5 Ways to Grow Your Business with an Epson S-Series

If you’re considering adding a wide-format solvent printer to your operation, you’re on the right track to increase production and add lots of new capabilities. We sat down with our printer training pro, Michael Clementi, to learn five top ways that an Epson SureColor S-Series printer (S40600S60600 and S80600) can help you grow your business.

  1. It’s two printers in one. Particularly with the S80600, you’re going to see a major uptick in production speed. So much so, that it is like having two printers instead of one. The print speed is nearly doubled in comparison to older model solvent printers. Plus, you’ll see the consistent, photo-realistic/fine-art quality that Epson printers are known for.
  2. Quick-drying solvent inks. The new ink formulation that Epson has introduced with these printers are so quick-drying that you can now use a take-up reel and save space and time on waiting for ordinary solvent inks to dry. The UltraChrome GS3  inks are low-odor and nickel-free and produce an enhanced color gamut. So, you’ll print faster and with better results.
  3. More pinch rollers = more material options. With 40 individual media rollers with five independent pinch rollers, you’ll experience better control of the media you’re printing to. The additional rollers prevent the material from bunching, causing fewer head strikes. Try it with polyester or other fabric solutions.
  4. More applications, indoors and out. With solvent, you’ll not only increase the longevity of your outdoor print jobs (aqueous may last a year, solvent lasts five times that), but you can also branch out into other growing markets, like décor. The recently launched LexJet Premium WallPro line, for instance, is solvent-compatible. Even more benefits: Solvent materials and inks are less expensive than aqueous, and typically don’t require a protective coating. So, you’re getting savings on savings!
  5. Less maintenance. Any printer knows that maintenance is a time-sink and production-killer. Epson’s eco-solvent inks will save you here, as well, because they are far less harsh than aggressive, volatile hard solvent inks. Your printheads will thank you. “You’re looking at once a month maintenance, rather than once a week,” Clementi says. “We ran the S80600 for four months, maintenance-free, with no problems.”

Now Available: LexJet’s Digital Catalog

Catalog cover

Now available online is LexJet’s Digital Catalog, a flipable product guide that includes all of the media, printers, ink, laminates, and accessories available at LexJet.com.

The catalog is organized by printer type: aqueous, solvent, and latex. Within each section, you can flip page by page to find papers, canvas, coatings, framing systems, films, adhesive-backed materials, fabrics, inks, and printers. A wide variety of brands are featured, including LexJet, Sunset, HP, Canon, Epson, Fredrix, Kodak, and many others.

Each product page features multiple items within the category as well as imagery of the products in use. Next to the individual product names, click on the plus sign to read more details about that particular item, see the variety of sizes it is available in, and add it to your shopping cart. Click on the product name to go directly to purchase.product example

New and best-selling products are highlighted throughout. If a media is available for more than one type of printer, it will be noted with a small black tab with letters that indicate A=aqueous; S=solvent; U=UV; L=latex.

Because the catalog is digital, you’ll be able to stay right on the page and watch informative videos on several of the products. But the interactivity doesn’t stop there. You can click through the table of contents, search for a product by name, and visit the catalog regularly for the latest updates on new and existing products.

Take a look through the new LexJet Digital Catalog now. If you have questions, please feel free to call a LexJet print specialist at 800-453-9538.

Clearly a Good Idea: LED Backlit Conference Room Graphics that Pop

Printing backlit graphicsLEDs (light-emitting diodes) have made it a lot easier to create backlit signs. Simply put, the little diodes pack a punch.

Back in the day, and not too far back, the only viable LED color for sign lighting was red. Improvements in the technology have yielded brighter and more consistent whites, and the price has gone down significantly.

Add LEDs to a well-made thin-panel plexiglass-faced sign cabinet, hide the power source, print a vibrant image and you’ve got the perfect interior sign. Lou Fiore, owner of Speedway Custom Photo Lab in Daytona Beach, Fla., put this winning combination together for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, also based in Daytona Beach.

Backlit displays with LEDsFiore bought the panel from Tec Art Industries, Wixom, Mich. The panel has a cover sheet of plexiglass that can be removed so the graphic can be easily placed inside. The graphic is taped along the top edge and allowed to hang. Then, the cover sheet is attached with eight stainless steel standoffs.

“Tec Art was extremely helpful with the specifications and manufacture of the panel. It arrived here in a huge crate and worked right out of the box,” explains Fiore. “I printed the graphic on LexJet Premium Solvent Backlit Gloss on my Epson GS6000 64″ low-solvent printer. The LexJet backlit material prints a nicely saturated image and the extra thickness of the material makes it easy to handle such a large graphic.”

Fiore adds that the customer’s electrician created a hidden panel for the power supply so that no wires are visible, providing a clean, professional look in the university’s conference room. The power supply is 12 volts and the estimated power consumption is about 80 watts.

The LED lighting is housed on the top and bottom horizontal edges. The edges are also chamfered at 45-degree angles to help provide the edge lighting effect.

“There’s no adhesive involved because they’ll change it out every few months and all we have to do is tape a new backlit graphic inside. The only thing we had to do was make the hanging cleats for it. You lift it up, it comes off the wall and you put it back up on the cleats so that it’s flush against the wall,” adds Fiore.

Window and Wall Graphics Made Easy

Repositionable and removable wall and window graphicsIf you’re looking for a quick and easy solution for applying and removing short-term wall and window graphics, LexJet Window & Wall Décor SUV was designed to do just that, and it’s compatible with solvent, low-solvent and UV-curable printers.

The air-egress adhesive makes it easy to reposition and re-apply the inkjet-printable polypropylene material during installation and leaves no residue behind when it’s removed.

Unlike vinyl, the polypropylene base doesn’t shrink or stretch and lays flat throughout the process, from printing and finishing to installation and removal. LexJet Window & Wall Décor SUV is also tear-resistant and water-resistant, and the smooth white finish produces sharp, vivid images.

For more information, plus help finding the best inkjet material for your next project, contact a LexJet account specialist at 800-453-9538. Like all LexJet products, LexJet Window & Wall Décor SUV comes with a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee and is available from LexJet’s nationwide network of distribution centers for a low flat shipping rate of $9.99, no matter how large the order.