EFI Showcases Inkjet Productivity, Greener LED Imaging and Workflow Innovations at ISA

The EFI exhibit in booth 650 at this year’s ISA International Sign Expo in Las Vegas provides a full portfolio of products for signage and graphics professionals to capitalize on some of the industry’s best growth opportunities. The exhibit highlights innovation, high productivity, quality and reliability available with production-class low-, middle- and high-volume UV and LED inkjet printers, combined with a full range of industry-leading, integrated workflow products.
 
EFI’s offerings – from a new web-to-print technology and a significantly faster image processing workflow, to 7-picoliter grayscale printhead technology for near-photographic imaging, to the world’s top technology for energy-efficient “cool cure” LED imaging at full production speeds – open doors to new revenue streams and greater profit opportunities.
 
LED technology is a key feature in EFI’s exhibit at the expo. With more than 500 LED inkjet printers installed at locations worldwide, EFI is leading the charge in the significant advantages of higher-quality, versatile imaging on broader range of substrates – with virtually no VOC emissions and significantly reduced energy usage. EFI customers are gaining a competitive advantage from their ability to print on thin, inexpensive films, corrugated board and other materials that cannot withstand the heat associated with other drying or curing methods.
 
One LED inkjet technology user, the Sir Speedy printing franchise in Raleigh, NC, expanded the range of products it sells to new and existing clients with a 65-inch EFI H1625 LED hybrid roll/flatbed printer. The printer’s flatbed capabilities have eliminated a good amount of outsourcing the business once did, opening the door to more-profitable selling opportunities on jobs printed on brushed metal and other specialty substrates. The printer, which is on display in EFI’s booth and in the booth for print technology dealer Nazdar SourceOne (1557), is an entry-level product offering high-quality, eight-level grayscale imaging and superior white ink capabilities at an affordable price.
 
Other LED printers on display at the expo include:
• The EFI VUTEk GS2000lx Pro with UltraDrop Technology, a 2-meter hybrid printer with eight colors plus white that delivers exceptional quality, including crisp four-point type and vibrant color, thanks to high-end capabilities of its variable-drop, grayscale 7-picoliter UltraDrop printheads.
 • The 3.2-meter EFI VUTEk GS3250lxr Pro, a dedicated roll-to-roll printer that extends LED UV imaging into the fleet and vehicle wrap, textile soft signage and specialty out-of-home markets with advanced SuperFlex Inks from EFI and 3M.
 
EFI’s exhibit also includes the award-winning flagship of the EFI VUTEk portfolio, the 3.2-meter, hybrid EFI VUTEk HS100 Pro press, a high-volume, analog replacement solution that uses a combination LED/UV pin and cure imaging process to provide exceptional quality and high productivity. The press also features automated material loading and unloading systems, along with a material edge guide system for printing corrugated board and other challenging substrates at press rated-speeds.
 
The 2-meter, hybrid EFI VUTEk H2000 Pro UV inkjet printer on display features UltraDrop Technology and gives users a more-affordable entry point into mid-volume, premium production printing while giving them the option to add features – including white ink, clear varnish and roll-to-roll media handling – as they grow their business.
 
Show attendees can also see unique, pre-decorated inkjet-printed sheets created with an EFI VUTEk GS Pro-TF series printer and thermoformed in the booth, as well as cost-effective, label and narrow web inkjet converted applications printed with an EFI Jetrion digital inkjet press.
 
The newest-version EFI Fiery proServer is driving VUTEk printers at the show. Its Fiery FAST RIP technology processes complex vector data up to seven times faster than its predecessor. The Fiery proServer also touts enhanced integration into the EFI Productivity Suite of web-to-print and MIS/ERP products. On the web-to-print end of the workflow, the International Sign Expo will feature the debut of the newest version of EFI Digital StoreFront software.
 
“Our customers are fueling their success by reducing costs, expanding throughput and developing profitable, new product offerings,” said Scott Schinlever, SVP and GM, EFI Inkjet Solutions. “LED inkjet technology has been a game changer for many of these companies, but they also have the opportunity to do more with 7-picoliter grayscale UltraDrop imaging and our integrated workflow products. The range of technologies we are showing at the International Sign Expo can make a huge difference for signage and graphics professionals determined to differentiate themselves and grow their businesses.”