Inkjet’s Age
applications as the pigments stay
closer to the paper surface, thus
reducing show-through on thin
papers, she added.
“As the combination of advancements
in inks, print heads, and drying
solutions within inkjet technology
matures and evolves, the ability to
use standard off set coated stocks with
inkjet will drive more transition from
off set to digital as well along with the
traditional advantages such as personalization
and short-run lengths,”
Jammallo said.
“Th e latest ink and drying technology
of the Océ ProStream opens up
a world of commercial applications
with high ink coverage for production
inkjet,” she added. “With the speed,
quality, and substrate fl exibility, many
book printers also are transitioning
their book printing from off set to
inkjet. Printers who use inkjet can consider
high-end fi nishing options like
UV coating, foil, and metallic.”
All of these advances mean that
printers are now engaging in diff erent
printing projects that they could not
off er customers before.
Current UV printers and soft ware
RIPs on the market are off ering a multitude
of options and features to allow
specialty printing on a “huge gamut” of
materials, notes McNaughton.
These features include print head
technologies that allow UV printers
to print at a much higher resolution,
eject smaller droplet sizes, and run
at higher speeds, he said, adding
that substrate thickness/head height
capabilities of more than 11 inches
enable PSPs to print on “very thick”
items that are pre-assembled or create
custom jigs for specialty products
or irregular shapes.
UV inks available on the market can
be rigid, off ering greater adhesion,
chemical resistance and durability in
contrast to a fl exible ink which can be
folded and stretched without failure,
noted McNaughton.
“Th ere also are hybrid inks on the
market off ering the best of both worlds
with performance in-between a true
rigid or fl exible ink,” he said. “Th ere
are many specialty primers available
to increase adhesion on items such
as glass, metals, stone, and plastics.
White inks and white ink supply systems
have improved greatly over the
years, allowing more opacity and less
clogging, making white much more
user-friendly to the operator.”
Many RIPs have features allowing
the operator to print textures with UV
ink, providing the operator with the
capability to print items such as Braille
Peacock printed on unique media substrate on the new Xerox
Iridesse Production Press.
are even simulated textures such as
wood grain or tiled patterns giving a
3D appearance that can be seen and
touched, said McNaughton.
Th ere are several factors PSPs should
note when considering expansion of
their service off erings to embrace this
type of work, industry experts say.
“As printers look to capitalize on
substrate fl exibility, it’s important to
remember that as your capabilities
scale, your workfl ows need to scale as
well,” Johansen explained.
“Th at means delivering the same level
of workfl ow optimization and color
consistency that is foundational to a
printer’s reputation, but now across more
substrates,” he added. “Th is can require
a lot of trial and error or in many cases
enlisting outside experienced help.”
Johansen points out that “we as an
industry have this tremendous opportunity
to leverage more and more diverse
substrates in wide format inkjet
but at the end of the day, print buyers
still expect consistency from job to job
and substrate to substrate.
“A successful printer needs to deliver
on that consistency, no matter how
exciting the substrate,” he adds. “Without
consistency, campaigns can look
sloppy and unprofessional, limiting
their eff ectiveness and potentially
costing business.”
To expand their off erings, PSPs
should identify their core vertical market
to focus on and become experts in
those markets, says Jammallo. “Th ey
should complement their workfl ow to
achieve operational effi ciencies and
fi nishing capabilities
that will support their
application growth and
customer needs.”
PSPs also should
consider their potential
volume, Jammallo
points out.
“Investing into production
inkjet usually
requires high monthly
volumes to justify the
investment,” she says.
“However, with the
entry of sheetfed inkjet
devices like the Océ VarioPrint i-series,
the cost of entry is much lower
and can be justifi ed with monthly
volumes of 1,000,000 images with
the option to add more volume as the
business grows.”
While the expansion of substrates
is an exciting advancement for many
PSPs, the primary consideration to
obtain successful results when going
into a new niche market is using the
right ink or printing technology for the
job, McNaughton pointed out.
“Depending on the product’s use, a
rigid ink may be much more suitable
than a flexible ink for the application,”
he said.
PSPs should also take into account
if the material is going to require any
additional prep or adhesion promotors,
McNaughton added.
“Oft entimes, if the printed items will
be sold through retail or distribution,
the customer will put the printed item
through rigorous testing to see how
the ink will hold up to the wear of the
intended application or environment,”
he concluded.
PrintingNewscom June 2018 Printing News 25
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