New Products
By Bill Esler -- graphic arts online, 2/1/2007
Böwe Bell & Howell PCS Plastic Card System attaches and matches plastic insurance, credit and other cards to personalized letters. Pre-personalized cards are fed into magazines on the system, drawn off and read (via the magnetic stripe, chip, bar code or OCR). A matched personalized document is printed according to the database. Up to 12 components can be matched and inserted. www.bowebellhowell.com
The Konica Minolta C252 color copier/printer, said to have one of the smallest 11×17´´ color tandem engines, features: 75,000 impressions monthly; 3,350-sheet paper capacity handling up to 140-lb. index (including duplexing); and offers optional booklet finisher with hole-punching, folding and center-stapling. www.kmbs.konicaminolta.us
Videojet 4210 inkjet system (not shown) ad dress es, personalizes, barcodes and serializes. Videojet's inks and fluids for the 4210 include solvent-based inks to adhere to the toughest coated substrates, like polywrap. Water-based inks are also available. A graphical screen shows envelopes in progress, production rates, remaining records, completion time, etc. www.videojet.com
Screen Trueflow Native (not shown) Adobe PDF Print Engine is said to improve consistency by using a pure, native PDF rendering, from creative design through final print process. “Data and file conversions interrupt the workflow, causing efficiency loss,” says Screen's Kyohei Fujisawa. “PDF Print Engine removes these unnecessary file conversions.”www.screenusa.com
GRIPDigital SpectroPlate hand-held device microscopically reads any screen size and screen technology—FM, AM or hybrid. Its spectrally white illumination and dynamic color evaluation permits reading all kinds of plate types and coated surfaces. A supplied Windows software connects the device to a PC to display and store measured values and transfer curves. Measurement data can be used directly for linearizing a RIP-powered plate processor. One exceptional feature, says the firm, is its enlarged microscopic view. www.gripdigital.com
Mitsubishi Imaging says its latest DPX two-up and four-up polyester platesetters advance quality levels well past versions it pioneered more than 20 years ago—at that time for use mostly in black-and-white and spot color. Improved resolution, tone reproduction, better backing and registration allow the plates to print process color as well as metal plates do, says the firm, holding 175-lpi resolution and maintaining dimensional stability. The built-in punch is said to ensure register even on plates made at different times. The eco-friendly DPX complies with RoHS, the European Union standard for making electronic equipment safer for the environment. www.mitsubishiimaging.com
NEC MultiSync 2690WUXi is a 26´´ LCD graphic arts monitor showing pages two-up. (It's shown rotated 90º here.) Compatible with Windows Vista and NEC SpectraView II and GammaComp MD, sold separately, the monitor features X-Light Pro, for consistent output for its life. It has a 92% gamut, with 93.4% coverage of the Adobe color triangle. www.necdisplay.com
Unisource (not shown) says Nordic Plus improves on its Nordic sheet, with enhanced gloss and expanded selection for advantages over conventional, heavier-weight C2S grades. It's rated 92 bright in 8- to 12-pt. calipers, 90 bright for 15 to 24 pts., and stands up to diecutting, folding and embossing for covers, folders, calendars, cards, mailers, etc.www.thesourceatunisource.com
Mohawk Fine Papers features identity systems in “Luxury Found: A Treasure Hunt,” designed by The Valentine Group on Strathmore papers. Experts predict continuing rise in demand for luxury products, not based on price, but possessing elegance and aesthetics, using the best of antique, traditional and modern designs. Samples useletterpress, engraving, thermography and more. www.mohawkpaper.com
Amerilam Supply Group says its 3-in-1 Punch Package system sets up in just 15 minutes, then punches at 62,000 sheets per hour. Available on a 14-day free trial, it allows quick print or finishing operations to add punch binding services in an affordable way. The package includes HD7700 punch, Lift-14 paper counter and 14-77 Ejector/Stacker. 800.895.2747
Toyo Kaleido process ink (not shown) offer a wider color gamut closer to RGB—without using fluorescent pigment. Existing CMYK colors have been re-engineered to create dedicated pigments. The improved range produces rich and vibrant gradations. The pigment dispersion technology and highly soluble resins also increase gloss effects. The end result is better color matching of printed images displayed on RGB computer monitors. www.toyoink.com
Océ VarioStream 9210 web-fed digital printers run top and bottom simultaneously, blending up to three colors for “fake” four-color effects. Lightning Source, La Vergne, TN, has ordered 15 black and color-capable 9210s with Prisma production software, to generate books on demand from among 400,000 orderable titles from over 4,300 publishers, shipping on demand, often in orders of just one, direct to the end-user. www.oceusa.com
