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process - Durst news for screen and digital printers - Issue 51 - August 2009 1

processDurst news for screen and digital printers

EditorialIdeas for surviving the worldwide recession and what we can learn from “hidden champions”NewsDurst Photo Art Competition opens exhibition at Tammerburg in LienzInstallation• Speedscreen ups production speed and quality with Durst Rho 800 Presto• Screen Print Giant Coyle Reproductions Strengthens Digital Credentials by Adding Two Durst Rho 800 Presto Inkjet PrintersScience & TechnologySurvey of printheads that modulate ink-drop size Media & HandlingSihl EnDURO Series Substrates Tested For Digital Printing By DurstApplicationNorwegian digital printer combines a Durst Rho with a Kongsberg cutter to optimise workflow

Process: Issue 51 - August 2009

Ideas for surviving the worldwide recession and what we can learn from “hidden champions”The following is not an excerpt from those recession-survival handbooks that have been sprouting up like mushrooms, written by the same people who just a couple of years ago, in the great growth illusion, advised doing pretty much the opposite of what’s in vogue now. I have no great esteem for these recession-fighting-recipe books; the way you succeed on markets is with business ethics, intelligence, a clear idea and awareness of your strengths, finding the right competitive position. But certain basic concepts, derived from the Stoics, from military strategists or from successful (but unglamorous) managers, can become guidelines to use as a management tool.Reading this kind of literature, two things strike the eye: 1) You must know thyself, your strengths and weaknesses and 2) you must know the market. Sun Tsi, the Chinese military stra-tegist of 2000 B.C., expressed all this as follows: whoever doesn’t know his own strengths and weaknesses will never win a war; whoever knows himself and his adversary will win every war.In reality knowing one’s strengths and weaknesses would be easy, if we didn’t lie to ourselves, often and willingly; are we truly impeccable when it comes to quality, reliability, customer service and flexible reactions to customer needs? And how does the customer view quality, reliability and comprehension of his needs? Furthermore, what values are expressed by priorities? Even what may be seen as a market, as a customer plan, isn’t a group with homogenous demands and needs but an extremely heterogeneous group. W.C. Kim, R. Mauborgne, Robert Woodruff, Sarah Gardial and other Harvard professors have worked out a fairly simple method for charting a value curve, studied with each different group of customers. Thus, on the basis of one’s strengths, it’s easy to find out which groups of customers you can serve better than others, and estimating their needs brings up other fundamental points, such as your own strengths and value curves.

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Satisfaction/Ponderation

Product qualityRange of servicesQuality of servicesDeadline reliabilityCreative consultancyJob/support consultancyEconomical pricesFlexibility in order fillingFlexibility in technologyFlexibility in materialsGreen technology (inks, supports)Waste disposal (recycling)

Value imprint

Let’s take the example of a standard digital printing-houseThe digital printing-house offers “saleable quality” gotten with a hybrid flatbed inkjet printer using UV inks (without knowing if they contain VOC or hazardous elements), definitely keeps MSDS safety files but doesn’t go by their content, jobs out finishing work like stapling, punching and whatnot, doesn’t directly assemble but merely supplies and isn’t even concerned with the logistics of shipping differently sized packages (with freebies inside) to various big outlets; it offers fairly good services and scrupulously meets deadlines; it doesn’t advise customers about chances for visual communication (not being an ad agency it doesn’t “get involved”), nor does it offer opinions about the best print support (preferring the standard material it keeps in the warehouse); in price it beats everyone because it has low running costs; it thinks it’s flexible in filling orders and welcomes customer requests (any change is fine because it’s a chance for a further offer, different from the original), and where supports are concerned it has a list to choose from. Green Technology is not its affair – what happens to old printers is none of its business.

