WWW.IMAGEMAGAZINE.COM.AU DEC 2022/JAN 2023 5 WIDE FORMAT & SIGNAGE NEWS Leading wide format printer Cactus Imaging has purchased their first flatbed printer, the Durst P5 350HS D4 hybrid roll-to-roll/ flatbed printer, signing off on the deal at Print United in Las Vegas. The P5 350HS D4 hybrid roll-to-roll/flatbed printer is for businesses that need to efficiently produce both rolls and boards up to 3.5m wide. The D4 uses two sets of CMYK inks to produce over 7,600 sqft/hr in two-pass mode. To reduce changeover time from roll to rigid materials, the roller tables that hold printed rigid substrates don’t require roll media to be unloaded first. When the roll tables aren’t in use, they can be folded down to save space. “The things that are most important for us are speed, capacity and quality. We looked at a number of suppliers over the past 12 months, visiting FESPA and visiting the Durst factory twice, where we saw its predecessor. We are also looking for versatility. This is the only flatbed printer that is 3.5m wide with the rest being 3.2m wide, which didn’t suit our requirements”, said Keith Ferrell, GM Operations Cactus Imaging. “This is a fairly exciting challenge for us as we’ve always been a roll-to-roll business. The flatbed will open up many more opportunities for us, especially in the events space,” said Glenn Moffatt, Production Manager Cactus Imaging. This installation will be the first of its kind in Australia and potentially the second in the world. The timing of the installation is still to be confirmed, but it will most likely be in the first half of next year. “We never stop looking at machines; it’s about finding the right machine for the right market, and this machine is going to be versatile for what currently do and enable us to expand into new business opportunities. It will also enable us to continue to be able to print on environmentally friendly substrates, which is very important to us as a business”, observed Nigel Spicer, General Manager of Cactus Imaging. Cactus purchases first high-volume flatbed printer Sydney Printer, Body of Work, has won Best of Category and Printed Product of the Year in the Wide-format Inkjet Printing category of the Premier Printing Awards 2022. Their entry features a 3D Mural unique to Body of Work. The intricate piece took a week to print and required perfect registration of 16 layers of varnish applied beneath the final image. The piece was printed on a Roland IU-1000F on an aluminium substrate to support the weight of the varnish layers. Best of Category Judges commented, “Breathtaking use of depth and texture. Excellent execution. Beautiful fine details.” While the Judges in the Printed Product of the Year commented, “This piece has excellent fine lines in the hair, overall texture, and the use of the gold is impressive. We are impressed with the realistic features like the well-defined beads, the coins and the flesh tones in the body. There is eye-catching contrast and sharpness in this piece. Very good edge definition against a flawless black background.” HP’s ‘Reignite the Market’ Channel Partners event in Singapore last week hosted HP resellers from across the globe. At the evening Awards Ceremony, Celmac were awarded “HP Large Format Pro best overall sales partner of the year 2022”. Celmac won for the entire Asia Pacific region for the most combined sales of low-volume and mid-volume Latex printers. Representing Celmac at the conference, Scott Shadwell, David Watt, and Liz Rameriz who were delighted to accept the award on behalf of Celmac. Speaking to Digital Image Magazine after returning from the Singapore conference, Shadwell said, “I was very happy to accept the award on behalf of Celmac Australia. This win was made possible by all our sales staff working hard and consulting with customers for the best HP solution for their business. We could not have won it without our hard-working and skilled service technicians and our back-of-house support. We look forward to an even better year next year.” The HP Reseller and Partner event focused on the launch of the HP Latex 2700 series of 3.2m wide latex printers. Celmac wins HP Sales Partner Award Mutoh Europe unveiled the XpertJet 1682SR Pro (64” – 1.6 m) high productivity twin head sign and display printer targeted at long-term outdoor/indoor sign & display and commercial print applications. The new XPJ-1682SR Pro carries two AccuFine HD print heads, each with 3200 nozzles, a new weaving algorithm and Mutoh’s genuine VerteLith RIP software to improve both print quality and print speed significantly. The XPJ- 1682SRP is ideally suited for high-productivity environments, delivering high-quality production speeds up to 35 sqm/hr. The new printer also integrates automatic alignments to ensure uninterrupted production and consistent quality. The company says the printer will be launched with Mutoh’s new MS51 quick-dry CMYK ink set. Mutoh MS51 inks are gBL-free and can be used in office, home and retail environments. Compared to traditional sign and display inks, they offer the same colour gamut, excellent gloss preservation and weather resistance, abrasion and chemical resistance with UV durability for up to 3 years without lamination. There is also no additional printer maintenance required. The XPJ-1682SR Pro twin-head printer is an addition to Mutoh’s existing XPJ-1341SRP and XPJ-1641SRP single-head models released in January 2022. Mutoh launches XpertJet 1682SR Pro Body of Work wins again at the Premier Printing Awards
