spyder UV flatbed digital printer and a Mutoh Valuejet dye sublimation roll-to-roll printer are also available for inspection.
For more information, contact Fujifilm Sericol Australia on 1300 650 504 or visit www.fujifilmsericol.com.au
Fujifilm Sericol Australia introduce Coldenhove Papier’s new "High Speed Formula" Jetcol HTR 4000 Digital Transfer Paper Jetcol HTR 4000 140gsm digital transfer paper has long been recognised as the industry benchmark for it's printing stability and high transfer yield, particularly suitable for customers demanding the highest quality dye sublimation transfer paper.
Following the success of Jetcol's High Speed coating technology on 95gsm transfer paper, the same High Speed coating technology will become standard on the 140gsm Jetcol HTR 4000 transfer paper.
Maintaining it’s unsurpassed transfer yields, superb evenness and printing stability, the Jetcol HTR 4000 "High Speed Formula" features drying speeds up to 4 times higher than regular transfer paper. This will provide significant benefits to digital dye sublimation printers, particularly for applications requiring heavy ink loads and deep, vibrant colours.
The improved Jetcol HTR 4000 High Speed paper will be available through Fujifilm Sericol Australia in widths of 1.118metres, 1.32metres and 1.62metres.
For more information, contact Fujifilm Sericol Australia on 1300 650 504 or visit www.fujifilmsericol.com.au
A brand new headquarters for J-Teck3 Italy
On April 5th, following the successful FESPA Digital expo in Geneva, J-Teck3 has officially inaugurated its new head quarters in Albese con Cassano (Como Lake Area) with a ceremony which included the J-Teck3 team and 72 partners from Italy and abroad.
The new 3000sqm building consists of a new production plant, large enough to quadruple the ink production with the help of new modern processing equipment, the technologically-advanced J-Lab dedicated to global R&D projects and a 21st century inspired 2nd floor dedicated to sales and administrative offices, training centre and show room as well as meeting rooms for workshop sessions. The site also features J-Teck3’s large warehouse and logistics facility.
The J-Teck production facility upgrade is impressive considering the company is less than 5-years old. But it is J-Teck’s passion for their product that has helped them achieve prestigious targets such as Sawgrass licence for sublimation technology, a world wide distribution network and the partnership with Fujifilm Sericol for the distribution of J-Teck’s inks in Australia.
The inauguration speech by J-Teck3’s President Dr. Gianni Cavallini (pictured front centre) focused on the importance of team work, passion and creativity, echoing the foundations of J-Teck’s philosophy and mission.
Now J-Teck is preparing for ITMA Asia in Shanghai in July 2008, where important technologies in the digital textile printing industry will gather. J-Teck3 welcomes visitors to Hall E3 - Stand D18.
Fujifilm Sericol Australia will be exhibiting J-Teck3 products at Image Expo Adelaide and Visual Impact Image Expo Sydney. Applications support staff will be available for the duration of these exhibitions to discuss your digital textile needs and our latest water-based digital print solutions.
For more information, contact Fujifilm Sericol Australia on 1300 650 504 or visit www.fujifilmsericol.com.au
New faces going places Fujifim Sericol takes pride in its reputation for pioneering new products and technologies and in setting the industry standard for technical service and customer support. As evidence of the company’s commitment to providing customers with top quality technologies, Fujifilm Sericol has recently added to its range of products and services.
Digital Textiles is one such new initiative. After its purchase of J-Teck Australia, a leading supplier of digital textile inks and Coldenhove transfer papers, Fujifilm Sericol now offers a comprehensive package of inks, machines and digital media in this fast growing printing sector. Our package also includes a range of Mutoh digital textile printers.
Another new initiative for Fujifilm Sericol is the development of three new UVivid inks to complement the success of the UVivid JD flexographic ink. The range now provides rotary, letterpress and offset printers with a high quality UV curing narrow web ink system that features high colour strength, ultra low viscosity and adhesion to a very wide range of roll-label synthetic and paper stocks. These are supported by our growing range of additional products for the narrow web industry, such as Alpha-Cure UV lamps, 3M Easy Mount mounting tapes and Sandon Aniloxs.
In line with these new products and to further strengthen Fujifilm Sericol’s customer support services, a number of new staff appointments have been made.
Andrew Marrs - Application Specialist Digital Inks
 An offset print machinist by trade, Andrew brings to Sericol customers his knowledge gained on the shop floor and his latter experience with J-Teck digital ink products. Andrew joined Sericol from J-Teck with a goal to assist customers who print on polyester fabrics.
“Creatively you have so many choices with polyester fabrics,” says Andrew. “There is a big future in making great banners and interesting forms of point of sale materials out of polyester. And using our new inks, you find they last a long time in the fabric.”
Andrew wants the digitally driven philosophy of Fujifilm Sericol to become an advantage for our customers.
“As part of a world wide organisation at the forefront of digital technologies - technologies which are progressing at a rapid rate - I would like to be able to bring all this knowledge to the Australian digital textile industry.”
Adrian Mrsnik - Application Specialist Letterpress and Offset Inks
 With 20 years experience in the printing industry and 10 more years in the labelling industry, Adrian knows the business. He’s worked on letterpress, litho, screen and flexographic printing processes and brings his experience from being on the floor and in management.
