Press Release Almanac: 24 April 2008
Keep up to date with the latest industry news and releases.
MGI Releases its new Flagship Digital Press, Meteor DP60
Chromajet papers pass the test of time with flying colours
Konica Minolta's 3D Laser Scanner worth its weight in gold
HP Indigo Completes PANTONE(r) Goe(tm) Ink Mixing System Licensing
EFI and 3M team to deliver exceptional display graphics quality
Designer kids: New digital arts and crafts studio
MGI Digital Graphic Technology, the multi-substrate (paper and plastic) digital press and finishing solutions manufacturer, announced that it will launch its latest development for digital printing, the Meteor DP60(r) Series 4-Color Digital Press
at drupa 2008 in Düsseldorf, Germany.
The Meteor DP60 Pro(r) is a multi-substrate digital press and is the flagship model in the DP60 series. Designed for high volume printing, the DP60 Pro has the capability to produce up to 3,900 letter/A4 sheets, 1,600 330mm x 487mm sheets, and up to 32,000 ISO CR-80 PVC plastic cards hourly, in four colours with full variable data. It can accommodate sizes up to 330mm x 487mm with a maximum print area of 320mm x 480mm.
The most versatile digital press in the industry, the Meteor DP60 Pro can print on a wide range of paper and plastic substrates. Compatible paper types include matte, gloss, CS1 & CS2, envelopes, textured papers and labels/stickers, in sizes up to 70 to 350 gsm. Plastic substrates include PVC, polycarbonate, polyester, Teslin(r), vinyl, and PET, in thicknesses between 100 to 400 microns . All substrates can be printed in high quality resolutions of up to 2,400dpi .
Other unique features of the Meteor DP60 Pro include:
* Vibration Reduction System (VRS)
* Climate Control System utilizing an infrared module to pre-treat substrate surfaces, which regulates temperature and humidity prior to printing
* High capacity pneumatic loader, which accommodates up to 3,000 13" x 19" (330mm x 487mm) sheets, paper or plastic
* Optional high pile output stacker with a capacity of up to 6,000 sheets
* Adjustable offset feeder table to ensure precise registration (± 0.2mm)
Designed exclusively for paper substrates and specific synthetics such as Teslin(r), the Meteor DP60 Paper(r) has a duty cycle of up to 600,000 pages per month, with a total input capacity of 8,300 sheets and over 2 hours of continuous feed time. It can accommodate up to 130lb cover, 350gsm index, envelopes, and many other paper formats.
The DP60 series has full variable data capabilities and is compatible with most standard software applications as well as PPML and VPS formats. Applications include auto-numbering, bar codes, alphanumeric databases, direct mail, photo/identification cards, and a wide range of others.
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Chromajet Centurion 285gsm Gloss and Silky inkjet photo papers. Recognizing the needs of professional photographers these new media have an increased colour gamut, deeper black density and improved scuff resistance, the significant change is the move of the optical brighteners from the inkjet receptor layer into the RC base. This unique feature means the paper will be more resistant to fading and yellowing as optical brighteners can breakdown over time due to exposure to sunlight and other sources of UV radiation. This change significantly improves the archival characteristics of the paper.
In order to reinforce the importance of the changes, DES contracted the Image Permanence Institute (IPI) at the Rochester Institute of Technology to run comparative light stability tests on digital prints made on the new Chromajet Centurion 285.
The prints used for testing were produced with the latest Epson ink sets - UltraChrome K3(tm) and UltraChrome K3 Vivid Magenta, and the latest Canon ink sets - LUCIA 12-ink pigment system. These prints were then exposed to high-intensity cool-white fluorescent light in order to simulate fluorescent room illumination without glazing for approximately 50 years.
After rigorous testing, RIT concluded that "all samples performed very well under the test conditions, showing no significant changes during the extent of the incubation." The results indicate that the predicted display life time for all these materials are truly impressive, with none of the samples showing any signs of fading or yellowing during light exposure.
"The Chromajet Centurion 285gsm Gloss and Silky digital photo papers are specifically designed for high quality, professional output," commented Ian Clare, managing director at DES. "These are the most advanced papers available on today's market and the results we've achieved under independent testing have been outstanding."
