Product Roundup: Hybrid Printers

Hybrid wide-format flatbed/roll-to-roll printers are machines that allow print shops to print graphics on both rigid sheets and flexible rolls of materials.

Hybrid printers offer flexibility, because they are capable of printing roll-to-roll, flexible sheets and rigid substrates in a single footprint. Hybrid printers can be equipped with roll-feed mechanisms that enable flexible materials to quickly be positioned beneath the moving printheads on the vacuum table. The printers are especially useful for those with limited floor space to maximise the use of their equipment and applications.

Hybrid printers can typically print on a wide range of rigid materials, such as foamboards, foam PVC, cardboard, fluted polypropylene, solid plastics, aluminum, wood and glass among others. It can also print on flexible display films, and roll substrates such as PVC banner, adhesive vinyl, synthetic and coated paper, polypropylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyester, textiles, and canvas.

This is our roundup of the best hybrid printers on the market:

HP Latex R Series

The HP Latex R Series is the first, true hybrid latex technology that merges HP’s flexible printing capabilities into rigid printing. The portfolio consists of the 2.5m-wide HP Latex R2000 Plus, the 1.64m-wide HP Latex R1000 Plus, and the 1.64m-wide entry-level Latex R1000 2020 edition.

The HP Latex-R series of hybrid printers use thermal inkjet printheads and latex inks. A single ink set delivers HP Latex colour gamut along with white. HP’s White Latex Ink is based on an innovative system that recirculates the white ink to avoid settling.

Unlike UV printing technology, which creates a thick layer of ink that completely covers the material, HP’s water-based Latex Inks preserve the look and feel of the media, and delivers odorless prints that are both safe for the environment and the printer operator.

EFI VUTEk h3/h5

The high-volume EFI VUTEk h3/ h5 hybrid LED printer is part of the VUTEk h series of devices that global EFI R&D teams developed from the ground up. It is the company’s latest offering for high-volume, superwideformat hybrid inkjet platform. The award-winning VUTEk h series is targeted at display graphics PSPs moving further into higher-volume, premium-quality applications.

The VUTEK h3 consists of three printheads, while the h5 has five printheads. The 3.2-metre wide hybrid printers offer resolutions up to 1,200 dpi. The h3 model offers maximum throughput of up to 74 boards per hour. The h5 model, which is available direct from EFI or as field upgrade to the h3 model, can produce up to 109 boards per hour.

EFI Pro 16h

For an entry level option, EFI has the EFI Pro 16h hybrid roll/flatbed LED printer. The EFI Pro 16h is an affordable entry point printer aimed at mid-level or smaller sign and display

shops, and at commercial printers looking to enter or grow wide format.

According to EFI, it has been strategically designed with a complete stimulus package of features for the lowest total cost of ownership, superior image quality and access to the widest range of substrates/applications.

The EFI Pro 16h can print CMYK plus white on substrates up to 165 cm wide and 5.08 cm thick at 1200x1200 dpi. It features cool cure LED curing technology, which reduces operating costs and environmental footprint.

Fujifilm Acuity LED 1600 II

The Acuity LED 1600 II is designed for the printer new to wide format inkjet printing or for users who wish to save costs by printing with LED UV curing technology. The large format hybrid printer is ideal for a wide variety of promotional tools, from wide format posters to window displays, back lit signs, point of purchase materials, and product packaging. size graphic screen printers that want to combine board and roll-to-roll print jobs.

The 1.65-metre-wide hybrid printer utilises Agfa’s thin-ink-layer technology for low ink consumption. The white ink function allows for printing on transparent material for backlit applications or for printing white as a spot colour. An optional automatic board feeder can increase productivity even more.

Durst P5 350

The P5 350 is the all-in-one hybrid solution for flexible roll and board printing up to 138-inches. The printing system is targeted towards high-volume industrial production in large-format markets. Besides standard materials such as paper or PVC, others include metal, banners, folding carton, soft foam board, corrugated boards, platform. Consultancy, integration services and applications training support to manage this new Durst ecosystem.

The Acuity LED 1600 II converts quickly from roll media to rigid. It gives excellent results on PET film, PETG, self-adhesive vinyl and conventional PVC, stock paper and board. The printer uses the same ink for both rigid and roll applications, avoiding duplicate stock and shelf-life concerns. Print to roll for banners, window displays or backlit applications, and then seamlessly switch to directly print to rigid boards (including PET, acrylic and polycarbonate substrates) for highquality POP or sign applications.

AGFA Annapurna H1650i

The H1650i is the smallest engine in Agfa’s Anapurna hybrid range and is an entry-level industrial machine. The wide-format hybrid Anapurna LED series is targeted at sign shops, digital printers, photo labs and midpolycarbonate, polypropylene, styrene, fabrics, acrylic and plastic hard foam board up to 3.5-m wide using LED technology.

Mimaki UJV-160

Mimaki has announced its new 60- inch, UV-curable inkjet printer, UJV160, using environmentally-friendly UV-LED technology, which does not generate heat and has a flexible UV ink that has been developed together with 3M. The UJV-160 will offer 4- or 8-colour printing, handle rigid media up to 7mm thick and offer print resolutions up to 1200√ó1200 dpi. The new 7-colour UV flexible inkset (CMYKcmW) will offer high pigment density and minimal VOCs.

Roland VersaUV LEJ-640FT

The Roland VersaUV LEJ-640FT offers both flatbed and roll-fed printing in a single device. Printing CMYK,

The maximum print speed is up to 358-m2/h in continuous printing. The printer is equipped with the Durst Print Workflow software and the monitoring tool Durst Analytics. Durst software turns the printer into a production unit and results in a comprehensive White and Clear Coat inks on virtually any substrate up to a half-inch thick, the printer is capable of producing a massive range of large-format graphics.

Print on rolls of paper and film and then simply attach the rear and front folding tables in minutes to enable printing on full-sheets of rigid media like Coroplast®, Gatorfoam® and other display substrates.