Sonja Angerer
Even today, some brand owners like to think that printed campaigns are less environmentally friendly than digital alternatives. But sustainable communication is all about a well-designed concept as well as an intelligent choice of target audience. Digital printing is ideal for sustainable communications.
Marketing, design and communication professionals are not exactly in an enviable position these days.
Sustainable transmedia campaigns are interlocking as many digital channels as needed with as many printed applications as possible. Photo: Sonja Angerer
Sustainability By Design
To balance effectiveness with a managed environmental impact, is a complex goal. Everyone involved has to try and broaden their minds, and do away with prejudices and lines of long out-dated thought. But this doesn’t mean we must all become carbon accountants. An effective, socially and environmentally responsible campaign, may not seem possible without applying the concepts of lifecycle management of products and circular economy thinkingin the very early stages of the planning process.
Many rigid boards common for POS and trade fair design are PVC-based. Photo: Sonja Angerer
Fortunately, digital print is a sustainable communications option, because paper is made from harvested, renewable raw materials: wood. Chain of custody systems, such as FSC and PEFC, have long ensured that most paper used in the Western world is responsibly produced. Moreover, the recycling rate of paper in many European countries is around 74%, which means that the very same fibre is being used multiple times as a raw material for new paper products. When the fibres can no longer be used for paper products, they are recycled in other ways, such as for egg boxes and even fertiliser. Choosing digital inks that are easily deinkable with modern paper, recycling technologies ensures that the situation stays this favourable. Digital prepress technologies, as well as digital printing, have also done away with much of the waste previously associated with print production.
Compare this model with digital channels, where a multitude of short-lived electronic devices are used to deliver messages. These digital screens require precious and finite raw materials and are hungry for energy to deliver the campaign message to its audience.
Fujifilm offers comprehensive outdoor durability guides for their Uvijet UV curing ink sets. Photo: Sonja Angerer
Despite initiatives such as the European Union’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive, these screens may still end up as toxic electronic waste in third world countries or in landfill. By comparison any printed product has solid sustainability credentials. Of course, this is too simplistic a division because modern campaigns exploit multiple channels. Interlocking as many digital channels as needed with as many printed applications as possible, we can create powerful, engaging, modern brand narratives without compromising sustainability goals. Using Quick Response (QR) codes or Augmented Reality (AR) applications, print products can provide the link to video content, feedback channels or online shops with ease.
Not All Print is Created Equal
Digital wide format printing, however, is far from being limited to paper-based substrates. UV-curing inks are suitable for almost any surface, including glass, Perspex, metal, wooden boards and even textiles. Eco-Solvent, Latex (and to a smaller degree even other water-based) inks are also able to print on a wide variety WildFormat of materials. While corrugated paper-based substrates are very common even for outdoor applications in some North European countries, they are not suitable for every project. Mesh substrates, typically chosen for their wind-permeable properties for billboards and other super-wide format outdoor applications, are made from PVC- coated polyester mesh, which makes them a compound material that is quite hard to recycle. However, because it is an oil-based substrate, mesh is a suitable resource for waste-incineration plants that provide electricity and hot water to big cities.
Some rigid foam and all composite sheets frequently found in Point of Sale (POS) and trade fair designs are also compound materials, which can be burnt. Many backlit and banner substrates, self-adhesives and other materials commonly used for wide format printing are, however, not so they must be disposed of responsibly. Basic substrate options though are most often still PVC-based. There usually are PVC-free alternatives available, including textiles for soft signage applications to replace posters and signage printed on foils. But they are most likely more expensive, so an environmentally responsible print buyer has to specifically decide to use them.
Most analogue and digital heavy-duty print inks require a lot of energy and other resources in their manufacture, and contain some quantity of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are not exactly beneficial for human health. The amount of VOCs varies with the ink type with Solvents and Eco-Solvents being less benign than UV-curing or water-based inks. Some digital printer manufacturers have made major efforts to make their inks as safe as possible for the environment, and the people who work with them. HP’s Latex, Epson UltraChrome, some Mimaki Eco-Solvent and UV-curing as well as EFI UV-LED inks, amongst others, have been awarded environmental and work-place safety labels, such as Greenguard. Fortunately, and contrary to popular belief, inks are rarely a problem for single-origin recycling, because compared to the overall material volume the amounts are just too small.
Sticking Together
With a circular economy approach, it is quite clear that compound materials, which are hard or even impossible to recycle, are best avoided. This is even more important in the context of the large amount of materials created for many popular wide format applications. A billboard or window wrap for an office building, may easily amount
to a few hundred, or even thousands of square-metres of foil waste after use. As a single origin material, the foil is a valuable raw material for recycling.
Paper-based corrugated boards can be a sustainable alternative to PVC-based substrates. Photo: Sonja Angerer
Sadly many popular finishing options carelessly render wide format prints a de facto composite. The over laminate used may be a different material than the basic printing substrate, or the self-adhesive mounted onto a rigid board may be hard to remove. When designing a wide format campaign with this in mind, print service providers are usually able to help and come up with a single-origin or detachable alternative. The important thing to remember is, to ask the question in the first place. With the right combination of ink and substrate, it may also be possible to avoid unnecessary finishing, but this requires a well-defined application. While short-to-medium-term use of unlaminated Eco-Solvent or Latex ink printed posters in Central European weather conditions is perfectly feasible, outdoor light-fastness problems might arise if someone later decides to leave the billboard in place several years instead of months. Therefore, Fujifilm, Agfa Graphics and many other vendors offer comprehensive outdoor durability guides with their different wide format ink types.
To create an effective, but environmentally responsible campaign, creative out-of- the-box thinking with a firm awareness of sustainability issues is a basic requirement. The environmental thinking applies at all stages of the project, but wide format printing, with bold, attention-grabbing applications is an important pillar to any transmedia approach. Design contest short-list entries and Social Media “Likes” for such campaigns, might very well be an inevitable added bonus.
Sonja Angerer
The Wild Format guides are intended to expand awareness and understanding of the craziness that can be created on wide format digital printing devices, from floors to lampshades and everything in between.
These guides are made possible by a group of manufacturers working together with Digital Dots.
This article is supported by Efi (www.efi.com), Esko (www.esko.com), Fujifilm (www.fujifilm.com) and HP (www.hp.com).
