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Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in News & Trends, Technology & Products
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Avatrex Transportable Imaging Receives 2012 InterTech Technology Award

Avatrex Transportable Imaging was named as a recipient of a 2012 InterTech Technology Award that judges selected for being truly innovative and for the significant impact the technology is expected to have on the graphic communications industry.

Award winning product for the graphic arts industryAvatrex Transportable Imaging is a thin, multi-layer coating with built-in adhesive and protection properties that can be printed with a variety of print platforms and transported to practically any surface.

Printing Industries of America recently selected 12 technologies to receive a 2012 InterTech Technology Award from a variety of technology nominations ranging from digital presses and related enhancements to a variety of mobile and Web-based software for the printing industry.

“The judges were impressed with Avatrex’s remarkable versatility – it can produce high quality images with most printing processes and bond to virtually any surface,” said Dr. Mark Bohan, vice president, Technology and Research, Printing Industries of America. “The coating technology that underlies Avatrex allows images to be used in ways previously not thought possible.”

Avatrex Transportable Imaging works across a variety of print platforms, including virtually all digital and traditional print methods: offset, flexo, screen printing, inkjet (aqueous, latex, solvent, low-solvent and UV-curable) HP Indigo and dry toner systems.

New technology for the sign and graphics market
Thomas Reprographics used LexJet Infinium, which is based on Avatrex Transportable Imaging technology, to produce these antinqued signs for a restaurant chain. Andrew McConnell of Thomas Reprographics says Infinium's ability to conform to the painted aluminum blanks made the signs look more authentic than a vinyl application.

Some of the commercial printing applications include book covers of all types, packaging and specialty labels. And, since Avatrex Transportable Imaging takes on the color and texture of the substrate, heavily textured or embossed surfaces can now be decorated with full-color, photographic images and graphics.

LexJet Infinium, which was introduced in December of 2011, is based on Avatrex Transportable Imaging technology, and is compatible with latex, solvent and low-solvent wide-format printers.

“Its significance lies in its avatar-like ability to take on the look, color and texture of whatever surface it is applied to, disappear into that surface and essentially become part of that surface, while at the same time be impervious to UV light, water, temperature and contaminants because of its inherent protective layer,” explains Ralph Giammarco, one of the developers of Avatrex Transportable Imaging. “Avatrex is the first technology to address the increasingly customized requirements of the printer.”

Beyond its application and print platform versatility, Avatrex Transportable Imaging is water-based, contains no VOCs, the carrier can be turned over and re-used as a white backer for many applications to minimize waste, and a separate laminate is not required, which cuts down on labor, time, materials and cost.

The InterTech star, a symbol of technological innovation and excellence, will be presented before an audience of industry leaders during the 2012 Premier Print Awards Gala featuring the InterTech Technology Awards and web2awards, Oct. 7, in Chicago, Illinois.

A technology review booklet showcasing all of the entries will be produced and distributed this fall at GRAPH EXPO 2012 and with the September issue of Printing Industries of America—The Magazine; the booklet will also be available at www.printing.org/InterTech.

For more information about Avatrex Transportable Imaging go to www.avatrex.com. And, to find out more about LexJet Infinium, contact a LexJet customer specialist at 800-453-9538.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Tips & Tricks
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How to Find Your Canon Printer: What to do when the IP Address is Lost

A common issue some people face is losing their printer. Fortunately, it’s not like losing a beloved pet where you have to paper the neighborhood with fliers urging the prompt return of Fido or Fluffy.

Instead, the problem is that you’ve lost communication with the printer on the network and now you need to re-establish the connection. This is due to a lot of techno mumbo-jumbo that no one wants to read about, but what you do want to know is how to fix it.

The instructions below apply specifically to Canon iPF printers. Epson printers use Epson Net Utility to find and communicate with the printer, so establishing the connection is easier. We’ll go through the process for HP and Epson printers in a future post.

