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Posted on by Jennifer Corn Posted in Technology & Products, Tips & Tricks
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Four-Part Series: HP Latex Printer Accessories

Part One – When to Use Platen Covers

If you’ve recently purchased an HP Latex Printer, there are some important tools you may not be using that can make printing a little easier: platen covers, counterweights, butterfly edge guards, and spindles.

In part one of our four-part series, we’ll discuss when to use platen covers.

Long, unattended runs on the latex printer is a great way for print service providers to complete large projects while staying on schedule with short runs or quick custom jobs. However, some PSPs experience issues when continuous runs are printed on fabric.

Because the media is porous and a heavier ink load is required (185-200% coverage), condensation can build up between the fabric and the platen and stain the image.

Timothy Mitchell, HP Latex Specialist, says that the platen covers, which are included with the Latex 365 or 500 series, are made specifically to reduce the condensation during these runs.

“These are there to prevent the accumulation of condensation and creating a discolored stain,” he says. “If I’m going to run an entire roll for a trade show, I will put these on because I am going to run continuously, and it will create a lot of moisture and the felt [on the platen cover] is necessary.”

Watch the video above to see Mitchell discuss the proper times and ways to use the platen covers. If you have an older 300 series printer, you can contact HP Latex Support.

If you have questions or are interested in learning more about printing with latex, contact a LexJet printer specialist at 800-453-9538 or visit LexJet.com.

Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in Tips & Tricks
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HP’s Timothy Mitchell: EnduraFab Stretch “Excellent” for Sign Frames

If you’ve got customers demanding fabric solutions for retail signage or trade show displays, HP’s “Latex Czar” Timothy Mitchell suggests EnduraFab Stretch for great performance on HP Latex printers as well as excellent scuff and scratch resistance.

“This was the first company to come out with a truly durable latex textile,” he says in the video above. When building its durable textile portfolio, HP was looking to improve scuff and scratch resistance, as well as improved performance on the latex printers.

The EnduraFab Textiles family of products include a proprietary coating that ensures they print seamlessly on the latex and maintain a soft hand-feel while also standing up to multiple washings. The 100% polyester warp knit fabrics are specifically designed to be used with HP’s third generation latex inks.

The EnduraFab Stretch option, which is also available in a fire retardant option, has a one-directional stretch that’s ideal for easy installation into SEG frames. It is also acoustically rated for Sound Absorption and Noise Reduction when paired with acoustic foam or boards.

“This would be excellent, for example, in a sign frame,” Mitchell says. “Using a SignComp frame where you are going to stretch it into a frame or sewing in the SEG gaskets.”

Watch the video about for all the details and possible uses for EnduraFab Stretch. Call a LexJet representative at 800-453-9538 to learn more about the EnduraFab line and how it can help you grow your retail and trade show offerings.

To see how EnduraFab was used in an over-sized SEG frame to create décor in an office setting, watch the video below.

Fisher Textiles Now in Wide-Format Sizes – Only at LexJet
Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in News & Trends
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Fisher Textiles Now in Wide-Format Sizes – Only at LexJet

LexJet is excited to announce that it will offer eight Fisher Textiles dye-sublimation fabrics, sized for wide-format printers. Previously available for grand-format printers, this is the first time these world-renowned, award-winning fabrics have been converted and distributed for wide-format applications.

LexJet will carry a variety of Fisher Textile products in 61-inch widths by 100-foot rolls for a multitude of applications, including trade shows, SEG frames, retail signage, back drops, home décor and furnishings, soft signage, backlit graphics, banner stands, table covers and more.

“At wide-format widths, these trusted, well-known and proven-to-perform dye-sub fabrics from Fisher open the door to the benefits of wide-format applications, such as smaller runs, one-off prototypes, quicker turn-around and customization, which is in higher demand than ever,” says LexJet VP of Sales, Justin Lehman. “With the success of our LexJet InFuze dye-sub transfer paper last year, we are seeing fast-growing, high-margin possibilities with dye-sub technologies for our wide-format PSPs.”

Products Now Available:

These fabrics round out LexJet’s dye-sub portfolio of products, which includes Epson printers and inks, InFuze transfer papers, ChromaLuxe metal photo panels and heat presses from Geo Knight and FLEXA.

For more information about Fisher Textiles or the possibilities of adding dye-sub technology to your business, call a LexJet pro at 800-453-9538.

Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in Tips & Tricks
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How EnduraFab™ Can Help You Break Into New Markets

If you’re looking for new revenue streams — and who isn’t? — consider how the latex-compatible EnduraFab™ Textiles product line can help you reach new customers or expand the services you provide to your current clients.

The key to selling printable fabrics to your customers is focusing on the benefits of these products and how their versatility and ease of use can help your customers achieve their project goals. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits your customers will love:

Lightweight and easy to transport: Since they are fabric, EnduraFab™ products are much lighter weight than vinyl and can easily be folded and carried without creases and wrinkles, making it a great option for trade shows or traveling exhibits.

Durability: These 100% polyester warp knit fabrics are specially treated with a proprietary coating that makes them latex-compatible while still maintaining a nice hand feel. With latex technology, the images have great longevity and color reproduction that lasts. These fabrics have also passed wash testing as well under normal wash cycle conditions.

Versatility: EnduraFab™ products can be finished in a number of ways — stitched to create pole pockets, finished with silicone edging for framing or simply trimmed with scissors for short-term signage that doesn’t fray along the edges.

