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  1. Key features to look for when buying a 24 inch printer

    Key features to look for when buying a 24 inch printer

    Considering the versatility of today’s large-format printers, architect, engineering, and construction AEC professionals can gain access not just to fast, convenient, high-quality printing, but a slew of exciting applications - beyond technical blueprints and plans. Now you can use 24-inch large-format printers for marketing and promotional products, flyers, posters, and more.

    If you’re in the business of AEC, it’s not a question of IF you should purchase a large-format printer plotter for your business. Rather, it’s which one is right for you? The purpose of this blog is to help you identify key features that you should be evaluated in the decision-making process.

    Capabilities to Consider

    • Simplicity – 24-inch printing that’s quick to install and even easier to use
    • Connectivity – convenient connectivity options that fit the way you work
    • Quality – High-resolution prints with clear, accurate results across applications
    • Speed – Speeds that keep the business continually moving forward

    Technical printing for the non-tech-savvy user

    AECs have enough to think about and do without worrying about how to operate their large-format printer. That’s why you want to look for a 24-inch printer that is just as easy to operate as any home or office printer. HP’s 24-inch DesignJet printers - from the T200 and T600 series through to our stylish STUDIO printers - are designed to deliver incredible simplicity.

    A recent review of the T200 series described the product as a “relief” to set up, taking only 10 minutes. And all of our 24-inch printers include HP Click software, a simple print job tool that enables you to print high-quality drawings, posters, and more with just one click. Users can even print multiple files at once. Another benefit of HP’s 24-inch large format printer plotters is the HP Smart app, which you can connect to your desktop, PC, and mobile device to manage your printer from anywhere.

    Connect in more ways than one

    Another factor that plays into your printing experience is connectivity. You want to make sure that you choose a large-format solution that provides multiple connectivity options—like Wi-Fi 802.11, Hi-Speed USB 2.0, and Gigabit Ethernet—that allow you to connect with and use your printer in a way that makes the best sense for your business and work style. For example, you may want your printer positioned in an out-of-the-way spot in your office, in which case, wireless capabilities are an important consideration.

    Quality that communicates effectively and reflects your professionalism

    It goes without saying that high-quality output is essential. Whether you’re promoting your business with marketing materials or sharing drawings with n important client, every large-format print, poster or blueprint has got to look good—that means clear, sharp text, fine line quality, and vibrant and accurate colors with every print. Resolution is a key consideration. And it’s important to note that all of HP’s 24-inch printers deliver 2400 x 1200 dpi resolution, including our entry T200 series, so top quality with HP is never-ever-a question.

    Print at the speed of business

    While speed might not be one of the top considerations for a 24-inch printer, you don’t ever want you large-format printer to slow you down. You also want to make sure that the speeds you expect to get don’t come at a sacrifice. Keep in mind that speed can vary depending on image, paper type, and resolution settings.

    That’s why you want a large-format printer that keeps pace with the speed of business. And with HP, that is always a consideration. For example, the HP DesignJet T650 prints 24-inch wide projects in just 26 seconds - two large-format prints per minute - without impacting quality. Our entry DesignJet T210 delivers one large-format print in 45 seconds (at the default setting), which is a decent speed for this class; and - for businesses printing low-to-moderate volumes - it might just be perfect for your needs.

    Other things to think about

    Printing costs: Ink isn’t cheap. And when you’re thinking about the cost of printing in large-format, you’re definitely going to want to consider operating costs - and the price of supplies. One thing to note with HP DesignJet ink cartridges is that our entire 24-inch portfolio uses 95% less ink compared to common printers.

    Media handling: Consider what types of documents you’ll be printing. Different printers offer a range of different media handling options from rolls to sheets - and different sized prints up to 24-inches. Select the media sizes and capabilities that best suit your business needs.

    Your style: While printer features are important, so is your brand and the message your printer conveys. For design-savvy offices, the look of your large-format printer might be the deal breaker. That’s why we’ve put a lot of thought into the ID of our 24-inch HP DesignJet STUDIO Printers, which come in wood and steel finishes, to create the impression you’re after.

    Don’t take our word for it. This is your printer, and it should meet your needs. We invite you to do your own research, but make sure to check out HP’s 24-inch large-format portfolio—including the HP DesignJet T200 Printer series, HP DesignJet T600 Printer series, and HP DesignJet STUDIO printers.

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  2. Book Repair Tapes: The three golden rules!

    Book Repair Tapes: The three golden rules!

