ColorSpan Introduces DisplayMaker 98SX "ElonGator"

MacDermid ColorSpan has introduced its DisplayMaker 98SX, code-named the “ElonGator.” Based on the company's “Gator” DisplayMaker 72S printer, the 4-color (CMYK) piezo solvent inkjet 98SX has been “stretched” to accommodate 98-inch wide media. It also has added a 600 x 300 dpi print mode.

The new printer features 16 piezo Micro-Quad printheads that jet 30-picoliter droplets; it utilizes SolaChrome-HR inks, held in 3.5-liter Big Ink reservoirs (printheads are self-cleaning). The 98SX can print at speeds up to 700 sq ft/hr in the aforementioned 600 x 300 dpi mode, and can hit 438 sq ft/hr at 600 x 600 dpi.

An optional set of roller tables, 36 x 96 in., can be attached to the front and rear of the printer, allowing it to accommodate rigid sheets up to 60 in. long, 98 in. wide, and up to 1/4-in. thick. Additionally the 98SX's media drive has been designed for wider and heavier rolls of media.

The DisplayMaker 98SX has a suggested list price of $69,995.

The company also has released its DisplayMaker 72UVR, ColorSpan's first UV-curable inkjet production printer. Its design is based on the “Gator” platform of its solvent inkjet printers, the DisplayMaker 72S and 72SR.

The 72 UVR is a 72 in. wide printer that uses 4-color UV-curable SolaChrome UV pigmented inks, which are delivered in 3-liter boxes. The dual high-intensity UV lamps mounted to each side of the printehead assembly provide instant curing of ink printing in both directions.

It can print on rolled or rigid materials up to 0.25 in. thick. When configured for printing rigid materials, two roller tables are attached to the front and rear to accommodate sheets up to 60-in. in length (optional tables allow for sheets up to 120 in.); the tables can be removed for printing of roll-to-roll flexible media.

“Printing directly on rigid boards for P-O-P displays and other signs reduces waste and save considerable time and money when compared to traditional transfer or mounting techniques,” says Bruce Butler, ColorSpan's director of marketing.

The 72UVR features 16 Micro-Quad heads, which is ColorSpan's terminology for the layout of four interlaced heads x 4 colors. The printheads are from Hitachi (now Ricoh); these industrial-quality 600-dpi printheads jet a 30-picoliter droplet.

The printer boasts a print speed of 400 sq ft/hr in “billboard-quality” print mode; in “production-quality” mode, it turns out 200 sq ft/hr of graphics; and “high-quality” mode prints 100 sq ft/hr. Outdoor durability is rated at 2 to 3 years, depending on application.

The DisplayMaker 72UVR also features:

— a releasable pinch roller system for easy insertion of rigid media;

— an automation eye that checks for media skew and color calibration;

— a media wizard that stores characteristics of a particular media;

— autojet calibration, which eliminates banding by finding jets that are not up to standards and compensates with another jet;

— linearization via the on-board spectrophotometer supplies color and density data to the external RIP's color-management software; and

— color profiling, which creates custom ICC and ColorMark profiles for third-party media.

The 72UVR is designed for signmakers and print-for-pay service providers to produce indoor and outdoor P-O-P and exhibit displays, as well as outdoor signs, banners, and floor graphics. Price: $74,995 (includes on-site training and installation). (MacDermid ColorSpan: www.colorspan.com)