“I understand what managers are looking for in efficiencies, utilisation of products, cost effectiveness and waste reduction.”
Adrian’s wide hands-on experience is compounded by his many contacts throughout the print industry.
Adrian’s role is to advise and support label converters who have letterpress, offset and flexographic processes in using the new UVivid inks range. “Rather than having to deal with numerous ink and consumable companies, they can deal with me for everything,” says Adrian.
“I’d like to think I’m somebody you can depend on to give you the best information possible. ”
Craig Dainty - Application Specialist Digital
 Originally from Sericol in the UK, Craig was seconded to join the Australian team to bring the European experience of the Color+ market. As Craig is literally ‘just off the plane’, we need to give him time to settle into our Aussie ways.
While recovering from jet lag – he’s been in Perth and Kuala Lumpur in the space of a week - he did say,“With my experience in Europe I’m here to assist customers in the new Acuity wide format UV flat bed printer and our other UV and Solvent machine technologies. And I’d like to help print firms to develop their digital business.”
Demand for digital is growing among all segments of the printing industry. Fujifilm Sericol continues to provide our customers with the right digital printing products and experienced service, which help to improve their efficiency and profitability.
Megaink Digital a.s. signs an Exclusive Agreement with Fujifilm Sericol Australia Megaink, one of Europe's leading providers of digital inks announces exclusive distribution agreement with Fujifilm Sericol for the Australian wide format inkjet market.
After making headlines in March of this year by announcing its merger with INX International, Megaink Digital a.s. has announced today that it has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Fujifilm Sericol Australia. This move will allow Australian wide format ink users access to high-quality products and services now supplied by Megaink to most parts of Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East.
Fujifilm Sericol Australia manufactures and distributes UV, solvent and textile digital inks, screen printing inks and consumables, narrow web inks and other related products. With its large team of dedicated staff and nationwide distribution, Fujifilm Sericol was an ideal partner to support Megaink's products in the market.
Talking about this new agreement, Avi Bukai, Megaink’s Director of Business Development, said “We are delighted to be able to join forces with Fujifilm Sericol in order to further develop a positive market for wide-format printing inks in Australia. We hope that our leadership in the digital market in other continents, together with Fujifilm Sericol’s strong presence and support network in Australia, will lead to great new business opportunities for both companies.”
Mark Brown, General Manager of Fujifilm Sericol Australia, added “Fujifilm Sericol is excited to be working with Megaink and to be the sole distributor of their products in Australia. Megaink’s high quality and innovative inks will perfectly complement our existing offer of digital products and printers as well as allow us to broaden our offer for wide format printers.”
Alex Nussem, International Director of Sales, concluded by adding “We feel confident that our new agreement with Fujifilm Sericol Australia will strongly benefit our existing and future customers in Australia. It will provide increased access to our unique products backed up by the superior services offered by Fujifilm Sericol. We look forward to the future of this new partnership and to being able to showcase our products throughout this market.”
Fujifilm Sericol rolls out the Acuity HD2504 RMO Fujifilm Sericol Australia Pty Limited announces the release of the highly anticipated Acuity HD2504 roll media option. Launching in June 2008, the roll media option for the flatbed Acuity HD2504 provides customers with the versatility of being able to print on both rigid and flexible media. The roll media option supports substrates up to 2.2metres wide with a maximum roll weight of 50kgs.
Manufactured with the view to incorporate both Flatbed and Roll to Roll technologies, the Acuity HD2504 can be upgraded with the roll media option on both new and existing installations. Printers can meet all of their customers campaign needs including POP, banners, posters, illuminated or rigid signs and much more with this breakthrough technology.
The Acuity HD2504 provides a fast return on investment and ongoing savings derived from the variable drop size technology, using up to 35% less ink than a six colour machine. Fujifilm Sericol continues to add value to the relationship through their experienced technical assistance, applications support, software and colour management specialists.
The Acuity HD2504 with Roll Media Option will be demonstrated at the upcoming Image Expo in Adelaide (June 12th and 13th).
For more information or to arrange a demo, contact Fujifilm Sericol Australia on 1300 650 504 or visit www.fujifilmsericol.com.au New Acuity UV printer quickly becomes a favourite at Ricci Signs (Australia)® Sean Carey, managing director of Ricci Signs Australia, is a young man brimming with enthusiasm. He’s enthusiastic about his employees’ ambitious creativity and about the future of his business, which has grown well over the last eight years with an expanding portfolio of print projects from large retail and construction corporations.
Ricci Signs’ Beverly Hills, Sydney, premises has a diverse range of printing systems ranging from UV to dye-based, which includes six wide format printers.
However, it’s his latest purchase that has Sean’s enthusiasm bubbling over. Ricci Signs is the proud owner of the new Acuity wide format UV flat bed printer from Fujifilm Sericol.
To say Sean is pleased with the performance of the Acuity would be an understatement. “The Acuity has top-notch resolution, the speed is great and it runs like a dream,” he said. “It‘s one of my favourite machines on the floor.”