Together we hope you enjoy the articles and that you put into practise what you learn. If you want to talk about it, go to our LinkedIn group at via deze link.
Enjoy and Go Wild!
If you have been letting your imagination run wild recently, wide format digital printing is just the technology to turn your creative ideas into splendid reality. Here are a few things to help you avoid waking up to a project management nightmare.
So, radio spots, a Facebook campaign or the odd website banner does not excite your customer: he wants to go really big, make a splash in the city, on national TV, and of course on Instagram? A wide format campaign may very well influence a brand’s image for years to come, which is why high-profile companies like Apple and Samsung heavily rely on wide format applications for their brand communication.
It is actually hard to decide, if the wide format poster for the video game Overwatch at Berlin Alexanderplatz looks better at day or night. Photo © Sonja Angerer
SNAFU (Situation Normal, All F**** Up)
It may sound like the most trivial observation ever – but a project means that people have to work together as a team, regardless of expertise, rank, age, gender or nationality. Wide format projects often still dive deep into unchartered territory, and will most likely involve a host of people from different countries, as well as levels of education. So it is vital to get the basics right from the beginning: what level of communication is expected, and which channels should we be using? Between a written letter and a WhatsApp Message, ideas about appropriate business communication may differ substantially along national and demographic border lines. If this means that emails in broken English are the lowest common denominator, so be it. There are other options such as dedicated project management software that might help you to add much-needed structure to projects.
The Powers That Be
There is a very broad choice of what’s possible for wide format projects, but for clarity one can simply break them down into three main categories: indoor, outdoor and vehicle advertising. For each group a host of rules and regulations exist and these may be extended by supra-national bodies like the European Union, a country, or a city.
Borissia Dortmund, a successful team on Germany ́s “1. Bundesliga” (= Premier League) flies with a chartered A320 Airbus in their team colours to their away games. Planes still don’t get wrappings very often, but are always very impres- sive items, prone to create a long tail Social Media exposure. Photo © Sonja Angerer
Even a neighbourhood or a single building’s owner might have a very distinct point of view on what poster size and what motif is acceptable at a certain location, or which safety-standards to follow. Never assume that because a wide format project is not a problem in one city, it will be OK with another town council just 50 kilometres away. It’s probably not a problem, but once you enlist locals in a timely manner, they can help you to sort things out before a real problem arises.
Also, do bear in mind, that countries like Germany and Austria ban most advertising near highways and interstates, while regulation for street-side-advertising in France, Spain and Italy are much less strict. Check before you start.
Vehicle wrapping projects are often between a rock and a hard place, as they have to follow national traffic safety regulations, as well as limitations set by the fleet owner. They might even impose the use of certified substrates or printing technologies because they fear the vehicle’s paintwork might become damaged when wrapped or stripped. Widely accepted certifications such as 3M MCS are available for certain substrates when printed with HP, EFI/Vutek and Mimaki machines, among others, so they are usually very helpful to help dispel any fears the customer might have.
Right in the middle of Berlin at Potsdamer Platz, Cupertino made quite some splash with their super wide format bill- board for the Apple Watch. Photo © Sonja Angerer
With indoor applications, the two most prominent pitfalls are odour and fire retardancy. Odour may arise when printing onto certain substrates, mainly textiles, with UV-curing and solvent inks. Though not always toxic per se, the fumes could cause some uneasiness leading to questions from the customer. Aqueous, sublimation or latex ink prints, therefore, are becoming more and more popular for indoor applications.
Knowing which fire retardancy certificates are required is critical for any indoor wide format project, especially for trade show designs. German B1 and French M1 certifications are widely accepted on the show floor and for many public areas. For aircrafts, airports, ship and train interiors there are a broad range of other testing standards, often widely different even around Europe. Choosing a substrate with the appropriate certification will potentially save a lot of time and money, although for some special applications, additional lab tests might be required by the authorities. Keep this in mind from the very start of the creative process.
Using staircases as an advertising space has become possible only through wide format printing. The project shown was located at then main corridor of Expo 4.0 Stuttgart in early 2016. Photo © Sonja Angerer
Show Your Real Colours
Wide format printing often uses more than four process colours, so it comes as no surprise that the gamut of inkjet prints, depending on substrate, is often much wider than traditional commercial print. When other printing technologies with a smaller gamut are part of a campaign, it might prove necessary to define a smaller, but shared colour space to ensure consistency. Inkjet printers usually don’t do spot colours, though there are inks sets that are able to reproduce most of the Pantone library.
UV-cured inks are able to print on virtually any reasonably flat white or coloured surface. It is often difficult to properly render unusual surfaces into a screen proof, so what you see on the monitor can be deceptive. Do make sure to request a sample print on the actual substrate for early inspection, preferably under standard light conditions, D50 or D65 as applicable. Alternatively view samples under the actual light conditions for which your wide format print will be used. Metamerism effects, where colours look different under different lighting conditions, can be quite extraordinary with some ink sets and substrate plus light combinations. To make sure you aren’t lead astray, look at the print from different angles and, if in doubt, multiple light conditions.
Digital printing and cutting tables developments lately have opened up a whole new world of short-run packaging and sales display opportunities that many wild format fans are exploiting. For a traditional print designer, as well as a printing house experienced primarily in wide format poster printing, a 3D object with crease lines and complicated cut-outs might cause some problems. Among others, Esko and SAi, offer a range of software to help with designing folded 3D objects and ensure that the data is ready for digital print and cut, including crease lines and crop marks.
Form Follows Function
Wide format inkjet has made possible a plethora of stunning applications previously not imagined. But designers and print buyers are well advised to keep in mind that, not only the potential impact, but also the dangers to the public can be quite substantial. What needs to be considered for a 50m-wide format High Street poster or gorgeous wallpaper in an airport arrival hall, are rather more complicated than considerations say, for a few thousand A5 flyers – obviously!
So, a wide format project not only requires creativity, curiosity and some courage, but also a lot of team work alongside colour management and substrate handling expertise, and mindful of legislative and security guidelines. Or, as Luis Sullivan said in 1896, “Form Follows Function”. This has never been more true in the graphic arts industry than with wide format printing.
Sonja Angerer
The Wild Format guides are intended to expand awareness and understanding of the craziness that can be created on wide format digital printing devices, from floors to lampshades and everything in between.
