Issue link: https://nbm.uberflip.com/i/1491554
3 6 G R A P H I C S P R O • M A R C H 2 0 2 3 G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M Lopez says. e print heads also provide better quality with improved ink consis- tency and a wider range of colors, he says. On the solvent side of inks, ink bags are replacing cartridges to reduce the carbon footprint of plastic waste, and they con- tain more ink per unit—the result is the ink is less expensive, he says. "Earlier, inks wouldn't adhere to differ- ent branded materials," Sohil says. "With the newer inks, they now are able to cure on more surfaces — you don't have to change inks. One ink can do all these, mesh, banners, vinyl, wall coverings. ey're able to cure faster and work on different substrates." A nother improvement is replacing mercury vapor lamps with LED lights to cure the material, speeding up the time it takes and enabling work on heat-sensi- tive materials, Lopez says. e materials being printed can be viewed through a lightbox inside the printer through back- lit controls, he says. White ink also is an option, available since 2019, even on entry-level printers, he says. "What we're pushing at MUTOH is diversif ying what's possible with the equipment you have and pairing it with complementary equipment," Simmering says. "Print quality in comparison to print speed has gotten a lot better." GP Roland DGA recently announced expansion of its TrueVIS line, with six new inkjets printers. (Image courtesy Roland DGA) (Image courtesy Mimaki) (Image courtesy Mutoh) W I D E - F O R M A T P R I N T I N G