Introducing Acuity, the first hi-res, value based UV flatbed The Acuity HD 2504 is the latest breakthrough in wide format UV digital imaging technology. It offers photographic quality printing at speeds that provide a quick return on investment. At its heart is a new imaging technology that enables each print head to produce variable size droplets as opposed to traditional fixed droplets. Droplets as fine as 6 picoliter are jetted to produce sharp, precise images with smoother transitions and halftones. Jetting larger droplets up to 42 picoliter delivers denser, more uniform solid image areas. The result is image quality usually seen at resolutions of 1200 dpi or higher.
Sean is deriving great value from the Acuity.
“The number one use for the machine, at the moment, is in producing temporary signage for our retail clients. Because it’s temporary they don’t want to pay a fortune for it. That’s where the real value of the printer comes through.”
The Acuity delivers the high quality finish while using up to 25% less ink.
“We already had machines that print onto flexible substrates. I wanted a purpose built flatbed that printed onto rigid substrates. The Acuity was the perfect choice. It prints on almost any substrate - acrylic, corflute, cardboard, steel, aluminium.”
Sean first saw the Acuity at a Sydney trade show. After inspecting it he felt sure this was the ideal next machine for his business. His employees did their inspections and agreed with Sean. What was it that helped Sean to make the final decision to purchase the Acuity? “I met the guys from Fujifilm Sericol at the show and they were great,” he said. “They understood what we needed, paid attention to everyone and every detail we needed was addressed. I was happy with the machine, but I was even happier with the guys at Fujifilm Sericol – they really impressed me.” Sean experienced a small problem when it came to installing the Acuity in his premises. He doesn’t have a wide loading bay and the Acuity wouldn’t fit through the doors. “We had to take out a large window at the front of the premises and block off a main road to crane it in. Our neighbours really loved us that day. But the Sericol guys organised the whole delivery and installation. I didn’t have to do a thing.”
Sean’s experience told him that a new printer can take a few months to begin paying for itself. The Acuity gave him a pleasant surprise. “We had the Acuity up and running within three or four weeks and paying for itself. I’d recommend the Acuity not just because it’s a great machine,” said Sean, “but pretty much because the guys at Fujifilm Sericol are a pleasure to deal with.”
See for yourself The Acuity HD 2504 is the latest addition to the Fujifilm Sericol printer range, continuing the tradition of developing high quality products and solutions designed to meet virtually any wide format printing need.
You can see a demonstration of the Acuity HD 2504 at Fujifilm Sericol’s Digital Training and Demonstration Centre located within their head office in Kings Park, Sydney. The Inca Spyder 320 flatbed digital printer and a Mutoh ValueJet 1604W1 Roll-to-Roll Digital Dye Sublimation printer are also available for inspection.
For more information on Ricci Signs (Australia) Pty Ltd call 02 9740 5667 or visit www.riccisigns.com.au
For more information on the Acuity HD 2504, contact Fujifilm Sericol Australia on 1300 650 504 or visit www.fujifilmsericol.com.au Fujifilm Sericol announces agreement to distribute Mutoh Digital Textile Printers in Australia Fujifilm Sericol Australia Pty Limited announces they are now a distributor for Mutoh’s range of digital textile inkjet printers in Australia. Fujifilm Sericol Australia’s Digital Business Manager Robert Wilson states “The introduction of the Mutoh range of Digital Textile printers compliments the recent addition of J-Teck ink and Coldenhove paper to our product range and enables us to offer a complete solution for digital textile printers.
Omnitech Graphics have been distributing Mutoh products in Oceania since 1986 and have a range of equipment for both water-based sublimation transfer and direct to fabric applications.
Russell Bates, General Manager of Omnitech Graphics expands “We’re delighted to have Fujifilm Sericol Australia as a distributor of our textile printers. They have an excellent support network and national representation”.
The agreement covers a broad range of products including the DrafStation Pro, Viper and ValueJet series of printers in dye sublimation and direct to textile versions. Fujifilm Sericol Australia’s Marketing Co-ordinator Patrick Koen adds “The ability to offer a digital textile package of high quality, high performance inks, papers, bulk feeders, machines and software is a dynamic extension of our product portfolio that aligns itself perfectly with our existing range of high performance, quality UV flatbed printers and inks systems”.
Fujifilm Sericol Australia are also proud to announce the addition of the Mutoh ValueJet 1604W1 water-based dye sublimation printer to their Digital Demonstration and Training Centre in Kings Park, Sydney.
Fujifilm Sericol Australia will distribute and support these products with their dedicated national team of technical service, applications support and colour management specialists. With a strong focus of being “Digitally Driven”, Fujifilm Sericol is committed to providing innovative and versatile wide format inkjet solutions to the graphics communication and textile industries.
For more information, please contact us. Fujifilm Sericol opens wide format inkjet showroom in Bangkok A new showroom in Bangkok will help spearhead sales of wide format inkjet machines throughout the Asia Pacific region.
In a move set to expand Fujifilm’s presence in the wide format inkjet market in Asia Pacific, Fujifilm and their subsidiary, Fujifilm Sericol opened their Bangkok showroom on 29th January 2008. This investment will enable printers across the ASEAN region access to the latest machines and ink systems as an integral part of a graphic solutions package. It will also serve as a local showroom for Fujifilm in Thailand.
