The Australian wide‑format print market has reached a new milestone with the arrival of the EFI VUTEk M3h Hybrid LED Printer, launched by Currie Group.
Purpose‑built for high‑volume, high‑mix production, the EFI VUTEk M3h brings together true flatbed precision and industrial roll‑to‑roll performance in one powerful system, now available locally with full sales, service, and application support.
At the heart of the launch is the installation of a fully configured EFI M3h at Currie Group’s Melbourne Demonstration Centre, giving Australian print businesses the opportunity to see, touch, and test the technology in real production conditions.
One system, unlimited possibilities
According to Paul Whitehead, Currie Group’s business unit manager – Sign & Display, the EFI M3h has been engineered for printers who refuse to compromise.
“It seamlessly handles rigid boards up to 50mm thick alongside flexible roll media, delivering consistent colour, sharp detail, and production‑level speeds across an extraordinary range of applications,” Whitehead explains, saying it’s the ideal choice for businesses who want to step up to a ‘super-wide’ range of opportunities.
“The M3h can handle just about anything – from retail signage, point‑of‑sale and display graphics through to industrial décor, packaging prototypes, and specialty applications, and, it’s designed to keep workflows moving while expanding what’s possible on the print floor,” he adds.
“With its versatile UV LED technology, the M3h can print directly to materials like foam board, aluminium, acrylic, styrene and other rigid substrates to create a wide variety of indoor signage for retail and hospitality, and equally enable a range of options for outdoor signs, printed to either inexpensive media for short-term or sheltered locations, or more durable media for longer duration campaigns or more exposed sites.
“With the ability to use white ink and multi-layered printing, users can produce premium quality, high-margin day/night backlit graphics for retail or corporate applications – and virtually everything needed for tradeshows or events, from hanging banners, to rigid signs, booth backdrops and more.”
Exceptional capabilities, unrivalled performance
With the EFI VUTEk M3h Hybrid LED Printer, businesses are not just upgrading wide-format print capabilities – they are opening up a world of new opportunities, by providing the capacity for higher volumes, lower costs, and faster turnaround times.
The printer offers the flexibility of a true, hybrid flatbed/roll-fed UV LED platform that handles rigid and flexible substrates with ease, and offers the versatility of CMYK plus two white inks for ultimate print flexibility.
Optional clear ink can extend that versatility further, enhancing entire prints by flooding the whole image, or adding special effects or enhancements by using it as a spot coating. Unlike competitive clear inks on the market, the clear on the M3h is protective, removing the need for a secondary laminating process. The unique clear ink protects against UV, graffiti and pressure washing.
“Essentially, this printer is the key to opening up new opportunities,” Whitehead says. “You can explore new markets and differentiate your offering, without investing in a whole fleet of printers, and without compromising on quality or performance.”
So, what are the capabilities of the EFI VUTEk M3h Hybrid LED Printer?
The 3.2m M3h prints in up to 2400dpi resolution, at speeds of up to 290m2/hour, on media up to 50mm thick, producing high quality imaging driven by a magnetic, linear drive that ensure better drop placement.
Engineered for precision, it offers:
- True hybrid versatility – effortless switching between rigid and roll media
- Production‑class imaging – CMYK plus white standard, with precise drop placement
- Innovative split‑shaft roll system – independent roll handling for increased productivity
- LED curing – instant on/off, low heat, energy efficiency, and broad media compatibility
- Industrial reliability – built for multi‑shift operation and demanding environments
Designed for productivity, built for profit
What sets the EFI M3h apart is not just its flexibility, but how efficiently it delivers. Automated features, rapid changeovers, and consistent output quality reduce waste, minimise downtime, and help operators do more with fewer touchpoints.
“For Australian printers facing increasing cost pressures and shorter turnaround expectations, the M3h offers a future‑ready platform that supports both operational efficiency and business growth,” Whitehead says.
“Its industry-leading LED technology enables you to extend the range of substrates you can handle, allowing you to create cost-effective solutions for your customers, while maintaining excellent profit margins.
“Further savings will flow from the increased uptime, reduced operating costs and lower energy consumption – which, together with the low-VOC inks and savings in waste and consumables, can help you move towards more sustainable production.”
Indeed, the inks used on the EFI M3h printer are worthy of note in themselves, Whitehead points out.
“The printer uses genuine, environmentally-friendly EFI VUTEk M3h LED Inks that are formulated with excellent open time, which means the inks don’t need to be purged as often, and there’s less need for operators to wipe printheads between jobs,” he continues.
“That means more time savings and, importantly, more reliable jetting which maximises uptime, lifting your productivity and profitability – while delivering excellent adhesion, elongation and water resistance.”
Experience it in Melbourne
To mark the Australian launch, Currie Group has installed the EFI M3h at its Melbourne Demonstration Centre, creating a dedicated space for live demonstrations, application testing, and hands‑on evaluation.
The flagship printer, which was commissioned during January, is now fully operational and ready to be run through its paces, with Whitehead keen to give Australian print service providers and signage shops the chance to see what it can do, with their own eyes.
“The M3h was released in late 2024, at Printing United in Las Vegas in September, and has been in high demand worldwide, after creating quite a stir at the ISA International Sign Expo and at FESPA last year,” Whitehead reports.
“Now, we are excited to finally be able to demonstrate its capabilities live in Melbourne, so that business owners can get an idea of how it can help them build their success.
“We are inviting customers to bring their own files and media to see how the M3h performs in real‑world scenarios, supported by Currie Group’s experienced applications and technical specialists, who will be running the tailored demonstrations during customer appointments. Honestly, this is one which really needs to be seen to be believed.”
Backed by Currie Group
As EFI’s exclusive partner in Australia and New Zealand, Currie Group delivers more than just equipment – each and every one of its products are backed by extensive product and technical expertise, and the renowned support of the industry’s most extensive service operation.
Customers benefit from:
- Local sales and applications expertise
- National service and support infrastructure
- Ongoing training and workflow optimisation
- A complementary portfolio that supports the entire wide-format production ecosystem
The hybrid future starts now
The arrival of the EFI M3h signals a new era for hybrid printing in Australia. Powerful, versatile, and production-ready, it is a system designed for printers who want to say yes to more work, more applications, and more opportunity.
“That’s the key, really,” Whitehead concludes. “This is an impressive machine, with impressive specifications…but it’s more than that.
“The EFI VUTEk M3h opens new doors, creates new opportunities, and delivers more quality, efficiency, sustainability and profitability. That’s the kind of investment successful businesses are built on, and it’s what we’ll be demonstrating to customers in Melbourne over the coming months.”
This article was first published in the January-February 2026 edition of Print21, page 10.