These guides are made possible by a group of manufacturers working together with Digital Dots.
This article is supported by Mimaki (www.mimakieurope.com) and Digital Dots (www.digitaldots.org).
Together we hope you enjoy the articles and that you put into practise what you learn. If you want to talk about it, go to our LinkedIn group via this link.
Enjoy and Go Wild!
Lees verder....
Inkjet is unique amongst printing technologies, there is no other option to print on such a wide varieties of substrates with such efficiency and ease. Just how does it work, and what does it all mean to a print buyer?
When Germans come across some fine spirits or wines, they often colloquially say “Das ist aber ein gutes Tröpfchen”, which may roughly be translated as “this indeed is a very fine little drop”. This is not a common English phrase, but still is just the perfect way to describe inkjet inks: very, very fine drops.
Inkjet printheads in modern small-format photo printers are able to jet drops as small as 1pL (a picolitre which is one trillionth of a litre), while high quality wide-format inkjet printheads usually offer around 10pL as their smallest drop size. Tiny drop sizes are generally desirable, because they guarantee fine detail, crisp type and perfect gradients. The nozzles to achieve this have to be minuscule. So as not to clog these, particle sizes in inkjet ink are usually under 200 nanometres in diameter, while in an analogue dispersion they are bigger than 10 micrometres.
The basic ingredients of conventional and inkjet inks are not so very different – a mix of pigments and/or dyes, solvents (including water) and additives to prevent sedimentation, clogging, deterioration or to help the ink dry more quickly on the substrate, but not while printing. What makes inkjet inks so precious, is the enormous effort required to ensure the smallest particle size, purity and uniformity. Designing inkjet inks is indeed high-tech; companies like Fujifilm or Agfa spent millions on their research and production facilities. Inkjet inks are always specifically designed for a certain inkjet printhead type or family.
While changing printing ink to meet the needs of different applications is the norm within analogue printing technology, it is often impractical with inkjet printers. Most inkjet printers come with one type of ink which they print for their entire lifecycle. There might be more than one sort of ink available, typically a third party, budget or very flexible option for use say with car wrapping or thermoforming applications. But even so, changing inks is a hassle so tends not to happen all that frequently. Most inkjet inks are able to work with a very wide range of roll-to-roll or flat rigid substrates, though a receptive coating or primer may be needed. HP Latex printers, for example, can print on a very broad range of materials from papers to PVC and non-PVC banner, back- and front-lit materials, canvas and even textile substrates using just one type of ink.
A Quick Update On Inkjet Technology
As a fully digital technology, inkjet printing does not require a printing plate. The finished designs are transferred directly to a Raster Image Processor (RIP), which calculates the raster data viewed on screen for output at a resolution suitable for the printhead and quality expectation, calculating drop sizes and placement frequency as required. Thus small print runs are economically viable and customised/variable print content is commercially feasible. High-speed inkjet presses like the EFI Nozomi C18000 are able to run at up to 75 linear metres per minute, pushing inkjet and customisation further into high-volume printing for the global packaging industry.
Inkjet inks are able to print onto almost any surface from paper to metal. Photo: Sonja Angerer
Most wide and super-wide format inkjet presses work with grey-scale Piezo inkjet technology: a Piezo crystal bends when exposed to an electrical current forcing drops to be ejected from the printhead in sizes suitable for the colour density and overall image quality requirement. Piezo inkjet technology is suitable for a wide variety of liquids, including functional fluids for solar panel or consumer electronics production. White and metallic speciality inks, such as those used in Mimaki inkjet printers, are currently only commercially available for Piezo inkjet heads technologies.
Unlike conventional analogue printing presses, inkjet printing often takes advantage of more than four process colours. Adding light (50%) Cyan and Magenta makes for more natural skin tones, adding Red, Blue, Green or Orange helps to expand the colour gamut to include almost all Pantone colours. Using up to three additional black inks can guarantee photo lab grade black-and-white photo prints.
The individualised printed smartphone cover was a product that could not have been introduced without UV-curing or sublimation inkjet technology. Photo: Sonja Angerer
Thermal inkjet heads are known for having a very large number of individual nozzles and ejecting water-based inks by forming minuscule heat bubbles inside the head. HP Page Wide and Memjet Waterfall Technology harness an integrated circuit production process to create very fast print and cost-efficient thermal inkjet heads for the wide format, commercial print, marking and packing print industry.
Inkjet? It’s All French To Me!
A typical print buyer might not be very interested in inkjet technology itself, but first and foremost in the options the technology offers. It is still important to know, that even though inkjet as a technology is able to print onto almost anything, not every inkjet is suitable for any application.
With sublimation or dedicated textile inks it is possible to turn the dream of designing your very own tablecloth into reality easily. Photo: Sonja Angerer
Water-based inks are best when used for indoor or short-term outdoor applications. For perfect image quality, a reception layer on the substrate is required – printing on just any paper or self-adhesive will end with blurry or smudged colours. HP Latex inks are often included into the “water-based” category, as they share their typically odourless, planet-friendly qualities. The outdoor durability of HP Latex prints extends up to three years in Central European weather conditions, and up to five years with lamination.
Water-based dye sublimation inks are typically used with polyester-based substrates, for example sportswear. Both transfer and direct sublimation is common, embedding the ink deep into the fibre. Gifts and promotional items like printed mugs and plates also very often are the result of an inkjet sublimation process.
Solvent and eco-solvent based inks are most suitable for printing onto vinyl and self-adhesives, because the solvents help the inks to “sink” into an uncoated substrate, rendering prints very durable even when stretched or under harsh weather conditions. Eco-solvent ink prints are mainly used for outdoor applications, stickers and car wrapping. Typical outdoor durability is up to five years.
(Eco) solvent and UV-curing inks are most often used for outdoor applications. Photo: Sonja Angerer
UV-curing inks could legitimately be called “jack-of-all-trades” inks, because, being cured with powerful UV-lights about a second after jetting, they stick to almost any type of uncoated rigid or flexible surface, including textiles, forming a matte or glossy layer of ink on top of it as the application requires. They are common for indoor and outdoor use, with outdoor durability up to five years. Depending on ink brand and substrate, prints may have a typical, but non-hazardous smell. UV-inks are available in white and some spot colours, as well as clear for beautiful spot varnish and textured 3D effects.