Knowing this, where can you attract new customers? Consider retail shop owners who like the elegant drape of a fabric sign, versus a vinyl banner that looks like it belongs outdoors. EnduraFab™ Frontlit is a great option for soft signage or tableskirts. Also, many retail outlets prefer SEG frames that can be easily swapped out. EnduraFab™ Stretch finished with Keder Tape or a gel edging is so easy to use that any retail staff person could make a sign switch in a matter of minutes.

Think about facilities where fire retardant properties are important, such as schools, malls and healthcare centers. EnduraFab™ Frontlit FR, EnduraFab™ Frontlit Premier FR and EnduraFab™ Stretch FR all meet the flammability standard for NFPA 701, 2015 Edition (Test 1, Small Scale) and require heat set for desired print durability.

SEG-framed EnduraFab™ Frontlit Premier is a great option for modern, clean office or home décor that’s heavier weight and resistant to scratches and scuffs. Check out the video below to watch EnduraFab in action as a dramatic spa décor art piece.

Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in News & Trends, Technology & Products
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From Banners to Canvas, the All-new LexJet FlexTek Can Do It All

Looking for a multi-functional material that performs for a variety of uses, from canvas to banners and beyond? The new LexJet FlexTek PVC-free, non-woven technical fabric can do it all for a wide range of both indoor and outdoor applications.

Available in both 200g SUV and 170g aqueous versions, FlexTek is finished with a slight texture that looks and feels like traditional fabric. With great tear strength, it can go from grommeted banners to stretched canvas wraps to pole pockets for multiple signage possibilities, including outdoor use (short-term outdoor with 170g aqueous). Plus, with no plasticizers, you get consistent results that you can rely on.

Starting at $0.35 per square foot, FlexTek a versatile, budget-beating, environmentally friendly option.

Product Highlights:

  • PVC-free (no plasticizers) and recyclable with a wide range of post-use options
  • Multi-functional material so you can carry less inventory
  • Comparable to canvas, fabric and other banner materials
  • Cuts clean with no fraying like a fabric
  • Grommetable, stretchable, stitchable
  • Images look great from a distance or up-close

Watch the video above to learn more, and give a LexJet print specialist a call at 800-453-9538 to learn more ways that LexJet FlexTek can work for you.

Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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Printers Prefer the Latex Fabric EnduraFab™ Textiles. Here’s Why!

When EnduraFab™ Textiles hit the market last year, the line of fabrics was one of the first latex-compatible options available to the industry. Throughout the year, print service providers have told us that EnduraFab™ not only offered a much-needed latex solution in the market, but it also outperforms its competitors.

Pop up trade show display printed on EnduraFab™ Stretch at TPM, Inc.

We caught up with Dustin Batson, the Color Lab division manager at TPM, Inc. in Greenville, S.C., where his team produces a wide variety of event displays, banner stands, site signage, interior décor printing and more. The market demand has changed in recent years, he says, to soft signage, rather than rigid display boards that were used in the past.

“We use EnduraFab™ Stretch for trade show pop ups and the EnduraFab™ Frontlit Premier for all of our backdrops,” Batson says. “There’s less cost in shipping, and easy changability with SEG panels — you just simply pull out the insert from the frame and replace it. For trade shows, it makes more sense and is less cumbersome.”

For Eduardo Aceves Hernandez, electronic publishing specialist at the Document Solutions department at the University of Texas at Austin, the ease of travel with EnduraFab™ is a huge win. “People kept asking for things they could fold and take to conferences,” Hernandez says. “In response, we shopped around, and EnduraFab™ was the solution. Customers have been really happy so far.”

Hernandez prints EnduraFab™ on an HP Latex 360 64-inch printer for his university customers, which include everyone from the athletic department to school administrators who need event signage, trade show displays, thesis exhibits and banners. When these items were printed on vinyl media, they had to be rolled up and shipped or carried in tubes to avoid creasing — “they were really a hassle to carry on a plane,” he says.

A fabric poster printed on EnduraFab™ at the University of Texas at Austin

EnduraFab™, however, can be folded and stowed in a suitcase. “It just hangs really well, and displays well,” Hernandez says. “And it’s not going to crinkle. So you get simplicity with good quality.”

Batson says the ease of use is definitely a bonus, and the print quality is strong, too. “It holds very vibrant color,” Batson says. “And the color tends to hold better and you get less crocking than other materials.”

Finishing EnduraFab™ is easier and more reliable, too, Hernandez says. “With thicker fabrics, fraying was an issue,” he says. EnduraFab™ finishes so cleanly, he says they don’t have to sew the edges. “We even mounted one graphic to a foam board and it looked good, too.”

The EnduraFab™ Textiles line is available exclusively through LexJet, and includes six options in a variety of sizes:

  • EnduraFab™ Frontlit: Lightweight fabric with excellent drape for table skirts, SEG frames and soft signage.
  • EnduraFab™ Frontlit FR: Frontlit fabric that meet the flammability standard for NFPA 701, 2015 Edition (Test 1, Small Scale) and require heat set for desired print durability.
  • EnduraFab™ Frontlit Premier: Heavyweight fabric for retail signs, SEG frames and indoor banners.
  • EnduraFab™ Frontlit Premier FR: Frontlit Premier fabric that meet the flammability standard for NFPA 701, 2015 Edition (Test 1, Small Scale) and require heat set for desired print durability.
  • EnduraFab™ Stretch: Lightweight fabric with one-directional stretch, providing installation flexibility and ease particularly for SEG frames and geometric trade show displays.
  • EnduraFab™ Stretch FR: Stretch fabric that meet the flammability standard for NFPA 701, 2015 Edition (Test 1, Small Scale) and require heat set for desired print durability.