    Book repair is a good thing. Since books' appearance helps to win the reader's sympathy, they should be repaired and preserved – as well for reasons of sustainability. With filmoplast® P, filmoplast® P 90, and filmoplast® P 90 plus, we introduce you in this article to our well-proven repair tapes and provide you with tools for perfect book repair.

    Rule 1 – The correct solution

    Broken books, for example, can be repaired with filmoplast® P, filmoplast® P 90, and filmoplast® P 90 plus. These products can be used to strengthen the bond between the cover and the book body, repair torn pages, and bond documents and papers. Read below to find out which product fits your situation, so you can make the right choice for your book repair.

    filmoplast® P

    This transparent and self-adhesive paper tape is used for repairing tears in book pages, but also for protecting and embedding documents. It is specially developed for libraries and archives. The tape is transparent and the taped-over text is still readable. filmoplast® P is invisible in your book. It is coated with a solvent-free, aging-resistant, and permanently elastic water-based acrylic adhesive. The adhesive is slightly alkaline so that it will not damage the document, but at the same time, there is sufficient buffer capacity to prevent acid decay.

    filmoplast® P 90

    This white self-adhesive paper tape can be used for attaching torn-out pages. It is also used to repair old quires and for strengthening of inner book joints, especially for lighter paperbacks. The white special paper is an ideal combination of stability and flexibility. The adhesive is also slightly alkaline so that it will not damage the document, but at the same time, there is sufficient buffer capacity to prevent acid decay.

    filmoplast® P 90 plus

    This white, self-adhesive paper repair tape with extra strong adhesive strength is ideal for reinforcing the joint between the book cover and the book block of larger, heavy books. It hardly wears out and is very flexible, perfect for taping into the book joint. This tape is coated with a solvent-, acid- and phthalate-free, aging-resistant, non-yellowing, permanently elastic acrylic adhesive.

    filmoplast® P, filmoplast® P 90, and filmoplast® P 90 plus come in convenient dispensers that allow immediate dispensing of your tape, so you can get started right away. The products passed the Photographic Activity Test (PAT) according to ISO 18916.

    Rule 2 – The right accessories

    In combination with the repair tapes, these tools come into their own.

    Teflon burnishing bone

    It is made of one piece of Teflon, which is extremely smooth and durable. The Teflon burnishing bone glides smoothly over numerous surfaces without leaving traces. It is adhesive-repellent and easy to clean.

    Burnishing bone

    Besides the Teflon burnishing bone, this is another classic bookbinding tool made of polished bone with a tapered form.

    Felt squeegees

    The felt squeegee, made from one piece of felt, is not only suitable for bubble-free application of our filmolux® book protection films, but also for processing our filmoplast® repair tapes. The soft felt leaves no traces on the paper.

    Rule 3 – The correct information

    Check out our other products, devices, and accessories, so you do not forget anything during your repair. Check out the entire portfolio on our website by clicking here.

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  3. Why PSPs need data to make better business decisions

    Why PSPs need data to make better business decisions

    Organizations from around the globe have been quick to jump on the data bandwagon to improve efficiency, reduce costs and increase sales. Over the past several years, companies specializing in big data and connectivity have focused on investment activity representing over $800Bn USD in 2020 alone.

    Interestingly, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased this activity making data more important than ever for businesses wishing to make informed decisions. But what does that mean exactly? While investment interest places value on data or the creation of business data tools, how does data help a business? More specifically, how does data relate to the wide-format print industry? And how can Print Service Providers (PSPs) benefit from it today to make better business decisions? While one challenge of modern print businesses is gaining access to data, another is having it but not knowing what to do with it.

    This article discusses recent industry trends that have given rise to the necessity for modern print businesses to be data led. In addition, we articulate the reasons why data should be gathered and measured, as well as what data to track. With the steady influx of new and useable KPIs and metrics afforded to PSPs, this article outlines some of the ways data is needed to make better business decisions.

    Recent Industry Trends

    Thinking about recent wide-format print industry trends it is impossible to ignore the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the graphic arts industry. Print Businesses were already under pressure to be competitive and profitable in an already competitive market and COVID-19 put further pressure on already strained margins. COVID-19 has done more than just strain margins. It has sped up existing trends such as automation and given rise to pivots in service offerings and provided an opportunity for Print Service Providers (PSPs) to look internally at business operations and efficiencies.

    With many print business owners, there is a necessity to stretch further to do more with less. This has spurred the need for fast, reliable, automated, easy-to-use solutions that don’t require expert training. In fact, in a recent industry study conducted with PSPs between March 2020 and June 2021, 69% of respondents said they could improve internal efficiencies with increased automation and usable data.