In the last two years Fujifilm has made bold moves to strengthen their position in the wide format inkjet sector with acquisitions of Sericol, Avecia and Dimatix. This integrated approach has enabled Fujifilm to partner with equipment manufacturers to develop a broad range of machines and equipment systems. These machines are suited to address the needs of a wide range of printers – from screen printing and commercial offset printing to digital print houses and photolabs. Machines on display in the Bangkok showroom have been chosen specifically for the Asia Pacific region.
Asia Pacific Director for Fujifilm Sericol, Jeff Hand explains why customers choose Fujifilm companies as partners. “What Fujifilm companies are able to offer printers is unique. Fujifilm Sericol has extensive experience in ink manufacture as well as selling wide format inkjet printers. Fujifilm companies have a spread of distributors who understand the key print technologies. Together we can help guide our customers into the new business opportunities presented by wide format inkjet. Customers expect more than just a machine. A full support & service package is a must; including engineering, colour profiling and software training. The new facility in Bangkok enables customers within the region to experience this first-hand”.
Fujifilm has made a number of investments to secure its future in digital printing. In 2005, Fujifilm acquired Sericol (UK), the market leader in the supply of UV ink for the wide format inkjet market. In 2006, Fujifilm acquired Avecia (UK), the leading manufacturer of ink dyes used in inkjet printers. Later in 2006, they acquired Dimatix (USA), the leading manufacturer of industrial inkjet printheads.
By integrating the advanced print head technologies with the sophisticated ink technologies, Fujifilm is developing high-quality imaging systems to expand its inkjet business. Fujifilm Sericol and J-Teck3 partner in Australia and New Zealand Fujifilm Sericol Australia has acquired the rights to supply J-Teck inks in the Australian and NZ markets.
In a move set to expand Fujifilm Sericol’s involvement in the digital market in Australia and New Zealand, effective 1 February 2008 Fujifilm Sericol will acquire the J-Teck Ink and Coldenhove paper agencies from J-Teck Australia.
“The acquisition of J-Teck’s agencies is a logical one for us, and provides us with digital capabilities in the textile market. We can now offer a total supply package of digital inks, printers and paper for the textile market. This complements what we already do in the screen textile market and the digital graphics market.” says Fujifilm Sericol General Manager Mark Brown. “J-Teck Australia is an excellent business with great products and people” he adds.
J-Teck Australia’s Managing Director Wendy Bridgett explains “Fujifilm Sericol was an obvious choice for us. They have an excellent reputation, know the textile market well, and have a national sales and distribution network to support the business”. Post acquisition Wendy will be focusing on retirement and enjoying more time with her family. J-Teck Technical Manager Andrew Marrs will join Fujifilm Sericol to provide continuing support for the customers and products.
J-Teck Italy is also pleased with the deal with Sales Director Italo Mariani commenting “We are very much looking forward to working with Fujifilm Sericol Australia and building on the great work of J-Teck Australia. Fujifilm Sericol gives us a truly national sales and support throughout Australasia” Inca Spyder 320 turns Concept plans into reality The one thing that separates Concept POP and Displays from its competitors is its constant drive to remain at the forefront of innovation. New technologies are embraced if they demonstrate they can help take the business to the next level of quality and output.
Stephen Wallis, director of Concept, knows exactly how he wants the business to be positioned in the mind of his customers and prospects. “We want to be thought of as unrivalled in the marketplace.” “We are technology-based and use these new tools to drive our customer growth and take business to another level.”
Concept POP and Displays has been based in Fountaindale on the NSW Central Coast for 32 years. It commenced operations providing screen printing services for local businesses but has since grown to have clients in Newcastle, Sydney and nationally, supplying a full suite of indoor and outdoor signage, display and event solutions.
Had you walked around the Opera House during the 2000 Olympics you would have seen Concept-produced signage throughout the forecourt. “The ink for that Olympics’ signage was specially produced for us by Fujifilm Sericol. We needed a special matt ink, and because of our great relationship with Fujifilm Sericol, they created it for us.”
The relationship between the two companies has recently produced another leap forward in technology when Concept installed the Inca Spyder 320 flatbed digital printer.
“I saw first hand the emerging movement of flat bed digital printing on a recent overseas trip,” explains Stephen. “After seeing the screen printing industry analysis out of Germany and it really got me thinking seriously about the technology and how it could benefit the business.”
The decision to go with Fujifilm Sericol’s Inca Spyder 320 was based on three criteria: Concept’s drive to have only the best technologies; the requirement that any new digital technology had to be compatible with their existing screen printing technologies; and their relationship with Fujifilm Sericol.
“We custom-built a temperature controlled room to house the Spyder,” explains Stephen. “Fujifilm Sericol’s application support specialists, Matthew Philp (engineer) and Liz Cerbelli (software) have been fantastic throughout the whole installation.” The Inca Spyder 320 has opened up niche markets for Concept by allowing the company to now print directly onto almost any surface up to 30mm thick. It has improved the resolution on cardboard printing and can even print directly onto glass.
Concept generally uses the digital flat bed for shorter runs – under 255 quantity – and traditional screen printing for larger runs, though it sometimes combines the two forms for gloss varnish projects for an enhanced appearance.
Concept is actively promoting its new digital capabilities and attracting new clients. They are also providing a new trade service with trade rates to screen printers who would like to have access to the digital short run market.