So let’s get to it…

1. Go to the printer and make sure it’s turned on. Scroll to the right until you reach the Set/Adj Menu (Settings and Adjustments). Hit Okay (see Figure 1)

Settings and Adjustments
Figure 1

2. Next, browse through to the IP Address menu (Interface setup > TCP/IP > IPv4 > IPv4 Settings. See Figure 2)

Interface Setup
Figure 2

3. Take note of the address listed on the IP Address screen. This number can vary from router to router, but it’s generally 192.168.001.XXX

4. Use the Back button until you return to the IPv4 Menu and enter the IPv4 Mode menu (see Figure 3); this should now be changed to Manual

IPv4 Mode
Figure 3

5. Again, use the back button to return to the IPv4 Menu and browse again to the IP Address menu (IPv4 Settings > IP Address). This should have cleared itself to 000.000.000.000 and should be changed to the number you took note of in Step 3

6. When you are finished entering the IP Address, use the back button until it asks you to submit changes and select Yes

The next set of instructions takes you from the printer to your computer, and varies from Mac to PC…

PC

1. Click on the Start menu, and then Devices and Printers

2. Find your printer, right-click on it, then click Printer Properties (see Figure 4)

Printer Properties
Figure 4

3. Navigate to the Ports tab and click Configure Port (see Figure 5)

Configure Port
Figure 5

4. In the Printer Name or IP Address field, enter the number you took note of in the previous Step 3, without the zeroes

5. For example, if the number you took note of on the printer reads 192.168.001.015, you would enter 192.168.1.15

6. Or, if the number you took note of on the printer reads 192.168.001.107, you would enter 192.168.1.107

7. Click the Okay button on the Configure Port screen, and then Okay on the printer properties and you are done

Mac

Remove and Re-Add the printer. There is another way to do this, but this is the easiest.

As always, if you have any questions or need additional help with this process (or just about any printing process), call a LexJet customer specialist at 800-453-9538.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Technology & Products
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Next-Generation KODAK PROFESSIONAL Inkjet Photo Papers Introduced

Brand Management Group (BMG), which signed a trademark licensing agreement with Kodak in Q4 2011, introduces the next generation of KODAK PROFESSIONAL Inkjet Photo Papers, Glossy Finish and Lustre Finish.

New luster and gloss photo papersBoth papers have been updated to take advantage of the wide color gamut and improved ink technology of the latest generation wide format inkjet printers from Canon, Epson and HP. They are expected to be available at LexJet by the end of the month. To find out about availability and to pre-order, contact a LexJet customer specialist at 800-453-9538.

“Photographers and imaging professionals who have relied on the quality and consistency of KODAK PROFESSIONAL Inkjet Photo Paper, Glossy Finish and KODAK PROFESSIONAL Inkjet Photo Paper, Lustre Finish will get that and much more from these next-generation papers,” says Justin Lehman, Brand Management Group vice president. “And, they retain the Kodak Professional watermark so the discerning end use customer knows they’re getting the high quality they expect from Kodak photo papers.”

Wider color gamut with photo paper
Color testing with Monaco Gamutworks reveals a larger color gamut and higher Dmax to ensure that colors captured in-camera reproduce more accurately, while producing deeper, richer blacks, an expanded dynamic range and additional detail in shadow areas.

Color testing with Monaco Gamutworks reveals a larger color gamut and higher Dmax to ensure that colors captured in-camera reproduce more accurately, while producing deeper, richer blacks, an expanded dynamic range and additional detail in shadow areas.

Moreover, the next-generation inkjet photo papers have been engineered to lay flat with little to no curl for smooth, trouble-free print production for a variety of photographic, fine art and display applications. Both inkjet papers are instant-dry with a bright white point and are compatible with dye and pigmented inks.

KODAK PROFESSIONAL Inkjet Photo Paper, Glossy Finish weighs in at 255 gsm with a smooth, high-gloss finish for maximum impact. KODAK PROFESSIONAL Inkjet Photo Paper, Lustre Finish weighs in at 255 gsm with a satin finish similar to E-surface papers used in traditional darkroom printing.

Both resin-based inkjet photo papers are available in various sheet and roll sizes up to 60 inches wide from Brand Management Group’s network of worldwide distributors, which includes LexJet.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles, Technology & Products
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Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: A Small-Format Laminating Time-Saver

Laminating small stuff, like menu boards and table tents, can be a real pain. Just ask Chuck Black, print shop manager for the Coors Distribution Center (CDC) in Denver.

I recently caught up with Black while he was laminating a run of about 1,500 11×17 signs for CDC accounts. The signs, printed on an OKI laser printer, are troubleshooting procedures for each account to follow regarding kegs and whatnot, and what to do if there are problems before calling in for service.

