Sign Update

Graphtec GB introduces new Silhouette CAMEO multi-purpose desktop cutter

Tuesday, 01 November 2011 00:00

Leading supplier of high-end, highperformance plotter/cutters to the sign and graphics and digital printing industries, Graphtec GB has introduced a new desktop cutter that will be of special interest to producers of small-format soft signage, point-of-sale displays and print wear and promotional products.

A new and larger version of the popular Silhouette cutter, the Silhouette CAMEO requires only a standard USB cable linked to a PC or MAC system to enable cutting of printed materials as diverse as card stock, paper, vinyl, textiles and much more up to an extended width of 12 inches and a depth of 10 feet. This will allow owners to cut edge-to-edge on a 12 x 12-inch sheet, with an innovative and patented roller design enabling the cutter to take A4 or letter-sized sheets to maximise material usage.

The Silhouette Cameo is extremely smooth in operation and comes with a host of advanced design features. Most notably, these include Graphtec's proprietary ARMS 4.0 (Advanced Registration Mark System) that provides four-point registration rather than the traditional three-point registration to enable greater accuracy of cut, higher productivity and minimal material wastage. Four-point registration mark sensing and two-axes correction ensures high precision cutting of images that may have become distorted during the printing process. Since all registration marks are detected automatically, there is no need to move the sensor to the first registration mark and subsequent registration marks are automatically re-detected if a sensing error does occur.

Other key design features include a new type of cutting head to enable die-cutting of thicker materials, a new 10-stage micro-adjustable cutting tool that dispenses with the need to use the original cutting tips, 51 exclusive cutting designs and dedicated software that is compatible with Windows XP, Vista 7 and MAC platforms. An easy-to-navigate user instruction manual and tutorial DVD are also supplied as part of the package.

The Silhouette Cameo cutter has a recommended retail price of less than £300.00 (inclusive of VAT) and therefore represents an outstanding value-for-money investment.

For further information, visit the website www.graphtecgb.com or telephone 01978 666700.

New acrylic sheet with optimised colour

Tuesday, 01 November 2011 00:00

The new Perspex® Spectrum cast acrylic sheet recently launched, enables sign makers, specifiers and designers to enjoy the benefits of LEDs and create elegant solutions that are cost and eco-efficient, whilst enhancing intensity and colour.

The Perspex Spectrum colours have been specially formulated to give optimised colour performance with both transmitted and reflected light using white LEDs and whether by day, or illuminated by night, signs made using Perspex Spectrum will show, bright, intense colour every time.

This distinctive range's vibrant, solid colours offer impressive hiding power to facilitate slimmer designs, improved diffusion of light and the elimination of 'hotspots'.

Signs made from Perspex Spectrum will look bright, bold and evenly illuminated, with whichever of the 11 popular corporate imaging hues you choose. Each colour is available as standard but if you need something bespoke, either a new colour or different thickness, just ask for details of the Perspex make to order service.

Perspex Spectrum is not only for signs. It is the ideal material for any illuminated application including point of purchase displays, directional systems, interior design and architectural pieces.

The new acrylic sheet gives optimum colour performance whatever the light source and whatever the sign and is a perfect colour solution for illuminated signs.

For further information on the range of Perspex from Lucite solutions visit www.lucitesolutions.com

Continuing performance assured with Metamark

Tuesday, 01 November 2011 00:00

Perhaps understandably, materials' adhesives don't get discussed much and are rather taken for granted. The Materials Company, Metamark, however has, as a planned component of its continuous innovation and product improvement strategy, introduced a range of novel developments in the field which are said to have resulted in materials which not only do more, but do it more reliably. The materials are much easier to work with and genuinely boost productivity and save money. Metamark calls the new adhesive system that underpins these advances, Metamark Apex.

Metamark's media and materials have always demonstrated a useful degree of tolerance to repositioning, but the Apex system apparently widens the performance envelope even further. The initial bond is man enough to fully deliver the degree of primary adhesion needed, but it's a bond with a noticeably different quality. It allows the product to be removed without introducing excessive elongation into the face film, and then be repositioned with a degree of tack that's unchanged by the repositioning experience and which builds to a class-leading ultimate bond across a range of substrate types.

The accomplishment of controlled adhesion that characterises the Apex development was won via some landmark developments in adhesives chemistry. A fully cross-linked single component formulation forms the product's DNA, and produces benefits beyond class-leading repositioning ability. A raft of testing backs up the development.

Quantitive improvements also characterise Metamark's Apex advance. In taking a representative profile of application surfaces from the truly inert, via automotive topcoats, and into the sphere of a-polar or low energy articles, Metamark's Apex system produces measurable adhesion improvements on them all. The returns are obviously bigger on some surfaces than others, low-energy plastics being among the smaller, but automotive top-coats are among the most improved.

Another need that's well documented in Metamark's Apex development plan is concerned with removal of the applied graphic. Cohesion is as critical as adhesion.

An increasing percentage of digital output in particular, is destined for promoting something during a short-lived advertising season so it must remove easily, without a trace, leaving a clean surface for the follow-on campaign. Apex puts ticks in these boxes too, says Metamark. The product removes entirely, that means the face film and adhesive remove as one, leaving just a clean, application-ready surface.