    Taking automation first, the term automation can seem overwhelming for some as different levels of automation are required based on PSP focus and customer base. As a software vendor for wide format, the term “automation” for many of our customers is all about saving time, reducing manual error, and increasing capacity to do more with less, ultimately affecting profitability. For them, automation is paramount because it helps accomplish these goals. Some examples of this include:

    • Setting up automated print workflows to reduce manual touchpoints
    • Automating submission of jobs from a front-end ordering system such as e-commerce or web2print
    • Setting up print jobs with options such as page size, rotation, step and repeat, adding tiles, or finishing marks like grommets all automatically
    • Applying automated color management controls to synchronize and proof color management settings across devices
    • Adding cut paths that are automatically recognized from the design software and then barcodes to print jobs for a seamless print and cut workflow

    While the type and scale of automation a PSP implements will differ based on business size, location, and service offerings, a good first step is understanding current production problems such as bottlenecks, material wastage, manual production steps, and where to manage costs. Automation software on the market today can reduce these manual touchpoints in prepress, provide data on consumable usage, and automate some finishing activities. This yields higher quality output, faster turnaround, and lower operating costs.

    In terms of pivoting in this new normal, a big trend is how PSPs have been able to meet the needs of their communities. PSPs have found new ways to print, including producing safety items to assist healthcare workers, signage to help direct patients in hospitals, social distancing, floor graphics for several business types, and providing curbside signage for restaurants.

    In addition, these new offerings have been well assimilated into a new normal rather than going away, which adds to ongoing revenue opportunities for print businesses. Lastly, speaking to internal efficiencies, a trend we have seen in the print industry these past 18 months is that PSPs have been able to capitalize on the opportunity to review, update and improve upon their current systems and processes.

    For many, as they look to a post-COVID-19 year, this has included the need to upgrade their software
    solutions to provide new tools and capabilities to meet their business and customer needs. So how do these trends relate to data? The idea of automation, costs savings, and looking internally to evaluable business efficiencies brings up another question: How do PSPs find out where they can improve and what to invest in? What information is available to help them identify automation tools or other solutions to enhance print and business operations? The first step in this process is to know why data is important.

    Why Measure Data?

    Perhaps less pervasive until recently in the wide format print industry, data plays an important role in modern print businesses because it can provide measurable insight into operational performance.PSPs often ask: “Did I make money on that print job?” or “How much media did I waste?” Similarly, PSPs might ask: “Is the printer being run at capacity?” or “Am I running at capacity?” before making a new printer purchase decision. The idea that data can provide insight is not new.

    The issue is while PSPs weigh on these questions regularly, many may not be implementing data into their business, using guesswork by eyeballing media waste in the trash or guessing their ink consumption. In fact, in the 2019 Wide Format Application and Utilization study by Keypoint Intelligence and Big Picture Magazine, 28% of print shops can’t quantify media savings on nested jobs because they don’t have the right tools(iii). By tracking data, however, PSPs can work out what trends are in their own business.

    This could include finding out how fast one printer consumes ink compared to another, or whether the ink consumption is based on utility or printer type. It may provide insight into the level of media waste or production capacity or even help identify what products are most often purchased by customer type. Deciding on how much-perforated vinyl to keep in inventory, for example, based on actual customer needs, would be helpful information to have when making media orders each month. When it comes to measuring data, there are several benefits including:

    • The ability to view production performance
    • Track consumption of ink and media
    • Identify areas of waste
    • See what products produce the highest margins
    • Identify what is working and what isn’t
    • Understand areas that can be improved

    Tracking data saves time and resources over time but also increases productivity. This is because PSPs gain knowledge about their current organization as well as areas to improve. However, to really improve from data collection, it is important to understand what information to look for. As mentioned at the beginning of this article, one issue is not having data to use to make better business decisions, but another is not knowing what to look for or how to use it. In a study conducted by Erik Brynjolfsson, professor of information technology at Harvard University, businesses that inject data tracking and usage become 5-6% more productive overall(iv), but it all starts with knowing what to track.

    Speaking as a software vendor for wide-format print, our experience teaches us that print production data is just one facet of the kind of data that a print business can learn from to make better business decisions. Like most businesses, different data metrics and KPIs come from various sources and mean different things. Print Businesses that have launched a Web2Print shop with a new eCommerce front end, for example, are looking for different measures of performance than the efficiency of a print workflow or how fast an order can be generated from their MIS system.

    In terms of web data, research shows that businesses are making greater attempts to understand their customers through analytics data since COVID-19 than ever before. In a study conducted by Sisense, an analytics provider, 49% of small businesses are using analytics to understand their customer online interactions.

