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Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in News & Trends, Tips & Tricks
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LexJet Inkjet Media Profiled and Ready to Roll for HP Latex Printers

LexJet at HP Latex Academy

In addition to the valuable knowledge and training LexJet customer specialists received at HP Latex Academy, which we covered at the LexJet Blog last week, HP was able to test and profile a variety of LexJet inkjet media for its lineup of Latex printers: the L25500, Latex 210, Latex 260 and Latex 280.

The first round of new profiles is now available and ready for download at LexJet’s ICC Profile page. Go to www.lexjet.com/Profiles.aspx (or click on that link), then click on HP Printers and HP L26500 (the new profiles here will also work of the other HP Latex Printers), and select either Onyx Profiles or Caldera Profiles based on your RIP platform.

The LexJet inkjet media that’s been profiled and added includes…

  • LexJet Clear PreLume HD (for ONYX)
  • LexJet Print-N-Stick Fabric (ONYX)
  • LexJet Simple Window Perf (ONYX)
  • LexJet Absolute Backlit (Caldera)
  • LexJet TOUGHcoat Water-Resistant Polypropylene (Caldera)
  • Fredrix 901SJ Select Matte Canvas (Caldera)

These are in addition to a number of other profiles for LexJet media available for HP Latex Printers. Be sure to check back at the Profiles page for more coming down the pike in the coming weeks.

One LexJet inkjet material you ought to check out for Latex printing is LexJet Clear PreLume HD, which is receiving rave reviews for the output you can achieve with it.

“I was pleasantly surprised at how well it printed on the Latex printer. There were no issues with posterization and it has great saturation. I’ve been able to switch the printing of LexJet Clear from our aqueous printer to the Latex, and I’m quite pleased about it since LexJet Clear has been one of our standard materials for the past 15 years or so,” says John Toth of Triad Creative Group, Brookfield, Wis.

If you have any questions, or need any help, contact a LexJet customer specialist at 800-453-9538.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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Military History Applied to Brick

Wall Mural of Military History

Staff Sergeant Bobby Jones of the Iowa Army National Guard got the call to produce a comprehensive and challenging timeline across 54″ x 54′ of wall space at Fort Jackson, S.C.

Wall Mural by Iowa Army National GuardThe military timeline spans the American Revolution to the current War on Terror and is designed to give recruits attending Basic Combat Training a big picture view of the National Guard’s place, and their place, in history.

“The idea for the project originally started as a concept that showed a timeline with silhouettes on an American flag background. The jpeg that was sent to us from Fort Jackson was about 31k and was clearly not useable for the project. With the help of Specialist Brandynn Boren, we set out to design an image that would keep the integrity of the concept, but provide some more detail,” says Jones.

Inkjet Printed Wall MuralJones adds that the final design is similar to the artwork found at the armory he works out of on Camp Dodge, Johnston, Iowa, which illustrates the history of America’s wars, the pivotal battles and the Iowans who fought and died in those wars.

“We also incorporated the use of the streamers of each conflict. The streamer is attached to the Army flag and represents the Army’s involvement in that particular war. When soldiers are deployed they receive a medal their involvement in the campaign, and the ribbon is made of the same pattern and colors as that war’s streamer,” explains Jones.  “So we used some of the same concepts used in our own armory and added a few personal touches like the use of some of the symbols of our great nation: the Liberty Bell, the 13-star flag, the 50-star flag, and the bald eagle. We also made sure to include the seven Army Values:  Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage.”

Inkjet Printed Wall MuralThe next step was to find the right inkjet media for the project that would work well, both on the application to the painted brick surface and with the Iowa Army National Guard’s HP Designjet L25500 Latex Printer.

Jones turned to LexJet government specialist Vincent Bejar for advice. Bejar recommended LexJet Simple MTS Adhesive Vinyl for the project. The design printed without a hitch and was installed in about six hours with a ladder, a propane torch and a couple of Roller Pro Vinyl Application Rollers.

“We found that the measurements provided were guesstimations, so we had to make a few adjustments on-site.  We have never done anything of this size or on brick. I am very happy with the results and ease of use of this product, and look forward to using it again in the near future,” says Jones.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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Printing for a Cure

Printing for charity with window graphicsWhen Rick Hillbrand’s neighbors set up a non-profit to find a cure for Fanconi anemia (FA), the owners of Cottrell Printing in Centennial, Colo., pitched in with pro bono printing, which the company has been doing since the Kendall and Taylor Atkinson Foundation (KATA) was created about seven years ago.

The Atkinson’s lost two children, Kendall and Taylor, to the rare bone marrow disease and have dedicated much of their lives to eradicating it and helping others who have been diagnosed with FA.

“They’ve raised over $1 million and the money goes directly to research. The money they’ve raised has also benefitted cancer research since there are similarities in the treatments,” explains Hillbrand, one of Cottrell’s owners. “It’s not just cash donations that help worthy non-profits like KATA; print shops like ours can really help defray their advertising costs and get the word out.”