DES believes the Chromajet Centurion papers will make a huge impression on the professional photography market. The papers are available exclusively from DES, in rolls and cut sheets in a wide range of sizes.
DES is the leading distributor and supplier of inkjet papers for the professional photo, fine art and graphic arts markets. DES works closely with Mitsubishi Paper Mills to develop a digital new media to meet the demands of the market.
In order to reinforce the importance of the changes, DES contracted the Image Permanence Institute (IPI) at the Rochester Institute of Technology to run comparative light stability tests on digital prints made on the new Chromajet Centurion 285.
The prints used for testing were produced with the latest Epson ink sets - UltraChrome K3(tm) and UltraChrome K3 Vivid Magenta, and the latest Canon ink sets - LUCIA 12-ink pigment system. These prints were then exposed to high-intensity cool-white fluorescent light in order to simulate fluorescent room illumination without glazing for approximately 50 years.
After rigorous testing, RIT concluded that "all samples performed very well under the test conditions, showing no significant changes during the extent of the incubation." The results indicate that the predicted display life time for all these materials are truly impressive, with none of the samples showing any signs of fading or yellowing during light exposure.
"The Chromajet Centurion 285gsm Gloss and Silky digital photo papers are specifically designed for high quality, professional output," commented Ian Clare, managing director at DES. "These are the most advanced papers available on today's market and the results we've achieved under independent testing have been outstanding."
DES believes the Chromajet Centurion papers will make a huge impression on the professional photography market. The papers are available exclusively from DES, in rolls and cut sheets in a wide range of sizes.
DES is the leading distributor and supplier of inkjet papers for the professional photo, fine art and graphic arts markets. DES works closely with Mitsubishi Paper Mills to develop a digital new media to meet the demands of the market.
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The Konica Minolta VI-910 laser scanner was used as a key aliment in newly released film, The Golden Compass.
The 3D laser scanner generated the superbly realistic computer graphics of the hero armoured polar bears, which were created by scanning sculptures and real skeletons to capture crystal-clear 3D high-resolution model with colour textures. The result enabled the incredibly realistic blend of dynamic 3D animation and real film footage that can be seen in the film.
A 200-strong team at Framestore-CFC, the largest visual effects and computer animation studio in Europe, spent 15 months creating the animation for 'The Golden Compass'. On 24 February 2008, the film from New Line Cinema won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects. "The task of creating such highly realistic, computer-generated Bears does not start on the computer," states Sean Varney, who heads Film Set Metrology at Framestore-CFC and is responsible for digitising film sets, actors and props.
"The entire movement of the virtual figure has to be recreated based on the real anatomy of a polar bear to ensure each expression of an armoured bear looks realistic, from running to the different reflecting metal plates of armour which move and shift over its fur. Our work starts not with the PC but with creating real models and the lifting of their 3D form into Computer Space for which we needed a good 3D scanning system."
Three-dimensional fibreglass models of the individual figures had to be created in many different poses based on real photos and videos and then digitised. Sean Varney goes on to say, "We use the VI-910 digitiser from Konica Minolta to capture 3D data sets of each of the models, something we have already used to create special effects for films such as Harry Potter and TV shows like Primeval. The portable VI-910, with its telescopic, middle and wide-angle lenses, lets us produce high-resolution 3D scans of all models from miniature to life-sized; to us this is a great plus with the system. Also its a non-contact surface structure, colour scanner, each scan takes just a matter of seconds. When you're on a live film set that's a life saver. For post-processing we used the Easy Align software with the system, it merges the individual perspectives to create the 3D model."
The 3D laser scanner generated the superbly realistic computer graphics of the hero armoured polar bears, which were created by scanning sculptures and real skeletons to capture crystal-clear 3D high-resolution model with colour textures. The result enabled the incredibly realistic blend of dynamic 3D animation and real film footage that can be seen in the film.
A 200-strong team at Framestore-CFC, the largest visual effects and computer animation studio in Europe, spent 15 months creating the animation for 'The Golden Compass'. On 24 February 2008, the film from New Line Cinema won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects. "The task of creating such highly realistic, computer-generated Bears does not start on the computer," states Sean Varney, who heads Film Set Metrology at Framestore-CFC and is responsible for digitising film sets, actors and props.
