The Big Picture - August 2011 by ST Media Group

08.11

www.bigpicture.net

GSG Hits One Out of the Park The MLB Fan Cave in Manhattan PLUS: · Flatbeds: 70 Printers’ Specs · Previewing Graph Expo · Rigid-Media Report

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in this issue

AUGUST 2011 Volume 16 Number 8

COLUMNS 4 InSight

he gambler’s T fallacy.

16 Graphics on the Go

asing the wrapE removal blues.

18 Business & Management

he inside and the T outside.

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

6 Wide Angle

20 A Home Run for Client Success

New York’s Graphic Systems Group has evolved from high-end photo re-toucher catering to the big advertising agencies to a full-service production house – all while aggressively pursuing the “de-coupling” trend. Plus: Hitting it out of the park for MLB’s Fan Cave.

25 The Evolving Flatbed

o help you in selecting your next flatbed printer, we’ve collected compreT hensive specifications on 70 flatbed and hybrid machines from more than 20 manufacturers.

10 Feedback

Branded as a one-stop shop for all things print, Graph Expo can help print providers adapt to a rapidly changing marketplace. Here’s what to expect at the event, taking place September 11-14 in Chicago.

40 Rigid-Media Report

Couple your favorite rigid media with the right printer and cutter, and your business can take on jobs sure to turn an impressive profit. We provide info on print-ready substrates from more than 40 manufacturers and distributors.

ON THE COVER: MLB’s Fan Cave, with print work and more by Graphic Systems Group (gsgnyc.com). Cover design by Laura Mohr.

THE BIG PICTURE august 2011

eedback from F our readers.

12 Up Front

ews + N noteworthy.

46 R+D

36 Embracing Technology: Graph Expo 2011

izard kings & L close encounters of the garage kind.

he latest T tech, products, and supplies.

56 Job Log

ringing the B outdoors in.

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insight by Gregory Sharpless

www.bigpicture.net Gregory Sharpless Editor/Associate Publisher gregory.sharpless@stmediagroup.com Britney Grimmelsman Associate Editor britney.grimmelsman@stmediagroup.com

The Gambler’s Fallacy If you have ever been to Las Vegas (or Reno, Atlantic City, or any of the various gambling riverboats along the Ohio or Mississippi, etc.), you are probably familiar with the “gambler’s fallacy.” Or, if you’re not, you should be. When playing craps, for instance, the gambler’s fallacy would come into play when you believe that previous dice rolls had any kind of influence over future dice rolls. Maybe you’re going to bet on a three because it has not appeared in the past two dozen rolls – or perhaps because it has appeared several times in the past two dozen rolls. The truth is, however, each and every roll of the dice is independent of each other. So in the example above, the odds of rolling a three are exactly 1/18 (two in 36: a 1+2 and 2+1) and will always be 1/18 – it doesn’t matter how many times a three has come up before (or hasn’t come up before). The previous results have nothing to do with what’s about to come up again. But having been to Las Vegas more times than I care to remember, I can tell you for a certainty that there are many, many people at the craps or blackjack table who believe that the fallacy noted above is just a theory. These people typically have to wire home before their stay is over to get money for the cab ride back to the airport (luckily, their airfare had been pre-paid). Now keep in mind that this fallacy is precisely that because it involves a random event – a roll of the dice. The same would hold true for an equally random event such as the spin of a roulette wheel or even a coin flip. Making similar mistakes in running your business can have disastrous consequences. Random events – and predicting them – are best left out of the business equation. That’s not to say that past events don’t influence your business decisions. Of course, they do, and they should. But these past business events were not (I hope) random dice rolls or coin flips. Rather, they were strategies that were based on factors like your business acumen, market knowledge, institutional memory, and much more. Your experience allows you to make decisions like these on a regular basis, keeping your company in profit’s good graces. Leave the dice rolls to the casinos.

Laura Mohr Art Director laura.mohr@stmediagroup.com Marty McGhie, Craig Miller, Jared Smith Columnists Linda Volz Production Supervisor linda.volz@stmediagroup.com Lou Arneberg - Midwest US Ben Stauss - Western US, Western Canada, Asia Lisa Zurick - Eastern US, Eastern Canada, Europe Business Development Managers Rick Bachelder, Kathy Boydstun, Terry Corman, Scott Crosby, Brandon Gabriel, Michael Garcia, Kirk Green, Robert Kissel, Craig Miller, Greg Root, Jared Smith, Mark Taylor Editorial Advisory Board

Tedd Swormstedt President Steve Duccilli Group Publisher Christine Baloga Audience Development Director Kari Freudenberger Director, Online Media Subscription Services (847) 763-4938 tbp@halldata.com bigpicture.net/subscribe bigpicture.net/renew Single Copies/Back Issues Debbie Reed debbie.reed@stmediagroup.com

THE BIG PICTURE (ISSN 1082-9660) is published 12 times annually by ST Media Group International Inc., 11262 Cornell Park Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45242-1812. Telephone: (513) 421-2050, Fax: (513) 362-0317. No charge for subscriptions to qualified individuals. Annual rate for subscriptions to non-qualified individuals in the U.S.A.: $42 USD. Annual rate for subscriptions in Canada: $70 USD (includes GST & postage); all other countries: $92 (Int’l mail) payable in U.S. funds. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2011, by ST Media Group International Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. Periodicals Postage Paid at Cincinnati, OH and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Big Picture, P.O. Box 1060, Skokie, IL 60076. Change of address: Send old address label along with new address to The Big Picture, P.O. Box 1060, Skokie, IL 60076.

THE BIG PICTURE AUGUST 2011

11262 Cornell Park Drive Cincinnati, OH 45242 tel (513) 421-2050 fax (513) 421-5144

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Lizard Kings To honor the winning drivers for Porsche at Le Mans, Flying Lizard Motorsports (lizardms.com) worked with artist Troy Lee and Iconography Studios (iconographystudios.net) to design and create two commemorative Flying Lizard Porsche 911s for the 2011 race. The cars were first painted with a candy-coat base color, then graphics executed by Iconography; a clear coat was applied over the graphics. Output was with a Roland SolJet Pro III XC-540 and Roland inks onto 3M Controltac Plus IJ380 graphic film. “This was probably our most complicated production and installation job to-date,” says Iconography’s Sarah Naccarato. The blue vehicle is going into the Porsche museum in Germany. 6

THE BIG PICTURE AUGUST 2011

wide angle

Encounter of the Garage Kind

Always on the chase for

what to wrap next, Ohio-based Central Graphics (sign-central.com) owner David Soulsby sought to add a wow-factor to the shop’s bland 8 x 9-foot garage door. “We wanted to go bold and grab the public’s attention.” Charged with carrying out the boss’s idea, designer Charlie Wilson turned to Photoshop to incorporate an iStock image of a realistic flying saucer into a high-res photo of Central Graphic’s garage. The shop’s HP Designjet L25500 latex printer was then used to output the 100-square foot graphic onto Mactac Rebel RB529P glossy vinyl. “Now that we’ve seen the benefit and appeal of such a simple idea, we plan to market similar garage-door covers to our customers.” 8

THE BIG PICTURE AUGUST 2011

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feedback

From our readers

Learn More

We welcome letters from readers on any of the articles or items appearing in The Big Picture. Send letters to: bigpicletters@stmediagroup.com (subject line: Feedback), and be sure to include your e-mail and/or phone number for verification. All letters are subject to editing for content and space. Sorry, anonymous letters will not be printed.

Correct Site for ‘Social Media Field Guide’

Where the Customers Are

We ran the incorrect website address for the Printing Industries of America in July’s “Social Media: Why Make the Journey?” article. The correct website is printing.org, and we apologize for the error. The article was excerpted from Social Media Field Guide: A Resource for Graphic Communicators, written by Julie Shaﬀer and Mary Garnett, published by the Printing Industries of America. Price: $40 ($25 as an e-book), available directly from printing.org.

Nice post re: social media [“Social Media: Why Make the Journey?” in the July issue]. My 2¢ is: The biggest reason is because that’s where the new customers are. Michael Josefowicz clickableprint.blogspot.com

What’s Happening Online? More and more print shops are taking to socialmedia sites to show off their latest projects to potential and existing clients. Check out Orlando’s SunDance Marketing Solutions’ (sundancemarketingsolutions.com) and Bay Area, California-based shop Custom Vehicle Wraps’ (customvehiclewraps. com) recent Twitter posts. Snap a shot of the QR codes with your smart phone to see images of the projects, or type in the URLs. Also, follow @bigpicturemag for the latest wide-format news and case studies on Twitter. SunDanceMS: @BigPicturemag Here’s a trade show booth we printed for Ripley’s Believe It or Not...!! http://twitpic. com/5in8u7 VehicleWraps: Off the Grind! Kings of the food-truck industry in the bay #local http://fb.me/AvTnV4Ye

Clarifying HP’s Rollfed Choices I receive both the print and digital editions of The Big Picture (love the new digital-edition format, by the way!), and I saw a diﬀerence in the number of rollfed printers listed for HP in the July print version (15) of your 2011 Rollfed Printer Charts vs. the digital edition (19) – which is correct? Pete Morris Indian Rocks Beach, FL Good eye. A clerical error led to the omission of four HP rollfed printers (the Scitex LX600, LX820, LX850, and TJ8600 models) in the July print edition. Although we did not catch this in time to change in the print edition, we were able to add the specs for these printers to the digital edition of The Big Picture, so we encourage you to check out the July digital edition for these specs. By the way, if you’re not receiving the digital edition of the magazine and wish to get the functionality and features it provides, go to: bigpicture. net/renew.

Phoenix Bound We were delighted to see the news that the 2012 Signage & Graphics Summit will take place in the Phoenix area. SGS is one of the professional highlights of our year – it is such a great networking experience! This looks like a great venue and a bonus is it’s driving distance for us. Craig Miller Pictographics The 2012 edition of SGS will indeed take place in Phoenix, at the Arizona Grand Resort. See more information on page 12, and go to signageandgraphics.com for ongoing updates and details.

THE BIG PICTURE AUGUST 2011

upfront upfront

Signage and Graphics Summit v. 2012 Heads To Phoenix Phoenix has been chosen as the location for the 2012 Signage and Graphics Summit (SGS, signageandgraphics.com), the educational and networking event for producers of on-premise signage, outdoor advertising, and promotional graphics and displays. The conference will be held January 23-25, 2012, at the Arizona Grand Resort. Designed specifically for presidents, CEOs, COOs, and other top executives of high-productivity graphics and signage companies, SGS is sponsored by The Big

Picture, Signs of the Times, and Screen Printing magazines; its educational program is crafted by the editors of these publications. The Summit oﬀers a mix of keynote sessions, thought-provoking panel discussions, peer-to-peer roundtable sessions for exchanging bestpractice, and other networking opps. “We’re excited to bring SGS to Phoenix for the first

THE BIG PICTURE AUGUST 2011

time,” says Tedd Swormstedt, president of ST Media Group, parent company of SGS and The Big Picture. “There is a strong signage and graphics community in the area to tap into, and flight options will make travel convenient for our loyal attendees from across the United States. We think the location, combined with the exciting enhancements we’re making to our program, will enable us to have the strongest SGS yet.” The 2012 version of the event will add a variety of new program components designed to provide new educational programming, and generate additional networking opportunities. Among the enhancements: • An invitation-only discussion group via LinkedIn to help attendees network eﬀectively throughout the year; • New incentives to make attendance more aﬀordable; • “SGS Match” meetings that will allow sponsors to meet privately with select attendees in provided suites during the conference; • Regular SGS webinars; and • An invitation-only cocktail party held during the SGIA show in New Orleans in October 2011. “When we launched SGS in 2006, we created a new forum for executives of highvolume signage and graphics companies,” says Steve Duccilli, group publisher for ST Media Group’s signage and graphics division. “The educational program has always been very well-received, but we’ve learned that the biggest benefit for many attendees is the ability to have serious discussions with such a tightly targeted group of peers. We’ll be doing more throughout the year to help the SGS community benefit from the networking opportunities that make the event unique.”

Gerber Signs Merger Agreement with Vector Capital Gerber Scientific, Inc. and Vector Capital Corporation have entered into a merger agreement in which funds affiliated with Vector will acquire Gerber Scientific. Vector Capital (vectorcapital.com), based in San Francisco, is a private-equity firm specializing in spinouts, buyouts, and recapitalizations of established technology businesses. Among Vector’s notable investments are Corel, Aladdin Knowledge Systems, Certara, LanDesk, Precise Software, Printronix, Savi Technology, Trafficmaster, WatchGuard Technologies, and WinZip. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of calendar 2011. “This merger is a very positive development for our shareholders, employees, customers, and business partners,” says Donald P. Aiken, Gerber Scientific chairman of the board. “We are very excited to open a new chapter in our 60-plus-year heritage as a technology innovator through our new partnership with Vector…. Vector has a proven track record as a value-added partner to its portfolio companies, and we believe that their technology expertise and financial resources will enable us to continue to provide superior products and service to our customers worldwide, while growing our global footprint.” Amish Mehta, a partner at Vector, adds: “The business that Gerber Scientific’s team has built, coupled with its great product offerings, makes it an ideal fit for our portfolio of cutting-edge technology companies. We believe our support, combined with Gerber Scientific’s product strategy, employee talent, and strong customer relationships will enable Gerber Scientific to further define itself as a leading player in the apparel and industrial market segment.” Headquartered in Tolland, Connecticut, Gerber Scientific operates through three primary businesses: Gerber Scientific Products, Spandex, and Gerber Technology.

“Say ‘yes’ … It’s always easy to be cautious and say ‘no.’ But ideas come from everywhere now. Embrace that! Say ‘yes’ as often as possible. Be nimble. Take risks, try new things, learn, and be surprised.”

Pot of Gold “The folks at Rowell’s Sewer and Drain truly do have a sense of humor,” says NH Wraps’ Russ Aubertin and Jamie Connell of their clients. For this porta-potty concept graphic, Rowell’s owner took center stage in the image that its staff provided. NH Wraps (nhwraps.com) added the client’s logo prior to output via its Roland VersaCamm VS-640 with EcoSol inks onto 3M Controltac IJ180 film, then finished with Scotchcal 8518 gloss overlam. The shop has since completed and installed four different portable-toilet door wraps for Rowell’s (switching to Controltac Plus IJ380 and 8580 overlam “for comformability onto low-energy plastics”), and is also now tackling toilet seats.

