Technology | What they Say


‘Speed, versatility, and


scalability’ Richard McCombe, Marketing manager, Graphic Warehouse


Wide-format printers are a huge investment, and for us, it is important that they can meet our needs now and well into the future. Our fast-moving, dynamic workflow is constantly evolving, and our printers need to cope with that and support us long-term. Speed and reliability are our key considerations. We will


always want our printers to drive our production, pushing the boundaries of print speed without sacrificing quality. We expect print head technology to continue improving and delivering this additional speed. Our most recent investment was in a Liyu Platinum Q3-XL Pro UV hybrid printer. Reliability is crucial to us.


‘Sustainability is key’ Giles Fletcher, General manager, Discount Displays


At Discount Displays, we believe sustainability is key. We want to see printers that minimise environmental impact through energy efficiency, responsibly sourced materials, reduced waste, and eco-friendly inks and technologies. For us, faster speeds and superior print quality are essential. Tomorrow’s printers should deliver high-resolution outputs in record time, meeting the demands of the industry and modern production.


‘The future of print is very bright’


Nathan Swinson-Bullough, Managing director, Imageco Visual Imaging


The future of print is very bright, but I think there is still room for improvement in the printers of tomorrow. I would like to see more improvements in sustainability,


everything from the ink technology to the machine themselves, inks need to be fully sustainable, recyclable, on the materials which they are applied and water-based. There has been development in this by the likes of HP and I would expect to see even more rapid development over the next five to 10 years. Machines should be made from recycled materials and fully recyclable end of life, the way they are designed and built should allow for the simple removal and replacement of parts by operators and the parts made from recycled material and have the ability to be recycled.


Since we got it, we’ve only had to call Liyu twice – once was just a courtesy check-in. Wide-format printers must be built with robust components and intuitive maintenance features to ensure minimal downtime. Versatility is also key and drove our decision to purchase the Liyu. The print heads can be easily upgraded, meaning we weren’t just buying for today but for the future. Modular designs that allow for easy upgrades and customisation are key considerations. This includes the ability to adapt to new ink technologies, media types, and print applications. Finally, sustainability needs to be seriously considered. To reduce waste, printers should incorporate the latest innovations in energy efficiency and consumables management. To sum up, the wide-format printers of tomorrow should deliver the speed, versatility, and scalability to work alongside us and help us meet our business’s ever-evolving challenges.


Advanced overcoats are a must. We envision longer-lasting UV-protective, durable coatings so that lamination is a thing of the past, saving time and resources while enhancing longevity. More durable inks and materials are also crucial. Harder- wearing solutions could unlock doors to domestic markets, enabling custom-printed surfaces. We believe AI integration can revolutionise


printing. Smart systems could enhance print quality and enable preventative maintenance, reducing downtime and improving efficiency. Finally, 3D printing capabilities would be


transformative. The ability to create textured relief designs directly on flat sheets would open up a host of new creative possibilities and unique display solutions. These innovations would redefine wide-format printing, making it faster, smarter, and more sustainable.


From a production point of view quality and speed will continue to get better, but I would like to see more in the way of machine learning. Maintenance reporting to prevent breakdown, automatic error detection and communication between print files and the machine. AI will automate this even further which will help reduce waste and down time, I would like to see AI used in this way and improve efficiencies so that breakdowns don’t happen, material isn’t wasted, energy is reserved and the operators focus more and the production of the machines. AI will be seen more over the coming years and will play a part in how machines run and also communicate to accounting/ production scheduling/ ink and material ordering so that processes become more efficient and profitable. I’d like to see more in the creative possibilities, development in what we can print on to, and how that process looks to give amazing creative effects. Maybe one day even motion can be printed but that is being very futuristic.


www.imagereportsmag.co.uk | 15


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32