"The entire movement of the virtual figure has to be recreated based on the real anatomy of a polar bear to ensure each expression of an armoured bear looks realistic, from running to the different reflecting metal plates of armour which move and shift over its fur. Our work starts not with the PC but with creating real models and the lifting of their 3D form into Computer Space for which we needed a good 3D scanning system."
Three-dimensional fibreglass models of the individual figures had to be created in many different poses based on real photos and videos and then digitised. Sean Varney goes on to say, "We use the VI-910 digitiser from Konica Minolta to capture 3D data sets of each of the models, something we have already used to create special effects for films such as Harry Potter and TV shows like Primeval. The portable VI-910, with its telescopic, middle and wide-angle lenses, lets us produce high-resolution 3D scans of all models from miniature to life-sized; to us this is a great plus with the system. Also its a non-contact surface structure, colour scanner, each scan takes just a matter of seconds. When you're on a live film set that's a life saver. For post-processing we used the Easy Align software with the system, it merges the individual perspectives to create the 3D model."
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HP today announced the completion of the PANTONE Goe licensing for the HP Indigo Ink Mixing System, making HP the only company among both digital and analogue press providers to offer both on-press simulation and an ink mixing solution for the PANTONE Goe System.
Additionally, HP Indigo has developed the industry's first swatch book for on-press PANTONE Goe simulation. The new HP Indigo PANTONE Goe simulation swatch book will be included in Pantone and HP Indigo's new version of the Digital Colour Toolbox for the PANTONE Goe System, a two-swatch-book bundle that offers a convenient way to compare solid PANTONE Goe Colours with their simulations in HP Indigo four-colour, on-press process.
This latest product offering further supports the accurate reproduction of PANTONE Colours with HP Indigo digital colour presses.
HP Indigo's new PANTONE Goe license for its Ink Mixing System, together with the original PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM(r) license, produces more than 3,000 PANTONE Colours, delivering the highest level of process-colour simulation of PANTONE Colours in the digital printing industry. HP Indigo PANTONE Goe mixed inks will be available for HP Indigo customers in May 2008.
With the HP Indigo digital press support for PANTONE Goe and the updated PANTONE Goe version of the Digital Colour Toolbox, print service providers and designers have an increased ability to plan and design high-quality applications with precise, vivid colors.
"HP is committed to continue leading colour and print quality in the Graphic Arts market." said Alon Bar-Shany, vice president, Indigo Division, HP. "The combination of the new Digital Colour Toolbox and the PANTONE Goe System licensing for the HP Indigo Ink Mixing System ensures the best possible colour results on the HP Indigo digital presses."
The new license for the HP Indigo Ink Mixing System is the seventh license awarded to HP Indigo by Pantone and is in support of the HP IndiChrome off-press, an 11-colour mixing system for solid spot-colour ink creation. The licensing shows a continuation in the long-standing partnership between HP and Pantone.
"Pantone and HP have been partners for years with the common goal of providing better colour output for the design community," said Andy Hatkoff, vice president of advanced colour technologies for Pantone, Inc. "The latest license agreement empowers creatives with the ability to now accurately produce the expanded colour offering of the Goe System in high-quality HP Indigo prints."
The HP Indigo Pantone-licensed solutions are also supporting elements of HP DreamColor, a system approach to making it easy to produce accurate, predictable and consistent colour across a series of digital devices.
The Pantone and HP Indigo Digital Colour Toolbox for the PANTONE Goe(tm) System has a list price of 280 Euro It is available now through Pantone's web site or through the My HP Indigo Web portal for HP Indigo users.
Pantone, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of X-Rite, Incorporated, has been the world's colour authority for 45 years, providing design professionals with products and services for the colourful exploration and expression of creativity. Always a source for colour inspiration, Pantone now offers designer-inspired products and services for consumers. More information is available at www.pantone.com.
Additionally, HP Indigo has developed the industry's first swatch book for on-press PANTONE Goe simulation. The new HP Indigo PANTONE Goe simulation swatch book will be included in Pantone and HP Indigo's new version of the Digital Colour Toolbox for the PANTONE Goe System, a two-swatch-book bundle that offers a convenient way to compare solid PANTONE Goe Colours with their simulations in HP Indigo four-colour, on-press process.