– Jim Lecinski, managing director, US Sales & Service, Google, from “ZMOT: Winning the Zero Moment of Truth” www.bigpicture.net

upfront

4.2%

Out-of-home advertising revenue rose 4.2 percent in Q1 2011 compared to the same period in 2010, accounting for nearly $1.4 billion, according to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA, oaaa.org). The financial and media-andadvertising sectors recorded the most growth in outdoor advertising spending in the quarter; schools and camps entered the list of top-10 industry categories for the first time, with a 21-percent increase in outdoor revenue.

market metrics

Average A/P Days Rise Construction: 34.72 50

Manufacturing: 42.33 Wholesale Trade: 38.36 Retail Trade: 28.37 Real Estate: 18.38

0 2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Sageworks, Inc. (sageworksinc.com) has released YTD averages for Accounts Payable Days in major industries including construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, retail trade, and real estate. All five of these industries are seeing increasing profits, but they are dragging when it comes to paying suppliers – across the five industries, all are taking at least three additional days to pay their vendors in 2011 versus 2010. 14

THE BIG PICTURE AUGUST 2011

Sheer Success When a popular furniture retailer first came to New York print shop Color X (color-x.com) seeking large graphic room dividers for its stores, Color X’s Gary Teich first thought, “Easy enough, no problem.” But “no problem” quickly seemed more like “impossible” when the retailer upped the ante by requesting that the graphics for the dividers be output onto sheer fabric. “The first challenge was finding sheer fabric on 16-foot rolls,” says Tech. “Typically, sheer materials are only available up to four-feet wide because the wider the fabric, the greater the chance for the material to stretch as the printer prints, which causes inks to smudge.” Color X traveled all the way to Germany to find the missing fabric ingredient: 16-feet wide voile. “The fabric is very delicate and oﬀers little stability when printing across such a wide area. After finally finding the right fabric, the next challenge was figuring out a way to keep the fabric stable across the width while printing,” says Teich. In transforming the finicky fabric into a realistic-room image, the retailer provided the shop with the designs, which were one-color black. “We did several tests to get a nice neutral and saturated black. We printed half-sized proofs for color correction and full-size strips to check resolution,” Teich explains. Then – with the help from tension grippers, the production staﬀ, and several trial and errors – the team successfully utilized its EFI Vutek UltraVu 5330 EC to print 21,000 square feet of sheer banners. Finishing the project began with careful trimming using a hot knife, and then sewing pole pockets on the top and bottom of each banner using a standard single-needle sewing machine. After the retailer reviewed the finished product, it ordered a total of 135 banners, ranging in size from 10- to 13-feet wide x 10- to 15-feet long, for its 25 stores. Each store installed its own banners by suspending them from the ceilings. “This project was greatly received by the client and by the client’s customers,” says Teich. “The stores were continually being asked by their customers if the banners were for sale. It attracted customer interest to actually use the sheers in their own home space, like lofts. As for our client, the furniture retailer loved the fact that these oversized sheers were able to define specific areas within the store, yet keep an open feeling to the environments.”

st du in

M ex e e pl t o PLA re Y E

N e w At t e N d e e P r o g r A m s

m A r K Yo U r C A L e N d A r

> SGS Match: Private fact-finding meetings with sponsoring companies. > LinkedIn Discussions: Invitation-only discussions via LinkedIn during 2011. > Webinars: Free to attendees and all their employees. > SGS Social Events: Meet with peer executives at major industry events.

January 23-25, 2012 | Phoenix | Arizona Grand Resort Join us in Phoenix for the sixth annual Signage and Graphics Summit. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the only business-management conference for leaders of high-volume sign, screenand digital-printing operations. Subscribe to the SGS eUpdate at: signageandgraphics.com

Presented by:

In Partnership with:

Association Sponsor:

graphics graphicson onthe thego go

Easing the Wrap-Removal Blues By Jared Smith

lot of energy and resources are spent on developing the best methods to sell, produce, and install vehicle graphics – which makes sense, being that wraps are fun for us and money makers for our clients. But after the glamorous run with a vehicle graphic comes to an end, the not-so-fun part arrives: the removal. Taking a decal oﬀ of anything has never been described as fun, but it is a necessary evil. If done correctly, however, those pain-in-the-neck removals can turn out to not be so bad after all. There are a variety of reasons for wrap removals, but despite the diﬀering reasons for removal requests, all have one thing in common: time and expense. I see many shops that seem to display a lack of confidence when quoting removals. While they can be tricky to estimate, it’s important to implement a standardized process when determining the price. At bluemedia, we take five factors into consideration when quoting a removal: vinyl, age of wrap, size and shape, labor costs, and the total purchase by the client. Let’s break down each factor.

Five factors for quoting removals First up: type of vinyl, the most important factor. We would rather remove an “old wrap” with “good vinyl” than remove a one-year-old wrap made of low-performance vinyl. Highperformance cast vinyl with air-release channels laminated with a hard laminate will take much less time to remove than a low-performance, oﬀ-brand vinyl with a liquid laminate or clear coat. The second factor is the easiest to judge by a mere glance: the age of the wrap. Look for fading, discoloration, and cracking. All of these are signs that the vinyl is past

JARED SMITH is president of bluemedia (bluemedia.com), a leading provider of design and printing for use in vehicle, large-format, and environmental applications, in Tempe, Arizona.

THE BIG PICTURE AUGUST 2011

its expiration date. You can assume this wrap will take copious effort to remove, will come off in little pieces, and will most likely cause paint damage. Make sure to inform your clients of this risk before you even begin. The size and shape of the vehicle: This third factor is where the square footage comes in, just as when quoting a new wrap. The bigger the vehicle, the longer it will take to remove – and the higher you should quote the price. Don’t forget to look for aspects of the job that will require extra labor time. These additional time-consuming items include areas of the vehicles that have been slit into many sections, such as wrapped grills or roll-up doors on fire trucks. The fourth factor to consider is labor cost. Whenever possible, get an estimate of how long this removal should take by the actual staff that will be doing the removal. Far too often, zealous sales staff will speak for the removal crew and misjudge by 10 hours or more. Instead, let the experts help you here and involve them before committing to a price. Our shop has finally been able to make the jump to a specialized crew completely dedicated to wrap removal, allowing the installers to focus fully on installation. There is generally a financial advantage to this – because we can typically pay removers an entry-level wage, as opposed to a more experienced installer. But this doesn’t mean you should simply employ unqualified staff to remove a wrap, possibly doing so incorrectly and damaging the vehicle. Take the easy way out and you will do the exact opposite of making extra profit, and probably cost your shop a substantial chunk of additional change. Finally, consider the fifth factor: total client purchase. This is simple quantity pricing: If the client has purchased a lot from you, then you might consider offering a discounted rate. When quoting an unwrap with the purchase of a new wrap, or contracting to unwrap 20 plus cars, keep the higher revenue opportunity in mind for developing the final price.

Implementing best practices We schedule removals much like we schedule our installs. We oﬀer the client a few openings in our schedule to choose from, and once the date is locked in, we make >51

Textile printing

Backlit displays

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Billboards

Fashion store displays

business business++management management

The Inside and the Outside By Marty McGhie

s we manage our companies, most of us spend a lot of time striving for perfection in different areas of our businesses. We might be fine-tuning production processes, improving our workflow, or perhaps building a more effective sales and marketing structure. But we often neglect the actual physical appearance of our work environment. To be clear, developing the look of a “perfect” shop – or, more realistically, making the shop look its best – is a process that can take an extensive period of time, perhaps the entire life cycle of your business. But the effort you put into the process can reap great rewards, not only in appearance and aesthetics but in your marketing and sales endeavors, in safety, and in making for a more quality workplace.

Exterior efforts Let’s begin by examining the physical appearance of your business from the outside looking in. The way your business looks to someone driving up to your building can actually say a lot about you as a company, and it’s likely the first impression they’ll have of your business. So who might you be trying to impress? At the top of the list are your customers, current and future. But the look of your outside premises should also provide a positive image to other visitors, including suppliers, potential employees, bankers, lawyers, accountants, as well as a number of other people with whom you have business relationships. What can you do to your building to ensure you’re providing a favorable impression? Start with some of the basic yet often neglected areas such as making sure your windows and the outside of your building are clean. But you can take quite a few other steps, too, including: Marty McGhie is VP finance/operations of Ferrari Color, a digital-imaging center with Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Sacramento locations. The company offers high-quality large- and grand-format photo, inkjet, fabric, and UV printing. marty@ferraricolor.com

THE BIG PICTURE AUGUST 2011

• Provide some nice landscaping, even if that might be something as minor as planting a few flowers at your entrance. Make sure the grass is cut and watered, and regularly weed the grounds. • Pick up the trash on the grounds every day – you can make that someone’s first job of the day as they arrive. • Make sure the exterior lighting is adequate for the look of your building, as well as for the safety of your employees and others. • Paint is relatively cheap and painting is a nice task if you have a light production schedule on a nice fall day. Although these may seem like small items, maintaining a clean, nice exterior becomes a great expression of what type of business you are. By the way, if you don’t own your own building, avoid simply relying on the landlord to make your site look great. Landlords who are not tenants will always provide the very minimum necessary for the aesthetics of the building – so it will fall to you to ensure the exterior look of your business is impressive.

An inside job Like the exterior of your business, the interior look of your shop can provide a lasting impression, for better or for worse. Many of you have studied the principles of lean manufacturing to assist you in developing more eﬀective production processes. One of the concepts of lean is establishing the “5S” of your shop and work areas: Sort (eliminate unnecessary items); Set in order (careful storage); Shine (clean); Standardize (best practices); and Sustain (keep the new changes in place). The implementation of these concepts can be a goal that you strive for long term. As you work toward being a 5S shop, however, there are some “inbetween” actions you can take to improve your interior. Begin by implementing a shop mentality that everything has its proper place. This means that every tool has a specific location where it is to be returned when it’s done being used and kept there until it’s used again. That includes hand tools, power tools, brooms, electrical cords, boxes, raw materials, goods in process, finished goods, and anything else that may be left lying around. >51

SGIA Communities

GRAPHIC AND SIGN

INDUSTRIAL USE

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S H S T A CCE P U W E S N A LIENT C O T

As a co-founder and now president of Graphic Systems Group LLC (GSG, gsgnyc.com) in New York City, Ken Madsen has watched his company evolve from high-end photo retoucher catering to the big advertising agencies to a full-service production house specializing in everything from Web design, product packaging, and outdoor displays, to graphics for retail spaces, and sets and props for national television shows. In the process, he’s watched innovation and technology not only change the way his company does business, but also redefine just who the company does business for. And, Madsen is quick to add, he doesn’t want to be pigeon-holed as a print provider: “Sometimes when I talk to folks and I say, ‘We do print,’ they immediately think we have a 4-color and a 7-color press at our location here in New York and that we print magazines or brochures – but we don’t,” he explains. “We have the HP 10000 and the HP 9000, and we have a few Canons and Encads. We even have the facilities to do welding, building murals and mounting, and the people who do the support work before that phase. But that’s just where we go with print. Today we are a 360 production house.” 20

THE BIG PICTURE AUGUST 2011

Perhaps it’s semantics, or maybe it is Madsen’s broader vision for the company that expands far beyond the scope of your typical print shop. But whatever you call his firm, GSG is a full-service provider – of print work and much, much more. He points to the company’s organic evolution to underscore his point. “In 1994, we were a Paintbox and high-end retouching company catering to the advertising agencies here on Madison Avenue, servicing those folks,” Madsen says. “From there, we grew into large-format proofi ng and CMYK and display graphics, and from there, we dove into HTML, the dot-com world. Then we went into studio work, where we had mechanical artists who would take a lead design for an ad and modify it to fit diﬀerent formats so we would have a complete workflow system that would help manage the assets.” That gradual progression was marked by steady growth – from about 60 employees in Manhattan in 1994 to more than 150 today – plus an oﬃce in London. “From workflow systems, for whether it’s packaging, or advertising, today, 75 percent of the work we do is direct

The Graphic Systems Group aggressively pursues the “de-coupling” trend.

GSG coordinated with Major League Baseball to bring the magic of baseball to life for the Manhattan MLB Fan Cave, which sports wall and window graphics and other printed and die-cut vinyl work. ency, we’re providing a lot of those things that are too compelling to ignore. So the result is, they don’t want to use the agency anymore. Now, we call ourselves “de-couplers” because we de-couple the production away from the advertising agencies.”

Taking advantage of the decoupling trend

By Paula L. Yoho

with our global clients, as opposed to with agencies,” says Madsen, who admits this has marked a substantial change to the company’s early business model. “Not only that, but we diversified the portfolio so now we’re doing not just print for advertising, but we’re doing packaging as well.” This marks a decisive change from the early days of GSG, when agency work – specifically re-touching and print proofing – was the company’s bread and butter. When those firms were fat and happy, so was Madsen’s company. But the economy has a way of sneaking up on you, he says, and the successful businesses are the ones that manage to change and grow in the face of financial hardship. That’s what happened for his firm, at least. Adaptability and ingenuity have helped GSG survive, thrive, and redefine itself while many production houses have struggled under the burden of clients’ shrinking marketing budgets and a long and brutal economic downturn. “The recession has forced this idea of doing things more eﬃciently in a faster timeline, and clients want to understand what they’re spending in the marketing channel,” he says. “Because we have reporting and transpar-

De-coupling – or unbundling – in advertising is the process through which advertisers buy services directly from suppliers who previously were sub-contractors to the clients’ advertising agencies. In GSG’s case, these services could include the prepress, printing, installation, and other production-related services the company brings to the table. While he certainly didn’t invent the term, Madsen admits he is clearly aware of the negative connotation it might have, particularly among his former clients at the advertising agencies on Madison Avenue. “The advertising agencies do not like who we are,” he admits. But that hasn’t stopped him from selling the unbundled services approach directly to clients. “Essentially, now we’ll go into Heinz, or Novartis, or Elizabeth Arden, L’Oreal, Estée Lauder, and so on, and say, ‘You don’t need your advertising agency to do your production. We’ll do it. We are the logistics behind it, and we are the people they’ll use anyway,’” he says. “When we can speak directly with the client about the production aspect of their job and say, ‘We’re not going to mark it up – we’re going to show you the exact costs on this – and we’re going to be transparent, they see the advantage right away.” Technology is the driver behind this promise of transparency and it’s this very same technology, Madsen says, that is most substantial and compelling to clients. He points to GSG’s client-facing “dashboard” as the best example of how the company has centralized and automated production- and campaign-related data that might previously have resided with an agency. “We’ve built an interactive dashboard that aggregates all the activities we do for a client, putting them into a graphical interface so they can get a feel for the metrics and the spend and so forth,” he says. The dashboard tool, according to the GSG website, “Allows clients, in real time, to track the status of work they have underway with us, to better control costs and more crisply execute their marketing activities.” Among the searchable data categories are: revenue impact across all channels, campaign respondents, percentage converted to buyers, marketing eﬃciency, and so forth. Madsen credits the dashboard with building trust and credibility in his company, while assuring clients in a tangible and measurwww.bigpicture.net

Graphic Systems Group 60 percent, from de-coupling from an agency, they can’t go back to the old way of doing things.” It’s been an “interesting ride” for GSG, and Madsen says he is thrilled to see more and more big brands embracing the idea. “We’ve been doing this for four or five years, and now Diageo [parent company of Captain Morgan, Ketel One, Crown Royal, and myriad other top liquor brands] is decoupled, P&G is doing it now, Pfizer has already done it in Europe and they’re bringing it to the States,” he says, noting that the whole concept of de-coupling was born overseas six or seven years ago. “They started it first in Europe because of the complexity of the languages in the markets, and the need for more efficiency. When we release a campaign in London, for example, it’s always a master in English, but if it needs to go into other countries, it’s got to be translated. So part of our world is that we also do adaptations, where we adapt the English version into, say, the German market.”