The Future Is Now
Inkjet has also been taking over many industrial processes where pictures, coatings or functional decors previously have been the prerogative of a screen or pad printing process. Taking advantage of inkjet’s unique ability to print singular items, it is now possible to design custom curtains, bed linen, glass decor, laminate, cork or wooden floors, carpets, tiles and other ceramics and have them produced in industrial grade quality even in small batches.
There has never been a better time to design and deploy the most amazing advertising and marketing campaigns than today. Inkjet makes it possible to harness the power of an individualised media universe to influence, inform and delight. All you need is creativity!
Sonja Angerer
The Wild Format guides are intended to expand awareness and understanding of the craziness that can be created on wide format digital printing devices, from floors to lampshades and everything in between.
These guides are made possible by a group of manufacturers working together with Digital Dots. Together we hope you enjoy the articles and that you put into practise what you learn. If you want to talk about it, go to our LinkedIn group via this link.
Enjoy and Go Wild!
Lees verder....
Inkjet is unique amongst printing technologies, there is no other option to print on such a wide varieties of substrates with such efficiency and ease. Just how does it work, and what does it all mean to a print buyer?
When Germans come across some fine spirits or wines, they often colloquially say “Das ist aber ein gutes Tröpfchen”, which may roughly be translated as “this indeed is a very fine little drop”. This is not a common English phrase, but still is just the perfect way to describe inkjet inks: very, very fine drops.
Inkjet printheads in modern small-format photo printers are able to jet drops as small as 1pL (a picolitre which is one trillionth of a litre), while high quality wide-format inkjet printheads usually offer around 10pL as their smallest drop size. Tiny drop sizes are generally desirable, because they guarantee fine detail, crisp type and perfect gradients. The nozzles to achieve this have to be minuscule. So as not to clog these, particle sizes in inkjet ink are usually under 200 nanometres in diameter, while in an analogue dispersion they are bigger than 10 micrometres.
The basic ingredients of conventional and inkjet inks are not so very different – a mix of pigments and/or dyes, solvents (including water) and additives to prevent sedimentation, clogging, deterioration or to help the ink dry more quickly on the substrate, but not while printing. What makes inkjet inks so precious, is the enormous effort required to ensure the smallest particle size, purity and uniformity. Designing inkjet inks is indeed high-tech; companies like Fujifilm or Agfa spent millions on their research and production facilities. Inkjet inks are always specifically designed for a certain inkjet printhead type or family.
While changing printing ink to meet the needs of different applications is the norm within analogue printing technology, it is often impractical with inkjet printers. Most inkjet printers come with one type of ink which they print for their entire lifecycle. There might be more than one sort of ink available, typically a third party, budget or very flexible option for use say with car wrapping or thermoforming applications. But even so, changing inks is a hassle so tends not to happen all that frequently. Most inkjet inks are able to work with a very wide range of roll-to-roll or flat rigid substrates, though a receptive coating or primer may be needed. HP Latex printers, for example, can print on a very broad range of materials from papers to PVC and non-PVC banner, back- and front-lit materials, canvas and even textile substrates using just one type of ink.
A Quick Update On Inkjet Technology
As a fully digital technology, inkjet printing does not require a printing plate. The finished designs are transferred directly to a Raster Image Processor (RIP), which calculates the raster data viewed on screen for output at a resolution suitable for the printhead and quality expectation, calculating drop sizes and placement frequency as required. Thus small print runs are economically viable and customised/variable print content is commercially feasible. High-speed inkjet presses like the EFI Nozomi C18000 are able to run at up to 75 linear metres per minute, pushing inkjet and customisation further into high-volume printing for the global packaging industry.
Inkjet inks are able to print onto almost any surface from paper to metal. Photo: Sonja Angerer
Most wide and super-wide format inkjet presses work with grey-scale Piezo inkjet technology: a Piezo crystal bends when exposed to an electrical current forcing drops to be ejected from the printhead in sizes suitable for the colour density and overall image quality requirement. Piezo inkjet technology is suitable for a wide variety of liquids, including functional fluids for solar panel or consumer electronics production. White and metallic speciality inks, such as those used in Mimaki inkjet printers, are currently only commercially available for Piezo inkjet heads technologies.
Unlike conventional analogue printing presses, inkjet printing often takes advantage of more than four process colours. Adding light (50%) Cyan and Magenta makes for more natural skin tones, adding Red, Blue, Green or Orange helps to expand the colour gamut to include almost all Pantone colours. Using up to three additional black inks can guarantee photo lab grade black-and-white photo prints.
The individualised printed smartphone cover was a product that could not have been introduced without UV-curing or sublimation inkjet technology. Photo: Sonja Angerer
Thermal inkjet heads are known for having a very large number of individual nozzles and ejecting water-based inks by forming minuscule heat bubbles inside the head. HP Page Wide and Memjet Waterfall Technology harness an integrated circuit production process to create very fast print and cost-efficient thermal inkjet heads for the wide format, commercial print, marking and packing print industry.
Inkjet? It’s All French To Me!
A typical print buyer might not be very interested in inkjet technology itself, but first and foremost in the options the technology offers. It is still important to know, that even though inkjet as a technology is able to print onto almost anything, not every inkjet is suitable for any application.
With sublimation or dedicated textile inks it is possible to turn the dream of designing your very own tablecloth into reality easily. Photo: Sonja Angerer
Water-based inks are best when used for indoor or short-term outdoor applications. For perfect image quality, a reception layer on the substrate is required – printing on just any paper or self-adhesive will end with blurry or smudged colours. HP Latex inks are often included into the “water-based” category, as they share their typically odourless, planet-friendly qualities. The outdoor durability of HP Latex prints extends up to three years in Central European weather conditions, and up to five years with lamination.
Water-based dye sublimation inks are typically used with polyester-based substrates, for example sportswear. Both transfer and direct sublimation is common, embedding the ink deep into the fibre. Gifts and promotional items like printed mugs and plates also very often are the result of an inkjet sublimation process.
Solvent and eco-solvent based inks are most suitable for printing onto vinyl and self-adhesives, because the solvents help the inks to “sink” into an uncoated substrate, rendering prints very durable even when stretched or under harsh weather conditions. Eco-solvent ink prints are mainly used for outdoor applications, stickers and car wrapping. Typical outdoor durability is up to five years.
