NEW PRODUCTS

ASHGATE LAUNCHES NEW FASTBIND PUREVA NEO

“In just a few years PUR binding has become the de facto standard for short run book binding”, says Lewis Price, Managing Director, Ashgate

Automation. “It has become one of the most profitable products that printers can offer. This means that as runs of on demand perfect bound and hard cover books get shorter and shorter, printers are choosing to bring this type of work in house due to time constraints, more control and eliminating set up and transport costs. At the same time, customers realise the benefits of PUR binding for the strength of the bind and improved quality. “

At under £8000 + VAT, the NEO it is an attractive investment for any print shop to take advantage of PUR technology while having the option of EVA hot melt binding in the same machine. It is an all in one machine for all binding needs, soft and hard cover books for higher margins and a versatile product range, tear off pads with no adjustments for form, size or paper type.

With traditional PUR machines, maintenance can be expensive and time consuming, making it hard to ensure a reliable finishing process in order to meet deadline. PUREVA NEO’s innovative glue mechanism is easily cleaned or even changed thanks to economical glue cartridges making it possible to change from PUR to EVA in seconds. It

Canon has announced that the LabelStream 4000 series is the first UV inkjet press to have been certified ‘PANTONE® Capable’ by PANTONE LLC, having assessed the press’s colour gamut relative to the full range of

PANTONE® colours. The certificate confirms that, with the LabelStream 4000, customers can reliably and consistently produce an exceptionally wide range of PANTONE® colours.

The PANTONE® Capable certificate acknowledges that the LabelStream 4000 series, a four to six colour, industrial scale, UV inkjet label press can cover 1,740 (81.3%) of the 2,140 PANTONE® Solid Formula Guide coated colours, using the five colour CMYKO ink set, by adopting a Delta E 2000 < 1.5 absolute tolerance. Applying a Delta E of 2, enables label converters to extend the PANTONE® colour coverage to 96% with only five on-press colours.

Using Xaar 2001 printhead technology, the LabelStream 4000 series deploys a highly pigmented ink set to enlarge the colour gamut and deliver an improved level of colour vibrancy and saturation. Thanks to the recently introduced orange ink channel, customers can further extend the CMYK gamut in the yellow, red and orange areas without compromising print speed or reliability and achieve consistent high quality output.

The certification verifies that converters can now accurately simulate and digitally print an extensive number of colours on the LabelStream 4000, confidently meeting customer demands for consistency and quality, and opening up new application opportunities. Such accurately matched colours will also support the ongoing transition from conventional to digital production by eliminating the need for lengthy set-up processes to replicate colours that may have previously been out of scope.

Crit Driessen, VP and Head of Digital Packaging, Canon Production Printing, comments: “When we introduced the LabelStream 4000, we were confident that the press surpassed the capabilities of many conventional and digital presses to accurately depict a large range of spot colours. With this Pantone Capable certificate, our customers can have the same confidence that, with its achievable colour gamut and performance, the LabelStream will reliably deliver the print quality and productivity needed for a sustainable digital label business.”

In 2020, the LabelStream 4000 was also acknowledged by the German Fogra Research Institute for Media Technology as the first multicolour digital press to be certified according to the Process Standard Digital (PSD) Print Check based on the Fogra 55 7-colour reference gamut.

www.canon.co.uk • www.pantone.com

uses an electronic adjustable temperature control with a single button operation between glue types.

It also has a new PGO Microcut roughener for coated paper stocks which provides an optimised cutting pattern that increases glue penetration for better binding strength. Unlike other spine rougheners that grind the spine creating lots of noise and dust, the PGO opens the paper grain with very little noise and almost no paper dust.

The NEO has a production speed of 1-3 books a minute with a min/max binding thickness of 0.1 -45mm and a binding length of up to 455mm and height of 140/320mm. Its machine dimensions are 30 x 1080 x600mm

It complements the PUREVA SMART PUR and EVA semi-automated binder. “This workstation meets the demands of our customers who want ease of operation, consistency, speed and clever use of automation for longer runs, although it is equally efficient for single copies upward,” said Lewis Price.

Ashgate has introduced the PUREVA SMART at an attractive price of £15,000 +VAT.

The PUREVA SMART and the PUREVA NEO work well in conjunction with the Casematic A46Z, Fastbind’s first semi-automated cover maker. It offers a wide range of possibilities. As well as personalised covers for books and albums, it produces restaurant menus, ring or conference binders, luxury cases and more from A6 to 45 x 45cm. The automation makes the operator’s work more accurate and covers and cases can be produced quickly with no set up time. A vacuum maintains the sheet in place during position. The guides are automatically lifted and the air table assist moves the cover around. The folding unit uses a mechanical clamp to turn the edges. The Casematic A46A is also available as a complete floor standing work station with ergonomic sliding side tables, one each side.

www.ashgate.co.uk

CANON LABEL STREAM 4000 NOW PANTONE CAPABLE

COLORTRAC NEW VALUE-PRICED SCANNERS, SOFTWARE

Colortrac has introduced new large format scanners, the SmartLF SGi and SmartLF SCi, along with new scanning software, SmartWorks Imaging, to

support them. The new scanners are available immediately through Colortrac distributors worldwide.