    Web Data:

    Taking the first in our example of online data, several metrics come to mind. This includes:

    • Sessions
    • Page visits
    • New vs Returning Users
    • Engagement
    • User flow

    And this is just the beginning. These don’t include other metrics such as the highest product page hits or the really important one: customer conversions. However, looking at each, a PSP with a new web store as part of their website can quickly gather insight and knowledge about how visible their latest offerings are.  Sessions are the number of times people have visited the website or web store pages, with page visits telling a business owner how many people have visited that online page.

    This leads to the next metric of new versus returning users where a PSP can see how many people are hitting the website for the first time and the percentage of visitors coming back a second or third time. If a new product is launched, this metric may help understand if they have new customer interest or not. Engagement is a related metric and gives an understanding of how long visitors are staying on the site. This may influence future online content if users are leaving too soon. Lastly, user flow shows the entry and exit points of users which can indicate what kind of conversion statements or pieces of information are the most useful toward a customer conversion – a sale.

    Production Data:

    If looking at strict production, the data most useful to a PSP is between dropping the file into the RIP-Queue, and what comes off the printer. For this stage, metrics may include:

    • Number of ripped or queued files
    • Files on hold
    • Failed prints
    • Trends
    • Job histories
    • Ink consumption
    • Media usage
    • Media waste

    Looking at each of these, they all provide important information that can help a PSP make inferences on production efficiency, performance, and production capacity. The number of ripped files could be those currently ripping, those in the queue, or how many are ripping simultaneously. If RIP software can RIP many files simultaneously, it implies it is sending more data to the printer in a quicker time frame, and therefore production speed is high.

    If many files are on hold, why are they on hold? Is production waiting for artwork approval from a customer? Is the media being changed on a printer before these can be released? It could be that prints on hold are due to downtime and downtime is costly. If production halts for any reason, the cause of the shutdown needs to be determined as soon as possible as this can quickly impact capacity and profitability. This kind of metric helps identify if there is a possible printer problem and whether they are being used to capacity. Failed prints are an interesting metric because it implies issues with production but knowing what that issue actually is can be trickier. Let’s say a customer orders two prints of a fine art drawing 36 inches wide and 40 inches tall, and out of seven prints that made it to the printer, only two of them were usable.

    If there is an available metric that counts the number of prints ordered versus the number of prints printed, a production manager can quite quickly see that the media waste in the trash is from misprinting a job that directly impacts profitability. At this point, it raises questions such as “What caused the failed print?” it might be that the media ran out before the print could finish, or there was a drift in one of the color channels, making an issue with the output color before recalibrating the printer. It might mean manual error, in which case training may be the right remedy.  Without such a metric, however, PSPs are blind to ways to improve. Trends are another important and interesting metric because it provides insight into which print products are most popular. For this kind of metric, industry-specific business solutions can provide insight into order and sales histories that can impact purchasing behaviors for different media and other consumables.

    Similarly, if specific products are not selling, the business may either reduce these offerings or invest more heavily into marketing such products to fit with the organization’s goal of establishing itself as a leading provider of such products. Moving on, job histories provide a quick visual reference to past production for reprints, and knowledge about ink consumption and media usage is invaluable in terms of providing insight into the costs of operation. The last metric in our production example is media waste.  Media waste represents one of the single largest challenges facing PSPs today. In an ONYX study conducted over a three-year period from PSPs across the globe, 72% said a software solution that could provide data on saving media usage and reducing waste would be an easy purchase decision.

    What trends to expect:

    This article has aimed to showcase that data is an important part of the assessment of print business performance with examples of just some metrics or KPIs that are part of this process. Having data, however, is not enough. It needs to be usable. Certain production metrics, for example, may infer an issue in production but may also help a PSP plan strategically toward business improvement or growth goals. It is these kinds of inferences that help PSPs evaluate potential future software investment.

    With this in mind, what kind of industry trends do we expect to see in the near future? From our experience, PSPs are already seeking out and consuming data from different sources such as RIP solutions, nesting software, business intelligence tools that provide a snapshot of shop performance, and new and interesting MIS solutions. Monitoring data of all kinds helps PSPs understand what is happening in their print business and make informed decisions from meaningful metrics. The tools PSPs use today and the tools they may use in the future are likely to change but, in our opinion, COVID-19 has increased interest in data to make better business decisions. It is an interest that won’t be going away any time soon.