Rediscovering P-O-P and out-of-home

GSG is keeping an eye on where trends are going at present and in the future. Case in point: the de-coupling of production from the traditional ad agency, which is just one adaptation that has helped the company survive, thrive, and redefine itself. able way that they can sidestep ad agencies – and the subsequent hefty price tags for production services – without losing out on anything in the process. “The client can now tell their agency, ‘Listen, you focus on the creative and the concept and then you’re going to hand that off to my production agency to see it through,’” Madsen explains. “If I can save a client typically from 20 to 22

THE BIG PICTURE august 2011

Language and cultural barriers may not be key factors in driving the de-coupling trend in the US, but cost-savings are still a great motivator. And, by circumventing the ad agencies, Madsen’s company has seen a diversification in its production workload. Direct access to the client has opened the dialogue about GSG’s capabilities and, in turn, clients are bringing them work they might have missed out on when the agency acted as gate keeper and delegator of projects. “Say I’m a brand manager for Colgate toothpaste and I’m in packaging – that’s a different group that’s going to deal with us for building the mechanicals and doing the prepress on the packaging than, say, the marketing person who is handling the above-the-line campaign and doing the ads and using us for the TV,” Madsen explains. “But, because we have a data-management system, all of those assets are now residing in one place like they never have before. So now the client or brand manager can do a quick sweep and look at the print, TV, radio, out-of-home, and large-format work we’ve done – or could do – for them, and see all the other ways we can work together they may not have realized before.” One area in which GSG has seen substantial growth of late are the realms of out-of-home and point-of-purchase. His clients, both brand owners and agencies alike, seem to be re-discovering the marketing tactic after years of having shifted their focus to the Web. “I’d say about 30 to 40 percent of our business today is P-O-P/out-of-home, and it’s definitely growing,” says Madsen. “What happened with marketers is they pushed a ton of money to digital – when I say digital, I mean Web – and they were pushing it there because they needed to get into that space. A lot of those dollars at that time went away from

out-of-home, and P-O-P, and P-O-S, and even packaging.” But it’s a trend that seems to have reversed itself in the last two or three years, by Madsen’s measure. “I’d say today that out-of-home is definitely coming back,” he says, particularly among the companies that shifted the bulk of their resources and marketing dollars to the Internet. “The metrics came back and those companies said, ‘Wait a minute! Where is the impact?’ Especially when they saw that some of their competitors – people that were smart – who worked on refreshing the packaging on the shelf instead of worrying about digital. It was a big differentiator, they got huge results and sales went up.” Those companies that had shifted their focus to online campaigns are playing catch-up now and the result, says Madsen, is a renewed focus on reaching customers at the store level. This spells money – and lots of work – for GSG. “These same companies realized, ‘Wait a minute, we’ve got to refresh our P-O-P and P-O-S because that’s where all our competitors went when we were going digital,” explains Madsen. “What they lost sight of, and what they’ve got to remember is this: People still touch the package, and they’re still going to look at P-O-P and P-O-S.”

Hitting one out of the park Although wide-format printing is just a slice of GSG’s service offerings, that doesn’t stop the company from making a giant splash with every project it produces. A perfect example of the team’s creativity and versatility – including wall and window graphics and other printed and die-cut vinyl – can be seen in its recent work for Major League Baseball’s Fan Cave in New York City. Situated in the heart of the Big Apple at Fourth and Broadway, in a retail space formerly occupied by Tower Records, and replete with a multitude of GSG-produced full-color, larger-than-life, digitally printed graphics, the MLB Fan Cave is designed to engage baseball enthusiasts with a fully interactive experience. The “pop-up” store, which was set in place for the length of the 2011 baseball season, serves as the setting for myriad fan activities, including visits from major-league ballplayers and celebrities, big name musical performances, and a variety of baseballrelated events and parties. The concept for the cave is the brainchild of Paul DiMeo of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” fame, and includes a pool table, bar, 1950s-era diner, memorabilia museum, fantasy baseball counter, and pitch-speed tester, among other things. What’s more, thanks to a MLB-sanctioned contest, two lucky fans won the opportunity to literally eat, drink, and breathe baseball – living in the cave from the beginning of the season through the World Series. For its part, GSG coordinated with the MLB design team as well as industry partner 3M to bring the magic of baseball to life.

“We worked together with 3M, which provided us with the vinyl for the project,” explains Rodger Sheehan, vice president and senior accounts manager for GSG. “We put up a lot of window graphics, we did some CAD-cut vinyl on glass, and also created a plexi-map of the United States with images of all the different ballparks that they gathered from Google maps. Basically, it’s a lightbox, with separate switches for each of the ballparks. So, when there’s a game going on, they light up those different stadiums.” For each of the different graphical elements, GSG worked with Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign files provided by the designers, then output onto more than 2000 square feet of 3M-provided media, including its IJ3650-114 and IJ180-10 vinyl, as well as 3635-22b adhesive on white side for windows and 3535-22b blockout film for the lightbox display. Printing took more than two days using GSG’s stable of wide-format printers – an HP Designjet 10000, HP Designjet 9000, and Roland Camm-1; and another three days for finishing with 3M matte and glossy lamination on the company’s Orca laminators. Then three of the company’s two-person crews were ready to tackle installation, which took about four days in early March, just before the first pitch of the 2011 baseball season. “Removal of previous window films, difficult access to the site, and working around multiple other work crews all at the same time were all part of the challenge,” says Sheehan. “And, prior to install, we had to work out numerous changes to content and schedules to meet various deadlines over nights and weekend, and we had to create design solutions when client expectations were modified.” All in all, though, Sheehan calls the project a success: “This job was a perfect fit for our versatile and flexible approach and to our strength in project management.”

A major lever For GSG, then, the “interesting ride” Madsen refers to is continuing, and his company is keeping an eye on where trends are going at present and in the future. For now, pursuing those clients who utilize ad agencies by rote is a primary goal. For instance, if what Madsen heard from many global brand managers representing Fortune 500 firms during a recent meeting of the Association of National Advertisers is true, the de-coupling of production from the traditional ad agency is making waves throughout the industry. “If you’re using a de-coupler like GSG, you already have a competitive advantage over your competitor,” he says. “That’s why procurement is such a big deal now within all these major global brands. They’re bringing de-coupling to the forefront as a major lever for cost-savings.” Paula L. Yoho is a Columbus, Ohio-based freelance writer. www.bigpicture.net

CETColor_XP500ad_BP0811_CETColor_XP500_BP0811.qxd 7/11/11 12:06 PM Page 1

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The Evolving Flatbed Specs on 70 flatbed and hybrid printers. Flatbed and hybrid printers continue to evolve. Whether you’re talking speed, colors and ink technology, resolutions, or other features, these machines seem to add more capabilities every year, broadening what can be achieved with them. But just as in having a dizzying array of choices when it comes to, say, energy bars at your local supermarket, there is a similar challenge in separating the wheat from the chaﬀ when you must choose the best flatbed and hybrid printer for your particular operation. Select the wrong machine for your shop and it may indeed become nothing more than a very budget-heavy doorstop. To help you in selecting this not-inexpensive piece of equipment, we’ve collected comprehensive specifications on 70 flatbed and hybrid machines from more than 20 printer manufacturers, and present them on the pages that follow. Consider these a good starting point in your search for a new flatbed/hybrid printer. Some notes on the data you’ll find here: • Company: We’ve listed the manufacturing company; if a company has an exclusive US distributor, we’ve listed that information in the Notes section. • Printer model: Models are often combined if the only diﬀerence between them is maximum media width or number of colors. • Maximum media width (in inches): Media width, not image width; minimum is 24 inches. • Maximum media thickness: Listed in millimeters or inches. • Media: What kind of media will the printer handle – is there a roll option? • Printhead technology: All machines listed are inkjet piezo. • Colors: What inksets are supported? • Ink types accepted: Most flatbeds/hybrids are UV-curable, some indicated aqueous or solvent. • Minimum resolution (true/apparent): What is the mini-

mum true/apparent resolution? Note: We asked for both true and apparent resolution specs; most companies only provided true resolution numbers; if a company provided both, these figures are separated by a slash. • Maximum resolution (true/apparent): What is the maximum true/apparent resolution? Note: See above. • Maximum speed at a specific resolution: What is the printer’s fastest speed (sq ft/hr) and resolution (dpi)? We noted “unspecified dpi” if no resolution was indicated. • High-quality speed at a specific resolution: What is the speed (sq ft/hr) and resolution (dpi) for high-quality printing? Again, we noted “unspecified dpi” if no resolution was indicated. • RIP: What type of RIP comes standard with the printer, if any? What RIPs are optional? • Year Intro’d: What year was the model introduced? • Price: What is the selling price? • Warranty: How long is the printer warranted for? • On-site service contract: What’s the cost of an on-site service contract? • Training: Is training standard or optional? • Notes: Additional information not included elsewhere. Keep in mind that all information was provided by the manufacturers/suppliers; you can often find additional specs on their respective websites. We asked for specs only on currently available flatbeds and hybrids; see our July issue for our coverage of rollfed machines. Some manufacturers did not provide information on newly released printers; in addition, some manufacturers chose not to include models that seemed to still be on the market and we honored these requests. Finally, keep in mind that these specs will be “re-issued” in digital form via our next Printer Sourcebook, which also adds rollfed printers and RIPs, and will appear online at bigpicture.net in late fall. www.bigpicture.net

2011 flatbed printers

Company & Contact

Agfa Graphics

Model

Max. Media Width (in.)

Max. Media Thickness

Media Handled

Printhead Tech

Colors

Ink Types

Min. Resolution (dpi)

Max. Resolution (dpi)

Anapurna M2

1.75 in.

Rigid, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcm

UV-Curable

720

720 x 1440

Agfa Graphics

Anapurna M4f

1.75 in.

Rigid, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYK

UV-Curable

720

720 x 1440

Agfa Graphics

Anapurna Mv

1.75 in.

Rigid, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcm + varnish + spot

UV-Curable

720

720 x 1440

Agfa Graphics

Anapurna Mw

1.75 in.

Rigid, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW

UV-Curable

720

720 x 1440

Agfa Graphics

Anapurna M1600

2 in.

Rigid, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKW

UV-Curable

360

720 x 1440

Agfa Graphics

Anapurna M2050

81.5

2 in.

Rigid, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW

UV-Curable

360

720 x 1440

Agfa Graphics

Jeti 1224 HDC

2 in.

Rigid

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKW

UV-Curable

480 x 1200

Agfa Graphics

Jeti 1224 HDC FTR

2 in.

Rigid, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKW

UV-Curable

480 x 1200

Agfa Graphics

Jeti Titan 3020

124 x 81

2 in.

Rigid, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmOG + varnish

UV-Curable

480 x 1200

Ajet

2.5 in.

Rigid, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcW + spot + varnish

UV-Curable

1440 x 1440

n/a

X-Press 500/500H

4 in.

Rigid, Sheet 1

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW + multi gray + spot + varnish

UV-Curable

400 x 400

1200 x 1200

Rho 750 HS

1.58 in. 1

Rigid, Sheet

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW + spot + varnish 2

UV-Curable

600/ 1200

1.58/ 2.75 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW + spot+ varnish

UV-Curable

600/ 1200

1.58/ 2.75 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Roll Opt.

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW + spot+ varnish

UV-Curable

600/ 1200

agfa.com

Anderson America anderson-dpc.com

CET Color cetcolor.com

Durst Image Technology durstus.com

Durst Image Technology

Rho 800 Presto

Durst Image Technology

Rho 800 HS

THE BIG PICTURE august 2011

Max Speed [ft2/hr @ res (dpi)]

High-Quality Speed [ft2/hr @ res (dpi)]

248 @ 720

143 @ 720 x 1440

Wasatch SoftRIP Agfa ed.

150 @ 720

75 @ 720 x 1440

135 @ 720

Price

Warranty

2009

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

Konica/Minolta printheads; price incl. pre-site install audit.

Wasatch SoftRIP Agfa ed.

2008

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

Konica/Minolta printheads; price incl. pre-site install audit.

75 @ 720 x 1440

Wasatch SoftRIP Agfa ed.

2008

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

Konica/Minolta printheads.

135 @ 720

75 @ 720 x 1440

Wasatch SoftRIP Agfa ed.

2009

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

Konica/Minolta printheads; price incl. pre-site install audit; has preand post-white capabilities.

500 @ 360

75 @720 x 1440

Wasatch SoftRIP Agfa ed.

2011

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Opt.

Pre- and post- white in-line. Incl. front and back tables, ink and media start-up kit.

250 @ 720

86 @ 720 x 1440

Wasatch SoftRIP Agfa ed.

2010

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Opt.

Pre- and post- white in-line. Incl. front and back tables, ink and media start-up kit.

1023 @ 480 x 1200 (2 pass)

355 @ 480 x 1200 (8 pass)

Jeti Soft 1

2010

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Opt.

HDC (“High Definition Color”) utilizes Ricoh Gen4 variable grayscale printheads. 1 Opt. Caldera, Onyx, Wasatch.

1023 @ 480 x 1200 (2 pass)

355 @ 480 x 1200 (8 pass)

Jeti Soft 1

2010

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Opt.

HDC utilizes Ricoh Gen4 variable grayscale printheads. 1 Opt. Caldera, Onyx, Wasatch.