(Eco) solvent and UV-curing inks are most often used for outdoor applications. Photo: Sonja Angerer
UV-curing inks could legitimately be called “jack-of-all-trades” inks, because, being cured with powerful UV-lights about a second after jetting, they stick to almost any type of uncoated rigid or flexible surface, including textiles, forming a matte or glossy layer of ink on top of it as the application requires. They are common for indoor and outdoor use, with outdoor durability up to five years. Depending on ink brand and substrate, prints may have a typical, but non-hazardous smell. UV-inks are available in white and some spot colours, as well as clear for beautiful spot varnish and textured 3D effects.
The Future Is Now
Inkjet has also been taking over many industrial processes where pictures, coatings or functional decors previously have been the prerogative of a screen or pad printing process. Taking advantage of inkjet’s unique ability to print singular items, it is now possible to design custom curtains, bed linen, glass decor, laminate, cork or wooden floors, carpets, tiles and other ceramics and have them produced in industrial grade quality even in small batches.
There has never been a better time to design and deploy the most amazing advertising and marketing campaigns than today. Inkjet makes it possible to harness the power of an individualised media universe to influence, inform and delight. All you need is creativity!
Sonja Angerer
The Wild Format guides are intended to expand awareness and understanding of the craziness that can be created on wide format digital printing devices, from floors to lampshades and everything in between.
These guides are made possible by a group of manufacturers working together with Digital Dots. Together we hope you enjoy the articles and that you put into practise what you learn. If you want to talk about it, go to our LinkedIn group via this link.
Enjoy and Go Wild!
Lees verder....
Fachpack Nuremberg (September 27th to 29th, 2016) saw 40,000 visitors and a growing demand for digital printing solutions.
Already in 2015, digitally printed packaging has been accounting for 122 million sqm, and the number is expected to grow to around 520 million sqm through 2020. At least according to an estimation by Smithers Pira consultants quoted by Mondi at their press conference at Fachpack Fair Nuremberg on September 27, 2016. The show dedicated to packaging, technology, processing and logistics has been held annually at Frankonian capital since 1979, skipping every third year when Duesseldorf, some 460 kilometres away, hosts Interpack Show. In 2016, Fachpack attracted about 40.000 visitors, which was expected, but still down 9% from 2015´s more than 44,000 guests. The number of exhibitors (1,542) remained on a 2015 level (1,565). Twothirds of them and most guests are German, while a growing number of visitors travels to Nuremberg from Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic and Poland.
FachPack Nürnberg (27-29 september, 2016), met 40.000 bezoekers en een groeiend aantal digital printing toepassingen
Al sinds 2015 neemt het digitaal printen van verpakkingen een oppervlakte van 122 miljoen vierkante meter in beslag, dat zou moeten groeien tot 520 miljoen vierkante meter in 2020. Tenminste, dat zegt Smithers Pira volgens Mondi tijdens hun persconferentie op FachPack in Nürnberg op 27 september jl. De beurs die volledig gewijd is aan verpakkingen, technologie en logistiek wordt sinds 1979 jaarlijks gehouden, behalve wanneer de drie-jaarlijkse Interpack beurs in Düsseldorf er is. Düsseldorf is zo dichtbij op 460 kilometer dat het houden van twee beurzen te veel zou zijn. FachPack ontving zo´n 40.000 bezoekers en dat betekent ongeveer 9% minder dan in 2015. Het aantal exposanten bleef gelijk met 1.542 tegen 1.565 in 2015. Tweederde van de exposanten en het merendeel van de bezoekers kwam uit Duitsland, maar er waren ook bezoekers uit Italië, Nederland, Zwitserland, Oostenrijk, Tsjechië en Polen.
Dit jaar keerden een aantal grote digitale printerfabrikanten terug naar FachPack na een afwezigheid van enkele jaren. Vergeleken met andere shows waren Canon, Durst, Epson, HP en Mimaki slechts met kleine stands aanwezig. Canon en Mimaki deden dit samen met partners, en Durst en HP hadden geen machines bij zich. Andreas Lettner, Marketing Manager van Mimaki Duitsland, zei blij te zijn met de show omdat er veel gelegenheid was hun UV LED toepassingen te tonen. Het feit dat er zo veel fabrikanten aanwezig waren zegt veel over de rol van digitaal printen in de markt. Het is dan ook geen verrassing dat men een enorme groei in deze sector voorziet voor de komende jaren. Het is wel goed om te onthouden dat op dit moment het marktaandeel van digitaal printen van verpakkingen minuscuul is. Er zijn slechts een paar machines nodig om aan de wereldwijde vraag te voorzien. Het overgrote deel van verpakkingsprinten blijft flexo.
Lees verder....
Despite the old proverb, humans are prone to judge their fellow man by first impressions, so appearances are important. Why would it be any different for an advertising or communications campaign? That is why making the right substrate selection is vital for every digital printing project.
Many products produced by artisan paper-mill Gmund are certified for digital printing systems. Photo: Gmund
So you already know that your next campaign is going to harvest the power of digital printing because there’s simply no better way to target prospective customers with unique, highly personal flyers, catalogues or direct marketing materials. Now you need to explore the variety of different substrates on offer.
Digital printing has long progressed from the standard A4 or A3 mono or colour page, to a ‘Glamorama’ of fantastic communication choices. When printing using digital technology, you don’t have to forego the pleasures of the finest fancy colours and surfaces. For example, many of the artisan products produced by Gmund, the famous Bavarian paper-mill, are certified for digital printing with HP Indigos, as well as Kodak Nexpress and Xerox iGen. High-impact mailings, personalised luxury packaging, even the finest hotel stationery, the opportunities to make the right impression are positively endless.
Wide format inkjet printing offers an even wider range of fresh, unique opportunities. You can get in contact with even the most elusive audience, once you start to broaden your horizons and consider creative substrate choices for your wild format projects.
A wide range of self-adhesives is available for digitally printed vehicle graphics. Photo: Sonja Angerer
Getting Creative With Films
Modern inkjet systems, regardless of ink technology, print onto a variety of PVC and non-PVC films. With eco/low solvent and water-based inks the range is somewhat limited, since high quality printing results can only be achieved with a special coating. UV-curing and high solvent inks are suitable for a wide range of uncoated films, but the quality of the outcome may also vary a great deal. Therefore, HP took a different route with substrates for its HP Latex printing portfolio. Print media manufacturers are required to undergo a standardised third party testing to receive the “Certified for HP Latex Inks” label, offering Print Service Providers (PSPs) and their customers a peace-of-mind, end-to-end solution for consistent and reliable quality.