Its values profile looks like this:


Your company has to be changed from commodity to specialist, and this specialty concentrated on. A comparison of value curves – your own and the customer’s – clarifies how the company must change and prepare its strategy.The hidden champions, usually SME, are specialists in particular branches of the economy, in niches or special customers. They are very familiar with the expressions of values (value curves) of their customers, satisfy them 100% and know where they’re going in future, anticipating these changes. They possess many values, thanks to which they stand out from and are less vulnerable than “cut-rate” or “quick-service” purveyors. Truth be told, they’ve been hit by the recession, too, because their customers have cut their budgets or even disappeared from the market. But they’re less vulnerable because the loyalty of their customers, who know what they can get, is greater. Frequently, the smaller budgets that in up times were divvied up between seven or even ten print brokers, are now allotted to three or four, so many times the budget share remains the same.The secret of the “hidden champions” is really no secret at all: they have precise ideas, might be number 1 or 2 for certain customers in whom they specialize and on whom they concentrate, ignoring other opportunities. For these customers, however, they are perfect, if not necessarily the most economical.Draw a value curve for yourselves and your customers, but be honest in your assessments. This is the real situation, not the ideal.

Because at the root of everything there’s always the motto: know thyself.

On the basis of these segments the idea of market values looks completely different. A print broker procuring orders from anonymous customers may be completely satisfied with the digital printing-house having this values profile. For him the print order is a commodity in which only price counts. Since the digital printing-house has no special expression of values besides being economical, the only choice criterion is that of price.However, if, due to purchasing power or sophisticated logistics, running costs don’t permit retention of cost leadership over time then market positioning gets weaker: there’s always somebody strapped for cash accepting below-cost orders just to postpone going under, ever hopeful of a miracle.

Let’s have a look at two other businesses, for example a museum or art gallery and a retail clothing chain with about 300 shops, sized and supplied on the basis of income.

Museum/Gallery

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Value imprint

In general, curators handle museum exhibits. They demand maximum print quality on various supports, with which they are often not familiar but know how should be, so the printing house has to suggest the supports best suited to the artists’ needs. Quite frequently, the day before the exhibit opens changes or additions are requested, which naturally have to be printed immediately and perfectly and precision-mounted: here, too, where services (loading, mounting, lighting, etc,) are concerned, the demands are outside the norm. Prices are secondary; due to the last-minute changes the estimated prices usually rise to the skies. There’s not even the limitation of just one technology (digital printing) because the supports, sizes and other characteristics are different, the curator prefers a mix of technologies – inkjet UV, inkjet direct to garment, mesh or buffer printing, offset. Depending on mindset, the technology of choice (production, inks, supports) is ecologi-cal, certain parts of the exhibit have to have reusable packing and others must be disposed of as required by law.

Retail chain

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Value imprint

The retail chain wants print quality on a par with the quality of its products and has specific demands in regard to supports, which naturally have to be ecological, as do the inks; the materials have to be supplied and mounted at noon sharp on Friday in all 300 stores nationwide, to which another company has delivered freebies to be distributed. All of this has to be affordable (but not low-cost) and deadlines must be met. Printed material has to be disposed of in conformity with the chain’s ecological disposal plan.

What this means: the digital printing-house in our example is unable to satisfy museums and retail chains, despite its appetizing prices, because its value curve does not match the customer’s. And while this may seem logical and simple, in many cases it is not understood and so the response is price cutting – and although in the short term this may make the print broker happy it doesn’t satisfy him because what’s determinant is not the price but the value mix he acquires.

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Value imprint

For more information:W.C. Kim, R. Mauborgne, “Creating New Market Space”, HBR, 1999Robert Woodruff, Sarah Gardial, “Know Your Customer. New Approaches to Understanding Customer Value and Satisfaction”, 1996Hermann Simon, “Hidden Champions of the 21st Century”, 1996


News

Durst organized for the third time the Photo-Art Competition after 2005 (under the theme “Fences”) and 2007 (“Bridges”). This year the competition was an closed tender amongst Tyrolean Photo artists. The theme “Conflicts or the Present in the past” was selected in relation to the Tyrolean Memorial Year 2009, remembering the fighting of the Tyroleans against Napoleon in 1809.