With a sleek design and advanced new scanning software, the SmartLF SGi and SmartLF SCi scanner series are ideal for capturing, enhancing, sharing, and copying information from large format documents of all types, such as hand drawn originals, old plans, marked up construction drawings, textured artwork, thick media, and more.

“Since 1989, Colortrac has delivered value that our customers count on, and we know they will be pleased with the new scanner series and software,” comments Jacob Bendix, Chief Commercial Officer, Colortrac. “The new functionality, including the ability to drive the scanner from a tablet, brings the full power of large format scanning right into the hands of our customers.”

The Colortrac SmartLF SGi and SmartLF SCi large format scanners deliver fast performance, with optimised preset controls and an extended list of internal printer drivers to connect directly to large format printers. SmartWorks Imaging, the newest member of the SmartWorks software family, is a fresh implementation of the scan once workflow that is easier to navigate than its predecessor, SmartWorks Pro.

INTUITIVE SCANNING SOFTWARE WITH REMOTE SCANNING

Colortrac’s new SmartWorks Imaging scanning software offers a host of new features including a new multipage thumbnail pop-out view, extended PDF for longer and wider documents, and higher dpi. With a new interface, the scanning software also boasts a number of new capabilities such as closed loop printer colour calibration, quick fix image correction tools, and a full edit history for one click easy undo. SmartWorks Imaging is also dongle free and includes new drivers for HP and Epson drivers.

SmartWorks Imaging users can download the free SmartWorks Imaging Link, an app that lets users operate the scanners by remote control from a tablet. (Tablet not included.) SmartWorks Imaging Link puts the full power of the PCbased SmartWorks into the hands of a tablet user.

SCANNING VALUE CUSTOMERS COUNT ON

The SmartLF SGi scanners are suitable for any type of document, including technical drawings, maps, artwork, and photographs. With the CCD technology and greater focal length, it can even handle originals with texture, and media up to 15 mm thick. The scanner series delivers realistic colour and superb accuracy (up to 1200 optical dpi). Available in 36 and 44 inch widths, the scanners are designed to work at high speed while requiring little maintenance.

The SmartLF SCi scanners are ideal for engineering drawings, construction plans, maps, and line drawings. The scanners feature Colortrac’s innovative ClearView technology, a line of up to 144 LEDs to guarantee maximum scanning accuracy. A SUREDRIVE powered soft roller provides even pressure across the original, while the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface ensures fast, efficient data transfer. The SmartLF SCi scanners are available in 25, 36, and 42 inch widths.

Both the SmartLF SGi and the SmartLF SCi come in a sleek black/dark grey colour, with matching optional floor stand, repro stand, and PC mounting kit.

SmartLF SGi and SmartLF SCi series replace the SmartLF SG and the SmartLF SC Xpress scanners, respectively.

GREEN COUNTS

Colortrac strives to reduce its environmental footprint. To that end, the company uses recyclable plastic as a raw material wherever possible. Additionally, the company reorganised its factory production to save energy on lighting and air conditioning, and embraced a robust common parts, waste, and stock-reduction regime. Colortrac also improved its sea and rail shipping logistics to eliminate air freighting and consolidates its shipments to reduce wooden pallet use.

www.Colortrac.com/green • www.Colortrac.com

HP ANNOUNCES NEW LATEX PRINTER PORTFOLIO

HP has announced a new Latex printer portfolio designed to deliver unprecedented levels of

versatility and sustainability. In addition, HP has announced a revamped PageWide XL portfolio with advanced workflow and security features.

Highlights of the new Latex portfolio include: HP Latex 700/800 series increased productivity by up to 50% vs previous HP models. With HP Eco Carton cartridges, carbon emissions are reduced by 60% and plastic usage by 80%

CUT WITH PRECISION

Updated Print & Cut solution enables print jobs to be identified. The new HP Latex range consists of four devices — the HP Latex 700 and 800, and the HP Latex 700W and 800W which offer white ink capability for the first time in this category.

In related news, HP has also introduced an updated Latex Print and Cut portfolio that is fully compatible with the Latex 700 and 800 Series.

Completing the announcements from HP are the new additions to the HP PageWide XL suite of large format print solutions, the new HP PageWide XL devices provide fast, simple, and secure solutions allowing PSPs to meet changing market demands.