“We can offer the market more than when we were traditional screen printers,” says Stephen. “As well, our partnership with Fujifilm Sericol has become one where we trial new things together. They experiment on new substrates with us. They are there to help us out.”
Concept’s planned business growth is becoming a reality. The company sees a clear way forward for future expansion and believes the Inca Spyder and Fujifilm Sericol are vital components in achieving those expansion plans. “It’s put us in the driving seat,” says Stephen.
Inca Spyder 320 puts extra sting into CV business growth Ed Phelan had a plan in mind to grow his business. He began with a detailed due diligence process to establish what was appropriate for the needs of the business, followed by an extensive research into the latest in digital printing equipment. He found that one particular brand of printing equipment could set his company, CV Signage Solutions, on the growth course he wanted.
Ed Phelan is managing director of CV Signage Solutions, located in Banyo, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland. The company provides total signage solutions to mid tier, multi-site retailers such as Freedom Furniture, Super Cheap Auto, Europecar and many others, and is among the top 5 signage manufacturers in the region.
The majority of the company’s output is designed and manufactured within its facilities, however one outsourced side of the business had reached considerable volume. Phelan realised there were economic benefits for his company and his clients to produce that business in-house.
But first they had to find just the right printing equipment that could deliver the results the company demanded.
“We assessed what was in the market and looked at four or five large format print options,” explained Phelan. “We found that the Fujifilm Sericol Inca Spyder 320 flatbed digital printer had the capacity to deliver the volume and quality we want.”
The Inca Spyder is a relatively new entrant in the large format digital print arena but is quickly gaining recognition for its higher standard of design and engineering. The Spyder can print directly onto the widest range of flexible and rigid substrates, up to 30mm thick and 40kg in weight, and delivers the most precise registration in its class.
The Inca Spyder’s impressive credentials matched Phelan’s requirements. “I first inspected the Spyder at a trade fair and that’s where I met (Fujifilm Sericol’s) Robert Wilson. Robert has been fantastic throughout and really helped us every step of the way. I inspected the machine further at Fujifilm Sericol headquarters in Sydney and basically made up my mind.”
The Inca Spyder has enabled CV Signage Solutions to provide clients with a faster turnaround for large format work and the business is enjoying the financial benefits.
“In only a short time we are already seeing the benefits of Spyder”, said Phelan. “The quality of service provided by Fujifilm Sericol during the installation process was excellent and we were very pleased in the way they worked with us. Their management of the installation and the training afterwards were above and beyond the call of duty.”
CV Signage Solutions needed a refit to house the new Inca Spyder – they were also installing another, independent piece of equipment at the same time – and there was potential for major disruption to business. Thankfully, that didn’t happen.
“Matt and Liz from Fujifilm Sericol, who managed the installation process, helped us integrate the software with our other applications”, said Phelan. “Fujifilm Sericol is someone we would want to have an ongoing business relationship with. Their quality across the board is second to none.”
Phelan says the formula for driving CV Signage Solutions business growth is in great customer service, quality product and value for money. Fujifilm Sericol’s Inca Spyder is an important factor in all three drivers of that growth formula.
Inca Digital launches the Inca Onset: the world’s fastest digital UV flatbed printer A breakthrough in digital printing technology that redefines wide format speed and productivity New Inca Onset sets new levels of digital production throughput at 500 sqm/hr High productivity opens up new opportunities within display and commercial print markets 30th April 2007– Inca Digital Printers announces the launch of the Inca Onset, a revolutionary breakthrough in large format UV digital flatbed printing. Handling print sizes up to 3.2 x 1.5m (10.5x 5 ft) and achieving production throughput of 500 sq m/hr (5382 sq ft /hr), the automated Inca Onset delivers an amazing 100+ full bed sheets an hour.
“The Onset represents a major advance in inkjet print production and has been engineered from the ground up to achieve new levels of performance,” says Bill Baxter, Managing Director at Inca Digital. “Its design draws on our vast experience of jetting inks and includes some of the core technologies we have developed to produce the Columbia Turbo and Spyder presses that already lead the wide format display market in speed and quality. Onset’s design also draws on our experience in developing the high-speed, single-pass FastJet press specifically developed for the corrugated market.
”The Inca Onset’s speed and quality is delivered by a massive array of 576 Spectra printheads addressing a total of 73,728 inkjet nozzles in easy plug-in Inca print bars, supported by innovative head alignment systems. Inkjet printer quality is determined by inkjet nozzle performance and, while output from other printers can be affected by occasional nozzle failure, the Inca Onset has been designed with a high level of fault tolerance to ensure maximum print quality. “In demanding and high-volume production environments it is important to achieve sustainable quality and the Onset features the highest level of nozzle redundancy to ensure the best sustained performance,” explains Bill Baxter.
For all its sophistication, the Inca Onset is extremely easy to operate by one operator with a minimal 20 minute set up time at the start of each day. It includes a fully automatic load/unload system as standard, however it is designed to allow users to move to manual mode within seconds if required for immediate fast proofing or production of single prints.
Edge-to-edge printing allows images to be printed to bleed on substrates up to 10 mm thick and up to 10 kg at full speed, providing enormous versatility in terms of what can be printed as well as the ability to proof a job on the material on which it will finally be produced.