Films are available as self-adhesives as well as standard non-glue versions, with the former much more common. Cheap, easy to design and highly versatile, contour-cut decals make perfect marketing tools, from bumpers stickers to skateboard decoration.
G-Floor Graphic from Endutex is a 1.9 mm strong transparent PVC substrate for floor graphics. Photo: Sonja Angerer
For digital printing self-adhesives, non and semi-permanent, as well as permanent glue options, are available. If using glue is not an option, there are also some static-cling products. Most often used for clear vinyl windows decals, they stick to any smooth, clean surface and are easily removable. These films are suitable for short to medium-term applications, while standard glue self-adhesives (albeit not necessarily the print on it) may last as long as five years outdoors.
Vehicle wraps on commercial fleets as well as public transport such as buses, trains, planes and even private cars, are another well-established application for digitally printed films. Advertising on vehicles is very effective, especially for products and services that might be interesting for commuters, as passers-by as well as drivers have no real chance to avoid them. If planning a vehicle graphics campaign, do make sure to consult a qualified PSP at the early stages of your project, though. Getting the design right is as essential as choosing the most suitable substrate. While cost effective calandered vinyl may do for short term promotions, a high quality cast film with lamination is required for long-term applications. Some manufacturers like Avery and 3M also offer warranties for certified PSPs that cover many potential problems of a vehicle wrapping project, including safe removal once the campaign is over.
In recent years, a creative substrate manufacturing industry has established an even wider range of speciality films, including printable blackboard and floor graphic films as well as One-Way-Vision products. Mounted on windows or clear panels, they maintain the privacy of the people inside, who are still able to look outside, making possible many creative solutions for vehicles, shop-fittings, and hospitality areas.
Easy Dot Chalkboard Black is a new printable black-board film by Neschen. Photo: Neschen
Soft To The Touch
Soft signage using textiles, is unique to digital printing. The term refers to applications where posters, displays or light box graphics are printed onto woven or non-woven fabric instead of paper or film. Typical grammages range from under 150g/sqm up to more than 300 g/sqm. Direct print with aqueous or UV-curing inks is as well established as transfer sublimation processes. Printed typically onto polyester (PES) and other manmade fibres like Nylon, soft signage applications are mainly for indoor use. Outdoor digital textile applications, usually banners and flags, are directly printed onto heavy-duty polyester fabric to ensure a perfect print-through.
Soft signage has become increasingly popular with retailers all over the world within the last few years, with large chains investing heavily into rubber lip lightbox systems, taking full advantage of soft signage’s unique advantages. Fabrics are most easily folded, leaving no permanent crease marks for a brilliant graphic nicely wrapped up into a handy parcel, instead of a long roll for cost-effective and fast transportation and easy mounting even by untrained sales personnel.
No Rest for the Rigid
Rigid media is another alternative to plain paper digital printing. Rigid boards are usually printed with UV-curing inks, except for the paper-based corrugated boards most often used for packaging, where manufacturers are starting to offer low migration aqueous inks into the market.
UV-curing inks can be used to print directly onto a wide variety of standard substrates like foam and composite panels or corrugated plastics, streamlining the production process of displays and printed boards for POS and trade show applications. As the ink is cured within seconds, it is also possible to print onto virtually any rigid substrate, such as sheet metal, glass, Perspex, stone, MDF and wood for indoor and outdoor use. Why not try for a printed table top instead of a logo on the menu when advertising a new craft beer brand?
A Cost Effective Process
As a general rule, wide format digital printing onto non-paper substrates is more expensive and requires a different set of skills than standard print applications on paper. You have to consider the right medium as well as the most effective digital printing technology to ensure your wild format campaign’s success.
However, commercial print products – analogue or digitally printed – might not be an effective way to target today’s customers who have progressed from paper to digital media as their channel of choice, or simply because their lifestyle has become so mobile that they can’t even be bothered to maintain a post box. Clever indoor and outdoor, below-the-line or mixed media, campaigns are able to catch these target groups’ attention where they don’t expect it: on the street, in their car, in all their favourite places. This makes wide format printing applications today’s most powerful printing technology to use with a range of substrates limited only by the designers and print buyers’ imaginations.
Sonja Angerer
The Wild Format guides are intended to expand awareness and understanding of the craziness that can be created on wide format digital printing devices, from floors to lampshades and everything in between.
These guides are made possible by a group of manufacturers working together with Digital Dots. Together we hope you enjoy the articles and that you put into practise what you learn. If you want to talk about it, go to our LinkedIn group at via this link.
Enjoy and Go Wild!
Lees verder....
Harvesting the powers of modern wide format digital printing, it is possible to elicit a nod and a smile from even the most elusive target group. But highly effective wide format printing projects are a far cry from the printed ad, TV spot, or banner campaign. This is a beginner’s guide to the digitally printed creative communications wonderland.
Western capitals are a vision of horror for any advertising executive. A vast array of analogue and digital channels try to capture each individual’s attention, causing too many campaigns to fade into the background. What, if you could create a project that makes people stop, smile, consider, even take a picture to share on social media? Digital printing can help to establish fresh, unique communication channels for indoor and outdoor advertising as well as for simple decoration.
Take wallpapers: Printed with HP latex technology, the luxury of individualised designs in shop windows, office or store walls becomes affordable even for neighbourhood shops. But the technology does not stop here. Inkjet printers are decorating floors, tiles, table tops and home textiles, resulting in beautiful, one-of-a-kind spaces at event or office spaces, malls or hospitality areas.
Digitally printed wallpapers on the HP booth at Heimtextil Trade Show Frankfurt.
Foto: Sonja Angerer
With superwide format inkjet technology that can seamlessly print up to five meters wide, the opportunities to make a splash are even more magnificent. One of the most famous wide format digital printing projects ever, in 1999 saw the Bayer AG skyscraper at Leverkusen (Germany) turned into a giant package for aspirin. Since then more skyscrapers, bridges and construction sites than anyone can count have been wrapped in mesh or banner materials that have been printed using EFI or HP roll-to-roll superwide format printing devices. A particularly spectacular project once even made Munich’s famous Bavaria statue disappear, when the statue was covered up for restoration. Under a Trompe-l’œil digitally printed cover, it was claimed that Bavaria had “Gone on holiday after winning the lottery”.