“Art, as “daughter of freedom”, as Friedrich Schiller has defined and as “permanent aesthetic revolution” according to Herbert Marcuse, requires freedom, must refuse alignment, must be revolutionary in its thinking – and therefore artistic images of conflicts, as conflicts of men against nature, conflicts as dispute on value concepts fits perfectly into this memorial year of 1809”, Richard Piock explicated in his opening speech. In 1809 the Tyrolean fight against the French and Bavarians as their old liberties and rights have been abolished and because of the misery – they wanted freedom and they risked a war against a far stronger enemy. Today conflicts are solved in mostly amicable way, but there are many conflicts not seen as such – still we have wars in many parts of the world, we have conflicts between men and nature, we still remember wars and fights of the past. Photography is a splendid tool to show in pictures these conflicts, often not seen: empty, half-built constructions in untouched nature, monuments related to past conflicts, faces of women where the results of conflicts have engraved their traces. Such conflicts have been captured by photographs by 17 artists; they have been printed by a Rho 800 on alubond boards, acrylic glass or Kappa boards in perfect quality and are shown in an exhibition in the Tammerburg, an old castle resulting from 1242 till 30th September 2009 As winner of the competition with a total prize award of 15.000 Euro was selected by an international jury Nikolaus Schletterer (Kufstein); his image shows a, archaeological excavation of a Greek temple in Peloponnese covered by a tent, captured by an analogue optical camera in high perfection.

All photographs will become the base of a collection of Tyrolean Photo Art, whose centre will be the Tammerburg in Lienz.

Durst Photo Art Competition opens exhibition at Tammerburgin Lienz.“Conflicts or the Present in the Past” as theme.

After the Award, from left to right:Richard Piock, CEO Durst Phototechnik AG, Barbara Psenner, curator of the exhibition,The artists Walter Blaas, Elisabeth Hölzl, Werner Gasser, Karl Unterfrauner and Nikolaus Schletterer.

The Winner-Image of this year’s competition, by Nikolaus Schletterer (Kufstein)Title: O.T. (Tent), 2008

The Tammerburg in Lienz


Installation

“This is a solid, high-end system and one which we expect will last us for many years,” continues Hill. “The other options we looked at before deciding on the Rho 800 Presto looked remarkably flimsy and didn’t offer us the build quality we need, such as the continuous board and roll-feed systems and the strong vacuumbed which we’ve already proved can flatten and hold warped sheets ready for printing.”Speedscreen opted for six colours – CMYKlclm – plus two white channels on its new investment. Many of the materials used by the company benefit from under- and over-printing of white and, as Hill explains, it enables non-white substrates such as corrugateds to be used with stunning results. The Durst Rho Presto 800 was supplied with Caldera’s GrandRIP for fast and efficient work-flow, and the addition of a Barbieri electronic spectrophotometer simplifies accurate profiling off all types of media.Popular amongst screen-printers, the Durst Rho 800 Presto is the ideal solution for companies like Speedscreen who want to maintain their high production standards with the convenience of being able to output variable volumes. Its speed and versatility makes it ideal for both one-offs and longer production runs and its true hybrid construction makes it equally efficient when working with flexible materials and rigid substrates.Hill concludes: “Speedscreen’s investment in this new machine will turn us into a major player for wide-format digital print. The overall flexibility of the Durst Rho 800 Presto will bring huge benefits to us and to our clients, with shorter turn-round times and no compromise on quality.”

Speedscreen ups production speed and quality with Durst Rho 800 PrestoWhen Kent-based Speedscreen originally enhanced its screen-printing facilities with flat-bed digital production five years ago, the company opted for a Durst Rho 205 to complement its analogue processes. This installation was so successful that the company chose Durst again when it decided recently to upgrade its UV-curable wide-format ink-jet capability. Its newly-delivered Durst Rho 800 Presto brings with it the versatility, high quality and rugged construction needed by this leading print solutions’ specialist.Speedscreen was formed in 1986 as a screen-printing specialist concentrating on producing work for advertising agencies and design companies, mostly based in London. From the outset, the objective was to serve a market sector where high quality applications were essential, with the result that the company quickly gained a reputation for delivering fine standards of accuracy. Today, it has a staff of 14 and a turn-over of £1.35 million.The success of Speedscreen meant that, ten years after it was established, it was able to relocate to larger premises in Maidstone, Kent, where steady expansion was fuelled by the demand from a wider customer base. This included a growing number of blue chip clients who wanted to benefit from the exacting quality and consistency on offer. An extensive knowledge of screen-printing, combined with the ability to produce applications in sizes of up to 3.0 x 1.5 m in one pass, has always been complemented by attention to detail throughout with strong emphasis placed on colour management and fidelity.Technological changes and the drive for shorter, more varied run lengths inevitably meant that Speedscreen needed to adopt wide-format digital capabilities to complement its analogue production capabilities. This was achieved with the addition of the Durst Rho 205, which was one of the first of these models to be installed in the UK, adding direct-to-substrate UV-curable printing to the company’s existing capacity. As success continued, further digital solutions were incorporated, including a 3 x 2 m EskoArtwork Kongsberg table for contour cutting rigid and flexible materials.As demand for Speedscreen’s services has continued to grow exponentially, this year the company decided to invest in a higher speed flat-bed and roll-fed printer to meet increasingly heavy pro-duction demands. Having assessed all the machines on the market, the company decided to stay with Durst and purchased a Rho 800 Presto in order to meet the speed and quality requirements which were needed.

