The ability to print white, hit specific colors or produce gloss levels is a strong factor in winning business for customers. “Customers are accustomed to paying additional money for overprint clears to be applied. The ability to do this on the equipment without the extra processing step enables customers to improve their margin,” stated Sullivan. “The ability to produce high-quality backlit graphics on a digital press is considerably lower cost compared to photo processing or production via film. The capability to produce double-sided graphics in registration and the ability to print on a variety of materials also helps PSPs meet the demands of customers and increase market share.”

Sullivan said high-production equipment like the Inca Onset series is dramatically altering the landscape and pushing UV digital printing deeper into the analog print market. “The ability to digitally produce stunning print quality, print white, and print an expanded color gamut is also expanding the capabilities to digitally print output previously only printed screen or offset,” he said. “The next capability within wide-format digital is the ability to print variable data files efficiently. Variable data capabilities, coupled with white ink, additional colors, and the ability to print gloss or matte will redefine digital printing.”

Gerber Scientific Products

The Gerber Solara ion uses a proprietary matched technology system that includes a specialty UV ink called GerberCat Cationic UV Ink. “It offers several unique benefits over free radical UV ink including unmatched ink adhesion to the widest variety of substrates, unmatched color output, and unmatched chemical resistance,” said Curt Brey, executive director, digital solutions, Gerber Scientific Products, South Windsor, CT, adding that Gerber is the only inkjet manufacturer to offer a Cationic UV ink product. “GerberCat Cationic UV inks are being used in hundreds of installations around the world to produce short-run production of printed graphics, signs, POP, exhibit displays, and many more applications that benefit from the strength of Cationic UV ink.”

Brey said PSPs have been able to expand market share in diverse new applications made possible only through ink adhesion to a wider range of substrates including glass, ceramics, textiles, paper products, wood, metal, etc. Additionally, the Solara ion is a direct-to-rigid flatbed printer. “This application combination eliminates the need for vinyl materials and the associated application labor cost in rigid printing applications,” explained Brey. “We have had numerous businesses respond to Gerber that they have been able to dramatically increase profit margins while becoming more competitive in their market.”

As for the future, Brey said the growth of UV printing technologies continues at an alarming rate. “Our approach to the market is unique as we offer a family of UV printers with the ability to be upgraded into each new technology as it becomes available to the market,” Brey reported. “This technology upgrade model has been well received as it provides the buyer with some degree of obsolescence protection as these printing technologies continue to evolve.”

HumanEyes Technologies

Lenticular printing allows designers to expand their creative horizons with movement, depth and animation...and the applications are limitless. “Our turnkey solutions give printers the ability to expand their portfolio of capabilities and services with new and unique solutions for all advertising media,” stated Jeff Miller, sales director, Americas, HumanEyes Technologies Inc., Jericho, NY. “Our applications include large-scale advertising, retail signage, and POP, plus magazine covers, inserts, greeting cards, and more.”

Miller said that for some applications, lenticular can do more than just foster bold and unique creations, pointing out that the nature of the lenticular substrate reinforces plastic card quality and life expectancy. And, as lenticular is extremely difficult to counterfeit, adding lenticular to a card also adds an additional security feature.

“Lenticular imaging allows PSPs to produce a wide variety of unique visual applications to differentiate themselves from competitors with a new, eye-catching technology,” said Miller. “It allows PSPs to catalyze productivity gains by getting additional use of exiting equipment, which in turn leads to higher profit margins.”