Cottrell Printing’s latest project for KATA was at a local McDonald’s, which is donating proceeds from its food sales on Dec. 15 to KATA. Cottrell Printing created two window graphics for either side of the McDonald’s, and printed about 20,000 flyers, to encourage the neighborhood to participate in the drive on Dec. 15.

Cottrell Printing used LexJet Simple Perforated Window Vinyl (60/40), which was printed with the company’s HP Designjet L25500 and then applied to the outside of the windows. “The printing went well and the installation was easy with two people. There were no complications at all, particularly since they were installed at street level,” says Hillbrand.

They also added a QR code to each print: “We’re using QR codes on our prints more often now; it’s a good way to get people to go to a site and find out more about it. A lot of people will scan it just because it’s there if they have that app on their phone. They don’t have to remember a website; it’s just snap and go,” adds Hillbrand.

For more information about KATA and how you can help, go to www.katafoundation.org.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Tips & Tricks
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HP Designjet L25500 Firmware Update Improves Various Printer Functions

Inkjet printer firmware updatesPrint shops running the HP Designjet L25500 latex inkjet printer should take 15 minutes or so to run a new firmware version released by HP this week. Firmware version 5.0.0.8 includes improved printhead reliability, drying time control, OMAS calibration and a friction detection message.

With the friction detection message the printer may require occasional carriage rail maintenance. HP has a video at its website that shows how to perform this maintenance at www.hp.com/go/L2Series/CarriageRailMaintenance_video.

To find out what firmware version you have, and to update to the latest, follow these four steps…

Step 1: View your current printer’s firmware version

  • In the printer’s front panel, select Main Menu>Information>View printer information, or go to the Embedded Web Server (type the IP address of the printer from any web browser) and click on the Setup tab
  • If the firmware version is 5.0.0.8 or greater, you do not need to upgrade the printer. If it is a previous release, continue with Step 2 and upgrade your printer

Step 2: Download the firmware from hp.com

Step 3: Install the firmware to the printer

  • Go to the Embedded Web Server (type the IP address of the printer from any Web browser) and click on the Setup tab

Click on update and follow the instructions on the screen.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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Canvas Gallery Wraps: Not Just for Galleries

Cottrell Printing Company in Centennial, Colo., does just about every type of printing imaginable, from catalogs and brochures in its spacious commercial department to a variety of large format graphics on its HP Designjet L25500 60-inch latex printer the company picked up from LexJet last year.

Printing canvas gallery wraps for office lobbiesCottrell Printing CEO Rick Hillbrand is a big proponent of not only telling clients and potential clients what they can do, but showing it, as noted in an earlier post here at the LexJet Blog about the company’s 40th anniversary open house.

One of the products Hillbrand believes has potential in the market as they roll out the capabilities of the HP latex printer is the canvas gallery wrap.

Canvas gallery wraps were once the reserve of high-end galleries and art shows. With advances in printer technology and easier ways to build a gallery wrap, however, they’ve become more popular with individual consumers, corporations and others looking to bring a touch of style to their environment, be it an office, a home or any business space.

Canvas gallery wraps printed for officesUsing LexJet’s Sunset HD Pro Stretcher Bars and HP Satin Canvas, Hillbrand has decorated much of Cottrell Printing’s office space with canvas wrap renditions that highlight the company’s history as well as some Hillbrand’s own Rocky Mountain high country photography.

“The Sunset Stretcher Bars were very easy to use and took just minutes to put together and stretch the canvas,” says Hillbrand. “We’d like to sell more of this product, so the first step is making sure it’s visible in our lobby and around the office. We just had a decent order of 12 gallery wraps for a client who’s placing photos of their product in their office lobbies across Colorado.”

Do it yourself canvas wrap stretcher kitsHillbrand says he’s been impressed with the quality of the images produced by the HP latex printer and how well it reproduces photography and artwork. Though Hillbrand has been promoting the fact that the printer has less environmental impact, he says the output is getting more attention.

“The output quality allows us to do a wider variety of work, including the canvas wraps, than we initially thought we would be able to produce,” adds Hillbrand. 

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in News & Trends
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Readers’ Choice: LexJet Named to Digital Output Magazine’s Top 50 Companies List

Digital Output magazine announced this week that LexJet, based in Sarasota, Fla., was named to its 2011 Readers’ Choice Top 50 Companies list. The full list will be published in the November edition of the magazine.

Top 50 companies in the wide format printing marketLexJet’s inclusion in the list follows its recognition as one of the Best Companies To Work For in Florida by Florida Trend magazine, as well as its 2011 initiatives aimed at providing the best customer experience in the industry. Those initiatives include:

According to Digital Output, “The companies were determined based on our lead tracking website, www.DOdirect.net. Readers request information through DODdirect.net on ads or editorial seen via the Web or in our monthly magazine. We tabulated the results over the past 12 months and the outcome provided this year’s vendors.”