Sawgrass, along with its regional dealer Graphic International Centre and worldwide partners ChromaLuxe, Lion and Sefa, will display its wide range of sublimation applications.
As a premiere for the Middle East, visitors at Sign and Graphic Imaging (SGI) Dubai will have the opportunity to view Mutoh’s wide format ValueJet VJ-1638WX 162.5cm (64 inch) 8-colour sublimation printer equipped with Sawgrass’ SubliJet-HD Pro Photo XF inks on the Graphic International Centre booth.
Graphic International Centre LLC’s managing director Paresh Patel said, ‘We are delighted to be able to present with our partners a wide array of print production capabilities with such a versatile end to end solution. We look forward to discussing with visitors how they can readily implement it in their own business environments and seamlessly expand their portfolios.’
The SubliJet-HD ProPhoto XF ink set has been extensively tested and optimised to ensure superior operating performance and professional-quality, high-resolution sublimation prints. Increased UV stability, image longevity and performance on ChromaLuxe media are delivered by the XF inks, developed with ChromaLuxe. They have earned a print display permanence rating of 64 years from Wilhelm Imaging Research, the world’s leading independent print permanence testing laboratory. The eight-cartridge set features three black inks: KXF, LkXF and LlkXF that enhance skin tones, neutral blacks and detail that fine art and photographic prints demand.
Darcy Mauro, president of Sawgrass stated, ‘Sublimated prints on ChromaLuxe HD photo panels are becoming more and more popular in the fine art and high-end photography markets. For many printmakers, offering extended print display permanence is a top concern, as the quality and lifespan of the images are incredibly valuable to their customers. This is one of the key reasons why we developed the ProPhoto XF inks with our long-standing industry partner ChromaLuxe. We have also been working hard with all our partners and are very much looking forward to showing visitors at SGI Dubai a fully integrated sublimation solution that will allow users to push their creative boundaries.’
Sawgrass will also present its dye sublimation paper range that includes TruePix CLASSIC transfer paper, SGIA’s 2018 Product of the Year in the Media Dye Sublimation transfer paper category. Added Mauro, ‘We have engineered this line of paper to provide the best transfer output, with consistent, reliable results.’
Offering high quality 8C production speeds up to 21sqm per hour and high quality 4C production speeds up to 42sqm per hour, Mutoh’s high speed, high performance ValueJet VJ-1638WX sublimation printer supports media up to 1625mm wide and all typical dye sublimation transfer paper weights from 66gsm to 150gsm.
Kenji Yasuhara, Mutoh Europe’s MD commented, ‘We are very pleased that our dual head ValueJet VJ-1638WX wide format printer successfully passed all quality and performance tests for this application and therefore fully qualifies as a high end 8-colour dye sublimation print solution in combination with Sawgrass’ SubliJet-HD XF inks and transfer paper as well as the ChromaLuxe high definition print media. This will open up new and very interesting opportunities for high-definition photo and professional signage applications, to produce extremely vibrant, scratch-proof and durable long term prints with no need for extra protection or lamination.’
Once the design is created and printed, it is time to press it. The Sefa Subli 1510+ format, motorised two-drawer heat pneumatic press features two independent heating zones. It also ensures precise and fast regulation (PID control), has four recordable programmes, supports a plate size of 157 x 107cm, a maximum thickness of 45mm and heats up to 220 degrees Celsius.
Sefa’s Daniel Dumas, managing director said, ‘The Subli 1510+ press is part of a larger press range and was designed and built for large scale and high-volume production runs. We are excited to show how the final step of the print process is an integral element in any high-quality print production environment.’
Included in ChromaLuxe’s broad photo media portfolio are metal, aluminium, EXT – the recently awarded best outdoor sublimation HD metal -, steel, natural wood, hardboard and medium density fibreboard (MDF). There are also multiple finish options including matte, gloss and semi-gloss.
The ChromaLuxe panels will ensure the jaw-dropping finishing touch at the show. Erik Wiegman, CEO ChromaLuxe EMEA commented, ‘Working with leading industry players ensures we get the high definition and high quality results our demanding customers are looking for. We are thrilled to be presenting our extensive portfolio at SGI Dubai, a must-attend event for us every year.’
Lion will provide the frames for the panels and managing director Nicola Harrold added, ‘Wide format printing is perfect for fine art and this artwork needs to be displayed and framed. Our offering will show visitors just how easily this can be achieved.’
Sawgrass will also partner with The Magic Touch Dubai, which will display its Desktop Virtuoso HD Product Decorating Systems. The systems feature the A4 SG400 and A3 SG800 printers are the only fully integrated sublimation solutions on the market. They offer a total print solution for sublimation businesses. All components have been designed to work together to produce the best possible prints.
They include: Virtuoso Print Manager, the next generation of PowerDriver, the original print driver for Ricoh printers, designed to manage colour based on the specific characteristics of all components of sublimation printing; CreativeStudio online designer, which offers a vast library of continually updated images, print-ready designs, and sublimation-specific product templates direct from the manufacturers and BusinessBuilder, a library of sales, marketing, business and production videos, webinars and white papers.
SAWGRASS www.sawgrassink.com
