UJF-3042MkII EX reduces four steps to one for high-value-added print

Mimaki announced a new member to the UJF-MkII product family, its latest generation of small format UV flatbed printers. The UJF-3042MkII EX, which will be unveiled at FESPA 2017, offers a unique approach to value-added printing by combining four steps into one: delivering the ability to place primer for strong ink adhesion, white ink for high print opacity, full colour CMYK printing and a clear print surface treatment, all in one operation. This high versatility approach was enabled by the addition of a fourth print head and the ability to hold eight ink bottles. FESPA 2017 is scheduled for 8-12 May in Hamburg, Germany. Mimaki Europe, which has two stands at FESPA, will be showing this new printer on its stand in the Digital Hall (Stand A1-A25), where it will also be demonstrating a wide range of solutions for the sign graphics market and industrial print. The company will also have a presence in the Textile Hall (Stand B6-C50), demonstrating its long-time commitment to the textile industry.

“We’ve had great reception to our UJF-MkII UV-curable flatbed printing systems since we launched them last summer,” said Ronald van den Broek, General Manager Sales of Mimaki EMEA. “The new addition to this outstanding family of printers raises the bar even more, making it extremely easy to produce high-value-add print. In a single operation, the UJF-3042MkII EX can lay down a base coat of inkjet primer, a base print of white ink, full colour print and a surface coating of clear ink. This adds up to a highly efficient way to produce the value-added printing applications that are growing in popularity among marketers and other buyers of print.”

Van den Broek also points out that customers can add more value to their prints by using texture library available in the Mimaki RasterLink6 RIP that drives the printer.

The details

Apart from having all of the advantages of the UJF-3042MkII, the new UJF-3042MkII EX adds more features as the standard model for higher performance and ease of use, including a status indication lamp to quickly check the status of the printer, a vacuum table to fix the print substrate, and an emergency switch to immediately stop the machine operation. It also offers worry-free operation with automatic detection and cleaning of clogged nozzles, substituting them with good nozzles for printing during the process.

The compressed workflow includes:

• Inkjet primer to improve ink adhesion, important in cases where inkjet adhesion is less than desired. It retains the texture of the material while printing, which is difficult to do with manual primer application. The Mimaki PR-200 primer can be used on resin, glass and metal materials.
• White ink with high opacity enables more vivid expression of full colour, especially on dark or transparent substrates. Two bottles of white ink can be attached to the printer to achieve high density white print in a shorter time with more opacity.
• Clear ink, with either glossy or matte effects can add texture and depth. Clear ink can be laid down in multiple layers for an embossed effect.
• The texture library as part of the Mimaki RasterLink6 RIP software offers 129 different textures that can be displayed as swatches in Adobe® Illustrator. Application of these textures with clear ink can deliver more elaborate designs, such as a floral motif or other patterns that add even more value to the printed piece.

Environmental considerations

As part of Mimaki’s dedication to delivering environmentally sustainable solutions, the company renews its GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD Gold certifications. The GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD Gold certifications offer stricter certification criteria and consider safety factors to ensure that a product is acceptable for use in environments such as schools and healthcare facilities. GREENGUARD Certification is part of UL Environment, a business unit of UL (Underwriters Laboratories). As an ISO-IEC Guide 65:1996 accredited, third-party certifying body, the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute issues the GREENGUARD Certification to help manufacturers create – and help buyers identify – interior products and materials that have low chemical emissions, improving the quality of the air in environments in which the products are used, including schools and healthcare facilities.

Mimaki has GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD Gold certifications for the UV-curable inks used in its UJF-3042MkII, UJF-6042MkII and UJF-3042MkII EX printers, including LH-100, LUS-120, LUS-150 UV curable inks. The certification also applies to Mimaki’s LUS-200 UV-curable ink; LX-101 Latex ink; and SS21, Mimaki’s most popular solvent ink.

Note to journalists: To RSVP for the Mimaki press conference at FESPA 2017, scheduled for May 8^th at 1 PM, please contact Margot Schuljin (margot.s@duomedia.com) from duomedia.

More details about Mimaki products, including its full range of printers and inks, can be found at www.mimakieurope.com.