2430 @ 480 x 1200 (2 pass)

738 @ 480 x 1200 (6 pass)

Jeti Soft 1

2011

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Opt.

Scalable from 16 to 48 heads at customer site. 1 Opt. Caldera, Onyx, Wasatch.

160 @ 720

90 @ 1440

Onyx ProductionHouse

2009

$110,000

1 yr

Avail.

Incl.

Incl. inkset.

Incl.

X-Press 500 is a flatbed; X-Press 500H is a hybrid. Flatbed printer incl. reversible airflow, 4 zones, CET Spooler. 1 500H is zoned belt-driven flatbed; 2 Caldera, Onyx, SAi

Incl.

Corrugated display printer incl. Durst Quadro Array 30D printheads. Fully automated corrugated feeder stacker system. 1 0.31-in. (corrugated); 2 Process color additions; 3 12 mos on printheads.

Incl.

Durst Quadro Array 30 printheads. Uninterrupted continous board printing, heavy-duty roll feed/takeup option. 1 12 mos on printheads.

Incl.

Durst Quadro Array 30D printheads. Uninterruped continous-board printing; prints on narrow boards simul in std operation 1 12 mos on printheads. Durst continues next pg.

720 @ 400

1937 @ 600

1290 @ 600

2000+ @ 600

160 @ 800 x 1200

RIP

Opt. 2

1054 @ 600

Caldera GrandRIP+

625 @ 600

Caldera GrandRIP+

1200 @ 600

Caldera GrandRIP+

Year Intro’d

2011

2010

2007

2009

$85,332

1 yr

n/a

6 mo3

n/a

6 mo1

n/a

6 mo1

Onsite Service

$5000

n/a

Training

Notes

www.bigpicture.net

2011 flatbed printers

Company & Contact

Durst Image Technology

Model

Rho 900

Max. Media Width (in.)

Printhead Tech

Max. Media Thickness

Media Handled

1.58/ 2.75 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmOGVW + spot + varnish

UV-Curable

600/ 1200

1.58/ 2.75 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW + spot + varnish

UV-Curable

600/ 1200

Rigid, Sheet, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW 1

UV-Curable

600/ 1200

Colors

Ink Types

Min. Resolution (dpi)

Max. Resolution (dpi)

Durst Image Technology

Rho 1000

Durst Image Technology

Rho 1000 L

1.58/ 2.75 in.

EFI

Rastek T660

2 in.

Rigid, Sheet

Inkjet Piezo

CMYK + W opt.

UV-Curable

300 x 300

900 x 1200

EFI

Rastek T1000

2 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKW

UV-Curable

300 x 300

900 x 1200

EFI

Rastek H650

1.8 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKW

UV-Curable

300 x 300

600 x 1200

EFI

Rastek H652

1.8 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKW

UV-Curable

300 x 300

600 x 1200

EFI

Rastek H700

1.8 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYK + W opt.

UV-Curable

300 x 300

600 x 1200

EFI

Vutek QS220

2 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW

UV-Curable

n/a

1080

EFI

Vutek QS2000

2 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW

UV-Curable

540

1080

EFI

Vutek QS3220

126.5

2 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW

UV-Curable

540

1080

EFI

Vutek GS2000

2 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmykW 1

UV-Curable

600

1000

EFI

Vutek GS3200

126.5

2 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmykW 1

UV-Curable

600

1000

EFI

Vutek GS3250LX

126.5

2 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmykW

UV-Curable

600

1000

efi.com

THE BIG PICTURE august 2011

Max Speed [ft2/hr @ res (dpi)]

2400 @ 600

High-Quality Speed [ft2/hr @ res (dpi)]

1200 @ 600

RIP

Caldera GrandRIP+

Year Introâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d

2009

Price

n/a

Warranty

6 mo1

Onsite Service

n/a

Training

Notes

Incl.

Durst listings begin on previous pg. Durst Quadro Array 30D printheads. Automated media handling; add O/G or O/V process colors w/ no special file prep or loss of speed. 1 12 mos on printheads.

6000+ @ 600

3000+ @ 600

Caldera GrandRIP+

2009

n/a

6 mo1

n/a

Incl.

Durst Quadro Array 30M printheads. Suitable for integration into high-production screen/offset workflows. 1 12 mos on printheads.

4100 @ 600

2475 @ 600

Caldera GrandRIP+

2011

n/a

6 mo1

n/a

Incl.

Durst Quadro Array 30M printheads. Continuous vaccum belt. 1 12 mos on printheads.

230 @ 300 x 600

65 @ 600

EFI Fiery XF 1

2009

n/a

1 yr

n/a

460 @ 300 x 600

105 @ 600

EFI Fiery XF 1

2010

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Full inkset plus computer incl. 1 Onyx opt.

265 @ 300 x 600

65 @ 600

EFI Fiery XF 1

2009

n/a

1 yr

n/a

455 @ 300 x 600

80 @ 600

EFI Fiery XF1

2010

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Full inkset plus computer incl. 1 Onyx opt.

320 @ 300

120 @ 600

EFI Fiery XF1

2008

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Full inkset plus computer incl. 1 Onyx opt.

750 @ 540

375 @ 1080

EFI Fiery XF

2010

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

750 @ 540

375 @ 1080

EFI Fiery XF

2006

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

900 @ unspecified dpi

450 @ unspecified dpi

EFI Fiery XF

2009

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl. 1

2000 @ unspecified dpi

1000 @ unspecified dpi

EFI Fiery XF

2009

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl. 2

2400 @ unspecified dpi

1200 @ unspecified dpi

EFI Fiery XF

2009

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl. 2

2400 @ unspecified dpi

1200 @ unspecified dpi

EFI Fiery XF

2011

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

Onyx opt.

Onsite training opt.

Switchable to Fast-5 (4c+W); Onsite training opt.

www.bigpicture.net

2011 flatbed printers

Company & Contact

Fujifilm North America

Model

Max. Media Width (in.)

Max. Media Thickness

Media Handled

98.8

1.89 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYK

UV-Curable

720

1440

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKW

UV-Curable

720

1440

Printhead Tech

Colors

Ink Types

Min. Resolution (dpi)

Max. Resolution (dpi)

fujifilmusa.com

Acuity Advance LT

Fujifilm North America

Acuity Advance

98.8

1.89 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Opt. Roll

Fujifilm North America

Acuity Advance X2

120.1

1.89 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKW

UV-Curable

720

1440

Fujifilm North America

Acuity Advance HS

98.8

1.89 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKW

UV-Curable

720

1440

Fujifilm North America

Acuity Advance HS-X2

120.1

1.89 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKW

UV-Curable

720

1440

Pred8tor

2 in.

Rigid, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKW + varnish

UV-Curable

900 x 1800

Scitex FB500

2.5 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW

UV-Curable

n/a

600 x 1200

Hewlett-Packard

Scitex FB700

98.4

2.5 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW

UV-Curable

n/a

600 x 1200

Hewlett-Packard

Scitex FB7500

25 mm

Rigid, Sheet

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcm

UV-Curable

n/a

500/1200

Hewlett-Packard

Scitex TJ8350

0.02 in.

Sheet, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW

Solvent

n/a

600 x 600

incadigital.com

Spyder 320

2 in.

Rigid, Sheet

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmOVW

UV-Curable

600

1000

Inca Digital Printers

Spyder V

1.2 in.

Rigid, Sheet

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmOVW

UV-Curable

600

1000

Inca Digital Printers

Onset S20

2 in.

Rigid, Sheet

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW

UV-Curable

600

1000

Inca Digital Printers

Onset S40

2 in.

Rigid, Sheet

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcm

UV-Curable

600

1000

Inca Digital Printers

Onset

0.75 in.

Rigid, Sheet

Inkjet Piezo

CMYK

UV-Curable

600

1000

Gandy Digital gandydigital.com

Hewlett-Packard hp.com

Inca Digital Printers

THE BIG PICTURE august 2011

Max Speed [ft2/hr @ res (dpi)]

High-Quality Speed [ft2/hr @ res (dpi)]

132 @ unspecified dpi

69 @ unspecified dpi

See Notes 1

377 @ unspecified dpi

118 @ unspecified dpi

See Notes

378 @ unspecified dpi

121 @ unspecified dpi

See Notes 1

657 @ unspecified dpi

150 @ unspecified dpi

See Notes

709 @ unspecified dpi

258 @ unspecified dpi

See Notes 1

n/a

1 yr

1377 @ 900

753 @ 1800

ErgoSoft 1

n/a

$550,000

398 @ unspecified dpi

n/a

Opt. 1

2010

861 @ unspecified dpi

n/a

Opt. 1

5830 @ unspecified dpi

n/a

5166 @ unspecified dpi

Year Intro’d

RIP

Price

Warranty

Onsite Service

Training

Notes

Incl.

Toshiba printheads. 1 ColorGate Production Server Fujifilm ed. 6.2 (or later), Onyx ProductionHouse 7.0 (or later).

Incl.

Toshiba printheads. 1 Colorgate Production Server Fujfiilm ed. 6.2 (or later), Onyx ProductionHouse 7.0 (or later).

Incl.

Toshiba printheads. 1 ColorGate Production Server Fujifilm ed. 6.2 (or later), Onyx ProductionHouse 7.0 (or later).

Incl.

Toshiba printheads. 1 ColorGate Production Server Fujifilm ed. 6.2 (or later), Onyx ProductionHouse 7.0 (or later).

Avail.

Incl.

Toshiba printheads. 1 ColorGate Production Server Fujifilm ed. 6.2 (or later), Onyx ProductionHouse 7.0 (or later).

1 yr/ 5 yr

Varies

Incl. 2

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

2010

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

See Notes 1

2008

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

n/a

See Notes 1

2008

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

860 @ unspecified dpi

462 @ unspecified dpi

ColorGate, Wasatch

2005

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

US dist.: Fujifilm (fujifilmusa.com).

1291 @ unspecified dpi

527 @ unspecified dpi

ColorGate, Wasatch

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

US dist.: Fujifilm (fujifilmusa.com).

3335 @ unspecified dpi

1614 @ unspecified dpi

ColorGate, Wasatch

2008

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

Sheet handling opt., satin, gloss, and spot gloss opt. US dist.: Fujifilm (fujifilmusa.com).

5059 @ unspecified dpi

2691 @ unspecified dpi

ColorGate, Wasatch

2011

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

Auto-load option, satin, gloss, and spot gloss options. US dist.: Fujifilm (fujifilmusa.com).

7534 @ unspecified dpi

6420 @ unspecified dpi

ColorGate, Wasatch

2007

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

Fully automatic, automatic unload, assisted load, and fully manual options. Satin, gloss, and spot gloss opt. US dist.: Fujifilm (fujifilmusa.com).

n/a

1 yr

Avail.

Onyx opt.; 2 Traveling expenses for training purposes opt/add’l. 1

HP Scitex Caldera RIP or HP Scitex Onyx RIP. 1

Caldera GrandRIP+/ Onyx ProductionHouse. 1

www.bigpicture.net

2011 flatbed printers

Company & Contact

Model

Max. Media Width (in.)

Max. Media Thickness

Media Handled

Printhead Tech

Colors

Ink Types

Min. Resolution (dpi)

Max. Resolution (dpi)

Inx Digital MD660

2 in.

Rigid, Sheet

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKW + clear

UV-Curable

600 x 600/ 600 x 600

900 x 1200/ 900 x 1200

Inx Digital MD10006

2 in.

Rigid, Sheet

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKW+ clear

UV-Curable

300 x 300/ 300 x 600

900 x 1200/ 900 x 1200

ExpressJet/GF

2 in.

Rigid

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKW + spot + varnish

UVCurable, Aq Pig

150/300 x 300

300/ 1200 x 1200

Barak3 iQ

150

1 in.

Roll Std. 1

Inkjet Piezo

CMYK

UV-Curable

150/150

600/ 600

JF-1610/ 1631

2 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW + flex/clear

UV-Curable

600 x 600

1200

Mimaki USA

JFX-1615 plus/1631 plus

64.7

2 in.

Rigid, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW + flex/clear

UV-Curable

300

1200

Mimaki USA

UJV-160

0.25 in.

Roll Std. 1

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW

UV-Curable

600

1200

Mimaki USA

UJF-706

28.5

6 in.

Rigid, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKW + varnish

UV-Curable

600

1200

Mutoh America

ValueJet 1608HS Hybrid

10 mm

Rigid, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKx2

See Notes1

540 x 720

1440 x 1440

Arizona 300 GT

98.4

1.89 in.

Rigid, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYK

UV-Curable

1440 1

Océ North America

Arizona 360 GT

98.4

1.89 in.

Rigid, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYK

UV-Curable

1440 1

Océ North America

Arizona 360 XT

120

1.89 in.

Rigid, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYK

UV-Curable

1440 1

Océ North America

Arizona 550 GT

98.4

2 in.

Rigid, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYK

UV-Curable

1440 1

Océ North America

Arizona 550 XT

120

2 in.

Rigid, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYK

UV-Curable

1440 1

Inx International Ink inxinternational.com

Inx International Ink

Lawson Screen & Digital Products goexpressjet.com Matan Digital Printers USA matanprinters.com Mimaki USA mimakiusa.com

mutoh.com

Océ North America oceusa.com

THE BIG PICTURE august 2011

Max Speed [ft2/hr @ res (dpi)]

High-Quality Speed [ft2/hr @ res (dpi)]

186 @ 600

67 @ 900 x 1200

Onyx Postershop 1

2008

$109,900

1 yr

n/a

Opt. 2

Incl. ink starter kit, PC processing system, more. 1 Opt. Onyx ProductionHouse 2 $3250 (installation, training).

317 @ 600

105 @ 900 x 1200

Onyx Postershop 1

2011

$160,000

1 yr

n/a

Opt. 2

Incl. ink starter kit, PC processing system, more. 1 Opt. Onyx ProductionHouse 2 $3250 (installation, training).

410 @ 600 x 900

210 @ 600 x 1200

Amica ColorPrint

2010

$120,000

1 yr

Yes 1

Incl.

Incl. ink. 1 15%.

3000 @ 300

818 @ 600

Caldera

2011

n/a

1 yr

Avail.

Incl.

200 @ 360

100 @ 600

RasterLink Pro IV

2007

$90,995/ $103,995

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

200 @ 300

120 @ 600

RasterLink Pro 5 IP

n/a

$109,995/ $139,995

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

90 @ 540

75 @ 1200

RasterLink Pro IV 2

2009

$59,995

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

36.6 @ 600

18.3 @ 1200

RasterLink Pro 5 IP

n/a

$129,995

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

120 @ 720

39 @ 1440

Onyx

2008

$49,995

1 yr

n/a

Incl. i2: Intelligent Interweave. 1 Mutoh bio-based MP inks.