The new range includes the following printers: PageWide XL 3920 MFP; PageWide XL 4200 Printer and MFP; PageWide XL 4700 Printer and MFP; PageWide XL 5200 Printer and MFP; and PageWide XL 8200 Printer.

www.hp.com

FASTEST EVER IMAGEPROGRAF CAD PRINTER

Canon is at the forefront of innovation and its

latest introduction is a testament to this. For fast-paced businesses working to tight deadlines, the new Canon imagePROGRAF TZ-30000 Series combines high speed output with an abundance of features to support continuous productivity and efficiency. With excellent media handling and the scope to produce high-quality applications including CAD/GIS drawings, renderings, maps and posters, this robust printer is the ideal choice for customers in architecture, engineering, construction and manufacturing, as well as professional print service providers and copy shops. For an even more efficient workflow, the multifunctional imagePROGRAF TZ-30000 MFP Z36 integrates the printer with a precision scanner in one device.

Printing at speeds of four A1 CAD pages per minute, this newest model is the fastest in the imagePROGRAF Series. With 700ml high-capacity ink tanks and dual roll feeding, it maximises output and minimises downtime, comfortably handling production volumes between 300 and 500 square metres a month, supported by Direct Print Plus workflow management software and a highcapacity stacker holding up to 100 A0 sheets.

Designed for maximum productivity, this printer series comes with ‘hot swap’ either for media rolls or for inks, making it the first system in its category to enable users to replenish media and ink on the fly during printing. The smart roll set takes the guesswork out of media loading; the user simply places the roll into the feeder and the printer does the rest automatically. From the moment the print button is clicked, the first A1 CAD print can be in the user’s hands within 19 seconds.

Solutions are also implemented for a seamless experience. The CPP printer driver and CPP Publisher Select job submission tools help to achieve efficient printing with reduced misprints by monitoring the media width and the remaining amount of media before printing.

EXCEPTIONAL CANON PRINT QUALITY

The new printer uses Canon’s superior LUCIA TD ink technology, enabling high-quality output from CAD drawings to maps and posters, on a wide range of coated and uncoated media. Fine black lines and text can be reproduced clearly and with minimal feathering, even on uncoated media. Furthermore, due to the weather resistance of the inks, vivid colours are prevented from fading, even when using inexpensive, plain inkjet paper.

IMPROVED DESIGN AND SECURITY

Space-saving, ergonomic console design means that operations such as ink tank and media roll changes happen at the front of the imagePROGRAF TZ-30000, while completed prints are removed from the top of the device.

The MFP Z36 model packs even greater functionality into a smaller footprint, thanks to the integration of a high-quality multi-function scanner with dual LED light source system. This MFP model is easy to install and particularly suited to smaller office spaces. It comes with a large free-position touchscreen with easy-to-use preview functions and rich image editing capability.

For optimum security, all file data can be erased from the hard disk once each print job is completed, and optional PIN code and interface security can be used to prevent unauthorised access.

Commenting on the launch of the new imagePROGRAF TZ-30000 Series, Joe Courts, Head of Product at Canon UK & IE , says: “In developing the new imagePROGRAF TZ-30000 Series, we set out to address a number of typical frustrations faced by users. This fully featured production printer balances productivity and efficiency, slashing large format print and finishing times and helping customers to deliver on the tightest deadlines. I’m certain that this latest addition to the imagePROGRAF family raises the bar for customers and will match the growing demands of any business needing streamlined and hassle-free large format print production.”

The new imagePROGRAF TZ-30000 and imagePROGRAF TZ-30000 MFP Z36 will be available from Canon through Canon’s sales channel and selected channel partners from May 2021.

www.canon.co.uk

A WISE CHOICE: AFFORDABLE QUALITY SUBSTRATES

When choosing the print substrates to produce a box set of children’s story books for retail, print consultant David Arkell, working on behalf of publisher Tricorn Books, had no hesitation in selecting three Antalis products he knew would offer affordability without compromising quality.

The Wise Bear Stories is a box set of six children’s storybooks written by author Scott Cranfield. They cover a range of topics to help children “dissolve anxieties, develop confidence and master their emotions”. Targeted at families and schools, they are designed to help raise happy, confident and independent children.

As the books were to be retailed, it was important to consider both aesthetics and affordability, and finding the right print substrates was key to meeting these criteria.

For the slip case, David selected Invercote G, a one-sided solid bleached board with an ultra-smooth surface, commenting, “It’s a good, substantial product that holds up very well as a slip case”. The cover was printed on Claro Silk 350gsm, which David has used many times before on account of its reliability. Claro Silk is part of the Claro range of high bulk, high white papers with a unique feel. For the text pages, Edixion Offset 170gsm was used for its good value and, according to David, its “lovely crisp bluey-whiteness” that prints well.

An initial run of 1,000 sets was litho printed and a second smaller run of 500 was printed digitally. “The great thing about these Antalis papers is that they run brilliantly on both litho and digital presses, so we were able to use the same stock for both runs”, commented David.

Both Tricorn Books and the books’ author were delighted with the finished result which they were able to pitch at just the right price point.

The box set of books can be purchased from the dedicated website The Wise Bear Stories.

www.antalis.co.uk