Here is a directory of common processes and terms we offer our customers to ensure they have the best graphic and quality specific to your project need. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact us today.
PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING //
Photographic Printing on a Lambda or LightJet printer is the latest in state-of-the-art digital technology for producing high quality photographic output from disk. Whether it be printed onto photographic paper, film or duratrans, Lambda printing gives sharp photo images, continuous tone and high-impact colour graphic prints. Lambda is the name and common reference to the process, equipment and product which has taken over from the traditional photographic process.
The most visually spectacular images and graphics on the market today for high-impact trade show, exhibition and retail displays. Using continuous tone digital technology, Lambda prints, panels and murals are produced by transferring images directly from computer generated digital files to reflective or backlit photographic materials without the need of a negative. Within the equipment, three lasers-one each for red, green and blue are merged into a single beam that simultaneously exposes the photographic material, producing the image in a single pass. The photo material is then processed in the same manner as traditional photography by developing the photographic material in a “wet” film processor. By using the lasers, the total image is crisp and precise edge to edge, with no distortion. All of this means that the quality of a Lambda print will be much better in terms of clarity, sharpness and in colour saturation than other print processes.
INKJET PRINTING // DIGITAL IMAGING – Large Format
Inkjet output is among the most brilliant offered and offers a near photo-realistic output. Inkjet printing has brilliant colour intensity, especially in the red range. Inkjet graphics are printed using CMYK inks, available on photo satin paper, photo gloss paper, self-adhesive paper, self-adhesive vinyl, translucent vinyl and removable vinyl. Depending upon the material used, Inkjet graphics are suitable for both indoor use and short term outdoor use.
FLATBED PRINTING //
Ideal for short-run point-of-sale and exhibition graphics: Print an 8×4 sheet in process colour every 150 seconds; Cost approximately 30% below screenprint for runs up to 500; Durable edge to edge printing; Media thickness up to 40mm; Bed size of 1.6 x 2.44 metres; Print resolution up to 720dpi; Output is robust and outdoor durable without lamination.
DIGITAL IMAGING // Small Format
Digital Printing uses a full color digital press. Digital printers are roll-fed with a perfecting press that prints up to an 18.7″ wide and 35′ long live image area. The toner based printing technology maximizes the quality characteristics of the electro-photographic process, yielding 600×600 DPI with variable gray levels per dot, per color, 170 lines per inch halftone screen with a classic clear centered rosette. This press duplex prints at the speed of 3000 double-sided 8.5″x11.0 pages per hour on coated and uncoated paper in text and cover weights. The press is ideal for printing small runs of brochures, point of purchase pieces and pocket folders.
We can personalize each individual piece for a print run directly from a database of customer lists, photos, and other graphics. Highly personalized printing enhances any direct mail marketing piece. Our printers enable you to utilize your customer information to increase response rates, and sales, for any direct mail project.
SCREEN PRINTING //
Screen printing involves stretching a porous mesh material over a frame to form a screen. Then a rubber-type blade is swept across the screen surface, pressing the ink through a stencil and onto the print material. Examples of screen-printed products include signs, electronics and dashboards, textiles, decals, graphic arts materials, and containers.
Screen Printing is a simple and effective way to produce an unlimited number of virtually identical prints onto practically any surface. A screen fabric is stretched tightly onto a wooden frame and is coated with a photosensitive material. Part of the screen is then blocked with a stencil and is exposed through a photo process leaving your image on the screen. When ink is deposited onto the screen, it is pushed through with a squeegee leaving the image on the printing surface which may be a T-shirt, paper, glass, plastic, or just about anything.
Screen printing is arguably the most versatile of all printing processes. It can be used to print on a wide variety of substrates, including paper, paperboard, plastics, glass, metals, fabrics, and many other materials. including paper, plastics, glass, metals, nylon and cotton. Some common products from the screen printing industry include posters, labels, decals, signage, and all types of textiles and electronic circuit boards. The advantage of screen printing over other print processes is that the press can print on substrates of any shape, thickness and size.
A significant characteristic of screen printing is that a greater thickness of the ink can be applied to the substrate than is possible with other printing techniques. This allows for some very interesting effects that are not possible using other printing methods. Because of the simplicity of the application process, a wider range of inks and dyes are available for use in screen printing than for use in any other printing process.
Utilization of screenprinting presses has begun to increase because production rates have improved. This has been a result of the development of the automated and rotary screen printing press, improved dryers, and U.V. curable ink. The major chemicals used include screen emulsions, inks, and solvents, surfactants, caustics and oxidizers used in screen reclamation. The inks used vary dramatically in their formulations (GATF 1992b).
DIGITAL DYE SUBLIMATION //
With dye sublimation you can now get truly rich vibrant colour on a digitally printed fabric. Dye Sub printers work similarily to inkjet printer whereas ink is sprayed onto a paper substrate, but with Dye Sub, the ink is actually dye-sublimation dye held in a water-soluable liquid and applied to a special type of transfer material. The image on the transfer paper is a reverse image of the original design, so that when it is dry it can be placed onto the fabric and heated, transferring the completed image onto the material via the dye sublimation process. In this case, the dye turns into a gas and permeates the actual bres of the material, then solidifying. The vaporised colours permeate the fabric, creating a gentle gradation at the edges of each pixel, instead of the conspicuous border between dye and paper produced by inkjets, therefore producing a higher resolution image. And because the colour infuses the fabric, it is also less vulnerable to fading and distortion over time.
The printing ‘inks’ are actually dyes, and water-soluble with no harmful Volatile Organic Content (VOC). Sublimation printing on fabric uses the least amount of dye of all processes. There is no waste, plus it doesn’t require any further washing and cleaning like traditional dyeing processes, meaning no contaminated waste-water.
Benefits of Dye Sublimation printing:
- HD High Definition resolution – incredibly vibrant colours.
- Absolutely no ‘curl’ on the edges, even in direct sunlight.
- Fabric can be folded up, it doesn’t need to be rolled.
- If the fabric gets dirty, simply wash it – you won’t lose the colour.
- Less weight than traditional laminated substrates.
- Less graphic panel damage over time means less replacements.
- Cost effective compared to other photographic printing methods.
PRINT FINISHING //
Finishing is the general term used to define anything done to a print after it is printed. It is considered a value-added process and includes laminating, mounting, image transfer, trimming and coating. There are a number of reasons to finish a print–some commercial, some personal.
Finishing Process converts an image into a functional and durable application, like a point-of-sale display, a floor graphic or a backlit display, among others. Proper finishing can extend the life of your graphic artwork and allows for a customized style that reflects positively with the image of your brand. Finishing can create a look and feel to match your product identity.