Signs of the Times - February 2012 - (Page 38)

TECHNOLOGY REVIEW By Chris and Kathi Morrison Chris and Kathi Morrison own and operate The Image Specialists, a full-service graphics company based in Clements, CA. Chris is also a Microsoft-certified systems engineer. The EFI VUTEk GS5000r printer and EFI’s Pace software When customers need prints fast, but they also have to look great EFI VUTEk printers aren’t petite. They’re typically industrial-grade printers built with heavy-duty components and designed to operate 24/7/365. The massive GS5000r weighs a hefty 11,023 lbs. It measures 75.1 in. high x 98.56 in. deep x 342.35 in. wide. And, yes, that last number is correct – it’s 28.5 ft. wide. The printer requires three-phase, 50/60 Hz., 70A (4 or 5 wire), Delta 220 +/- 10%, 50A (Wye 400 +/- 10%, 50A) power. The compressed air specs are: 6.7 kgf/ cm2 minimum, 10.5 kgf/ cm2 maximum, at 113 lpm dry air only; the operating temperature range is 68 - 86° F with humidity from 30 to 80%, non-condensing. Printing technology The UV-cure, GS5000r handles flexible (roll-to-roll) media. Its dual-resolution mode offers 600 dpi (24-pl drops) or 1,000 dpi (12-pl drops), and its printed images are dry and ready to use. In high-quality mode, its grayscale printheads produce readable, four-point text. EFI Vutek says the printer produces ultra-high resolution for premium-value, indoor graphics -- and will also print strong images at production-grade speeds. An automatic, printhead-maintenance system reduces labor time and costs. Flexible-ink system Eight-color printers aren’t always fast, but EFI Vutek’s engineers created interesting systems that speed the GS5000r. For example, it can run as an eight-color machine to attain high-quality prints, or you can switch to the Fast-4 mode, which triggers the dual CMYK inkset to produce the fastest print speed. The fast print speed doesn’t mean so-so quality. This machine produces sellable prints at speeds up to 3,100 sq. ft./hr. – nearly 100, 4 x 8-ft. prints per hour. The flexible, fast-drying, water- and fade-resistant inks are available in CMYK, plus yellow, black, light cyan, light magenta, light yellow, light black and white. The company says the inks contain no VOCs and are media independent. Three-layer white is included in the inkset options. The GS5000r’s output is covered by 3M’s™ MCS™ warranty (five years) when used with co-branded EFI and 3M inks and printed on 3M flexible media. Media handling Any five-meter print system requires industrial-grade, media-handling components, and the well-designed GS5000r system is strongly built. It will process five-meter media rolls or up to three, separate, 60-in. rolls. Your finished prints can be stored on the take-up rolls, or you 38 SIGNS OF THE TIMES / FEBRUARY 2012 / www.signweb.com Key Information Electronics for Imaging, Inc. (EFI) 303 Velocity Way Foster City, CA 94404 (650) 357-3500 www.efi.com Company Profile: Headquartered in Foster City, CA, with 33 worldwide offices in 19 countries, EFI’s award-winning, innovative technologies increase the productivity and profitability of commercial and enterprise printing firms. EFI™ offers value-added combinations of hardware, software and consumables. Its robust product portfolio includes Fiery® digital-color print servers; VUTEk® superwide, digital inkjet printers, UV and solvent inks; Rastek™ UV wide-format inkjet printers; Jetrion® industrial inkjet print systems; print-production workflow and management-information software; and corporate print solutions. At a Glance: Because we want to discuss both EFI Vutek’s outstanding GS5000r roll-media, production printer and EFI’s Pace, a browser-based, print-management system software that helps maximize shop efficiency, this month’s review is a two-part report. Our first section describes how the remarkable, eight-color, EFI VUTEk GS5000r handles the speed/quality challenges found in production signshops. The GS5000r’s output is suitable for high-quality POP displays, but it will also produce lightning-fast 198-in.-wide (five-meter) prints. Also, if you run a big shop with demanding customers and tight deadlines (and even tighter margins), you’ll be interested in Pace and how it ensures job efficiency. Contact: Holly O’Rourke, Director, Corporate Communications (603) 677-8992, holly.orourke@efi.com can select the cut-sheet method. Also, it uses a cradlestyle winder that’s coupled to a media-assist system that eases media load and unload routines, so one operator can handle the media processes. The Vutek mesh-printing kit is simple to install and, once in, it’s easy to change media from mesh to vinyl and back again. Additionally, the optional, two-side print kit eases double-sided printing. Allowable media thickness is up to .125 in. (3.2 mm). It will print on film, paper, mesh, banner material and heavy textiles. Imagine the numerous possibilities – banners, vehicle wraps, signfaces, building wraps, mesh graphics, billboards, POP and more. The Pace system With the GS5000r’s myriad capabilities, it’s easy to see that the machine/media diversity might create interesting production schedules. For example, how do you http://www.efi.com http://www.signweb.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - February 2012

Signs of the Times - February 2012
Contents
ST Update
Technology Update
Software Update
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Electric
LED Update
Technology Review
Sign Museum News
New Products
Palisades Center Mall’s Retrofit
Sign Structure Safety
Picture Them Rolling
Sign the Vote
Taxing Times
The Value of Signs
See Ya Real Soon!
Industry News
Advertising Index
Editorially Speaking

Signs of the Times - February 2012