Press Release Almanac: 1 October 2008

Keep up to date with the latest industry news. This week's announcements include releases from Starleaton, Inca Digital Printers and Spicers Paper.

Starleaton takes on Taklite re-positionable polyester films
Inca Digital launches new high-speed Spyder V flatbed printer
Starwhite's new environmental credentials shine

Starleaton Digital Solutions has been appointed exclusive Australian distributor for the revolutionary UK-invented Hydrosol TAKLITE range of re-positionable solvent films. These films are not static cling or low-tack adhesive, they employ a unique suction-cling form of nanotechnology.

SDS director Gary Smith comments: "The best way to describe Hydrosol TAKLITE's ability to stick to most smooth surfaces, but be easily removed, is that the adhesive side has millions of tiny 'Gekko feet' like the cute lizards we see here all through summer. It sucks to the surface and therefore can be cleanly removed and re-positioned by peeling it off. Static cling films can fail over time, especially if they get damp. Low-tack adhesive can harden and leave residue that is difficult to remove. Hydrosol TAKLITE can be left on surfaces for years and leave only a 'sweat' mark that is removed with a dry cloth."

Hydrosol TAKLITE can be printed with most solvent, low solvent, Eco-solvent and UV cure inks from Roland, Mutoh, Seiko, VuteK and others. Three grades are available ex-stock from SDS:

TAKLITE Matt White - For short-term signs, posters and graphics on glass, acrylic board and other smooth surfaces, indoors or outdoors. Anti-reflective, ideal for window displays.
TAKLITE Gloss Backllit - Front print with high colour brilliance, has a light-diffusing back coat and is weather and scuff resistant. Slashes labour time in removing and changing backlit signs.
TAKLITE Clear - A see-through film with high gloss coating, yet holds colour extremely well. Ideal for glass applications where transparency is needed along with graphics.

All Hydrosol TAKLITE grades are available in 914mm and 1372mm rolls.

"The best way to appreciate these remarkable products is to try them so we have initiated a sampling programme of both pre-printed and unprinted TAKLITE  films. Our first shipment is almost sold out but we have more on the way," says Garry Smith, " a lot of glass, metal and gloss painted surfaces will have TAKLITE's little Gekko-feet clinging to them very shortly!"

Inca Digital Printers announces the introduction of the Inca Spyder V, a new, faster printer based on the design of the popular and highly successful Spyder series of flatbed inkjet printers.

The Spyder V printer has a unique Inca designed printhead array to achieve a higher throughput than other Spyder 320 printers. Print speed is up to 93m_/hr in production mode with a maximum speed of 130m_/hr.

The Spyder V has a print area of 3.2 x 1.6m on substrates as thick as 30mm. While the standard colour set of the Spyder V is four colour CMYK, a six colour version is also available with the option of using Fujifilm Sericol's unique Uvijet Ultratone colour system.

The Inca Spyder V's 25 picolitre drop size, combined with Inca's own print module technology, delivers precise ink drop placement, producing the excellent print quality for which Inca is renowned. Its colour management flexibility and easy file set-up with the RIP, plus exceptional white ink opacity make it a highly adaptable system for the display printer producing a range of close viewing point-of-sale materials, external displays, backlit/frontlit displays and graphics.

Valley Printing in Bingley, UK, the beta test site for the Spyder V and a long time Inca customer, is delighted with the performance of the new printer. "I'm very impressed with its speed, performance and quality," says John Haggas, Chairman and MD. "We produce ink heavy displays for retail POS customers and the Spyder V produces high impact results with good ink adhesion on a tremendous variety of base materials. The beauty of the Spyder is the consistency of the print it produces which reduces waste and keeps production costs down. Plus, I like its small footprint which allows me to pile in/out stock close to the machine."
The Spyder V will complement other Spyder models in the range.  Its faster speed enables the Spyder V to fill the gap between the traditional Spyder 320 series and the faster Turbo Plus which delivers speeds of up to 160m_/hr. For customers still requiring the widest colour gamut, the 8 colour Spyder 320 will continue to be a preferred option.

"Although the Spyder 320 is our most popular printer, customer feedback told us that they would like a Spyder printer with speeds closer to that of our Turbos," explains Heather Kendle, Inca Digital's director of marketing. "Now, our customers can be even more productive, allowing them extra capacity than they were previously able to generate with the 320 range, whilst still offering versatility on colour options, the Spyder V, with 4 or 6-colour options, provides an even greater selection of Spyder printers from which to choose."

Spicers Paper's premium writing, text and cover brand, Starwhite, long recognised for its superior smoothness and printability, now has superior environmental credentials as well.

All of the pulp that goes into Starwhite is sourced from FSC certified forests, ensuring the highest standards in environmentally responsible forest practices. And Neenah Paper, the American company that produces Starwhite, has a strong commitment to its Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) targets, meaning Starwhite is now recognised as being manufactured carbon neutral.

CCX is a voluntary carbon emissions trading program established by some of America's leading green-minded corporations and Neenah is one of only two paper companies in the program.

Neenah Paper exceeded its carbon emissions reduction plan of 6% by 2010 through a unique process called 'green steam', used by its mill in Neenah, Wisconsin. This process transfers waste paper sludge through a pipeline to a nearby bio-refinery, where it is processed and returned as steam to run the paper machines and supply electricity -around 60% of the mill's energy requirements. Additional energy is sourced from a local renewable energy supplier. Another of Neenah's paper mills, in Ripon, California, utilises solar and hydro to power its water treatment plants, further reducing the company's carbon footprint.

Spicers Paper was delighted to have one of Neenah Paper's top Specification Account Managers, Ingrid Gettleson, launch Starwhite's new environmental credentials at two Starwhite Star Nights in Melbourne and Sydney. She also announced the addition of a 460gsm Smooth White, adding to the brand's already versatile range of weights. These events offered guests unique 'star experiences' at the Melbourne Planetarium and Sydney Observatory, a subtle reminder about our place in the universe and the importance of protecting our planet.