Everything you need to know about Digital Printing – continued…
Everything you need to know about Digital Printing – continued…
This company was bought a couple of years ago by HP and is now the HP Scitex operation. NUR maintained its independence until late in 2007, when it was also bought by HP. Another HP acquisition in 2007 was ColorSpan, maker of small to medium sized flatbed UV inkjets. The company also has a relationship with Seiko to sell the latter’s relatively low priced solvent inkjets as the Designjet 8000, 9000 and 10000.
Other companies entered the market successfully with versatile and relatively low cost solvent printers. Mimaki, Mutoh and Roland Digital Graphics are all Japanese companies that bought print heads from Epson and built them into wide ranges of solvent machines.
With the increasing pressure to cut down on ‘aggressive’ solvents based on VOCs (volatile organic compounds), these three companies in particular have pioneered the development of low solvent inks (often called eco solvents) that use less hazardous ingredients. These have a shorter outdoor life than aggressive solvents, but they are improving. Another benefit is that the print room and the print smells better too!
The needs of signage and large display print also prompted the introduction of a third major wide format technology. By using UV curable inks and strengthened feed and support tables, flatbed inkjets can also print directly onto most rigid materials. These can be anything from large sheets of foam board for exhibition panels, though aluminium Dibond panels for exterior building panels (such as building site hoardings), plus more unusual materials such as wooden doors or glass sheets.
UV flatbeds were pioneered by the UK’s Inca Digital, which got its first Eagle 44 machines to market in 2001, followed closely by Durst with its Rho series. Now there is a wide choice of machines from many companies, at all sorts of speeds and price points some with the ability to print a dense opaque white ink for backlit transparencies and dark materials. Flatbeds are generally used by the sort of companies that were previously analogue screen printers, though they are not yet a complete replacement for screen as the digital ink costs more and cannot yet handle special colours such as metallics.
New Look Website for The Printing House Website – 15th July 2009
We’ve been working hard over recent months to try create a new look and new content for our flagship brand The Printing House Website. When you find some time, please take a look and feed back to us. Some of the new content includes A Guide to Preparing Print Ready Artwork and information about our Large Format and banner printing service.
We’re a bit sad and are so excited by our new site that we’re now rebranding Print Buying Direct, Golf Club Centenary Books and School Prospectus Made Easy – so keep an eye out – we’ll email when its available on line.
Keep watching all our sites as we are continually adding new content.
To be continued…
See part one of this blog on digital printing here. Also – what does the future hold for printing – part 1
All about the new Printing House Website
Order your Appointment Cards online at Print Buying Direct – prices from £13.50 for 100 cards printed in full colour. At print buying direct we are market leaders in the printing of appointment cards and can produce them for doctors, hairdressers, dentists, physio, beauty salons, nail technicians, garages, massage therapists – for anything really. Just visit our Appointment Cards web page for more information.
Our business cards are some of the best in the business – printed in full colour on our £200,000 state of the art digital press – you’ll be proud to hand out business cards that we produce for you. Our business card prices are also very cost effective – 100 full colour business cards for only £10!
Don’t forget we’re still running our Letterheads promotion – 2000 full colour letterheads (headed paper) for £125 delivered! We’ve been producing letterheads since 1991 for hundreds of customs as diverse as Bentley and Royal Mail.
See Part 12 of this blog on Print finishing, See also our Blog on Spot UV Varnishing
Print Buying Direct and School Prospectus Made Easy are both brands of parent company – The Printing House Ltd of Crewe, Cheshire, UK. Keep visiting both websites for details of our latest offers and promotions. For more information School Prospectus including School Prospectus Design or School Prospectus Printing (we also specialise in college prospectus) see our www.schoolprospectus.info website
Have a look at our Newsletters webpage for help and assistance with writing and designing your newsletter. It deals with, company newsletters, college newsletters, school newsletters and employee newsletters in particluar. Our blog often focuses on newsletters and we have a page which specifically helps with newsletters as a marketing tool.
TOP TIP: Add that feel of quality to your company brochure by first applying Matt Lamination then a Spot UV Varnish. The UV Varnishing actually ‘lifts’ your pictures to give them a glossy impact.
Our Digital Brochures (turn page technology) are really taking off now – get your brochure put online from only £15 per page.
One of the mainstays at Print Buying Direct is Leaflets. We are experts at Leaflet Design or Leaflet Printing Check out our Banner Stands (pop up banners) only £99. Design service available.
Tags: appointment cards, digital printing, Full Colour Letterheads, leaflet design, leaflet printing, print ready artwork, Printing House