    Key takeaways:

    • Data provides another set of eyes on business performance.
    • Current industry trends include automation, and through COVID-19, internal business efficiency
    • Data provides useful insight into areas needing improvement as well as aligning future goals
    • Real-time, historical, and trend data require timely and appropriate actions to impact profitability
    • Data metrics, usage, and application are gaining rapid interest in the print industry
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  4. Natural line papers nominated for the German Sustainability Award 2022

    Natural line papers nominated for the German Sustainability Award 2022

    Hahnmühle’s award-winning “green” papers made from highly renewable plant fibres are among the best sustainable products in Germany! Hahnmühle is extremely proud of their papers and has been nominated for the German Sustainability Award 2022 in the category of ‘Design’.  “Hahnmühle has been selected from 1000 sustainable concepts and products and is among the top 50 in this category.  We are delighted to have been nominated for an award that is highly regarded internationally that offers solutions to the major ecological and social problems of our time,” says Bettina Scheerbarth, responsible for corporate and sustainability communications at Hahnemühle.

    The “Natural Line” paper range occupies a special place within Hahnmühle’s globally distributed Hahnemühle artists’ papers, manufactured using sustainably resourced hemp, bamboo, sugar cane and agave this high-quality digital fine art paper as made exclusively to meet the highest demands of galleries and museums. 

    The world’s first Hybrid Hemp paper has also been nominated for the German Sustainability Award 2022 from our “Natural Line” family. As a plant-based paper, it is an environmentally friendly alternative to scarce printing papers made from tree pulp. It is used in high-speed inkjet printing to create sustainable print products such as books and brochures.

    Hahnmühle’s “Natural Line” paper has been nominated for the German Sustainability Award because they are innovative and meet the ever-increasing demand for alternative papers made from tree-free fibres. “The more trees are not used for paper production, the more CO2 they can store. On the other hand, plants like bamboo, hemp or agave need little water in cultivation and no pesticides. And the cotton and sugar cane fibres that we use for our first-class papers are residual materials from the textile and agricultural industries. For us, they are raw materials for valuable papers that would otherwise be incinerated or otherwise disposed of,” explains Bettina Scheerbarth.

    Hahnemühle has been developing the “Natural Line” papers since 2008 and manufacturing them in Germany in compliance with high environmental and social standards. In addition, we are researching other papers made from plant fibres and have a special focus on agricultural residues. And we donate part of the proceeds from the “Natural Line” papers to our own, globally unique environmental initiative Green Rooster. In this way, we support climate and environmental protection as well as environmental education projects on a regional, national and international level every year. This also impressed the Stiftung Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis e.V. in our nomination. At the end of September, the finalists will be chosen from more than 1,000 submissions and then, at the beginning of December, the winners of the German Sustainability Award 2022.


    About Hahnemühle

    Hahnemühle is regarded as the inventor of Digital FineArt paper for inkjet printers. For more than 20 years, the oldest German paper manufacturer has been leading the way in producing true artist papers for photography and art reproductions. The papers – made with over 435 years of manufacturing experience – all receive a special coating that does not affect the exquisite feel of the papers. The inkjet coating produces prints with razor-sharp details, bold colours and deep blacks. All papers have excellent resistance to ageing. The Hahnemühle Digital FineArt Collection offers more than 20 different types of paper, and the Hahnemühle Photo range includes eight types of media. Awarded ‘Brand of the Century', Hahnemühle enjoys an esteemed reputation worldwide among artists, photographers, museums, galleries and collectors.

    About the German Sustainability Award:

    The competition for the 15th German Sustainability Award comes at a challenging economic time. Numerous companies, start-ups, agencies, designers and architects have applied their courageous and innovative contributions to sustainable change. The award honours exemplary sustainability achievements in business, communities and research. With eight competitions and 1000 applications, the DNP is the largest award of its kind in Europe. The winners will be announced and honoured at the award ceremonies of the 15th German Sustainability Award on 1 and 2 December in Düsseldorf.

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  5. A new PVC-Free Easy Dot innovation for crystal clear advertising

    A new PVC-Free Easy Dot innovation for crystal clear advertising

    A sustainable further development made of polyester is coming onto the market after the successful launch of the white easy dot® PET matt L-UV. The easy dot® PET transparent L-UV allows for attractive and innovative glass surface design without placing an unnecessary burden on the environment.

    High-quality print results and easy application

    Specially developed for use on glass and window surfaces indoors, the highly transparent film also features the proven water-based and solvent-free easy dot® adhesive technology, which ensures easy handling and durability at the same time. Thanks to its crystal-clear transparency, unprinted areas remain absolutely transparent.