135 @ any resolution

70 @ any resolution

Opt.

Uses Océ VariaDot Technology for variable droplet sizes. 1 Variable dot, 1440 equiv; 2 Opt: Onyx ProductionHouse X10 Océ Edition; 3 Excludes printheads.

377 @ any resolution

135 @ any resolution

Opt.

Uses Océ VariaDot Technology for variable droplet sizes. 1 Variable dot, 1440 equiv.; 2 Opt: Onyx ProductionHouse X10 Océ Edition; 3 Excludes printheads.

Opt.

Uses Océ VariaDot Technology for variable droplet sizes. 1 Variable dot, 1440 equiv.; 2 Opt: Onyx ProductionHouse X10 Océ Edition; 3 Excludes printheads.

Opt.

Uses Océ VariaDot Technology for variable droplet sizes. 1 Variable dot, 1440 equiv.; 2 Opt: Onyx ProductionHouse X10 Océ Edition; 3 Excludes printheads.

Opt.

Uses Océ VariaDot Technology for variable droplet sizes. 1 Variable dot, 1440 equiv.; 2 Opt: Onyx ProductionHouse X10 Océ Edition. 3 Excludes printheads.

392 @ any resolution

138 @ any resolution

657 @ any resolution

244 @ any resolution

709 @ any resolution

259 @ any resolution

RIP

Opt. 2

Year Intro’d

2009

2011

2010

Price

n/a

Warranty

1 yr3

Onsite Service

n/a

Training

Notes

Flatbed table opt.

UV LED pritner. UV post-curing unit. Opt. roll media attachment. Flatbed table included; RIPs opt. 1

3rd-party

www.bigpicture.net

2011 flatbed printers

Company & Contact

Polytype polytypeamerica.com

Polytype

Roland DGA rolanddga.com

Screen USA screenusa.com

Screen USA

Shenzhen Runtianzhi Image floradigital.com.cn Signs International Distributor sidsigns.com Signs International Distributor

Max. Media Width (in.)

Max. Media Thickness

Media Handled

Polytype Virtu RS25

98.4

3.7 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW + spot + varnish

UV-Curable

300/600

1200/ 1200

Polytype Virtu RS35

137

3.7 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW + spot + varnish

UV-Curable

300/600

1200/ 1200

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKW + varnish

UV-Curable

360 x 720/360 x 720

1440 x 1440/ 1440x 1440

Model

Printhead Tech

Colors

Ink Types

Min. Resolution (dpi)

Max. Resolution (dpi)

VersaUV LEJ-640

0.5 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Roll

TruepressJet 1600UVF2

66 x 125

1.96 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKW

UV-Curable

300

1200

TruepressJet 2500UV

98.6

1.96 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKW

UV-Curable

300

1500

Flora PP 2512 UV

3.93 in.

Rigid, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW +spot + varnish

UV-Curable

720

1440

SID UV 165P

64.9

1.18 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcm

UV-Curable

360

720/720 x 1440

SID UV 200S

1.18 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW

UV-Curable

300

600/600 x 800

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmkRBW + spot + varnish

UV-Curable

360/600

720 / 1200

Oryx

98.4

1.97 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Opt. Roll

SwissQprint

Impala

98.4

1.97 in.

Rigid, Sheet, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmkRBW + spot + varnish

UV-Curable

360/600

720 / 1200

Teckwin International

TS-300

2 in.

Rigid, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW + varnish

UV-Curable

400 x 400/800 x 800

800 x 800/1200 x 1200

TS-600

121

5.9 in.

Rigid, Opt. Roll

Inkjet Piezo

CMYKcmW+ varnish

UV-Curable

400 x 400/800 x 800

800 x 800/1200 x 1200

SwissQprint swissqprint.com

teckwin.com Teckwin International

THE BIG PICTURE august 2011

Max Speed [ft2/hr @ res (dpi)]

High-Quality Speed [ft2/hr @ res (dpi)]

2800 @ 299 x 300

320 @ 723 x 900

3300 @ 299 x 300

Year Introâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d

Price

Warranty

Opt. 1

2007

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl. 2

Hybrid belt transfer, heavy-duty (1100 lbs) roll-to-toll modes. 1 Caldera GrandRip+, ErgoSoft 2 Opt./additional $1200/day.

330 @ 723 x 900

Opt. 1

2007

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl. 2

Hybrid belt transfer, heavy-duty (1100 lbs) roll-to-toll modes. 1 Caldera GrandRip+, ErgoSoft 2 Opt./additional $1200/day.

133 @ 360 x 720

n/a

Roland VersaWorks

2011

$67,995

2 yr

n/a

Incl.

254 @ 300

26.91 @ 1200

Wasatch

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

355 @ 300

71 @ 1500

Screen

2009

n/a

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

400 @ unspecified dpi

n/a

Opt. 1

n/a

$89,000

1 yr

n/a

Incl.

Incl. Photoprint software. 1 Onyx, Caldera.

559 @ 360

194 @ 720

Onyx

2010

$64,000+ 1

1 yr

tba

Incl.

Feed and takeup tables incl. 1 $64,000 for CMYK version.

419 @ 300 x 600

204 @ 600

Onyx

2010

$109,000

1 yr

tba

Incl.

Feed and takeup tables incl.

828 @ 360 x 720

193 @ 720

Opt.

2009

n/a

1 yr

1441 @ 360 x 720

387 @ 720

Opt. 1

2010

n/a

750 @ 800

240 @ 1000

Caldera Teckwin ed.

2010

750 @ 800

240 @ 1000

Caldera Teckwin ed.

2010

RIP

Onsite Service

Training

Notes

n/a

Incl.

Exclusive US distributor: Polytype (polytype.com). 1 Caldera GrandRip+, ErgoSoft 2 Opt./additional $1200/day.

1 yr

n/a

Incl. 2

Exclusive US distributor: Polytype (polytype.com). 1 Caldera GrandRip+, ErgoSoft 2 Opt./additional $1200/day.

n/a

2 yr

n/a

Incl.

n/a

2 yr

n/a

Incl.

www.bigpicture.net

Embracing Technology:

Graph Expo 2011 Chicago event prepares to help print providers adapt to a rapidly changing marketplace.

THE BIG PICTURE AUGUST 2011

By Britney Grimmelsman

Branded as a one-stop shop for all things print, Graph Expo will hit the Windy City September 11-14 at McCormick Place. The 2011 event is projected to beat out its impressive 2010 numbers, the show’s organizers report, with an expected attendance of 20,000 plus and more than 400 exhibiting companies on the 300,000square-foot show floor. Its theme this year, “Embrace Technology,” reflects a focus on utilizing ever-changing technological advances in the industry to thrive in your own print business. “In our opinion, print is alive but needs to learn to move beyond defending this media and find more eﬀective ways that print and other media can work in unison to provide better results,” says Chris Price, executive vice president of the Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC), which produces the event. “The global marketplace is changing as is the print media and technology is making it so that they can and must adapt. ‘Embracing Technology’ is an appropriate theme because the key objective of this year’s Graph Expo is to show ways print can integrate with other media,” Price continues. “Also, all of our segments are using technology to be more eﬃcient, improve quality, reduce waste, sell new services, and expand their sales to new markets. This year, show attendees will discover just how to adapt to this quickly changing marketplace.” The event will feature not only a section dedicated to wide format, but other segments as well, including: digital print imaging/quick printing; package printing; commercial print; book printing and publishing; transactional print; in-plant print; mailing and fulfi llment; marketing and advertising; print and media buyers; and newspaper printing.

CHICAGO IMAGES COURTESY OF CHICAGO CONVENTION & TOURISM BUREAU.

All things marketing Graph Expo will also debut its latest special-interest pavilion dedicated exclusively to those graphic-communications professionals looking to expand their services to include marketing. The marketing pavilion is sponsored by Chicago American Marketing Association (AMA) and attractions will include the latest innovations in: digital marketing services, social-media and social-content generation tools, lead generation and management services, search engine optimization (SEO) software, e-mail marketing, mobile and Internet services, and more. “Today’s graphic-communications professionals are moving away from being exclusively print providers and transitioning into the world of marketing services,” explains GASC president Ralph Nappi, “Given the expanded focus of these attendees and to provide oﬀerings for experienced marketers at the show as well, we determined the best way to meet the increasing need for marketing products, information, and knowledge was to provide a concentrated area right on the show floor where the emphasis is on all things marketing.” The pavilion will also oﬀer a Marketing Theater, a learning center providing a series of educational presentations and workshops to accommodate all levels of expertise on the “how to’s” of marketing led by the Chicago AMA. And a Marketer’s Networking Lounge will serve as a casual networking environment for print providers to network, exchange ideas with, and learn from like-minded professionals.

Learning curve Experiencing Graph Expo isn’t only about finding the latest cutting-edge technologies, but also networking with

and learning from fellow industry leaders. The show features more than 50 educational seminars covering the industry’s most prominent issues. The sessions will cover 11 market segments within graphic communication and provide the latest forecasts, trends, and in-depth information on pivotal technologies and successful business strategies. Educational sessions include the following topics: color management, design/creative, digital media, digital presses, entrepreneurship, graphic applications, interactive media, lean management and manufacturing, mailing and fulfillment, joint ventures/mergers/ acquisitions, non-print digital media, packaging, printable electronics, production, proofing, and others (see “Educational Sampler,” page 39). In addition, on the eve of Graph Expo, the Executive Outlook event will take place. The annual pre-show technology and trends conference is themed “Embracing Technology and Market Trends for Profitability,” and will provide tips for utilizing technology as a competitive advantage in

Times and Registration The pre-show Executive Outlook Conference (see main text) kicks off the event on Saturday, September 10 from noon to 6 p.m. Here are the official show dates and hours: • Sunday, September 11, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. • Monday, September 12, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. • Tuesday, September 13, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. • Wednesday, September 14, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Exhibits-only registration costs $45 ($30 if before August 12). Fees for educational seminars range from $150 each ($125 each if registered before August 12) to various multi-session prices. A full-access pass (unlimited sessions plus access to exhibits) is $999 ($849 before August 12). Visit graphexpo.com for more details.

www.bigpicture.net

Graph Expo 2011

Technology Embracers: Tukaiz Personalizes Chicago Embracing technology isn’t only about purchasing the latest high-tech gadgets or most expensive machine on the show floor. It’s also about strategically incorporating all facets of innovation into your business and finding unique ways to use technology to help your business stand out in the wide-format crowd. A true technology embracer, Tukaiz (tukaiz.com), based in Illinois, has been on top of techno-trends since 1963. The family-owned business brands itself as a “results-driven marketing service production company” and serves as a one-stop shop for all things marketing – from conception of a campaign to the print production of its projects. Perhaps the best example of the shop’s techno-savvy nature is its PixyMe application launched in 2010, which allows users to personalize images to be printed on calendars, posters, folders, holiday cards, invitations, notebooks, and more. The idea sprung from the shop’s use of such images in their business-to-business services to design and print directmail pieces. “With this technology, we were able to create attention-grabbing direct mail and offer personalized calendars to our clients as holiday gifts. Since the return on these initiatives was so successful, we were inspired to create our own personalized consumer store,” says Tukaiz’s Jacque Madden. “Later on, as technology was blossoming, PixyMe became a way for us to showcase our product line, along with our imaging and interactive capabilities. It’s an eye-catching technology that everyone seems to love, and we wanted to make it easy to share.” Although the b-to-b use of the personalized-image technology took off smooth sailing, creating an iPhone and iPod Touch app proved to be no walk in the park: “Development, testing, and launching the app took more than a year,” says Madden. “We are currently working on an iPad version that is scheduled to release sometime this year.” The technology utilizes a mix of Tukaiz proprietary software and software from DirectSmile. And the shop looks to its array of HP large-format printers and Indigo presses to output the personalized projects. The work didn’t stop for Tukaiz after the iPhone and iPod Touch apps were successfully launched: “As with any mobile application, PixyMe requires constant updates, maintenance, and a lot of dedication,” explains Madden. Tukaiz adds new images to PixyMe every Tuesday along with daily maintenance effort. For those seeking a souvenir to remember their Chicago journey, Tukaiz allows clients to personalize one of its Chicago-themed images to create a post card for family and friends. Once a customer submits their personalization using the app, Tukaiz will print and mail the card for only $1.99 within the US ($2.99 outside of the US).

THE BIG PICTURE august 2011

Join the Conversation Looking to keep up with the latest happenings regarding Graph Expo and its exhibitors? Have something to say about seminar topics or debuting products? These social-media sites offer an opportunity to not only participate in industry conversations, but also to feel apart of the Expo whether you can make it to the show floor or not: • Twitter: @Graph_Expo and #graphexpo • Facebook: Graph Expo • Youtube: Graphic Arts Show Co • Linkedin: Graph Expo & Print, GASC Shows

today’s recovering economy. The event will take place Saturday, September 10 from noon to 6 p.m. Executive Outlook will conclude with a presentation of the “Must See ‘Ems” nominees – exhibits and products chosen by a panel of 19 industry experts as the most compelling of the show. “Must See ‘Ems” is conducted independently by the PrintCom Consulting Group of Charlotte, North Carolina. “Positively Print” awardees are also announced– campaigns that creatively and eﬀectively promote the enduring power of print in today’s media. At the conclusion of the Executive Outlook event, EFI will sponsor a post-conference networking reception.

Educational Sampler Here are just a few of the educational seminars being offered at Graph Expo 2011: • Optimizing Color Quality on Wide-Format Devices • New Business Opportunities for Printers • Technology Revolution: The Quickening Pace of Change • Digital Printing and Packaging • The State of Our Industry 2011 • Digital Presses “Can-Do, How-To”: Matching Conventional Work • Everything You Need to Know About Lean in 90 Minutes • Improving Productivity on a Shoestring Budget • QR Codes and Augmented Reality: How to Drive Print-to-Web • What Went Wrong? Analyzing the Culprit: Real-World Print Case Studies Revealed • Digital Presses: A Pre-Purchase Primer • Color Managing a Digital Press: Experience From the Field • Change Management: Growing Printers in 2011– Methodology for Success • The Future of Printing Profits • The New A-B-Cs of Print Production Profitability • UV Curing Exposed: Markets, Implementation & Technical Pitfalls • Elimination of Lamination: Digital Synthetics and the Economic Impact in the Print Room

Co-located happenings This year, 32 user-group meetings and small conferences will run in conjunction to Graph Expo, an increase of 80 percent in co-located events since 2009. The simultaneous events are intended to maximize attendee’s time and travel and include events like: DScoop HP Users Conference; EFI Fiery User Group; Xerox Premier Partners; GUA-Kodak Graphics User Association; and others. Among the co-located events is the G7 Summit, an IDEAlliance conference. Presented right from the Graph Expo show floor, the summit will oﬀer an industry-leading set of best practices for achieving gray balance

and visual similarity across all print processes. The G7 Summit will focus on the entire workflow and cover all facets of print production, from content creation to final output. Topics discussed will include the cost and ROI of G7 implementation and a casestudy round table among others. The Xplor Conference will also occur at McCormick Place simultaneously. The two-day, 18-session educational event is being held September 12-13, and will oﬀer print-related sessions including: The Ugly Truth about QR Codes; Knowledge Management in Print – Expanding the Value Chain; Increasing Customer Loyalty; and others. www.bigpicture.net

Rigid Report More than 40 sources of rigid media.