Tim Hill, managing director of Speedscreen, states: “Our Durst Rho 205 has served us well but the type of work we’re now being asked to produce meant that we needed a faster solution which didn’t compromise on quality. The Durst Rho 800 Presto wasn’t the cheapest machine on the market but its build quality and speeds of up to 120 square m/hour were complemented by the fact that it is an extremely well-designed flat-bed and roll-fed printer with a modest foot-print.”

Installation of the new printer wasn’t easy as it is situated on a specially constructed mezzanine floor at Speedscreen’s facility. Because Durst uses only heavy-weight high quality components in its equipment, the overall mass of the machine meant that floors needed to be strengthened to handle its 5.5 tonnes. Its delivery also involved removing the front of the building and lifting the printer 15 ft by fork-lift truck onto scaffolding before moving it into its final position.


Installation

‘Our Core is Screen Printing, but We’re a Comprehensive Digital Shop Now Too’

Coyle Reproductions in La Mirada, Calif., one of the nation’s largest most successful screen printers, is now one of the best equipped digital imagers as well, with its recent acquisition of two award-winning, continuous-print Durst Rho 800 Presto large-format UV inkjet printers.

Coyle, celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, follows a rigorous program to “keep us current on technological advances that bring added value, quality, innovation and economy to our customers,” said President Jerry Jacobs. After nearly two years investigating the various large-format printers available, he said, the Rho 800s were added to Coyle’s arsenal of printing devices primarily for three reasons:• their state-of-the art productivity, image quality and cost- efficiency driven by world-class Durst technology;• their ability to print on roll or rigid media, apply a variety of inks, and satisfy a wide range of customer output requirements; and• Durst’s build quality, reliability and after-sale support.

“We saw the quality images it produced and how it was built,” Jacobs added. “When you stack anything else up against it – well, it was a pretty easy decision for us to make.”

The 98-inch-wide Durst Rho 800 Presto, voted the Top Flatbed Printer by the readers of Wide-Format Imaging magazine for 2008 and 2009, was the first large-format imaging platform to offer continuous board printing for highest productivity. It also prints on multiple narrow boards across its full width on materials up to 2.75 inches thick at speeds up to 1,290 sf/hr. Compatible with Durst’s heavy-duty roll feed/take-up accessory for roll media up to 98 inches wide and 440 pounds, it prints white ink, special-effect varnish, light and spot colors with no loss of speed. Durst’s proprietary Quadro™ Array print head technology delivers very sharp images, crisp text down to 4-point type, and exceptional color density.

Coyle, whose client list is heavy with major food, fashion and entertainment enterprises, was one of the first screen printers in the country to add flatbed digital printers to its equipment menu. “Today we don’t know of any other screen printer that has the digital printing equipment we have, and no one we know has two Rho printers,” Jacobs said. He noted that one Rho printer has been configured with both “over” and “under” white ink to produce some pretty sophisticated images. “Our core is screen printing, but we’re a pretty comprehensive digital shop now too.”

“You develop the business your clients bring you,” Jacobs added in explaining Coyle’s strategic approach. “Our clients started bringing us a lot of short-run jobs that had to have high image quality. So we stayed in line with their needs and requirements – we don’t compromise. Our equipment and processes let us create output that’s visually perfect, on time and cost-effective. If you can run jobs three times faster and the quality is three times as good, you’re going to be very cost-effective and you’re going to have very satisfied customers. That’s what our Rho printers help usto do.”

