EFI Highlights New Innovations at FESPA 2023

Electronics For Imaging, Inc. (EFI) continues on its path to create more opportunities for customers to achieve profitable growth with the announcement of the company’s first UV LED inkjet inks for thermoformed 3D sign and display applications, along with another breakthrough in the analogue-to-digital transformation – the EFI Nozomi 14000 SD single-pass printer for sign and display graphics that is more than twice as productive as the fastest multi-pass/shuttle-based printer.

Along with EFI’s new technology announcements, the Londonderry, N.H.-based company is presenting its leading portfolio of sign and display graphics technology ¬– including advanced roll-to-roll, hybrid and soft-signage graphics printers – at the FESPA Global Print Expo, May 23-26, at Messe Munich.

Available later this year, the 1.4-meter-wide EFI Nozomi 14000 SD single-pass printer joins the 1.8-meter-wide EFI Nozomi 18000+ LED printer – the first single-pass inkjet production printer designed for sign and display graphics printing – in a series of modular and scalable solutions for ultra-high-volume producers looking for super-high-speed, high-quality production capabilities.

The Nozomi 14000 SD printer supports a variety of substrates for sign and display applications along with enhanced priming and print varnish optional capabilities. With speeds up to 10 times faster than multi-pass printers on the market, the Nozomi 140000 SD printer is available with white, orange and violet ink options in addition to the standard CMYK ink set to give display graphics professionals the ability to deliver up to 97% of the Pantone color gamut.

The new EFI LED thermoformable ink announced at FESPA extends the company’s long history of innovation and development as a world-leading manufacturer of digital inkjet inks for industrial and display graphics applications.

EFI Transform-TF LED thermoforming ink is an extremely flexible, UV LED curable digital ink for first-surface interior and second-surface exterior/backlit applications where common thermoplastic is specified for deep-draw thermoforming.

The ink, which offers outstanding elongation characteristics for heat bending and routing without chipping or adhesion problems, is available now for the EFI Pro 30f flatbed and EFI VUTEk 32h hybrid flatbed/roll-to-roll printer models. EFI Transform-TF ink will be available for EFI VUTEk h3 and h5 printers in Q3.

EFI Transform-TF ink is part of a full portfolio of inks and coatings available from EFI, including EFI Armor coatings and the award-winning EFI UltraClear Coat, a versatile spot or full clear coat ink available with EFI LED roll-to-roll printers that can be used for decorative, high-quality effects on prints or as a final coating to protect graphics against abrasion, chemicals and fading. UltraClear Coat prints inline, simultaneously with the image – without slowing down production speeds in certain printer models – in gloss or matte finishes.

“We’re looking forward to meeting with our customers at FESPA, one of the most important shows in this segment, and showing them the capabilities and versatility of solutions from EFI that allow them to grow both their revenues and their profitability,” said Ken Hanulec, EFI VP of worldwide marketing. “Our dynamic, comprehensive portfolio – with new and innovative inks and coatings, and more than a dozen production printers offering the most advanced technology available – speaks to our commitment to helping our customers thrive no matter where they are on their journey in providing high-end, versatile display graphics.”

EFI’s portfolio of production inkjet printers on display at the FESPA in Hall A1 includes:
• The 3.5-meter EFI VUTEk Q3r roll-to-roll LED printer that provides a complete print-to-finished graphic workflow, from RIP to finished product. The fastest superwide-format roll-to-roll solution in its class, it prints at up to 558 square meters per hour and features true resolution up to 1200 dpi, and white and clear ink printing together.
• The 3.4-meter EFI VUTEk FabriVU 340i+ dye-sublimation printer with inline fixation allows users to print direct to fabric and sublimate inline, in one step, for production runs that are immediately ready for finishing and shipping. It features four-color printing, speeds of up to 480 square meters per hour, and ultra-high resolution up to 2,400 dpi.
• The high-productivity 3.2-metre EFI VUTEk h5 hybrid roll/flatbed LED printer delivers top-tier image quality up to 1200 dpi and high throughput at speeds up to 109 boards per hour. With its automated media handling options, including a ¾ automated media loading and stacker systems and super duty winders, the VUTEk h5 printer is ready to meet any need.
• The 3.2-meter EFI Pro 30h hybrid roll/flatbed LED printer is an ideal solution for businesses targeting production sign and display graphics as a growth opportunity. Running at speeds up to 230 square meters per hour, it features four colors plus dual channels of white standard and prints in resolutions up to 1,200 dpi.