EFI Engage showcases breakthrough innovations

Electronics For Imaging’s (EFI) first-ever worldwide virtual users’ conference, EFI Engage, is delivering new and innovative product launches and educational opportunities to accelerate customers’ ability to profitably and efficiently transition from analog to digital printing.

Running from January 25 to February 5, the event features a virtual exhibition hall, along with demos and presentations on advanced Productivity Suite MIS/ERP, inkjet printing, and Fiery digital front end (DFE) solutions.

Advanced superwide-format inkjet technologies at EFI Engage include a new higher-throughput VUTEk XT hybrid device, which will be one of multiple superwide-format display graphics production solutions launching at the event.

In addition to workshops and presentations on commercial printing, packaging and inkjet display graphics applications, EFI Engage also features training on industrial textile printing – with training and demos on the full portfolio of EFI Reggiani digital production solutions for apparel and textile manufacturing.

The event features comprehensive training for corrugated and other package converting applications, as well as introductory sessions detailing important opportunities in the building materials market. This includes EFI Cretaprint tile decoration solutions, along with high-quality industrial digital production applications using EFI Cubik single-pass printers for digital wood staining and decoration.

“EFI Engage features a wealth of content and information to help customers learn about important new opportunities, as well as gain actionable ideas that can propel them into a more efficient and profitable ‘next normal’ phase of business,” said Jeff Jacobson, EFI chairman and CEO.

“Attendees will learn about the strengths they can create in the future with leading-edge workflow innovation, along with the important expansion in print’s analog-to-digital evolution that comes with our newest, most-advanced inkjet solutions.”

Several new solutions will be premiering at the virtual event, including the new version 9 releases in EFI’s Productivity Suite offerings, which provide end-to-end business and production management workflows for commercial print, mailing, display graphics, publication and packaging operations.

These are based on MIS/ERP platforms, including Monarch, Pace, Radius, CTI and Technique software.

Next up, EFI’s new super-high-speed VUTEk XT hybrid printer, designed to drive a significant reduction in total cost of ownership with throughput exceeding 375 boards per hour, innovative ink delivery, and an integrated workflow.

CP5G ink delivery technology on the printer delivers complete ink circulation, superior dot placement, 5-picoliter drops and greyscale imaging – a robust feature set provides fine text imaging and near-lithographic imaging with a four-colour CMYK ink sets.

A second super-high-speed product, a Single-Pass for Display Graphics printer, will also be on show, and is optimised for high-volume production on signage media at speeds up to 1,000 sheets per hour.

In terms of roll-to-roll superwide-format printers, EFI unveils its fastest models – the new 138- and 198-inch wide EFI VUTEk Q3r and Q5r UV LED printers, which deliver expanded capabilities for a wide range of challenging, high-volume applications.

The VUTEk comes with premium features such as multi-layer white and high-value in-line finishing, collection and auto backlit and blockout options, which help users achieve a remarkably low total cost of operation.

In terms of management interface, the latest release of the Fiery Command WorkStation 6.6, delivers EFI’s most robust search interface capabilities and powers faster curve and spot-colour editing capabilities.

It also has access to a host of additional features, such as the EFI IQ suite of cloud-based applications to help printing businesses extract value from data in order to minimise bottlenecks, optimise equipment utilisation and achieve higher print quality.

According to Tom Griffiths, CEO of Slough, England-based design and print agency Page Visions, an early adopter of WorkStation 6.6, the latest features delivered make it more than just a pre-press and press operators’ tool.

“The new Advanced Search with version 6.6 means we are able to get very granular with our job filtering and combine parameters to create production efficiencies,” Griffiths continues.

Finally, EFI will showcase the latest version of Fiery JobFLow, its pre-press production automation solution, which now gives users the power to significantly upscale images with higher-rate output quality, reorganise and better manage PDF pages, and collect jobs based on time to ensure meeting production deadlines.

This year’s event will also feature advanced solutions from participating partners, including 3M Commercial Solutions, Aberdeen Fabrics, Duplo, ISCorp, Lubrizol, Progress Software Corp, Ricoh and Thomson Reuters.

For more information on the EFI Engage conference or to register, visit the website here.