The Famous Munich Bavaria statue allegedly went on holiday after winning the lottery. The Trompe-l’œil wrap was printed digitally.
Foto: Christian Galuschka
But you don’t have to go super-big prints to make an impact. Esko packaging workflows and digital flatbed cutters make short run length Point of Sale (POS) displays and highly personalized packaging affordable, even for smaller campaigns. Or why not take gifts to the next level? UV or sublimation ink printing on cups, plates, keyrings, even laptops or snowboards is not a technical problem anymore.
Esko’s packaging workflow as well as digital flatbed cutters make small-batch products like this corrugated kid’s chair very cost-efficient.
Foto: Sonja Angerer
Thinking Outside The Box
A digital printing project can only be as effective as the creative ideas behind it. One should think this goes without saying, but it is very common to see wide format campaigns that don’t really exploit the unique opportunities digital printing can offer to designers. When creating an XXL poster, don’t just scale up a magazine ad, but do take advantage of printing size options and technology. Using opaque white ink, EFI inkjet printers, for example, are able to produce posters that look different in daytime front-lit mode than back-lit and at night.
It’s a golden rule that when it comes to single items or smaller run-length production, four colour digital printing on any substrate is more cost effective than any analogue printing technology. This applies even more, if you take into account the whole process, including logistics, consumables, energy and water consumption, and don’t just focus on the cost per piece evaluation. Depending on technology and the printer used, even medium-sized printing projects with over 1,000 copies might be cheaper printed digitally.
For a perfect digitally printed campaign, designers and brand owners alike should strive to abandon their old analogue printing habits and start thinking in a new, digital way. It’s not so different from the mechanics of online advertising. After all, digital printing goes well with digital signage and online channels. Wide format posters make a beautiful, impressive and energy efficient backdrop or light-box companion to big screens, indoor and outdoor. QR codes, Bluetooth beacons and Augmented Reality (AR) applications added to a digitally printed poster, display or packaging item can be used to initiate interaction with smartphone users and even establish the feedback channel so many brand owners are dreaming of.
With online shopping becoming more and more common, personalised or interactive packaging will be one of the very few haptic channels left to target many consumer demographics. At at this year’s Drupa, major digital printer manufacturers have introduced new, fast inkjet printing machines such as the EFI Nozomi C18000 or the HP PageWide C500 Press for the corrugated packaging market. Forward-thinking brand owners will start to explore new packaging concepts, creating a digital packaging market some experts estimate as big as €400 million in the next few years.
Experts believe the digital packaging market will be as big as 400 million Euro in the next few years.
Foto: Sonja Angerer
Choosing the right materials
Modern inkjet printing technology can print onto almost any surface: paper, a wide variety of banners, foils and self-adhesives, textiles, Perspex, glass, and even really fancy substrates like metal sheets and wooden planks.
Many substrates for outdoor applications are PVC-based. Designers aiming for sustainable campaigns, might want to look into more planet-friendly options like textile or non-PVC alternatives. Even corrugated boards often are a viable solution for short-term outdoor applications. But there are no established recycling processes for unusual substrates like printed metal or wood. Also, laminated digital prints often end up in landfill, because composite materials are almost impossible to recycle. To ensure a small CO2 footprint, digital print customers and their designers should plan the printed product’s livecycle, just as they would do with any analogue printing project.
Get Your Geek Out
As with any previously unfamiliar technology, a bit of technical background will help to avoid the most common errors. But rejoice! Wide format print service providers have successfully wrestled truckloads of creative campaigns, since the technology became widely available at the turn of the millennium.
Very often, designers not very used to working with large billboards, underestimate the power of the viewing distance. For a perfect superwide format poster, printing resolution is typically around 75 dpi, because they are perceived from far away. At a long distance it is impossible to see very many very small details, so printing XXL applications at very low resolutions makes practical common sense. It also saves ink. Consider that a native Photoshop file for a 10 x 15 metre poster with 300 ppi resolution will be, depending on colour depth, between 59 and 234 GB of file size. That’s quite a chunk and still not very easily computed in most IT environments.
Smaller items examined from just some 30 cm away, may still require a printing resolution of up to 2,400 dpi. Other digital printing details can puzzle print designers whose expertise is primarily in commercial or screen printing. For instance, a wide format printing machine may use up to twelve process colours, resulting in a much wider gamut than is possible with most analogue printing technologies. Dot placement may also be different from a conventional printing raster.
Do Rely On to Your Local Wide Format Print Service Provider
You want the best possible printing quality as well as colour consistency between substrates and printing technologies for your Wild Format digital printing projects. Access to expertise in colour management is highly recommended to support designers as well as the printing house. In wide format digital printing, the old saying about buying too cheap is buying twice remains as true as in any other field of business. So don’t be tempted to save that extra buck on a creative Wild Format project by choosing a “no service” printing only option. To make a real impact, you are going to need all the expertise you can get – but it’s success will so be worth it!
Sonja Angerer
The Wild Format guides are intended to expand awareness and understanding of the craziness that can be created on wide format digital printing devices, from floors to lampshades and everything in between.
These guides are made possible by a group of manufacturers working together with Digital Dots. Together we hope you enjoy the articles and that you put into practise what you learn. If you want to talk about it, go to our LinkedIn group via this link.
This article is sponsored by: Digital Dots – EFI – Esko – HP
Lees verder....
Harvesting the powers of modern wide format digital printing, it is possible to elicit a nod and a smile from even the most elusive target group. But highly effective wide format printing projects are a far cry from the printed ad, TV spot, or banner campaign. This is a beginner’s guide to the digitally printed creative communications wonderland.
Western capitals are a vision of horror for any advertising executive. A vast array of analogue and digital channels try to capture each individual’s attention, causing too many campaigns to fade into the background. What, if you could create a project that makes people stop, smile, consider, even take a picture to share on social media? Digital printing can help to establish fresh, unique communication channels for indoor and outdoor advertising as well as for simple decoration.