Fujifilm Sericol, Inca’s long term worldwide distribution partner, sees the Inca Onset as the next generation of digital printing for a wide range of print applications, not only within the high growth, large format display market, but also within the wider commercial print market currently served by extra large format offset presses.
Because of its exceptional speed and minimal set up time, the Inca Onset will redefine cost effective print run lengths previously associated with digital printing. Jerry Avis, International Strategy and Business Development Director of Fujifilm Sericol, considers the Inca Onset to be an important step change for the print industry. “The market is seeking improved quality alongside faster production speeds and turnaround times and it is this need that has driven development of the Onset in partnership with Inca. The Inca Onset will transform UV digital flatbed inkjet printing speed, quality and finish. The result is a machine that is so fast that it not only delivers a highly competitive solution for screen printers but, for the first time, provides a highly competitive alternative to offset presses, offering a flexible and cost effective alternative for up to 400 finished sheets.”
Fujifilm Sericol’s vast experience in innovative UV digital ink formulations, and understanding of the needs of the market has been central to the development of the Onset. Simultaneously, Fujifilm Sericol has been developing a new range of its industry leading Uvijet UV digital ink for use in the Inca Onset. Using patented Micro-V dispersion technology, the Uvijet UV digital inks for Inca Onset are formulated with automotive grade pigments that deliver exceptional density to create vibrant, durable, light-fast colours and, for the first time, the system can offer either a satin or gloss finish. Uvijet inks also provide superior adhesion to many different materials, including paper and board, wood, flexible and rigid plastics, and metal.
With the addition of the Inca Onset, Inca now offers a range of eight digital UV inkjet printers in a choice of formats, speeds and options. The product range enables companies to select the Inca machine that is most suited to their specific requirements. The first Onset printer will be installed at a UK company within the next few weeks and commercial shipments will begin late summer.
Fujifilm announces a comprehensive wide format digital printing initiative Fujifilm Corporation (President and CEO: Shigetaka Komori, hereinafter Fujifilm) announced today a comprehensive new initiative aimed at providing its customers with the means to produce high quality wide format digital graphics for a variety of applications.
Fujifilm is already one of the world’s largest suppliers to the digital printing industry. This new initiative combines the company’s proven expertise and experience to deliver a family of wide format digital products and business solutions designed to meet virtually any wide format printing need.
“Fujifilm has a long history as a leading supplier within both the graphics arts and digital imaging industries,” said Nobuaki Inoue, Corporate Vice President, General Manager, Fujifilm Graphic Systems Business Division. “Our commitment to developing high quality products and solutions for the wide format digital graphics printing sector mirrors the direction our industry and our customers are headed.”
Demand for digital is growing among all segments of the printing industry. The retail value of wide format digital graphic revenues, including ink, media, and hardware, are projected to reach $9.4 billion by 2008. “Fujifilm intends to become a market leader by offering fully integrated wide format digital printing solutions,” said Inoue. “We will provide our customers with the right digital printing products to meet market demands and our customer’s specific needs.”
Fujifilm’s wide format digital product offerings will encompass a line-up of branded wide format digital printers, related consumables and services. Printers will be sourced through trusted OEM partners and developed to Fujifilm specifications. The digital inks will be formulated and manufactured by Fujifilm Sericol, a subsidiary of Fujifilm acquired in 2005. Fujifilm’s graphic arts subsidiaries in the USA and Canada will provide sales, distribution, and technical support.
The backbone of Fujifilm’s strategy is a unique integrated wide format digital printing solutions approach. This includes printers, inks, other consumables and service & technical support. The wide format digital printer offerings range from value-based solvent roll-to-roll and high resolution, mid range UV flatbed printers, to the world’s fastest and most productive UV flatbed presses. Solvent and UV inks have been specifically formulated for each printer platform to provide optimal reproducibility, adhesion, color vibrancy and durability on a wide range of substrates. Fujifilm will support these products with a dedicated team of technical service, applications support, color management and training specialists. Fujifilm also has one of the industry’s largest distribution and logistics networks. This comprehensive support package will be combined with innovative business partnering programs, all designed to improve their customers’ efficiency and profitability.
A media campaign in numerous industry publications will publicize the program. The advertising campaign will feature the slogan, “Digitally Driven”, which conveys Fujifilm’s complete commitment to the wide format digital printing market. The launch of this initiative is being supported in the US and Canada through the joint resources of Fujifilm Graphics Systems USA, Fujifilm Canada and Fujifilm Sericol USA.
About Fujifilm Fujifilm Group is a leading global provider of imaging, information and document-related products and services, and a pioneer of a wide range of digital systems. It had global revenues of Yen2.667 trillion (US$22.8 billion, at the rate of Yen117=US$1) in the year ended March 31, 2006 and 75,845 employees worldwide. Its Imaging Solutions segment includes digital cameras, color film as well as photofinishing equipment/services. Flat panel display materials, medical imaging, graphic arts and other businesses constitute its Information Solutions segment, and digital color copiers and other office products/services comprise the Document Solutions segment. Through development and selective application of its advanced digital, network, image processing, and other proprietary technologies, the Fujifilm Group has expanded from its original field of silver-halide photographic films into diverse new business fields. As a global company with a reputation for the highest quality and reliability, Fujifilm will use leading-edge, proprietary technologies to provide top-quality products and services that contribute to the advancement of culture, science, technology and industry, as well as improved health and environmental protection in society. More information about Fujifilm (NASDAQ:FUJI) is available at http://www.fujifilm.com/.
