Durst's Rho 350R Roll-to-Roll UV Printer

The latest in the Durst Rho line of printers,
the Rho 350R is the company's
first rollfed-only UV-curable printer. Presented
to Europe at Sign Italia in November
2005, the Rho 350R will make its
North American debut at April's ISA

The 11.5-ft, 4-color UV-curable
printer accommodates media as thick
as 2 mm and is equipped with Durst's
Quadro Array printhead technology. Each
array comprises four nozzle plates with
a total of 512 nozzles, and the new Rho
is available as Rho 350R-8 or 350R-16
(reflecting either 8 or 16 arrays). Each
Quadro Array prints either 400 or 600
dpi, depending on the variable-drop size
(between 40 and 55 picoliters).

The 350R boasts speeds up to 2500
sq ft/hr at its lowest-resolution setting.
Draft mode produces 1292 sq ft/hr and
is “the setting at which 80% or more of
jobs can be expected to be printed, given
the most common applications,” says
Christopher Howard, vice president of
sales and marketing, large-format printing,
Durst Image Technology US.

The Rho 350R is a CMYK printer, and
the inkset can be expanded with optional
white or spot-color modules. It's compatible
with several of Durst's inksets; the
most popular inks for this printer, says
the company, are the Rho Flexible and
Rho Roll/Cationic inksets. The latter inks
(called “dark” inks) need less UV light
to work, speed up printing, and produce
less odor and migration, although they
are more expensive. Both the Flexible
and the Roll/Cationic inksets pass the
rivet-conformability test and are recommended
for “complex curve” applications
such as vehicle wraps.

Gloss and matte finishes are available
on the 350R as a result of the Rho's
two-lamp curing/drying system. The user
can choose whether to “light” the leading
lamp, the trailing lamp, or both lamps.
Ink that's cured sooner with the leading
lamp produces a matte finish and
sharper detail; ink cured later with the
trailing lamp produces a gloss finish.

Other features include: automatic
accurate registration for double-sided
printing; support for dual media roll loading;
motorized roll take-up; skip-white
function; and Durst's new True Touch
on-screen interface, which eliminates
the need for a keyboard. The included
RIP is Onyx PosterShop for PCs or Caldera
GrandRIP+ for Linux and Macs.

The Durst Rho 350R will begin shipping
in Q2 2006. Price to be announced.

DURST IMAGE TECHNOLOGY
www.durstus.com