This latest product offering further supports the accurate reproduction of PANTONE Colours with HP Indigo digital colour presses.
HP Indigo's new PANTONE Goe license for its Ink Mixing System, together with the original PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM(r) license, produces more than 3,000 PANTONE Colours, delivering the highest level of process-colour simulation of PANTONE Colours in the digital printing industry. HP Indigo PANTONE Goe mixed inks will be available for HP Indigo customers in May 2008.
With the HP Indigo digital press support for PANTONE Goe and the updated PANTONE Goe version of the Digital Colour Toolbox, print service providers and designers have an increased ability to plan and design high-quality applications with precise, vivid colors.
"HP is committed to continue leading colour and print quality in the Graphic Arts market." said Alon Bar-Shany, vice president, Indigo Division, HP. "The combination of the new Digital Colour Toolbox and the PANTONE Goe System licensing for the HP Indigo Ink Mixing System ensures the best possible colour results on the HP Indigo digital presses."
The new license for the HP Indigo Ink Mixing System is the seventh license awarded to HP Indigo by Pantone and is in support of the HP IndiChrome off-press, an 11-colour mixing system for solid spot-colour ink creation. The licensing shows a continuation in the long-standing partnership between HP and Pantone.
"Pantone and HP have been partners for years with the common goal of providing better colour output for the design community," said Andy Hatkoff, vice president of advanced colour technologies for Pantone, Inc. "The latest license agreement empowers creatives with the ability to now accurately produce the expanded colour offering of the Goe System in high-quality HP Indigo prints."
The HP Indigo Pantone-licensed solutions are also supporting elements of HP DreamColor, a system approach to making it easy to produce accurate, predictable and consistent colour across a series of digital devices.
The Pantone and HP Indigo Digital Colour Toolbox for the PANTONE Goe(tm) System has a list price of 280 Euro It is available now through Pantone's web site or through the My HP Indigo Web portal for HP Indigo users.
Pantone, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of X-Rite, Incorporated, has been the world's colour authority for 45 years, providing design professionals with products and services for the colourful exploration and expression of creativity. Always a source for colour inspiration, Pantone now offers designer-inspired products and services for consumers. More information is available at www.pantone.com.
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EFI has announced the commercial release of its new 3M Piezo Inkjet Ink Series 2800 UV for use with EFI's Vutek QS2000 and QS3200 superwide printers and a wide range of opaque, clear and translucent 3M media. Available immediately, the 3M Piezo Inkjet Ink Series 2800 UV comes in Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Light Magenta, Light Cyan and White.
"The release of this new ink builds on EFI's relationship with 3M, bringing increased value to owners of Vutek QS2000 and QS3200 superwide printers," said Chuck Dourlet, vice president of marketing, EFI Vutek. "With these new inks and 3M media, printers and their customers will have peace of mind derived from using products that are tested and backed by industry leader 3M, and will be able to take advantage of 3M's MCS Warranty, the strongest warranty in the industry, warranting most finished graphics for up to five years."
Acting as a system, 3M Piezo Inkjet Inks and 3M media ensure vibrant, long-lasting four- or six-colour graphics when used with Vutek QS2000 or QS3200 printers. The inks are specifically designed for use with 2- and 4-mil 3M Controltac Graphic Films, and 3M Scotchlite Reflective Graphic Films, as well as with a wide range of rigid materials. These UV-cured inks are durable, weather resistant and have excellent colour retention. Their flexibility makes them suitable for use on curved, corrugated or flat surfaces, with or without rivets, when producing fleet and vehicle graphics, indoor and outdoor signs, banners and flexible sign faces. They have a wide colour gamut and excellent adhesion to 3M media.
"The release of the Series 2800 UV inks follows an earlier collaboration to deliver UV inks for EFI's Vutek PV200," said Robert Doughty, division vice president for 3M Commercial Graphics. "We are delighted to partner with EFI to deliver these unique imaging systems, comprised of the inks, 3M media and EFI's print engines and enhanced by the 3M MCS Warranty."