Some would argue that being too rigid may not be the best personality trait when it comes to running a business. Such inflexibility can cause you all kinds of problems, whether with your customers or with your own staff. Substrate-wise, however, rigid is practically a must-have when it comes to having media on hand. Couple your favorite rigid media with the right printer and cutter/router, and your business can take on some jobs sure to impress your customers while also turning an equally impressive profit. But finding just the right rigid media is not always easy. While there are far fewer suppliers of rigid versus standard vinyl, for instance, the number of rigid sources and choices continues to grow. To help you, The Big Picture has compiled a list of manufacturers and exclusive distributors of print-ready rigid media that is at least 24-inches wide. More than 40 companies are listed here; keep in mind that due to space, we typically only provide a sampling of a company’s rigid roster; check their websites for detailed product offerings. Acrilex acrilex.com The Acriglas Clear Impressions line, designed to reproduce the look of patterned glass, is crystal clear and carries textures on one or both sides of the sheet. Nine new textures available (18 total) include: Brushed, Woven Silk, Mesozoic, Precambrian, Box Mini-Flute, Waffle Iron, Techno, and Morning Dew. Offered in standard sizes of 4 x 6 ft and in thicknesses from ¹⁄₈- to ½-in.

Omega-Bond LAMINATORS INC.

THE BIG PICTURE august 2011

Advantage Distribution advantagedistribution.com The company’s Eco Advantage rigid media line includes: EcoFoam PVC (70% recycled content) in white, black, and white/black DigiPrint, all 48 x 96 in. x 3mm or 6mm; Earthboard (100% recycled content, compostable, biodegradable), available in 40 x 60in. sheets in 0.80-in. thicknesses;

and Honeycomb Board (made from recycled kraft paper with white, claycoated facers), available in 48 x 96-in. sheets, ¼- or ½-in. thicknesses. Altuglas International altuglasint.com Available in a wide variety of thicknesses and sheet sizes, Plexiglas acrylic sheets and Tuffak polycarbonate sheets can be wide-format inkjet printed. American Fiber Technologies fiberbrite.com FiberBrite comprises a line of fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) panels, all of which are compatible with solvent and UV-curable flatbed digital printing. American Permalight americanpermalight.com The photoluminescent PermaLight rigid media (PVC or aluminum) can be used with solvent and UV-curable flatbed printers. Available in various thicknesses and finishes. Booksmart Studio booksmartstudio.com The company’s inkjet-printable Fine Art Metals, designed for fine-art applications, feature an inkjet-receptive coating. Available in a five finishes – Brushed Silver, Matte Silver, Satin Silver, Satin Gold, and Satin White – the metals are produced in sizes from 8.5 x 11 to 20 x 80 in., and in various thicknesses. Coastal Enterprises precisionboard.com Precision Board High Temperature (PBHT) and Low Temperature (PBLT) Urethane boards can be digitally printed using inkjet. Available in sheets from 20 x 60 in. to 5 x 10 ft. Converd converd.com Offers Enviroboard MR (Moisture Resistant) rigid boards designed as a multi-ply alternative to traditional foamboard and corrugated plastic

boards, for flatbed UV and latex print applications. Printable on both sides. Available in 48 x 96-in. sheets standard and up to 96 x 144 in. maximum; in 3-, 3.5-, 4.7-, and 12-mm thicknesses.

ite material, which provides a water vapor barrier; also recyclable. Available in sheets: approx. 55 x 71 in. (other sizes on request) and 0.08-in. thick. Distributed in US by ZN Production Company (znprodco.com).

Cooley Group cooleygroup.com Compatible with most solvent-based printing systems, CoolFlex Rigid is a 15-mil (custom thicknesses available) rigid PVC sheet engineered for TriVision boards, kiosks, transit shelters, and tradeshow displays. Available in 48-in. widths. Coroplast coroplast.com Coroplast’s CoroGreen is a 100% recyclable corrugated plastic sheet. Made from post-consumer and postindustrial polypropylene, it meets the requirements for US Building Council LEED credit. With a printable white surface and black core, CoroGreen is available in 4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-mm thicknesses. DaVinci Technologies davinci-technologies.com Offers Double Opaque Polystyrene and Translucent Polystyrene, both for UV and solvent printing; 54-in. widths. Decorative Panels International decpanels.com GreenCore Rigid Print Media (RPM) is a two-sided, ultra-smooth board for most UV-curable as well as solventbased printing. Made from raw materials, the media is biodegradable. Available in matte finish in ¹⁄₈- and ¼in. thicknesses in 4 x 8-ft sheets. Design Force designforce.se Re-board sandwich board is a 100% recyclable indoor/outdoor board with kraft liner; water-resistant and flameretardant (upon request); available in various thicknesses and sizes. Out-board, designed for outdoor applications, is a five-layer, polymerlaminated, paperboard-based compos-

Re-board DESIGN FORCE EnCore encoreproducts.com Its MightyCore is a solid-center foam board that features an extra-rigid core, ultra-smooth surface, easy cutting, and a chemical-free construction. Available in ¼- and ½-in. thicknesses and in white, black-on-black, whiteon-black, and white-black-black. The MightyPrint Expressions line combines the MightyCore rigidity with various finishes, including glossy, canvas, and premier kraft; available in ¼-in. thickness and various sizes. Encore FoamBoard, available in white and black-on-black versions, features a polystyrene core and ultra-smooth surface; in thicknesses from ¹⁄₈- to ½-in. and various sizes. PilloCore is a crushable foam board for adding rigidity to P-O-P displays and standees, and is especially designed for die-cutting; ³⁄₁₆-in. thickness in various sizes. Foamalite Ltd. foamalite.ie Ireland-based Foamalite’s products are foamed PVC sheets. Available standard without coating or with polyethylene masking on one side, Foamalite offers a smooth finish for use as P-O-P displays and signage panels. Gilman Brothers (gilmanbrothers.com) is the US distributor.

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rigid media

MightyCore ENCORE Gilman Brothers gilmanbrothers.com The company’s InSite series of media includes: InSite Reveal, a bright-white paper exterior over memory foam; also available with adhesive-coated or acid-free liners. InSite Biodegradable is a standard, paper-faced memory foamboard with a biodegradable rigid foam center and SFI-certified paper liners. InSite Polycoated offers a polyethylene-coated paper surface that creates a barrier to moisture and humidity. InSite Reveal Magnet-Receptive Foamboard features a printable paper surface with a ferrous film under it. And InSite Flame Resistant features flame-resistant paper liners on both sides of the extruded polystyrene foam, which can be utilized for tradeshow exhibits, retail signage, theaters, and other public places. Ryno Board has an extra heavy-duty paper exterior and Reveal polystyrene interior. It offers warp-resistance and dimensional stability for applications that require a stronger substrate. Also available with heat-activated or pressure-sensitive adhesive on one side. A heavy-duty, polystyrene-faced foamboard, Duraplast offers dimensional stability, is warp-resistant, and provides a clean, crisp edge for cutting and finishing. Available in ³⁄₁₆to 2-in. thicknesses and up to 48 x 96-in. widths. Hartman hartboard.com Hartman offers a line of HartBoard substrates that can be used with pigment or dye-based aqueous, solvent, 42

THE BIG PICTURE august 2011

and UV-curable inks. A printable claycoated, foam-centered board, HartBoard offers either a satin or matte surface, thickness of ¹⁄₈ or ³⁄₁₆ in., and sheet sizes from 20 x 30 to 48 x 96 in. Harty is a ¼-in., ultra-rigid, clay-coated, foam-centered board available in sheet sizes of 40 x 60 and 48 x 96 in. and now in a brighter white. HartLite, an acid-free, environmentally friendly foamboard, is available in ¹⁄₈ or ³⁄₁₆-in. thicknesses, in sheets from 20 x 30 to 48 x 96 in. Horizons horizonsisg.com AlumaJet is an inkjet-printable anodized aluminum that can be used with water-based dye and pigment inks. Standard sheets range from 8.5 x 11 to 20 x 24 in. (custom sizes up to 23 x 48 in.), and thicknesses of 0.005, 0.012, and 0.020 in. Image Micro Systems imagemicrosystems.com MicroStrate is made from 100% post-consumer e-waste (plastic from ink cartridges and computers), and is receptive to inkjet printing, especially UV inks. Largest current sheet size is 40 x 40 in.; 4 x 8-ft sizes available later this year, the company reports.

Enviroboard MR NESCHEN (CONVERD BY NESCHEN) Inteplast Group inteplast.com Its World-Pak IntePro sheets are available as extruded polypropylene or high-density polyethylene. Designed to be more durable than corrugated fiberboard and lighter than wood or solid

plastic sheets, they can be used for indoor and outdoor graphic-art signage applications including signs and P-O-P displays. Available with a conical flute or X-flute; and in 48 x 96-in. sheets in various thicknesses and colors. Jain Americas jains.com Its Ex-cel line of PVC rigid media includes Ex-cel Pro, specifically designed for digital printing with a closed-cell structure and featuring a bright-white, smooth, matte finish; available in thicknesses from 3-10 mm in 48 x 96-in. sheets. Ex-cel Rigid is extruded from environmentally friendly compounds and has a smooth, glossy finish; it’s available in gray or white in thicknesses from 2 to 12.7 mm in 39 x 79- (gray) or 48 x 96in. (white) sheets. Kommerling USA kommerlingusa.com Komatex is a lightweight, closed-cell, free-foam, rigid PVC sheet with a matte finish and is available in a range of thicknesses, sheet sizes, and colors. Komacel Plus is a PVC foam sheet with a semi-rough surface that gives the finished digital print an aged look. The lightweight substrate can be used for indoor and outdoor applications and is available in 10-, 13-, 16-, and 19-mm thicknesses and a sheet size of 48 x 96 in.; 48 x 120-in. size sheets are available on request. Also available in an embossed version. KomaAlu is a 3-mm printable sheet designed for outdoor applications; comprising two aluminum sheets sandwiching a polyethylene core, it features a durable surface for both interior and exterior uses. Sheets are available in 2 mm, 48 x 96 in. white/white; 3 mm, 60 x 12 in. gloss white/matte white; and 3 mm, 48 x 96 in. white/black. KomaFoam is a lightweight, polystyrene foam core rigid panel suitable for a variety of graphic and P-O-P display applications. It can be printed on a UV flatbed digital printer, screen printed, and die cut.

Laminators Incorporated laminatorsinc.com Omega TerraMax is an eco-friendly, lightweight composite board specifically designed for digital printing. It features a honeycomb core, smooth, double-sided, white surface, and is available in 10-mm thicknesses in 4 x 8-ft sheets. Omega-Bond panels are rigid, lightweight, and feature doublesided painted aluminum bonded to a solid polyethylene core, designed to prevent bowing, warping, swelling, and de-lamination. Alumalite features a corrugated plastic core, and doublesided aluminum for stability and strength; wind- and weather-resistant, it routs and cuts easily. LusterBoard is painted aluminum bonded to both sides of a furniture-grade plywood core; available in 12 colors. The lightweight 3-mm D-Lite panels comprise a high-gloss aluminum

surface bonded to a corrugated plastic core and are available in 12 colors; no surface prep required. Lamitech lamitech.com Earthboard has a white, clay coating on both sides, can be UV printed, is composed of 35% post-consumer waste, and is 100% recyclable. Available in 0.050-in. and 0.080-in. thicknesses in 48 x 96-in. sheets (custom sizes available). Polyguard has a double-sided polyethylene coating designed for temporary outdoor applications. Available in 0.024 and 0.05-in. thicknesses in sheet sizes up to 28 x 44 in. Mitsubishi Plastics Composites America graphic-al.com Graphic-al OR has the rigidity of an

aluminum composite material with a thinner, 0.005-in. aluminum skin and a foamed plastic core. Available in 48 x 96-in. sheets in 3-mm thicknesses. Graphic-al DP is similar to OR but is specifically engineered for flatbed printing and UV-curable inks. 48 x 96-in. sheets; 3mm thick; can be cut with a saw, substrate cutter/router. White only.

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rigid media Graphic-al LT comprises two skins of 0.010-in.-thick aluminum and polyethylene core. Top and back surfaces are polyester coatings; both sides are covered with transparent protective film. The 48 x 96-in. sheets are available in five colors and in brushed metallics. Note: The company suggests pretesting the LT and OR products prior to printing. Multipanel multipaneluk.com UK-based Multipanel’s Alupanel Digital is an aluminum composite specifically designed for digital printing, featuring a specially developed coating on both sides for improved ink adhesion. Available in 48 x 96-in. sheets and in 2- and 3-mm thicknesses. Panels can be machined post-printing, reports the company. Hollow Core features a polypropylene core sandwiched with 0.3-mm aluminum; in 48 x 96-, 120-, and 160in. sheets (various thicknesses).

