The interesting thing about this particular job is that the clear material can be printed in such a way that different graphics can be printed front and back. The material is then illuminated using a patented technology from Flex Lighting. The opaque white ink laid down by the Truepress becomes illuminated. Using the press’ technology, Arkin also stated that printing front to back can be done accurately, although there was somewhat of a learning curve on perfecting the process.

Parrot of Excell also discussed printing on some unusual products for its clients. Perhaps the most unusual project involved printing on ceiling tiles. A local hospital requested that their logo be printed on ceiling tiles that would be used throughout the facility.

Is It Time to Buy?

According to Parrot, printers seeking to get into the retail signage end of the printing industry should definitely consider purchasing the Fujifilm Acuity Advance HS UV flatbed press for its high quality, performance, speed, and versatility.

Arkin also offered sound advice for printers who may be interested in purchasing a flatbed printer. Arkin claimed that the purchase process may seem daunting to many because there are a lot of manufacturers in the market out there.

“If a shop is looking for a new press I would tell them to sit down and think about what they need. I’d tell them to ask themselves four questions: They need to think about their quality requirements, speed requirements, substrate requirements, and budget. Once those questions are answered, they can go out there and begin to weed out the presses that would work for them. Then they should get with each one (vendor) and run a ton of samples.”

Arkin added, “Whenever we look at a press, we want to make sure that it is better than what we had before in terms of speed and quality.”

Arkin stated that anyone looking for a flatbed printer should consider purchasing a product from Screen. While the major competitors in the field are Vutek and Durst, Arkin believes that Screen can compete, despite its lack of presence in the wide-format imaging world.

“Screen is not a well known name. I know them from the offset printing world. When I heard they were making these items, I was excited,” said Arkin. “They have to get past the fact that they are a relatively unknown name in the screen printing industry.”