    Fast, bubble-free application and easy removal allow even short-term design initiatives. However, the film is just as suitable for permanent looks. In particular, application to the inside of shop windows with a mirror-image printed motif increases durability many times over, as the film is thus protected from environmental influences and vandalism. If required, easy dot® PET transparent L-UV can also be combined with PP matt backing. The white special film serves as a laminate and completely replaces a full-area white print. This saves ink, time and money, making it ideal for environmentally friendly composite applications with transparent media. The easy dot® PET transparent L-UV can be easily plotted using the kiss-cutting process. This keeps all finishing options open.

    HP-certified for best results with latex and UV inks, easy dot® PET transparent L-UV enables particularly durable print results in high optical quality. In addition, the film is absolutely dimensionally stable and exhibits no shrinkage.

    The ecological properties of easy dot® PET transparent L-UV

    Since Neschen always develops its product innovations with the environment in mind, the new easy dot® film is also PVC-free. It also enables material savings of around 25% compared to PVC products, significantly reducing waste volumes. With an EN 13501 certification, it has the best possible fire protection class for polymer films, B-S1,d0. easy dot® PET transparent L-UV is available in widths of 137.2 cm and lengths of 50 meters and 10 meters.

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  6. How industry transformation drives change for PSPs

    How industry transformation drives change for PSPs

    Print businesses are making it a high priority to diversify their large format print offering as customers increasingly demand unique ideas, more creative solutions, and new content.  However, business leaders are aware something needs to be done, but many don't know where to start.  

    The solution is to begin the journey of transformation so they can offer more competitive services that will shape the future. Not only will it help businesses serve existing customers better, but it will also enable them to enter new markets, innovate new print solutions, find fresh revenue opportunities, and scale up their offerings into the future.

    Transformation is definitely on the minds of many print businesses. Two-fifths regard diversification of their large format print offering as a high priority, according to a survey from Widthwise in 2020.  This could come from providing new products and services to existing customers or finding innovative ways to build an additional customer base. There are many ways to evolve.

    Why is now the time to transform

    Demand for wide format printers is expected to rise over the next few years. One estimate from Report Linker valued the global market at $3.4 billion in 2020, projecting it to reach $4 billion by 2027.

    This, of course, follows the economic effect of the pandemic which depressed demand and revenues for many print businesses as offline retail opportunities were scaled down, conferences and events were canceled, and travel was limited. In fact, revenue for the printing services industry declined an estimated 12.2% in 2020 as businesses cut
    back on advertising and marketing expenditures.

    However, the print world is an ever-changing one, and print businesses must stay sharp. The way to secure new business
    in the years ahead is to innovate and pivot your offerings to meet market demand, while also delivering reliable and efficient services.

    Innovating in new areas could benefit your business

    The future holds many opportunities for PSPs to innovate, interior decor being a great example. This covers many things, from fine art to durable upholstery, but the size of the opportunity is massive. Just consider that the global digitally printed wallpaper market has been predicted to grow at 23.6% annually (CAGR) until 2025, to reach a total value of $10.4 billion, according to figures from Energias Market Research.

    Printed packaging and labels are another growth area, driven by the increasing use of printed corrugated material in retail-ready packaging as well as in e-commerce, according to market report publisher Smithers.  The consultancy estimates that the total value for printed packaging and labels reached $431.6 billion in 2020 and will continue to expand at a CAGR of 2.6% to reach $491.1 billion in 2025.

    How content requirements are expanding the possibilities

    In addition, print businesses are dealing with customers who have unprecedented demands and expectations around content. They have witnessed the meteoric rise of web-based content creation platforms such as Canva and Zazzle. These enable consumers to remotely design and print professional posters and brochures and a full range of merchandise, using predefined and customizable graphics and designs.

    What’s more, consumers have become accustomed to buying goods and services from easy-to-use e-commerce platforms that offer next-day, or even same-day, delivery. While providing stiff competition, it also opens up the possibilities for print businesses to expand their service portfolios through online and e-commerce.

    Online platforms’ broad reach also enables businesses to explore new geographies and customer demographics. And if you don’t have the resources to expand your own digital content services, you could partner with an existing online provider to enter new web and mobile markets.

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  7. How do you add more flexibility to your Vinyl Cutter?

    How do you add more flexibility to your Vinyl Cutter?

    FlexCut is an included feature that is available on all Summa vinyl plotters, the S One Series and the S Class 2 Series. This functionality is developed to add more flexibility to your production flow. Keep your cut material together with FlexCut while you can cut through simple designs in the media, without damaging your roll plotter.

    How it works

    By alternating between cutting through the media and half cutting the vinyl, the Summa vinyl plotter creates small media "bridges".  These bridges allow the cut media to stay together.

