Now Available from LexJet: HP Splash-resistant Bond Paper

HP added a new, durable bond paper to its line of Graphics & Technical wide format media. HP Splash-resistant Bond Paper is a 21-lb (80 gsm) bond paper designed to produce maps, plans, blueprints, and posters with striking color and crisp text and graphics.

This splash-resistant paper is compatible with dye ink technology and is perfect for outdoor applications where excessive moisture is a concern. Durable graphics printed with HP Splash-resistant Bond Paper are less likely to be ruined when exposed to water droplets.

This new splash-resistant media offers precise lines with sharp, fine detail and crisp text and graphics and you can help meet the environmental objectives of your company—and your clients—with this recyclable paper, which is available in 2- and 4-packs.

If you are interested in adding HP Splash-resistant Bond Paper to your portfolio, visit LexJet.com or contact a LexJet sales specialist at 800-453-9538.

Introducing: New LexJet Premium Satin Photo Paper

In response to demand in the market for a premium cost-effective aqueous photo paper, we’re excited to announce the new, 9.5 mil Premium Satin Photo Paper (240 gm). It is a heavy-weight, resin-coated paper for quality fine art and photography reproduction that’s compatible with pigment and dye printers from EPSON, Canon, HP, and more.

Until now, print houses that use aqueous technology for high-volume printing would often sacrifice quality over price. With the new Premium Satin Photo paper, the results are high quality at a high-volume price and is an ideal option for large-volume fine art décor printers.

Product Highlights:

  • Available in pallet quantities
  • Heavy-weight, bright white satin surface
  • Water-resistant to protect against damage from everyday use
  • Applications: art reproductions, fine-art photography, large-volume décor printing

To learn more about this product, and for help with printer profiles, call a LexJet print specialist at 800-453-9538.

LexJet Named to Digital Output’s Top 50 List

Best companies in the graphics industryThe November issue of Digital Output, which is due to hit the streets on Oct. 26, honors 50 companies in the industry as top innovators in 2012.

LexJet was chosen by Digital Output readers to the Top 50, as well as three LexJet products: Poly Select Light, 8 Mil PolyGloss Banner and PolyGloss PSA.

The Top 50 were generated using Digital Output‘s website metrics system, DOdirect.net. As readers throughout the year inquire about products and services in the magazine, on the website and eNewsletters, Digital Output tallies the inquiries to create the Top 50.

For more information and to get a copy of the November issue, either printed or digital, go to the Digital Output website. And, for more info about the top products — Poly Select Light, 8 Mil PolyGloss Banner and PolyGloss PSA – as well as the myriad of products available at LexJet for large format inkjet printing, contact a LexJet customer specialist at 800-453-9538.

Imaging USA Recap: Mobile Photo Proofing through PadProof App

Mobile app for the iPad for photographyLast week, LexJet’s crew of Michael Clementi, Ryan King and Alex Ried returned from Imaging USA with information about some notable new products now available in the photography market. In a previous post we highlighted the unique backlit and LED-lit products offered by Redipix.

Now for something completely different (but related)… PadProof introduced a new mobile device proofing app in the photography market. PadProof, as the name implies, is targeting iPads for this app, though other mobile devices like smart phones are in the works.

iPad app for photographers
Timothy Beckford, CEO and co-founder (foreground) and Timothy Lombardo, strategic advisor, at Imaging USA in New Orleans showcasing their new iPad proofing app for pro photographers. Photo by Chet Bell, PadProof user and FOPP.

“PadProof complements your Web-based proofing by enabling you to provide a premium proofing experience to your clients on their mobile devices. In a post-PC world you want to make sure that your business is catering to your clients’ needs on the mobile and the social Web,” says PadProof CEO and co-founder Timothy Beckford. “PadProof creates increased exposure for your business using Facebook and Twitter.  PadProof also helps generate more revenue through increased print sales. It’s never been easier for your clients to promote your brand or purchase prints and canvases from you. All of your PadProof events are tracked in real time and controlled by the photographer at PadProof.com. Products ordered by your clients are fulfilled automatically either directly to you to print yourself or the lab of your choice, and we direct deposit profits straight to your bank account.”

Photographers can sign up to receive an invitation to participate at www.PadProof.com/Pro/. Use the invite code Lexjet to take advantage of one of the 20 invitations reserved through this promo code.

Once the invitation is accepted, photographers can sign up and get the word out to their clients that the app is available and ready for them to use. So, instead of sending the client a URL, you send them the app and an event name or event ID so they can access their photos on their iPad through the PadProof app.

“At the moment it’s invitation-only and only available for the iPad because we want to make sure that during our initial growth phase we can provide the customer experience we want them to have, so we’re limiting the number of initial users based on that. We’ll scale our infrastructure up as we grow,” adds Aaron Drenberg of PadProof.

PadProof offers monthly fee-based plans, a one-time purchase option and a free starter plan that currently has a wait list. Credit card processing, customer service and automatic product fulfillment to the lab of your choice is included in every plan. The app is free for end-use clients to download. Go to www.padproof.com/pro/pricing/ for more pricing information.

PadProof has extended its Imaging USA specials until midnight ET, Friday, Jan. 27. Specials are reflected on the pricing page. For more information about the PadProof app and to sign up for an invitation, go to www.PadProof.com/Pro/.