Screen Print Giant Coyle Reproductions Strengthens Digital Credentials by Adding Two Durst Rho 800 Presto Inkjet Printers

“Coyle is a terrific example of a traditional printer that’s forward-thinking, paying attention to the trends, and willing to mix print technologies on the shop floor to stay current and address the growing and increasingly complex output requirements of the commercial display market,” said Christopher Howard, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Durst U.S. “We’re pleased to be able to count Coyle among our clients – and we’re very interested to be able to gauge the benefits of high-end production digital printing in the screen printing environment.”

About Coyle ReproductionsFounded in 1963, Coyle Reproductions occupies 215,000 square feet of state-of-the-art work space featuring two dozen screen printing and digital imaging platforms, in addition to pre-press, die cutting, finishing and fulfillment & logistics operations. The company encourages plant tours “to appreciate the physical resources and production capacity ready to serve you.” Coyle offers digital screen graphics, large-format printing, retail signing and visual programs, P-O-P displays and fixtures, and related commercial printing and imaging services. For more information, contact Coyle Reproductions at 714-690-8200 or visit Coyle online at: www.coylerepro.com


Science & Technology

For industrial-use graphics printers, suitable drop size is between 14 and 80 ng; smaller drops are used for photo minilabs, photo-quality printers and printers for electronic production. The drop-size range produced per print frequency is the parameter determining the productivity a printhead can reach. Table 1 shows an assortment of printheads that modulate drop size.

ProducerDimatix [1]Epson [2],[3] [4]Konica [5]Panasonic [6]Ricoh [7]SII Printek [8]TTEC [9]Xaar [10]

TypeQ-ClassType-BKM 512

Gen 4508 GSCE2XJ 1001

Drop gradation [ ng ]30 - 802 - 4 - 814 - 28 - 423 - 9 - 11 - 137 - 14 - 2112 - 846 - 906 - 42

Max print frequency [ kHz ]3343 ( 8 ng )12.830 ( 11 ng )30402842

Range [ ng kHz ]990344179 330 210480168 252

Table 1

Panasonic Xaar [10]Konica

Ricoh SII Printek TTEC

*1 http://www.konicaminolta.com/inkjethead/products/inkjethead/512/spec.html *2 authorized by Impika*3 http://www.rpsa.ricoh.com/” *4 http://www.siiprintek.co.jp/eg/ *5 http://www.toshibatec.co.jp/inkjet/products/ce2.html *6 www.epson.co.jp/e/technology/device_business.htm

Dimatix

Figure 1

Users of large-format inkjet printers are more and more frequently using this technology for universal applications, in relation to image size. In fact, large-format printers are being used to print both large-sized images and multiple images in DIN A3 format or smaller. Small-sized images are being evaluated from a closer distance than the distance used for big images. As a consequence, technical prerequisites for printers have increased: to improve graininess and light-gradation rendering it is necessary to use smaller drops or additional inks with a lower pigment concentration.However, using inks with lower pigment concentration entails utilizing additional printheads and ink feeds, as well as such inks themselves.

On the other hand, using smaller-sized drops requires higher resolution and therefore a higher-precision printing system. Printheads that can modulate drop size offer a way out. Using them it is possible, depending on image data, to print with ink drops of different sizes. The printing system doesn’t necessarily have to be more precise because the smallest drops end up in the resolution mesh that takes even the largest drops. Compared to a CMYK printer with set drop size, all the aforementioned variations require more work in processing and transmitting image data to the printheads.

Today various makers offer printheads modulating drop size.

Survey of printheads that modulate ink-drop size



Figure 1 shows different brands and versions of printheads.All the printheads that modulate drop size receive excitation impulses that set off a series of pressure waves. Each time the negative side of the pressure wave begins a drop is expelled, as shown in figure 2. The breadth or width of the excitation impulses increases with every impulse, expelling the next drops faster and with greater energy.

Separate drops merge into a single drop as they fall onto the support. This occurs because the drops fall in the wake of the preceding ones and near the nozzle are usually connected to one another by a thin thread of ink. The ink’s surface tension tends to merge the drops together into just one. This process can be aided by expelling the drops faster each time, and this can be achieved by adjusting excitation impulses, as already shown in figure 2.