It’s not the most exciting project to come through the print shop, but it has to be done and they all have to be laminated. Fortunately, what would have previously taken a full day or two to run through the CDC’s larger laminator now takes relatively no time at all.

Earlier this year the CDC purchased a small-format GBC laminator, the HeatSeal Sprint 950, which eliminates the hassle of trimming out each piece individually: you feed the printed sheets (usually up to 30, depending on the thickness of the media) and, voila, a laminated piece with a nice 1/8″ border encapsulating each one.

“We got the laminator to save time trimming everything down. All the small-format media we laminated was going through our 38” laminator, and especially when we were doing hundreds of sheets at a time it would just take forever,” says Black. “Since we got the laminator we’ve easily saved 40 to 50 hours of labor time. You just load your paper and you can pretty much walk away from it.”

Black estimates that about 10 percent of the work that goes through the OKI is laminated. Though it’s a relatively small percentage of the small-format printing, it really adds up and was a real time-killer before the acquisition of the laminator.

Black normally uses the 3 mil laminate designed for the GBC laminator, which comes in various roll sizes and is 11″ wide. He switches to the 5 mil version for signs that need a little more substance to them, either for a higher-end look or so they can stand on their own in a tabletop holder.

“You can set the laminator to 11 inches wide and however long you want each piece to be laminated; we usually set it at 11×17. But if you had a roll of 11-inch paper you could laminate a length up to 200 feet,” explains Black. “We’ve printed two per sheet so afterwards I can use my industrial cutter, line everything up and do two or three chops at once and go through the entire stack.”

For more information about GBC laminates and laminators available at LexJet, contact a customer service specialist at 800-453-9538. To find out more about the laminator and how it works, check out the video embedded below…

Posted on by Michael Henshaw Posted in Promotions & Rebates
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Facebook Giveaway: Shoe Art Film

Kodak Shoe Art Film
Kodak Shoe Art Film

Over at LexJet’s Facebook page we’re giving away two boxes of KODAK Shoe Art Film. This exciting new technology from Shoe Attitude won best new product at the 2012 Craft & Hobby Association trade show.

KODAK Shoe Art Film is a clear material you print in reverse on any desktop inkjet printer and then apply to the shoe. KODAK Shoe Art Film conforms to the shoe’s surface – whether it’s leather, canvas or a synthetic material – to create a seamless, personalized and wearable fashion statement uniquely yours.

With KODAK Shoe Art Film you can personalize your shoes in four simple steps: Prepare the artwork or design on your computer, print the image on any desktop inkjet printer, rub the glue stick onto the areas of the shoe you want to decorate and apply the image. Once the artwork is sealed it conforms to the shoe and will stay put for weeks until you’re ready for a new design.

Each KODAK Shoe Art Film kit comes with six 8 1/2” x 11” sheets of the material, an instruction sheet and a glue stick compatible with KODAK Shoe Art Film. The glue is non-toxic, will not ruin the surface of the shoes and can be easily removed for the next round of Shoe Attitude.

If you would like a chance to win one of the two boxes, please leave a comment on our Facebook page telling us why you want Kodak Shoe Art Film.

We’ll have a drawing on Friday, June 29 to decide the winners.

For more information about Shoe Attitude visit www.shoeattitude.com.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Technology & Products
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Smooth, Bubble-Free Window Graphics Applications

Applying window graphics on the inside of a windowAvailable from LexJet’s Nationwide Delivery Network this week is a new 1-mil clear polyester film with adhesive on both sides designed for applying temporary window graphics.

LexJet FaceMount-X Removable Adhesive has a permanent solvent acrylic adhesive on one side where the graphic is applied facing out and a removable solvent acrylic adhesive on the other side where it’s applied to the inside of the window.

The air flow release liner on the removable side makes installation quick, easy and bubble-free. Once the promotion or campaign is over, the graphic is easily removed with no residue.

The removable adhesive is ideal for protecting the graphic from picky passersby and the weather, as well as sign code enforcers who don’t like graphics applied to the outside of windows.

For more information about LexJet FaceMount-X Removable Adhesive, as well as LexJet’s line of window graphic products for any project or ink type, contact a LexJet customer specialist at 800-453-9538.