    With these small bridges and the intelligence behind a Summa vinyl plotter, you can cut a whole row or roll of designs.  What's more:

    1. The designs can be taken out with the ease
    2. Perform FlexCut in one simple step (press start and let your summa vinyl cutter will do the rest)
    3. Cut through the material without damaging your roll plotter

    And if these benefits were not enough, as an added bonus, the FlexCut vinyl roll can easily be transported because the cut designs remain together while the media's rigidity is maintained.

    Use FlexCut on your Summa today!

    You can use FlexCut today by following these straightforward actions:

    Prepare your cut file by indicating what needs to be a FlexCut, you can do this by using blue lines, the red lines will be regular cuts.

    This method enables the GoSign software to detect the difference between the data that needs to be FlexCut and the data that needs to be a regular cut.  GoSign software is Summa's own cutting software tailored to the range of Summa's vinyl cutters.  The software is included with every Summa S One and S Class 2 series.

    The software will end the data that needs to be contour cut first.  Then, it will activate FlexCut in order to alternate between cutting through and partially cutting through.  While doing so, it will create an easy tear-off line.

    It is worth trying out this feature with your cutter!

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  8. GoProduce - with the right software for the job

    GoProduce - with the right software for the job

    Every single one of you, working with printed or non-printed materials to cut and finish, know how vitally important software is to the usability and productivity of your hardware.  This is not just a matter of integrating your print and cut workflow.  Also, the presence of an intuitive interface, easy navigation, and intelligent features help the operator handle jobs more efficiently.  

    Summa recognizes the importance of software that is fully tailored to the hardware.  To underline the importance, Summa developed its very own software platform entirely in-house: GoSuite.  GoProduce for the F Series has been the first software module within GoSuite, which is designed to optimise the F Series users' workflow.

    Smart functionalities at your service 

    Adding to the intuitive interface and modern look, one of the true strengths of GoProduce are the straightforward action sets, enabling the operator to handle variable jobs in a natural, trouble-free and automated way. There are various default action sets in GoProduce to support your Summa workflow, such as the barcode automation, ready to be used at a click of a button. To further enhance flexibility, you can adjust many of these action sets to your hand and your needs. 

    Discover the Material Database

    The material database is a vital key to the user-friendliness of the GoProduce software. It includes an extensive range of material types, the materials contain the cutting settings and tool data defined by Summa. These materials can be adapted to your specific needs at all times.

    The database ensures a smart collaboration between jobs, materials, and on-site tools. The material manager works with pre-defined methods, meaning that you only need to choose the material you want to process and the material manager itself automatically chooses the correct tool and its settings to process it with. 

    Supporting Back Side Cutting with edge detection

    Back side cutting is especially useful when cutting cardboard boxes in order not to damage the print and in order to ensure the print is located on the outside of the box. GoProduce includes a specific camera profile enabling you to perform backside cutting with smart edge detection;

    Basically, there are two methods of back side cutting within GoProduce: 

    • Original: in this method, the camera will first read the marks in the artwork. The marks will then be cut out in squares. After that, you need to flip the sheet, the camera starts reading these cutout marks again and the flatbed cutter starts to cut.
    • With edge detection: this method is available since the 1.10 version of GoProduce. The camera will read the marks in the artwork first and then it will read 3 edges of the sheet. Thereafter, you flip the sheet and the flatbed cutter will read two edges again to determine the position of the artwork. The machine starts to cut without the need to cut out the markers first. This will save you a considerable amount of time.

    Automated Workflow with Barcode functionality (Pro Pack)

    The flatbed cutters usually need an operator to select the right cutting file, then read the printed marks to register the correct position of the material and match the selected cutting file. With the barcode functionality, the cutter reads the printed barcode, identifies the job, and automatically retrieves the cutting file. In this file, all the necessary cutting data and tool selection can be stored thanks to GoProduce. The built-in camera of the flatbed scans the job automatically (or alternatively by hand scanner). See how it works in the video below:

    Continuous development of new features and improvements

    The GoSuite software range is growing and Summa continues to develop new features and improvements. The GoSuite software platform is built to support you today and in the future, with many more software solutions to follow. With GoProduce for the Summa F Series, you can benefit from all the latest features and techniques on your F Series cutter. Did you know that you can easily upgrade your SummaFlex software to GoProduce?