"The release of this new ink builds on EFI's relationship with 3M, bringing increased value to owners of Vutek QS2000 and QS3200 superwide printers," said Chuck Dourlet, vice president of marketing, EFI Vutek. "With these new inks and 3M media, printers and their customers will have peace of mind derived from using products that are tested and backed by industry leader 3M, and will be able to take advantage of 3M's MCS Warranty, the strongest warranty in the industry, warranting most finished graphics for up to five years."
Acting as a system, 3M Piezo Inkjet Inks and 3M media ensure vibrant, long-lasting four- or six-colour graphics when used with Vutek QS2000 or QS3200 printers. The inks are specifically designed for use with 2- and 4-mil 3M Controltac Graphic Films, and 3M Scotchlite Reflective Graphic Films, as well as with a wide range of rigid materials. These UV-cured inks are durable, weather resistant and have excellent colour retention. Their flexibility makes them suitable for use on curved, corrugated or flat surfaces, with or without rivets, when producing fleet and vehicle graphics, indoor and outdoor signs, banners and flexible sign faces. They have a wide colour gamut and excellent adhesion to 3M media.
"The release of the Series 2800 UV inks follows an earlier collaboration to deliver UV inks for EFI's Vutek PV200," said Robert Doughty, division vice president for 3M Commercial Graphics. "We are delighted to partner with EFI to deliver these unique imaging systems, comprised of the inks, 3M media and EFI's print engines and enhanced by the 3M MCS Warranty."
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Fisher-Price ís exciting new Digital Arts & Crafts Studio is everything the parent of a budding designer could ask for, with oodles of colours and activities to choose from. It provides a fun, safe and easy to use studio, with amazing programs where kids can create everything from picture story books to party hats.
The Digital Arts & Crafts Studio plugs into your home computer and makes it easy for kids to play, learn and be creative through kid-friendly tools. It ís an easy-to-use, safe program that is secure and allows kids to design and create hundreds of creative works of art- Jumping Frogs, flying airplanes, paper people, greeting cards, dot-to-dot, digital colouring activity pages and much more.
The Digital Arts & Crafts Studio retails for only $99.99, is available nationally and is designed for kids aged 4-9. It has drop-down menus, voice prompts and an on-screen assistant featuring 256 colours to make it fun for kids to create arts and crafts projects all by themselves.
Kids can turn the stylus into a pencil for drawing, a paint brush or a stamper, aiding in their hand and eye co-ordination skills and enabling them to explore and navigate independently. They are able to design, create, print and assemble all kinds of entertaining art activities whilst developing their motor and PC skills.
The Digital Arts & Crafts Studio is convenient to use with a USB cable connection and one time CD-ROM software installation set up. It has password-protected controls to block access to desktop and hard drive files. It ís also easy for kids to save their artwork files on the PC.
The DACS has parental controls on the number of print outs made, so you donít have to worry about unnecessary or excessive printing. The Digital Arts & Crafts Studio is compatible with Microsoft Windows, XP, 2000 and Vista. Additional software cartridges featuring characters such as Barbie, Dora and Diego are also available.
The Digital Arts & Crafts Studio plugs into your home computer and makes it easy for kids to play, learn and be creative through kid-friendly tools. It ís an easy-to-use, safe program that is secure and allows kids to design and create hundreds of creative works of art- Jumping Frogs, flying airplanes, paper people, greeting cards, dot-to-dot, digital colouring activity pages and much more.
The Digital Arts & Crafts Studio retails for only $99.99, is available nationally and is designed for kids aged 4-9. It has drop-down menus, voice prompts and an on-screen assistant featuring 256 colours to make it fun for kids to create arts and crafts projects all by themselves.
Kids can turn the stylus into a pencil for drawing, a paint brush or a stamper, aiding in their hand and eye co-ordination skills and enabling them to explore and navigate independently. They are able to design, create, print and assemble all kinds of entertaining art activities whilst developing their motor and PC skills.
The Digital Arts & Crafts Studio is convenient to use with a USB cable connection and one time CD-ROM software installation set up. It has password-protected controls to block access to desktop and hard drive files. It ís also easy for kids to save their artwork files on the PC.
The DACS has parental controls on the number of print outs made, so you donít have to worry about unnecessary or excessive printing. The Digital Arts & Crafts Studio is compatible with Microsoft Windows, XP, 2000 and Vista. Additional software cartridges featuring characters such as Barbie, Dora and Diego are also available.