Figure 2

Figure 3



Durst examined the various inkjet printheads shown in table 1 to check their suitability for drop modulation. The basic physical properties, shown in figures 2 and 3, are valid for all the printheads considered. However, differences were found in drop speed, maximum print frequency, satellite formation and drop-merger distance from the nozzle. The maximum print frequency possible lessens in proportion to the number of ink gradations set. Figures 4 and 5 are stroboscopic images relating to different printheads and show three drops merging into a final single drop. In figure 4 the three drops are nearly united at a distance of 818 µm from the nozzles, while at a distance of 310 µm three separate drops are still visible.

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

In a comparison of figure 4 with figure 6, you can see that up to 7 separate drops can merge into one not very far from the nozzle.

To utilize drop-size modulation in an inkjet printer, image data has to be processed in the RIP dithering algorithm according to selected drop-size gradation.

Sources:[1] Dimatix „http://www.dimatix.com/news-events/press-releases.asp?display=detail&id=53”[2] Epson “http://www.epson.co.jpenewsroom2007news_20070327.htm”[3] Epson “IMI Digital Printing Conference Nov. 2007”[4] Epson “17th Annual Ink Jet Printing Conference, Feb 6-8 2008” [5] Konica “http://www.konicaminolta.com/inkjethead/products/inkjethead/512/spec.html”[6] Panasonic “IMI Digital Printing Conference Nov. 2007”[7] Ricoh “http://www.rpsa.ricoh.com/”[8] SII Printek „“[9] TTEC “http://fuziononline.wordpress.com/2008/05/25/toshiba-tecs-ce2-inkjet-grayscale-heads/”[10] Xaar “IMI Digital Printing Conference Nov. 2007”[11] Dimatix “www.fujifilmdrupa2008.com/.../FUJIFILM%20Dima-tix%20Launches%20Q-Class%20Inkjet%20Printhead.pdf”


Media & Handling

Unit Test Method 115 +/- 6 g/m² ISO 536 150 +/-10 µm ISO 534 > 90 N/15mm ISO 1924 > 150 N/15mm ISO 1924> 97 % ISO 2471

PropertiesWeightThicknessTensile strength MDTensile strength CDTransparency

Unit Test Method79 +/- 6 g/m² ISO 536105 +/-7 µm ISO 534> 60 N/15mm ISO 1924> 180 N/15mm ISO 1924> 60 % ISO 5033

EnDURO Effect M-60 YP silver – Laminate: Paper-Film-PaperPropertiesWeightThicknessTensile strength MDTensile strength CDOpacitiy


EnDURO Effect M-75 YP gold - Laminate: Paper-Film-PaperPropertiesWeightThicknessTensile strength MDTensile strength CDOpacitiy


EnDURO Effect 120 black - Paper-Film-PaperPropertiesWeightThicknessTensile strength MDTensile strength CDOpacity

Full detailed technical info, printing parameters and further converting details for Durst users will be provided at the Rho Community, www.rho-online.com

Print results from the Durst Rho 700:

Effect M-75 YP gold Effect M-60YP silver Ice 80 M

Sihl EnDURO is a productline, commonly known for envelopes, bags, CD sleeves, book-jackets etc. to be printed on with offset, flexo and rotogravure technologies and also laser technologies. Due to their enhanced and tear resistant surfaces, these materials are also dedicated for mid term PoS applications. They are available as rolls standard-width 1000 mm and sheets (f.i. 700 x 1000 mm). The substrates are made up of a laminate of a synthetic film covered by a layer of paper on both sides. Different surfaces and grammages (60 to 370 gsm) are available. The Durst Lienz Democenter has tested some grades of special interest for their technical performance in digital uv-inkjet printing.Technical data of the tested sheets:

Sihl EnDURO Series Substrates Tested For Digital Printing By Durst

EnDURO Ice 80 M Laminate: Paper-Film-Paper


Media & Handling

Effect 120 black

The technical performance of the prints are impeccable. Due to the structures of the surfaces a distinct graphic design should be applied to emphasize the superior appearance of the sheets. This is especially important to make use of the black substrate. As the Durst printers are furnished with excellent white inks, this can be accomplished.

Key features in addition to the appearance are tear resistance, water impermeability and dimensional stability. A variety of surfaces, strenghts and grammages make it a higly versatile product.