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  9. Top 5 Features and Improvements in SAi Flexi 22 RIP Software

    Top 5 Features and Improvements in SAi Flexi 22 RIP Software

    SAi recently released an update to its design and RIP software, Flexi. It has numerous new features as well as fixes and improvements. While, at first glance, the interface “seems” to look as if there are very few changes, there are in fact many improvements. Here are my top five favorite features:

    SAi Connect

    This new app for SAi Flexi software will sit in your taskbar tray taking up little room or memory but giving you huge amounts of data feedback and access to apps and more.  You’ll see all the SAi apps you have installed or have access to and even see when they need updating.  Statistics will show you your activity, ink usage, jobs, and more in whatever time frame you want to monitor them. Now you can see how productive you are.

    SAi Connect is like having access to the Cloud part of Flexi all in one place but organized and more easily accessible and meaningful.

    Dynamic Marquee For Make Transparent

    Now, when you select an area to make it transparent and change the Tolerance in DesignCentral you will see the change in real-time on the image. This will save time. In the previous Flexi version, you had to set the tolerance, select and then set the tolerance lower or higher, and select again to see the results. Now just select, change the tolerance and see the results instantly.

    Order Reprints

    The Order Reprint feature allows you to create and store print orders with the original job files and settings in Production Manager, and then retrieve them to be printed again. Once you have a job in Production Manager, just choose Order Reprint from the File menu. Or better, go to Edit and then Preferences in Production Manager and set Order Reprints to start whenever you send a job for printing (you can always just cancel the order reprint menu if you don’t want to save for later reprinting).

    After you set the info in the Create Order, if you want to print the image again EXACTLY as before, you can choose order reprint, choose the job and it will set up the job to print using all the same settings you had for the original print! There are some great job search options as well. Search by customer name, date, and more.

    Thumbnails in the Production Manager Queue

    Just hover over a small thumbnail next to any job in Production Manager and up will pop an enlarged thumbnail so you can preview the job before selection.

    Instead of just trying to guess what the job is based on the name of the job, Production Manager will now show you a small thumbnail so you can preview the job about to be selected. This is one small improvement that makes the user experience in Flexi RIP software better.

    Reorder Devices in Production Manager

    In Flexi 22 there is an easy way to move the location of the tabs for the output devices in Production Manager. So, if you want your cutter first and then all your printers or you have multiple printer types and use one more often, you can move the tab location for that device to the front of the line in Production Manager.

    What Do I Think About Flexi 22

    Overall, SAi has made some very good improvements to this version of Flexi. With the new features and updates, SAi continues to be the leader in design and RIP software for sign and print shops. I would recommend the update/upgrade to anyone.


    About SA International (SAi).

    Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, SA International (SAi) is recognised as the global leader in providing software solutions for the sign making, digital printing, textile, and CNC machining industries - from design to production.  SAi's Flexi family of software products rank as the world's number one software for sign making and digital printing, outselling all competitors combined.  Flexi is found on more wide-format printers than any other software.  In addition, the company is one of the leaders in the CNC machining and router markets with its EnRoute CAD/CAM software.

    SAi has a large and loyal network of resellers around the world and has over 250,000 customers in more than 150 countries.  SAi enjoys strong OEM relationships with industry-leading manufacturers.  In addition to its USA headquarters, SAi has offices in Brussels, Belgium, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Shanghai and Hong Kong, China, Pune, India, Tel Aviv, Isreal and Tokyo Japan.

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  10. New partnership agreement with PrintFactory

    New partnership agreement with PrintFactory

    PSW Paper & Print Limited has announced a new partnership agreement with software supplier PrintFactory, with an integrated software solution specifically tailored for large format print production. PrintFactory is a suite of printing and finishing software applications that have been made to help solve the everyday challenges faced by wide format printers. The SaaS-based suite of tools make a lasting impression with its ease of operation and the ability to deliver better colour, consistently, while saving ink, time, media, and ultimately saving money. PrintFactory’s workflow software includes feature-rich tools that make life easier for teams working on the production floor – an editing package that speeds up the production process; nesting and tiling tools that deliver the best possible layouts, with complete manual control; and a world-class device-link colour profiling that can guarantee the right colour, across all media, and devices. In addition, the software has been designed to be ‘one click’ wherever possible, with in-app tools that make life easier for users.

    Tom Skinner says: “We are delighted to have partnered with PrintFactory and are excited to introduce the powerful new features and abilities of this software suite, that will bring both production efficiencies and ink savings to our customer base”.


    About PrintFactory

    PrintFactory has been providing solutions to the print industry for over 25 years.  With over 40 employees, offices around the world and a substantial dealer network.  Determined to free the large format printing sector of the unnecessary complexities that continue to impact on cost, consistency and capacity on the production floor, PrintFactory have completely re-engineered the wide-format workflow to equip the world’s print shops with an intuitive and future-proofed platform that resolves these issues and readies them for the industry 4.0 era.

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