Eco-Finish PANEL PROCESSING

Neschen Americas neschenamericas.com Its SolvoPrint Easy Panel line of rigid PVC media is designed for use with solvent, eco-solvent, and UV inks (available in 8.7-, 12-, and 17-mil versions). Also available is Printlux Easy Panel for aqueous dye and pigmented inks (12- and 17-mil versions). All have high scratch- and water-resistant properties. Available in 30-, 36-, 42-, and 54-in. widths, depending on product. Its Converd by Neschen line in44

THE BIG PICTURE august 2011

cludes Enviroboard MR (Moisture Resistant) rigid boards. Printable on both sides; available in 48 x 96-in. sheets for flatbed UV printing applications in ¹⁄₈-, ³⁄₁₆-, and ¼-in. thicknesses. Nudo Products nudo.com Its inkjet-printable products include PolyMetal, a 3- or 6-mm-thick aluminum on a recycled polyethylene core comes in a variety of colors and finishes in 4 x 8-, 4 x 10-, and 5 x 10-ft sheets; AlumaCorr comprises a co-polymer core with a laminated 0.015-in. aluminum surface on both sides and available in various sizes and thicknesses; Nu-Alum is a prefinished panel with a baked-enamel, polyester, wax-free coating. Palram palramamericas.com Palight Premium is a foamed PVC sheet specifically designed for digital printing (as well as screenprinting), and is suitable for use with UV-cured, solvent-based, and aqueous inks. Features a bright-white, smooth, and uniform surface; available in matte or gloss finish. Available in 4 x 8-, 5 x 8-, and 6 x 8-ft sheets; in thicknesses from 0.40- to 0.984-in. Various stock/standard colors plus an array of Designer Colors. Palight Outdoor is a foamed PVC sheet for exterior signage and display; rot-resistant and resistant to splitting, it’s available in standard thicknesses from 0.5 to 1.25 in. and in 4 x 8-ft panels. Panel Processing panel.com Its Eco-Finish Rigid Print Media is an eco-friendly board that’s 99% formaldehyde free. It comprises 100% biodegradable and recyclable DPI GreenCore rigid print media with a water-based coating. The combination results in a bright-white, smooth surface specially formulated for high-definition digital printing, the company says. Compatible with aqueous and UV inks and machinable. Available

in three finish levels: Standard (for basic printing where high-definition is not required; Premier (where more resolution and definition is required); and Superior (for near-picture resolution where high-definition quality is required). In 3.2- and 4.8-mm thicknesses and various sizes. Plaskolite plaskolite.com Features several acrylic media, including Optix DA, an acrylic sheet specifically designed for UV inks and digital flatbed printers. Polygal Plastics polygal.com Polypropylene Multiwall sheets are designed for outdoor and indoor signage, displays, and packaging. The substrate is also recyclable. Pregis Hexacomb falconboard.com Earlier this year, Pregis introduced Falconboard SR, a slimmer version of the company’s Falconboard Print and Mount graphic display boards. The ³⁄₁₆-in.-thick SR uses up to 25% less material than ½-in. boards and 10% less material than ¼-in. options, says Pregis, and is geared toward bracket-based aisle and shelf retail display signage. Both the SR and Print versions of Falconboard are 100% paper-based, recyclable products made from renewable resources (up to 40% recycled fiber content minimum); they feature an engineered paper core and waterbased adhesives, coupled with a white printing surface. Produced chlorofluorocarbon-free, they emit zero VOCs during manufacturing, the company reports. Both media are UV- and inkjet-compatible. Falconboard Print is available in eight standard thicknesses, from ¼- to 4-in.; standard sheet sizes from 48 x 96 to 60 x 120 in. (custom sizes also available).

Regal Graphics regalgraphics.com KromaPlex PC, a reverse-printable polycarbonate, is backed with 10-mil white, opaque, rigid backer film; it’s compatible with solvent- and eco/mildsolvent printers. Sabic Polymershapes sabicpolymershapes.com Its Lexan polycarbonate SG3080B/ SGC440B sheet is printable with UV and solvent inks and is designed to offer superior light transmission and diffusion for uniform illumination. SierraPine sierrapine.com The company’s Medite is an industrial medium-density fiberboard (MDF) featuring pre-consumer recycled wood fiber, a smooth hard surface, and good machining. “Test it and make sure it

Celtec Ultra White VYCOM will work in [your] operation,” advises SierraPine. Available in 4- and 5-ft widths and in lengths up to 18 ft. FSCcertified panels on request. Sihl Digital Imaging sihlusa.com The company’s DuraSol Heavy is a 17mil semi-rigid PVC display film with a low-glare satin finish and a scratchresistant coating. Compatible with solvent and UV printers, the media is intended to be used unlaminated for pop-up displays and tradeshow graphics.

Spartech spartech.com Produces a variety of inkjet-compatible products, including Rejuven8 Plus, a PLA plastic made from renewable sources such as corn. Also available is Valiant, a high-impact polystyrene sheet product specifically engineered for the graphic-arts market. Texture Plus textureplus.com Available in more than 95 faux designs, Texture Plus is a molded, highdensity polymer with a water-based acrylic finish compatible with either solvent or UV-curable inks. Panels are generally available in ½- or ¾-in. thick, and 2 x 4-ft. 3A Composites graphicdisplayusa.com Omni-Flute is a recyclable

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FESPA Mexico 2011 18 - 20 August

Centro Banamex, Mexico City The Mexican and Central American Exhibition for Sign and Graphics, Garment Decoration and Screen Printing.

Digital Textile Sponsor:

Global Technology Partner:

Global Software & Finishing Partner:

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Roland Eco-UV S Inks Roland DGA has introduced Eco-UV S, the next generation of the company’s Eco-UV inks. Formulated for elasticity and flexibility and oﬀered in CMYK and white, Eco-UV S inks are developed specifically for use with four of Roland’s VersaUV UV-LED inkjet printers: the LEJ-640 printer, the LEC-540 printer/cutter, and the LEC-330 and LEC-300A printer/cutters. Because the new inks can expand up to 220%, reports Roland, graphics produced with them can better stretch around uneven shapes, indentations, corners, and curved surfaces – for applications such as PET bottles and plastic cups, foodservice trays, auto-parts packaging, consumer electronics cases, P-O-P displays, interior décor items, and more. Price: $104.99 per 220-ml cartridge. ROLAND rolanddga.com

Mutoh Debuts ColorVerify Mutoh has launched ColorVerify, a color-checking system that utilizes the company’s SpectroVue VM-10 spectrophotometer to verify the printer’s color output before running a print job, providing a check for “color drift.” With the system, the user prints the ColorVerify Color Check test strip at the beginning of a print run and stores the measured values as a “baseline” in the printer’s on-board memory. At any point in the print run, the user can re-print the test strip and re-measure; the printer will analyze the measured values, compare them to the baseline values, and report how much color variation has occurred between the current print and the baseline measurement. ColorVerify also notifies the operator if the printer is reproducing color consistently across the full-platen width. The SpectroVue spectrophotometer can be used with Mutoh’s ValueJet 1324 and 1624 printers, and comes standard with the ValueJet 1608 Hybrid printer; it mounts directly to the side of the printhead. MUTOH mutoh.com

THE BIG PICTURE AUGUST 2011

Eco-Jet Mild Solvent Inks from American Ink Jet American Ink Jet Corporation has announced the availability of its “Eco-Jet” Mild Solvent inks for use in Roland printers. The Eco-Jet inks are a 6-color inkset and can be purchased in plug-and-play, prefilled, 440-ml cartridges. Cartridges can be installed individually as OEM ink cartridges run empty, and users switching from OEM inks do not need to flush out their ink lines, the company reports; new color profiles are not required. For use in Roland VersaCamm, Pro II V, Pro II EX, Soljet, Soljet Pro III, and Pro II series printers. AMERICAN INK JET americaninkjet.com

EnCore Products Intros Premium Tac Foam Board

New Sign&Banner Plug-in from Onyx Graphics

EnCore has announced Premium Tac, its new repositionable, pressure-sensitive foam board. The peel-and-stick, pH-neutral board features a kraft-colored, moisture-resistant release liner that’s been silicone-treated, helping to eliminate tunneling in varying climate conditions. Premium Tac is designed for mounting posters, photographs, laminated materials, and general art and craft projects. It’s also suited for cold-mounting applications and can be easily cut by hand or machine, reports EnCore. Available in ³⁄₁₆-in. thickness, it comes in four sizes (all white): 20 x 30-, 24 x 36-, 32 x 40-, and 40 x 60-in. sheets. Note: EnCore does not recommend Premium Tac for highvalue artwork, limited-edition prints, or items that might need to be removed at a later date. In addition, EnCore has upsized its White Foam Board Collection, adding two new additions to its line-up of ½-in. White Foam Board standard sheet sizes: 60 x 96 and 60 x 120 in. The white clay-coated foam boards can be used for exhibits, picture framing, litho mounting, painting, air brushing, P-O-P displays, screen printing, signs, vinyl lettering, and models.

Onyx Graphics has announced its Onyx SmartApps Sign&Banner Plug-in tool for Adobe Illustrator software, designed to simplify and accelerate setup of wide-format signs and banners. With it, users can prepare all aspects of a sign or banner directly in Adobe Illustrator software. For instance: The Sign&Banner Plug-in enables placement of grommet data at the design stage and from within Illustrator (versus via RIP software or manual measurement); it allows for the automatic preparation of print bleeds, including mirror bleeds, duplicate bleeds, and color bleeds, and at any size needed. And it offers the ability to “design-to-scale,” so jobs are print-ready at the correct size. The Sign&Banner Plug-in is application specific and operating-system independent (can be used on Macintosh or Windows platforms); it’s compatible with Adobe Illustrator software versions CS3, CS4, or CS5. It is independent of the RIP and Onyx RIP software is not required to use it. Price: $299; a Sign&Banner Plug-in Restoration Disc is available for an additional $39. Onyx reports that this is just the first in the new Onyx SmartApps toolset for creative applications: “With this and future plug-ins from Onyx Graphics, designers and prepress operators can more quickly prepare jobs with their existing design applications.” In addition, Onyx reports that it has added support for: Epson Stylus Pro 4900, 7890, and 9890 printers; and the HP Scitex LX820 and LX850 printers.

ENCORE PRODUCTS

ONYX graphics

encoreproducts.com

onyxgfx.com

www.bigpicture.net

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LexJet Introduces Poly Select Fabric LexJet has debuted a new line of Poly Select fabrics engineered for short-term outdoor applications such as special events and longer-term indoor applications, including banner stands, point-of-purchase, trade shows, corporate lobbies, table drapes, flags, backdrops, and more. Available in three weights – light, medium, and heavy – Poly Select fabrics are designed for output with aqueous inkjet printers. Poly Select Light is 7.5-mils thick and is ideal for finely detailed high-end images and designs; Poly Select Medium is 12-mils thick; and Poly Select Heavy is 13-mils thick and glare-resistant to work in any lighting condition, LexJet reports. Poly Select Heavy and Poly Select Light are available in 24-in., 36-in., 42-in., 50in., and 60-in. widths; Poly Select Medium is currently available only in 36-in. widths. The company also has introduced its new Performance Textured Polypropylene (10-mil) laminate, designed for graphics that require extra rigidity and durability, such as P-O-P and tradeshow displays. It contains no PVC resins or hazardous substances, and has been ASTM-rated for floor graphics. Available in 38- and 51-in. widths. LEXJET lexjet.com

X-Rite’s New Color-Calibration Solutions X-Rite has announced the availability of i1Display Pro and ColorMunki Display, two hardware and software solutions for color calibration and profiling of displays, laptops, and projectors. Both devices feature a high-end optical system with custom-designed filters as well as a colorimeter design combining three functions: ambient light measurement, display profiling, and projector profiling. They also incorporate new profiling software with features including Ambient Light Smart Control to measure and compensate for ambient lighting conditions, and FlareCorrect for measuring display surface flare and compensation of on-screen glare. The i1Display Pro is designed for imaging professionals looking for high on-screen color accuracy and want total control over their monitors and projectors. Key features include: 5x measurement speed; easy switching between display or projector profi ling and ambient light capture;

infinite control of white point, luminance, contrast ratio, gamma and more; multiple monitor and workgroup matching; Intelligent Iterative Profi ling to accurately measure the color capabilities of a display; X-Rite Automatic Display Control to automatically adjust display hardware; and Pantone Spot Color optimization with included Pantone Color Manager software. The ColorMunki Display provides professional color results in a format that doesn’t require in-depth knowledge of color science. It features an ‘Easy’ mode with a selection of one-click presets as well as an ‘Advanced’ mode. Specific features include: quick switching between monitor or projector profi ling and ambient light capture; advanced ColorMunki display- and projector-profi ling software; and Intelligent Iterative Profi ling. X-Rite sister company Pantone (pantone.com) has announced two new guides that extend the Pantone Plus Series: the Pantone Plus Series Designer Field Guide and the Pantone Plus Series Starter Guide. The Pantone Plus Series Designer Field Guide includes wider color swatches and tear-out chips of all 1341 Pantone Solid Colors; available on both coated and uncoated text-weight stock. Includes Pantone Color Manager software. Price: $169 (coated/uncoated set). The Pantone Plus Series Starter Guide is a sampler of select colors from each of the Plus Series Color libraries (543 colors in all). It contains selections from all Pantone Plus Series Color Libraries including Pastels & Neons, Premium Metallics, Classic Metallics, and Solid Colors. Price: $49. X-RITE xrite.com

THE BIG PICTURE AUGUST 2011

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QUICK SHOTS Onset Challenge: Fujifilm North

Barbieri Launches Portable Spectrophotometer Barbieri has announced the Spectropad, a portable spectrophotometer for professional digital printing. Built to measure a variety of media used in professional digital printing, including wide-format output, the battery-powered Spectropad features: a large measurement aperture (6mm) to accurately measure a range of media (banner, textiles, PVC, vinyl, more); Barbieri’s “qb technology” based on D50 illumination; an integrated touch display for immediate feedback on measurement results; Wi-Fi data transmission; and more. It can also be used directly on the printer. Price: Approximately $2857, including Profi le-Xpert Gateway measurement software. BARBIERI barbierielectronic.com

America has launched its “Onset Challenge” website, which comprises information on the Inca Onset series of printers and also provides users with an ROI calculator for the Onset machines, printed samples, and a contest to win a Fujifilm digital camera are also available on the site. onsetchallenge.com

Advantage Sign Supply, CET Color Partner: Advantage Sign Supply has become a CET Color distributor, representing CET’s lineup of wide-format UV printers through its 10 regional locations. advantagesignsupply.com

XMPie Users Group New Website: The XMPie Users Group has launched a new website, making more content publicly available to increase online collaboration, as well as offering new and improved networking and education functionality to its members. In addition, a new, free Guest Membership option is now available. xmpieusers.org

New IDEAlliance program: IDEAlliance’s G7 Process Control & Conformance Program (G7 PCC) is an extension of its G7 Master Program. The program consists of a mix of onsite training, assessment, and compliance analysis; upon successful completion of the program, the participating site will receive a certificate of qualification and a comprehensive binder of user documents and reference material. The program will also include continued assessment of conformance over time. In addition, the program serves as a foundational tool to prepare for the RIT Printing Standards Audit Certification Program. ideaalliance.org