Take wallpapers: Printed with HP latex technology, the luxury of individualised designs in shop windows, office or store walls becomes affordable even for neighbourhood shops. But the technology does not stop here. Inkjet printers are decorating floors, tiles, table tops and home textiles, resulting in beautiful, one-of-a-kind spaces at event or office spaces, malls or hospitality areas.
Digitally printed wallpapers on the HP booth at Heimtextil Trade Show Frankfurt.
Foto: Sonja Angerer
With superwide format inkjet technology that can seamlessly print up to five meters wide, the opportunities to make a splash are even more magnificent. One of the most famous wide format digital printing projects ever, in 1999 saw the Bayer AG skyscraper at Leverkusen (Germany) turned into a giant package for aspirin. Since then more skyscrapers, bridges and construction sites than anyone can count have been wrapped in mesh or banner materials that have been printed using EFI or HP roll-to-roll superwide format printing devices. A particularly spectacular project once even made Munich’s famous Bavaria statue disappear, when the statue was covered up for restoration. Under a Trompe-l’œil digitally printed cover, it was claimed that Bavaria had “Gone on holiday after winning the lottery”.
The Famous Munich Bavaria statue allegedly went on holiday after winning the lottery. The Trompe-l’œil wrap was printed digitally.
Foto: Christian Galuschka
But you don’t have to go super-big prints to make an impact. Esko packaging workflows and digital flatbed cutters make short run length Point of Sale (POS) displays and highly personalized packaging affordable, even for smaller campaigns. Or why not take gifts to the next level? UV or sublimation ink printing on cups, plates, keyrings, even laptops or snowboards is not a technical problem anymore.
Esko’s packaging workflow as well as digital flatbed cutters make small-batch products like this corrugated kid’s chair very cost-efficient.
Foto: Sonja Angerer
Thinking Outside The Box
A digital printing project can only be as effective as the creative ideas behind it. One should think this goes without saying, but it is very common to see wide format campaigns that don’t really exploit the unique opportunities digital printing can offer to designers. When creating an XXL poster, don’t just scale up a magazine ad, but do take advantage of printing size options and technology. Using opaque white ink, EFI inkjet printers, for example, are able to produce posters that look different in daytime front-lit mode than back-lit and at night.
It’s a golden rule that when it comes to single items or smaller run-length production, four colour digital printing on any substrate is more cost effective than any analogue printing technology. This applies even more, if you take into account the whole process, including logistics, consumables, energy and water consumption, and don’t just focus on the cost per piece evaluation. Depending on technology and the printer used, even medium-sized printing projects with over 1,000 copies might be cheaper printed digitally.
For a perfect digitally printed campaign, designers and brand owners alike should strive to abandon their old analogue printing habits and start thinking in a new, digital way. It’s not so different from the mechanics of online advertising. After all, digital printing goes well with digital signage and online channels. Wide format posters make a beautiful, impressive and energy efficient backdrop or light-box companion to big screens, indoor and outdoor. QR codes, Bluetooth beacons and Augmented Reality (AR) applications added to a digitally printed poster, display or packaging item can be used to initiate interaction with smartphone users and even establish the feedback channel so many brand owners are dreaming of.
With online shopping becoming more and more common, personalised or interactive packaging will be one of the very few haptic channels left to target many consumer demographics. At at this year’s Drupa, major digital printer manufacturers have introduced new, fast inkjet printing machines such as the EFI Nozomi C18000 or the HP PageWide C500 Press for the corrugated packaging market. Forward-thinking brand owners will start to explore new packaging concepts, creating a digital packaging market some experts estimate as big as €400 million in the next few years.
Experts believe the digital packaging market will be as big as 400 million Euro in the next few years.
Foto: Sonja Angerer
Choosing the right materials
Modern inkjet printing technology can print onto almost any surface: paper, a wide variety of banners, foils and self-adhesives, textiles, Perspex, glass, and even really fancy substrates like metal sheets and wooden planks.
Many substrates for outdoor applications are PVC-based. Designers aiming for sustainable campaigns, might want to look into more planet-friendly options like textile or non-PVC alternatives. Even corrugated boards often are a viable solution for short-term outdoor applications. But there are no established recycling processes for unusual substrates like printed metal or wood. Also, laminated digital prints often end up in landfill, because composite materials are almost impossible to recycle. To ensure a small CO2 footprint, digital print customers and their designers should plan the printed product’s livecycle, just as they would do with any analogue printing project.
Get Your Geek Out
As with any previously unfamiliar technology, a bit of technical background will help to avoid the most common errors. But rejoice! Wide format print service providers have successfully wrestled truckloads of creative campaigns, since the technology became widely available at the turn of the millennium.
Very often, designers not very used to working with large billboards, underestimate the power of the viewing distance. For a perfect superwide format poster, printing resolution is typically around 75 dpi, because they are perceived from far away. At a long distance it is impossible to see very many very small details, so printing XXL applications at very low resolutions makes practical common sense. It also saves ink. Consider that a native Photoshop file for a 10 x 15 metre poster with 300 ppi resolution will be, depending on colour depth, between 59 and 234 GB of file size. That’s quite a chunk and still not very easily computed in most IT environments.
Smaller items examined from just some 30 cm away, may still require a printing resolution of up to 2,400 dpi. Other digital printing details can puzzle print designers whose expertise is primarily in commercial or screen printing. For instance, a wide format printing machine may use up to twelve process colours, resulting in a much wider gamut than is possible with most analogue printing technologies. Dot placement may also be different from a conventional printing raster.
Do Rely On to Your Local Wide Format Print Service Provider
You want the best possible printing quality as well as colour consistency between substrates and printing technologies for your Wild Format digital printing projects. Access to expertise in colour management is highly recommended to support designers as well as the printing house. In wide format digital printing, the old saying about buying too cheap is buying twice remains as true as in any other field of business. So don’t be tempted to save that extra buck on a creative Wild Format project by choosing a “no service” printing only option. To make a real impact, you are going to need all the expertise you can get – but it’s success will so be worth it!
Sonja Angerer
The Wild Format guides are intended to expand awareness and understanding of the craziness that can be created on wide format digital printing devices, from floors to lampshades and everything in between.
These guides are made possible by a group of manufacturers working together with Digital Dots. Together we hope you enjoy the articles and that you put into practise what you learn. If you want to talk about it, go to our LinkedIn group via this link.
This article is sponsored by: Digital Dots – EFI – Esko – HP
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