Fujifilm Sericol USA Inc., headquartered in Kansas City, Kansas, is a leading global manufacturer of printing inks with more than 50 years of formulation experience. With operations in more than 15 countries, Fujifilm Sericol is a customer-focused company and a leader in the development of UV inks for the screen printing, narrow web and large format digital printing industries. The company takes pride in its reputation for pioneering new products and technologies, and setting the industry standard for technical service and customer support. More information about Fujifilm Sericol is available at http://www.fujifilmsericol.com.
Fujifilm Sericol acquires new agency Groenlund Machine Works Ltd are proud to announce that Fujifilm Sericol Australia have been appointed as the sole agent for Their Dane Products into the Australian and New Zealand markets.
The Dane line of products consists of a full range of inline wash out, emulsion coating, and automatic reclaim units. The system is fully modular allowing either a single unit, or fully automatic frame processing line to be installed.
Paul Budgen, Fujifilm Sericol Australia’s Marketing Manager says, “It’s great to be representing such a quality product within the Australian Screen Printing Market. Dane machinery share the same philosophy of providing turn key solutions to customers which fits nicely amongst our product portfolio”
Dane machinery is now available to the Australian Market and for further information, please contact Paul Budgen, Marketing Manager Fujifilm Sericol Australia on 02 8825 2700.
The future of Textile Printing – Permaset Aqua Permaset, the name itself is renowned within the textile printing industry for providing quality and consistent prints time and time again. “To improve on a product which is already so widely accepted has taken 2 years of research and development, “ says David Stuart, Colormaker Industries.
From 1st June 2006, Fujifilm Sericol will be launching the Permaset Aqua range into the market replacing the original Permaset range. Why the change? How can we improve upon a product already so widely used by textile printers?
“We wanted to develop a product with inter-mixable capabilities to give a wider colour palette”, says Phil Reynolds, Colormaker Industries. “Combining a wider colour palette with a solvent free formula was a challenging job and has now become a reality”.
A feature of the NEW Aqua product is the cleanliness, intensity and simplicity of the colour range. The colours have been formulated right around the edge of the colour palette. This means that the reduced colour set in both Standard and Super Cover (12 standard colours + black & 2 whites) can be used to blend colours never before achievable with any Permaset range.
Permaset Aqua offers: • 100% Solvent Free Ink System – Environmentally friendly formula using water based technology The Permaset Aqua Range is available in 1, 4 and 15 ltr pack sizes and will now provide the most comprehensive and versatile water based textile ink system ever offered to the Textile Screen Printing market. “Permaset Aqua is a perfect compliment to the Permatone CO Range already offered to our Customers”, says Rob Penman, Fujifilm Sericol. “Levering off the technology of Permatone CO, Colormaker Industries have created Permaset Aqua with a new technology of resins providing never before seen screen stability with water based Inks” adds Penman.
For more information on the new Permaset Aqua or Permatone CO Range of products, please contact Fujifilm Sericol Australia on 1300 650 504 or your local Fujifilm Sericol Representative.
Fujifilm Sericol, in conjunction with Australian manufacturers Colormaker Industries, has launched a new water based textile ink range, Permaset Texiscreen Permatone CO.
Over the years there was a strong move to Plastisols and away from so called water based inks, which in many cases contained up to 50 per cent white spirits, however there has now been a worldwide shift back to water based products.
Sericol says that Permatone CO is 100 per cent solvent free and yet demonstrates a combination of properties unheard of even with “normal” textile inks. According to the company, the first, and most obvious benefit of the new product is the low odour. Add to this the long open time on the screen and printing on hot days is now easier and safer.
Typically, a change from “traditional” (or solvent containing) to solvent free systems yielded a loss in colour intensity, meaning the choice was either environmental OH&S responsibility or colour yield. These were mutually exclusive objectives, however, says Sericol, this new product achieves unsurpassed colour yield and brightness through clever formulating and a rigorous pigment selection process.
Another major improvement, claims the company, is the softness of handle, producing excellent drape and handle properties due to the exclusive adoption of world leading polymer technology. Related to this but less obvious is outstanding adhesion, even to synthetic and stretch fabrics.
Wash and wearability Typically, a soft print displays lower wash resistance, showing significant deterioration, even after one or two washes. Conversely, a durable print typically feels quite stiff, which is uncomfortable to wear. Colormaker Industries has exclusive access to a polymer that is both soft and incredibly strong, claiming that prints on cotton lycra have been tested to 30 commercial wash cycles at 65°C, a test so severe that it caused significant fibre breakdown in the unprinted area; the printed area however was actually protected by the polymer and exhibited virtually zero change. This means excellent adhesion on a full range of synthetics and stretch fabrics without additives.
Colour For light fastness all pigments have been through a rigorous selection process and, according to Sericol, rate a minimum of six on the Blue Wool Scale. Pigments/colours are selected to be on the edge of the colour wheel, which gives maximum cleanliness and brightness, so if “dirtying off ” is required, the end user can do that, but Sericol maintains the Permatone range offers the maximum gamut of colours to be mixed from smallest range.
