Personalization finds its printer

Roland DG’s new VersaUV LEF-12 prints directly onto a wide variety of substrates from stationary to stone without pre-press or finishing.

Making its first public showing for the pacific region at PrintEx, Roland’s first flatbed UV-LED desktop inkjet printer had previously been previewed at ISA and Sign UK.

This broad-spectrum product crosses multiple product segments due to its ability to print textures and embossing on flat to mildly uneven surfaces, turning ordinary objects into unique and instantly producible items.

It garnered a high amount of interest at PrintEx from Roland’s traditional customers in the sign and display industry, as well as many new customers such as print service providers and companies that provide personalisation and prototyping services.

Roland DG business development manager, Conrad Birkett says LEF-12 streamlines short-run production workflow and allows users to create “not only original gifts and goods but also customised models and prototypes for consumer electronics, all on demand with minimal running costs.”

He says some prospects had come to PrintEx specifically to see this particular model. Roland DG confirmed three LEF-12 sales at the show.

Pictured: A river stone and iPad case after LEF-12 printing at PrintEx.

I personally saw the VersaUV LEF-12 in operation at Roland DG’s PrintEx stand, with a demo print on a river stone. The LED-curing lamp operated immediately without pre-heating or cooling down between uses.

Compared with conventional printing methods for solid materials like screen process and pad printing, the LEF-12 does not require pre-press or finishing. Its UV-LED lamp instantly cures UV inks allowing users to print directly onto materials like plastic, wood and leather, as well as papers and film.

With a flatbed table of 335mm x 310mm (13.2“ x 12.2“) and a clearance height of 100mm (3.94“) it prints CMYK, plus white and clear inks for customised graphics.

Standard print mode is suitable for fine detail, while distance mode can print on objects where the surface unevenness is not less than 2mm.

VersaUV inkjet printers include the latest version of Roland's VersaWorks colour management RIP software, featuring 72 ready-to-use geometric patterns accessible from the Adobe Illustrator swatch library.

By Cameron Boggs.