It sounds as though Metamark has put everything it knows into Apex but the company also has a word or two concerned with what it left out. The evolved chemistry that is Apex exists minus certain co-solvents that are now replaced with more environmentally responsible components. Even the IBC one-tonne containers used to move the adhesive from storage to the coater head are reused says Metamark.

Apex will be introduced on a rolling basis and may already be on a roll of Metamark material on your shelves. Most Metamark products are destined to feature the new adhesive.

For further information visit www.metamark.co.uk

VTS - Do what you know, and do it well

Tuesday, 01 November 2011 00:00

VTS Ltd is headed up by three Directors with considerable experience in the sign trade. Managing Director Peter Dawson, ex Service Engineer at Roland for 10 years, Technical Director Kevin Hills who is a third party ink specialist and formerly with B & P, and Sales Director Brian Peckham was the former General Manager of Roland DG. A team of hand-picked engineers with years of experience specifically on the company's chosen printer ranges provides a rapid response for customers throughout the country.

Two reasons for the growth that led to the move to new premises are the expertise at VTS and the quality of service it provides to customers. Prior to any printer being given a warranty, VTS undertakes a full service on the machine.

Peter explains: "We are the only company that services the printer at the start of the warranty. We spend 90 minutes to a couple of hours going over the machine, doing various checks and giving it a thorough service. By carrying out this initial service we prevent it from breaking down, rather than wait for it to go wrong and then responding as other warranty providers do. Our way means customers are less likely to have a hold up in production in the future and it also enables us to check for any parts that are wearing out."

The checks he refers to include the distance the motors have travelled in hours, and the number of dots the heads have shot. If the machine does require a replacement part, VTS customers also benefit in that where many companies insist the customer has to have a new part to get the warranty.VTS. If the print quality is acceptable, VTS will note that a part, or parts, have exceeded their life expectancy, and will only replace them when it affects the quality of the print. When the time comes to change a part, only the cost of that part is charged.

"In addition, as we only specialise in these two brands, Roland and Uniform, when our Engineers visit our customers they have virtually every part that's likely to be needed so achieve a first call fix. These are just some of the ways that we're offering customers the best possible service," says Brian.

As to the current economic climate, he believes it is bringing more customers to VTS.

"With the recession, many people are trying to keep their printers going rather than buying new machines," Brian says. "And they are saving even more money by choosing our warranty and service contracts. For example, customers going into their third year of warranty on a Roland VP-540 with VTS have saved about £2,400 compared to the extended warranties offered by the manufacturer."

But the lure of those shiny new printers are tempting. Brian spoke about a signmaker in Leicester who approached him for advice as to what machine he should buy now the lease on his VP-540 was coming to its end. It transpired that his current printer was doing everything the chap wanted and there were no problems so Brian suggested that rather than spend unnecessarily, the signmaker should opt for a VTS warranty and look forward to getting perhaps another 10 years out of his existing equipment.

"Printers nowadays are very expensive but in this throwaway society some people still want to replace machinery and get rid of the old. But they can be refurbished and still be excellent machines. With the right care and attention old machines can be brought back to virtually new," says Brian

Keeping your existing printer and extending its warranty or buying a refurbished machine seems very appealing from a finance point of view; but all the marketing by printer manufacturers says that technology is making vast improvements and machines are getting better and faster all the time, so what's the truth?

"There isn't that much difference with the new machines," says Brian. "They may be marginally quicker and improve some problems with banding, etc, but in reality a lot of large format printing is displayed from a distance. It really doesn't matter that it isn't perfect when viewed close up. The printers many signmakers have now are so good that any improvements can only be marginal. Pure print speed isn't really such a big issue for most people anyway, and that's something heavily promoted in the marketing of new machines."

The more the conversation continues, the more obvious it is that there is a real depth of knowledge at VTS. While acknowledging the need to keep costs down, there are limits to what can be done. Despite being able to buy refillable cartridges and third party inks to refill them, this isn't something VTS recommends.

"Buying a cartridge is far better, whatever ink you use," Kevin advised. "The cartridges are made in a clinical, dust-free atmosphere. Often signmakers are working in dusty environments and filling up ink cartridges using a funnel that may have been used for other inks, or may have a layer of dust on them, which is not a good practice. It only takes a single speck of dust to block an ink head, which has holes about a quarter of the width of a human hair. Many people refill cartridges to save money but it is a false economy. The heads tend to require more regular cleaning and we reckon that using a third party ink typically knocks off about 20 per cent off the life of the heads."

As to the future of print and possible alternatives, Peter believes there will be more and more thin films technology having an impact over the next five to 10 years. So, instead of applying printed films to a substrate, a thin film screen with a little wireless chip in the back will be used instead.

Whether he's correct or not, time will tell, but the team at VTS has certainly got it right now, judging by the 99 per cent of customers who extend their warranties year on year and enjoy discounts as a result.

Further details and prices are available at www.vts-service.co.uk or by telephoning 01395 442652.