Sydney signage show packs an eye-catching punch

The free admission exhibition has almost a hundred exhibitors over two halls and is a testament to the explosion of mainly inkjet technology in the outdoor signage market. Open for three days until Saturday there are a number of industry firsts and product launches to attract the aficionado.

Agfa Graphics is using the show to launch its new Anapurna M low-cost/high print resolution inkjet printer to the local market. It is the latest addition to Agfa's wide format printing workhorse, the Anapurna range of UV printers, and is available in
Australia and New Zealand immediately.

“The Anapurna M is a wide-format industrial inkjet printer for indoor and outdoor
signs and displays,” explains Steve Taylor, Agfa's business manager for inkjet
products. “Sign shops and photo labs are target markets for this printer, as it offers
them vivid colours, very high image quality, and smooth tints and images, with no
visible 'noise'. The extremely sharp text is positive in all colours down to four point, and
negative in all colours down to five point.”

“This device offers a higher resolution to that of the existing Anapurna L and XL models so is better suited to photo-realistic applications. Unlike our existing Anapurna's, it doesn't have the ability to print white, which is generally not a requirement for this target market. This in turn means that the cost of ownership can be reduced significantly, making the Anapurna M one of the most affordable high quality high performance UV inkjet engines on the market.”

Océ is rolling out the Arizona 250GT

On the flatbed side Océ is returning to Darling Harbour with its industry leading Arizona flatbed industrial inkjet machine. Last seen at PrintEx in May, the Arizona continues to captivate with its colour enhancements and its ability to reproduce the finest detail. Billed as a technology disruption, the UV curable flatbed and roll-to-roll inkjet printer delivers exceptional image quality to take display graphics to the next level.

DES spreads its tentacles

The rapidly growing digital colour technology company, DES, is demonstrating its expertise in the signage area with a working demonstration of its Czech-built Octopus wide format engine. The solvent machine has proved to be an extremely popular addition to the sector ever since its first appearance a few years ago. Successive developments have only made it a better workhorse.

It shares the DES limelight with EFI’s wide format Fiery RIP, which brings special signage printing applications to the sector.


Roland is everywhere

There is no doubt that Roland DG deserves the attention it is receiving at the show. As the platinum sponsor it is very much identified with the event, but who would have believed there would be so many Roland machines at the show. A quick survey produced more than ten Roland inkjets on different stands, emphasizing the Sydney-based company’s continuing influence in the sector.

Visual Impact is proving to be a valuable addition to the graphic arts show calendar. It is a must see for anyone interested in the rapidly growing area of digitally printed signage.