Typical range of application may be:• Point-of-Sale advertising • Shopping bags and folded boxes • Maps • Dividers • Folders


Application

Norwegian digital printer combines a Durst Rho with a Kongsberg cutter to optimise workflow Punkt 1, based in Larvik, Norway, was established in 1975 as a pre-press company offering repro to offset printers and newspaper printers. 12 years ago it entered the digital market with a 32 cm wide roll to roll inkjet. In 2005, and after installing 5 more inkjets, the company first entered the wide format, direct to media print market with a Durst Rho 600 flatbed with a roll to roll option. Now, the company is totally focused on digital printing and has no pre-press facilities at all.

Over the last two financial years Punkt 1 has seen its turnover in large format printing double year on year. Today about 50% of the company’s output is on rigid material and continues to grow. This is also in part due to the Kongsberg cutter, which is the most recent addition to the equipment list.

Durst has recently taken over its Scandinavian distributor, Molanders Sign and Display, which is also responsible for selling Kongsberg cutting tables, so now Durst is able to offer a complete workflow package across Scandinavia.

Atle Nordaunet, Managing Director of Punkt 1, said: “The Kongsberg has had a great effect on our workflow and the service we offer to our customers. We were the first company in Norway to get a flatbed printer and we have had to educate our customers on both the quality of print and what we are able to print on. We develop interesting solutions to our customers’ needs using the Rho printer combined with the automatic cutting table. Roundels and unusual shapes represent no problem and, since we now have the facility in-house, we are able to offer a very fast turn round from digital artwork to the finished item.”

“Much of the work that we produce is for retail food chains,” continued Atle. “In Norway a large retail chain may have many different sized stores, from huge supermarkets in the cities to small shops in outlying villages, but all with the same name and marketing themes. For this reason there is a great deal of variation between the in-store displays in different stores and also the print volumes, from one-offs to several hundred units. This is where digital printing is so important, not only to be able to supply the customer what they want, economically, but also very rapidly – within hours, if necessary.”

What made you choose the Rho?“We first saw the Rho 600 at FESPA in Munich four years ago, that’s when we decided to buy one. The Rho has proven to be extremely reliable and after 4 years it is still performing perfectly. Also we opted for the white printing facility, which has been a great success. Since then competition in Norway has grown and we are always looking for new solutions to customers’ requirements. We now print on a large range of very different materials, from paper, vinyl and mesh to fluted board, acrylic and metal. In fact, we produce a lot of work on clear plexiglass for museums, art galleries and exhibitions and this is where the white under-print is so important. We produce both indoor and outdoor advertising material but our winters can be very harsh so most outdoor demand is limited to the summer months. In-store retail display is the most important growth area for us, offering round the year production with digital printing as the solution. The company has a digital printing mentality and we are always looking to see what opportunities exist in the market for other applications.”


Application

Durst PhototechnikAGLarge Format DivisionVittorio-Veneto-Straße 5939042 Brixen, ItalyTelefon +39 04 72 81 01 11Telefax +39 04 72 83 09 [email protected]

Events

All rights reserved on images and illustrations.

6.-9.8.2009Ipmex 2009Kuala Lumpur-MalaysiaDurst Image Technology Asia Pte LtdBooth: 1197Products: Rho 320R

What do you see happening in the future?“Protecting the environment is an extremely important issue in Norway and it’s something that we are very involved in. Durst UV inks are environmentally friendly but there is a limited amount of economical media that is also safe for the environment. Customers want eco-friendly material but do not want to pay more, so we have been exploring this subject and hopefully more material will become available in the future. We have recently started printing on Swedish Reboard, which clients like very much, also we have experimented with printing onto an eco-friendly material used in sound installation. It is 40mm thick and we can print directly onto it using the Rho to great effect.”

“At present the Rho is kept very busy, so much so that, providing the economic climate permits, we can see us wanting another Durst Rho printer in the autumn. We have seen the latest Rho 800 HS at FESPA Digital and were very impressed by both the huge output and superb quality of the printing.” For more information on Punkt 1, Norway,telephone: +47 91 73 63 92.

3.-9.9.2009Sign & Display ShowTokio-JapanNSK Co., LtdProducts: Rho 600 Pictor

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