Pigment size Pigment particle size was also considered during the evaluation process. By going to one micron, and indeed sub-micron particle size, the feel is instantly improved. The finer particle size also confers further commercial benefit; finer particles can fit through a finer mesh screen, while the increased colour yield allows lower ink lay-down to achieve the same colour. This results in better ink mileage (lower cost) and again, softer print. Also, the lower ink lay-down means less ink to dry out, so faster throughput in drying tunnel and hence greater productivity. Also, according to Sericol, recent tests show formaldehyde levels to be well below Okotex requirements for Class 1, the most stringent requirements for baby wear.
Two years in development Texiscreen Permatone CO has been developed over two years, in conjunction with a leading Sydney meterage printer, and more recently excellent trials were completed with two Perth companies. The Sydney company has produced around $2 million of finished fabric using the ink.
With the first Perth printer, The Fabric Printer, plastisols were replaced with Permatone on a seven-colour job on medium-dark fabric. ‘To be honest I was startled’, said The Fabric Printer’s James Carter. ‘It was an unfair test but we managed to get it very close to the finish desired on the dark fabric.’
The second printer, Blue Print Screen Art, a dedicated plastisol user, has also seen the benefits of the Permatone system. ‘We’re always looking for ways to improve our products and services, said director Sean Bell. ‘The adhesion qualities are also very impressive for a water based ink and once we started using it in production we also found the viscosity of the ink very good in the automatic machine as well as manual presses. The “wet on wet” ability is definitely the best I have seen in either water based or plastisol inks.’
For further information on Texiscreen Permatone CO contact Fujifilm Sericol Customer Service Hotline on Tel 1300 650 504 or your local Fujifilm Sericol Australia branch. INCA annouces expansion of Spyder models In the biggest ever expansion of a single product range Inca Digital Printers is launching additional new models in the Spyder 320 series, including a new four-colour model, a six-colour printer and a Spyder with white ink option. At the same time Inca is launching a new version of their Spyder Run software that will deliver an exceptional top speed of 80 sq metres an hour, with a production speed of 65 sq metres an hour. The new software delivers an instant speed upgrade and will be retrofitted to existing Spyder 320 printers in the field.
“All of the new Inca Spyder models have been developed in direct response to requests from customers, in particular digital houses and photolabs,” says director of marketing, Heather Kendle. “One of the major changes is our modular design, which enables customers to adapt. The modular approach allows customers to modify the specification of their Inca Spyder printer to suit their changing business needs or growth.”
The machines benefit from the excellent quality of Fujifilm Sericol’s UV Uvijet inks and have the technical support and after-sales care of both Inca and Fujifilm Sericol, the worldwide distributor for Inca’s flatbed printers.
NEW SPYDER 320-e The new Spyder 320-e is designed to appeal to a wider range of companies. Like all the other Inca Spyder users, printers using the Spyder 320-e will benefit from the features that have made the original Spyder 320 so popular, such as the 3.2 x 1.6 metre bed, small footprint, highly accurate pin registration plus sharp image resolution and crisp text. “In essence – high quality at medium output speeds with greater flexibility to upgrade to any higher specification Spyder variant,” says Heather Kendle, “With a lower purchase price this new Inca Spyder 320-e version opens the doors to printers with a smaller budget but who want to enter the high-quality flatbed printer sector.”
The Inca Spyder 320-e’s very competitive price has been achieved by reducing the speed specification, although in every other way this printer offers the same features as the standard model. In addition, customers can easily upgrade their Inca Spyder 320-e on-site to the original specification Spyder 320 or a Spyder 320+ with white or six colours.
NEW SPYDER 320+ The Spyder 320+ model offers a modular IncaPrint carriage with either white or six colours (light magenta and light cyan), in addition to the CMYK set. This new six-colour printer is designed for closer viewing output where there is a requirement to reproduce flesh tones with a flawless appearance, and smoother light colours and graduations. Inca’s excellent registration system has allowed them to develop the Inca Spyder 320+ white variant with the capability of printing white ink both before or after printing the CMYK set. The user makes this decision at the RIP stage.
“The Spyder 320 has been Inca’s best ever selling flatbed printer and in November was responsible for the company’s largest number of sales in any one month during its five year history,” continues Heather Kendle. “There are now Inca Spyder 320s in operation in more than 12 countries, including the USA, Australia, Sweden, Canada, UK and France. At least ten of these customers already had an Inca printer and saw Spyder giving them the potential to enter new digital markets such as those that require close-up viewing, including ‘industrial’ sectors such as gaming and vending machines, and products fabricated from metals and plastics.
Heather Kendle concludes “The Spyder 320 has been a phenomenal success since its launch at Fespa 2005 with its combination of size, quality, output and price. It became obvious from customer comments and market demand that this was a model to expand and give printers greater choice, while still benefiting from the core qualities that have made the Inca Spyder 320 so significant to the flatbed inkjet industry.”
For more information on INCA Machines, please contact Fujifilm Sericol's Digital Business Manager, Robert Wilson on +61 417 237 325 or email robert.wilson@fujifilmsericol.com
|
|