SpyderGallery iPad app: Datacolor has released its SpyderGallery iPad app available for free download via the Apple App Store. Designed to help photographers manage color output on the iPad, the app calibrates the display and ensures that colors are consistent throughout the workflow process. Owners of Datacolor’s Spyder3 display-calibration solutions can create a custom color profile on their iPad using the app. datacolor.com

THE BIG PICTURE AUGUST 2011

graphics on the go <16 sure we are 100-percent ready for them. Because removals have a tendency to vary from completing much faster to completing much slower than anticipated, we prefer to jump right on them first thing in the morning. The crews are identified and prepared before the client ever arrives. This entails having empty trash cans parked at the scene and all the necessary tools ready and waiting to get the job done. Preparation is key to giving you the highest probability of a happy customer. When it comes time to actually begin the removal, we like to make sure the vinyl is nice and warm, preferably 90 degrees or higher. Just placing the vehicle in the sun for an hour or so usually does the trick. When we need to hurry along the process, we use flame-throwing weed burners attached to propane tanks and only heat up what we can remove in 10-minute intervals. If the coverage area is small, we’ll stick to our small hand-held torches. As another best practice, we teach our crews to pull down and away as opposed to just away. Pulling warm vinyl down and away at a 45-degree (or less) angle will reduce the risk of pulling paint or leaving adhesive. And we have found that citrus-based removers work best at removing

adhesives left behind. The trick is to spray these removers on and let them sit for 10 to 20 minutes before using a plastic razor blade or Little Chiseler to wipe the residue clean. Remember that while the citrus-based removers are more environmentally friendly and less harsh on the skin, they are extremely flammable. Most shops utilize heat or open flame at some point throughout each day, which can be extremely dangerous when mixed with these chemicals. The lesson here: Be completely done with heat sources before applying or spraying any type of remover liquids. The last money- and time-saving technique we’ve learned is to ensure that each crew member has his own trash can and chair. We prefer trash cans with wheels that can easily follow the staff member and make for much less cleanup after the job is done. Our crew members use short mechanic’s stools or retired office chairs with the backs removed; our using chairs can help to ease back pain when working on the lower portions of the removal. Finding efficiencies in removals is no less important than other areas in your wrap business. When your crew can professionally, quickly, and efficiently handle removals, your shop will be much more attractive to potential clients.

business + management <18 Equally important is that everyone knows just where that place is. Years ago, I noticed that our shop seemed to be looking rather trashy on a regular basis. One of the primary reasons was that we had a lot of scrap and waste lying around the shop, all over the floor. While our employees were doing an adequate job of cleaning up all the waste at the end of the day, during their shift the place looked terrible. Plus, waste laying everywhere can not only hinder workflow, it can also become a safety hazard. When I discussed this with our fabrication and print managers, they mentioned that the primary problem was that we didn’t have very good garbage cans and the crews would waste a lot of production time carrying trash over to the dumpster. So we talked about what type of garbage receptacles would be best and we ended up buying five large plastic garbage bins mounted on wheels. They actually hold a lot of material waste and are easily wheeled over to the dumpster to be emptied on a regular basis. Improving the look of your shop will probably require you to do some extra work that you might not currently do. For example, your shop floor should probably be wetmopped on a regular basis in addition to being swept once

if not twice per day. Having the constant mandate to keep all areas free from clutter will keep the shop looking sharp and will also provide a much safer environment for your employees. You’ll send a positive message to your employees that you care about them working in a safe environment. One last suggestion that has worked great at our company: Perform a thorough cleaning of the shop, “top to bottom” on a regular basis. We do this quarterly. Everyone in the shop participates and makes a huge eﬀort to make their individual work area shine.

Nothing lost in translation Maintaining the look of your shop will require a strong, consistent commitment from your management team. If your newfound enthusiasm for a clean, sparkling workplace is perceived as a “one-hit wonder,” your employees will see right through it and, within weeks, your shop will look just like it always has. So whether you decide to go crazy and implement a system like the 5S program, or adopt just some of these suggestions, the progress you make toward improving your shop will reap you some significant rewards. www.bigpicture.net

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rigid media <45 polypropylene sheet designed for short-term signage and P-O-P displays. It features a smooth, treated surface that accepts direct digital printing and repositionable vinyl, and can be die- or knife-cut. Available in bright white, black, and natural (clear) colors; in various sizes up to 5 x 10 ft. Dibond consists of two sheets of 0.012-in. aluminum bonded to a polyethylene core. Pre-painted with a polyester finish, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s available in 2-, 3-, and 4-mm thicknesses and in sizes up to 60 x 120 in. and is compatible with solvent and UV-curable printers. Its e-panel is an aluminum composite material (ACM) made of two prepainted sheets of 0.008-in. aluminum with a solid polyethylene core. Masked on both sides, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suitable for direct digital print, and can be saw cut, routed, or punched. In 2-mm white (4 x 8-ft sheets), 3-mm white (4 x 8-, 5 x 10-ft sheets), and 4-mm white (4 x 8-ft sheets). Sintra is a lightweight, rigid, expanded PVC board with a low-gloss, matte finish. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s available in a wide range of thicknessesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;from 1 to 13 mmâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and in various colors and sheet sizes. For faster printing speeds, Sintra Print-Optimized versions are available in 3- and 6-mm thicknesses. Also available is e-pvc, a low-density, lighter, less-rigid PVC board. Gatorfoam, polystyrene foam between Luxcell wood-fiber veneer liners, is available for direct printing in sheets up to 60 x 120 in. and Âłâ &#x201E;â&#x201A; â&#x201A;&#x2020;- to 2-in. thick. Also offered is Gatorplast, a Âłâ &#x201E;â&#x201A; â&#x201A;&#x2020;- to Â˝-in. thick extruded polystyrene foam core laminated on both sides with high-impact polystyrene. Fome-Cor, a foam-centered board with clay-coated paper liners, is available in stock sheets up to 60 x 96 and 48 x 120 in. It can be digitally printed directly using water-based, solvent, or UV-curable inks. Tricel Corp. tricelcorp.com Tricel Honeycomb Tripanel Display

and Graphics Board uses up to 85% recycled paper content and is 100% recyclable. Compatible with most inks, Tricel reports, the substrate is available in three standard thicknesses (0.5-, 0.75-, and 1.5 in.) and in custom thicknesses up to 4 in. Standard sheet size is 4 x 8 ft (custom sizes available). Ultraflex Systems ultraflexx.com Compatible with UV-curable and many solvent-based inks, UltraStyrene Opaque is a 20-pt rigid plastic (polystyrene) best suited for frontlit signs. This product can be custom made up to 30 pt. and in widths up to 60 in. Accepts UV, solvent, eco-solvent, and screenprinting inks. UltraStyrene Translucent is available in a 14-pt. thicknesses. It is a rigid, plastic material (polystyrene) best suited for backlit signs. This product can also be custom made up to 30 pt. and in various 48- to 60-in. widths. Accepts UV, solvent, ecosolvent, and screenprinting inks. United Industries ultraboard.com Specifically for flatbed printers, Ultra White DP is a lightweight, heavy-duty, bright-white, foam board with a dense extruded polystyrene foam core; 18-pt and poly-coated kraft paper-lined. It can be cut by hand, saw, or with razor cutters. Standard sheet size is 48 x 96 in. (increasing soon to 60 x 120 in.) with a standard thickness of ³⁄₁₆-, ½-, ¾-, and 1 in. Ultra Board is a heavy-duty, allplastic foamboard with a high-impact polystyrene surface. Thicknesses from ³⁄₁₆- to 3 in., comes in white or black surface colors; in sheets up to 60 x 120 in. With a white core and white surfaces, Ultra Plus is an all-plastic polystyrene foamboard between two layers of expanded PVC liner. Thicknesses from ¼- to 3 in.; in sheets up to 48 x 120 in. Ultra Mount is a foamboard with

Introducing Nazdar 7470 UV Digital Inks

Featuring Enhanced Adhesion Performance. s Wide Compatibility Range: Superior adhesion performance on a variety of polypropylene substrate materials without pre-treating s Clean & Easy Finishing: Excellent flexibility and resistance to edge chipping on styrene and other polypropylene materials when used with a knife or router cutter s Durable and Bright: High impact, high intensity colors with extended color gamut and excellent UV durability

SourceOneOnline.com

rigid media

X-Board XANITA poly-coated, 18-pt., kraft paper liners. Available in white or black and in thicknesses from ³⁄₁₆ to 1 in., in 48 x 96-in. sheets. Ultra Aluminum Face is foamboard with an anodized aluminum face. Available in brushed or polished gold and chrome, as well as acrylic backed white finishes; white and black foam cores. Thicknesses from ³⁄₁₆ to 3 in., and sheet sizes up to 48 x 96 in.

Vycom vycomplastics.com Celtec is a foamed PVC sheet for highstrength, lightweight applications. The smooth, satin-finished sheets are available in 10 colors, a range of sizes (4 x 8, 4 x 10, and 5 x 10 ft standard), and thicknesses from 1 to 30 mm (depending upon color). Digital and screenprint receptive; die-cutable. Celtec Ultra White is a solid rigid PVC substrate designed for outdoor applications where resistance to UV is critical. Printable (digital and screen), it features a durable, smooth, gloss finish. Thermoformable and die-cutable. Available in 2-, 3-, and 6-mm thicknesses and in 48 x 96-in. sheets.

board for short-term displays and structures. X-Board’s high crushstrength paper core is manufactured from post-consumer recycled paper and sugarcane waste. Panels can be UV inkjet printed direct or decorative laminates can be applied over the board. X-Board Print is available in two stock sizes: 48 x 96 and 48 x 120 in. (custom sizes up to 142 in.), and in stock thicknesses from 0.2 to 1.3 in. Also available for print work is X-Board Lite, an open-cell honeycomb board. Xcel Products xcelproducts.com Its Rigid Vinyl is a rigid plastic print stock available in various grades and in 25-in. sheet widths, 10- and 20-mil; compatible with digital UV inks.

Xanita xanita.com Optimized for UV flatbed printers, XBoard Print is a versatile, lightweight

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New “Throw Away” Economy Banner from Ultraflex SuperPrint Economy FL 8 oz. is an economical front-lit banner material for UV, latex and solvent printing. Its smooth surface, light-weight, fire-retardant ratings and low price point make this product perfect for short-term indoor and outdoor applications. Available in matte and gloss finishes on 50m long rolls x 0.965m (38”), 1.37m (54”), 1.60m (63”) & 3.2m (126”) widths. A billboard version of this product is available called Billboard 420 FL in 192” x 420’ rolls. SuperPrint Economy is also available in various widths wound face-out on 6” cores x 150m lengths, specifically for the TurboJet. Applications •Indoor Banners •Outdoor Banners •POP Posters •Exhibition Graphics •Short-term “throw away” banners For more information or to request samples, please contact Ultraflex (973) 664-6724, visit www.ultrafleXX.com or visit us at SGIA 2011 booth # 419

ad index

August 2011

Agfa Graphics 17 www.agfa.com bpic.net 49 www.bigpicture.net Bordeaux Digital Print Ink Ltd. OBC www.c-m-y-k.com CET Color 24 www.cetcolor.com EnCore Products 52 www.encoreproducts.com FESPA 45 www.fespamexico.com Fujfilm Sericol USA Inc. 5 www.onsetchallange.com Mimaki USA Inc. 3 www.mimakiusa.com Mitsubishi Plastics 11 www.graphic-al.com Mutoh America 7 www.mutohusa.com Nazdar SourceOne 53 www.sourceoneonline.com

Océ North America IFC www.oceusa.com Palram Americas. 9 www.palram.com Panel Processing 50 www.panelprocessing.com Seiko Instruments USA IBC www.seiko-i.com Signage & Graphics Summit 15 www.signageandgraphics.com SGIA 19 www.sgia.org ST Book Division 55 www.bookstore.stmediagroup.com Ultraflex Systems 55 www.ultraflexx.com Visual Magnetics 1 www.visualmagnetics.com Zund America Inc. 43 www.zund.com

job log

Bringing the Outdoors In “Working with the Print Shop not only makes students feel connected to the campus, it gives them a connection to the print industry and allows them to see the opportunities this marketing tool can offer them in the future.”

THE BIG PICTURE AUGUST 2011

The Client Base Camp Cullowhee The Player Western Carolina University Print Shop (printmail.wcu.edu) Tools & Supplies Mimaki JV3-160, General Formulations Concept 234 Graphi-Tex Wall Film, Mimaki inks The Job When the office of Western Carolina University’s Base Camp Cullowhee, an outdoor hiking and rafting program, moved from the Student University Center to a less traveled area of campus, it needed a way to somehow remain on students’ radar screens. Student Affairs looked to create an eye-catching display to rally fellow students to explore the outdoors. The most traveled location on campus – University Center – was chosen for the display site, and the college’s own University Print Shop set out to bring the outdoors inside. To offer students a glimpse into the life of a print provider, shop manager Tom Frazier involved 10 student workers in every step of the production process, from the photography to the installation. Production Student-based Western Carolina Creative Services served as photographers for the project, providing high-resolution images to the WCU Print Shop, which readied the fi les using Adobe Creative Suite. The shop furnished the client with a 12 x 18-inch proof, actually superimposed over a photograph taken of the project’s future destination. Once approved, the images were output using the shop’s Mimaki JV3-160 printer onto 54-inch-wide General Formulations Concept 234 Graphi-Tex Fabric Wall Film. Two 14 x 14foot panels were produced. Although the output proved to be smooth sailing, the installation was more like trying to paddle against the current: “We struggled to fit a train-tunnel graphic perfectly onto elevator doors, and had an even harder time making the waterfall fit around the lip of the wall,” says Frazier. In addition, the WCU Print Shop added a threedimensional element to the display – it affi xed an actual kayak, which was cut in half and hung using an L bracket, complete with a lifelike mannequin equipped with an oar and helmet. And for an interactive element, the shop included an “Upcoming Events” solidcolor panel where students could post fliers.

Introducing The Industry’s First HAPs-Free Ink That Does Not Require High-Heat Baking

IX Ink That’s right. The first wide-format ink without HAPs (Hazardous Air Pollutants) that does not need to be baked! Yes, your current eco-solvent inks have HAPs! Go HAPs-Free with SIIT’s revolutionary IX ink. Give your employees a healthier printing environment without sacrificing outdoor lightfastness, print-to-print color accuracy or vibrant, glossy colors.

only available on the ALL NEW

For more information, contact your local Seiko Instruments USA Reseller or call 1-800-264-1272. Available now in limited quantities.