Technology | What to Watch


THE DREAMTREADERS


WHERE DO YOU WANT TO SEE INNOVATIONS THAT WILL HELP YOU DEVELOP YOUR BUSINESS? WE ASKED A SMATTERING OF LARGE-FORMAT PSPS WHAT WOULD MAKE THEIR DREAMS COME TRUE.


What technical developments do PSPs most want to see in 2024 (and beyond)? The manufacturers/ suppliers to the large-format digital inkjet sector hope they know, and no doubt aim to prove it by showing-off myriad solutions in this bumper trade show year. But will all their R+D efforts be enough to fulfi l your wish lists?


ROSS PIKE, OPERATIONS DIRECTOR, QUADRANT2DESIGN


“In 2024 and beyond we would like to see the continued development of UV inks in three areas, and also developments in print/cut technology for larger industrial printers and materials. “In terms of UV inks, we would like to see


developments in the areas of durability, sustainability and colour gamut. While latex print technology has excellent sustainability credentials, the durability of the print fi nish is still quite away from that of UV inks. In a tactile environment such as exhibitions, a highly durable fi nish is key to re-use and, therefore, sustainability. Reusable graphics, produced with other print technology (outside of UV ink), require over-laminating, increasing plastic usage. Therefore, we would like to see further efforts to make UV ink both more durable and more sustainable in their chemical make-up. This will benefi t end users and the environment. “We would also like to see further steps to increase the colour range of UV printers at reasonable price points. In terms of colour space, UV is still a way behind eco-solvent printers like the Epson SC80600 and aqueous printers like the inexpensive Canon Pro 4000 range. “Another interesting area of development, which may be more long-term, is integrated print/cut technology for larger printers and thicker, tougher media. The technology is currently limited to smaller large-format printers and suited to sticker production or similar.


SIMON MCKENZIE, CEO, HOLLYWOOD MONSTER


“As an industry, we have come a long way in the last three years in terms of sustainable options for both products and printers and I believe this is a trend that is set to continue. We now offer PVC free alternatives for most of our products, and we continue to explore fully sustainable printer options. This has been accelerated from a research and


20 | February/March 2024


WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF UV INKS IN THREE AREAS – DURABILITY, SUSTAINABILITY AND


COLOUR GAMUT ROSS PIKE


development perspective during the pandemic by both manufacturers and printers. “Printers are far more economical and eco-friendlier


than ever before, but there is still work to be done, particularly around day-to-day energy consumption. One development that would help with this would be adding to the printer channels, to allow eight colours but also to spray, for example, a clean air solution at the same time. This would optimise the print machine time and energy consumption and allow printers to operate more effi ciently.


“Our clients are pushing us harder than ever to switch their print requirements to a fully sustainable option, but price remains an issue. Without the high-volume users switching, the price point from the manufacturer won’t drop. It remains to be seen whether the manufacturer of the materials will introduce a new pricing strategy or should the government be considering grants or legislation to help encourage the uptake of sustainable materials. “Finally, we need to see developments in the quality and durability of PVC alternatives. Material advancements over the last three years have been great, but until they can match PVC on strength and fi nish it’s going to be harder to switch customers to sustainable materials. “All of our clients, large and small, have a common goal - to be as sustainable as possible. This can only be achieved with collaboration and innovation from both the print machine manufacturers, along with the advances in material/substrate technologies.”


PRINTERS ARE FAR MORE ECONOMICAL AND ECO-FRIENDLIER THAN EVER BEFORE, BUT THERE IS STILL WORK TO BE DONE PARTICULARLY AROUND


DAY-TO-DAY ENERGY


CONSUMPTION SIMON MCKENZIE


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