Canon Introduces iPF6300S and iPF8300S Inkjet Printers

New Canon inkjet printer iPF8300SOver the past few years Canon has solidified its reputation for building dependable, high-quality, high-speed aqueous inkjet printers as legions of LexJet customers can attest to. Canon’s iPF graphics printers have been workhorses in the field, yielding a high return on investment and unleashing the creative potential of a diverse cross section of imaging professionals, from photographers and fine art reproducers to trade show and exhibit graphics companies.

Canon is building on that solid foundation with the announcement today of its new 24-inch and 44-inch large-format inkjet printers, the iPF6300S and the iPF8300S. Some of the highlights of the new printers’ capabilities include:

  • 8-Color LUCIA EX ink provides smooth color gradations, improved scratch resistance and minimized color shifts
  • Media Configuration Tool lets users easily input custom LexJet media types
  • Fast/Economy Modes lower total cost of operation, minimizing cost per print
  • Accounting Manager tracks and calculates printing costs to help minimize waste and maximize profits
  • Print Plug-in for Photoshop streamlines your workflow and allows for 16-bit image processing
  • 160GB hard drive makes it simple to handle multiple complex jobs, especially in shared printer environments
  • Sub-ink tank system allows for replacing ink on the fly without stopping the printer
  • Built-in calibration creates a stable, consistent printing platform
  • Proof Mode achieves exceptional detail for crisp lines and sharp text
  • Standard support for Gigabit Ethernet allows for faster transfers of large data volumes

The new printers are expected to start shipping late this spring. If you have any questions, please contact a LexJet account specialist, and keep an eye on this blog for updated information on the printers and when, exactly, they’ll be ready to ship.

Also, check out the following articles previously posted at the LexJet Blog about financing options through CEEP, the Capital Equipment Earnback Program, and what to do to prepare for the shipment of a new printer…

LexJet’s 2011 Capital Equipment Earnback Program

How to Prepare for the Delivery of a New Printer

Weekly Update: Events at WPPI, Sustainability and Textiles at FESPA, Canon’s Patents, X-Rite’s XRGA

Photographer trade show Las VegasLast week we highlighted some upcoming trade shows in the photography, large format graphics and sign markets. All of these trade shows feature educational programs that cover a variety of topics in their respective fields as well as special events, parties and industry panels…

Special events at WPPI: Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) hosts the appropriately named WPPI event, Feb. 17-24 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand. In addition to a hall full of exhibitors and a full slate of seminars with 75 speakers, WPPI will include five special events: WPPI Launch Pad, a sneak peek at the latest products on the market on Feb. 20 from 2-5 p.m.; Sony Fashion Show, hosted by America’s Next Top Model celebrity judge Nigel Barker, on Feb. 20 from 7-10 p.m.; Canon Mardi Gras Party on Feb. 21 from 8-10 p.m. at the MGM Grand Garden Arena; Women in Contemporary Photography panel discussion on Feb. 22 from 7-9 p.m. at the MGM Grand Garden Arena; WPPI Awards Night on Feb. 23 from 6-9:30 p.m.; and Photoignite on the last day of WPPI, Feb. 24, where pro photographers demonstrate their techniques in five-minute presentations. Stay up to date on the latest during the show by following LexJet account specialists Justin Craft and Michael Clementi at twitter.com/LexJet, with additional news from the show at blog.lexjet.com. More info to come next week on special prizes and promotions if you find Justin and Michael on the show floor at WPPI.

FESPA Americas, coming to Orlando from Feb. 24-26, includes an all-day Digital Textile Conference on Feb. 25 that will feature a keynote speech by Nike’s Global Materials Quality Manager, Martin Wragg. Wragg will explore Nike’s sustainability projects under consideration and how printing fits into the bigger picture at Nike. Other topics during the Conference include: Market trends in digital textile printing, growing your business with fabric printing, transitioning from t-shirts to screen printing to digital printing, printing for fashion, big textile-printing applications, sustainability, mass customization and the digital supply chain, color management, a panel discussion and more. For more information about FESPA Americas, go to www.fespa.com/americas/

Canon registers 2,543 new patents in 2010: It’s official… Canon set a new company record when it registered 2,543 new patents in 2010. It also represents the first time Canon has exceeded 2,500 new patents in a single year. Some of the new products realized through the new patents include the Canon PIXMA MG8120 and MG6120 with a new light guidance system – a first for personal desktop printers – that incorporates Canon’s Full High Definition (HD) Movie Print mode; the Canon imagePRESS C7010VP, which represents the next installment of Canon’s flagship imagePRESS lineup for the production and graphic arts markets; and the CXDI-70C Wireless Digital Radiography (DR) detector, the company’s first wireless DR system.

X-Rite’s new Graphic Arts Standard: X-Rite has developed XGRA as a means to standardize and bring consistency across its current and legacy color management devices developed by X-Rite and GretagMacbeth. ColorMunki Photo, ColorMunki Design and EasyTrax already conform to XRGA and all future graphic arts instruments and software will also conform. X-Rite says the switch to XRGA results in small differences in measurement values, so many customers will not need to make any changes. For customers who have found greater differences in measurement values between former X-Rite and GretagMacbeth instruments, X-Rite will provide a means to move existing databases to the new XRGA standard.