Canon Solutions America Examines How to Align Your Wide Format Printing Investment with New Applications & Customer Demands

Canon Solutions America Examines How to Align Your Wide Format Printing Investment with New Applications & Customer Demands

MELVILLE, N.Y., April 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The ability to produce specialty applications presents tremendous growth opportunities for commercial printers. But in order to capitalize on these opportunities, it is imperative to have the right large format printing solutions and technologies in place to meet their customers' requirements quickly and economically.

Canon Solutions America, Inc., a subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc. examines the common large-format printing technologies and key considerations for selecting the technologies that are most appropriate for your business needs - both now and in the future.

Understanding the Different Large Format Printing Technologies
Understanding the different printing technologies is the first step in selecting the equipment that is most appropriate for your business needs.

    --  Aqueous Inkjet Printing: Aqueous inks come in two varieties - dye and
        pigment - with both using water to carry the colorant. Dye inks are
        suitable for dry environments, short-term use where image quality and
        striking color are critical, whereas pigment inks are considered short
        term water resistant.

    --  Solvent Inkjet Printing: Solvent inks generally contain pigment rather
        than dyes and the carrier is volatile organic compounds (VOCs) instead
        of water. Solvent inks are comparatively inexpensive and enable printing
        on flexible, uncoated vinyl substrates that are generally waterproof,
        scratch-resistant and UV safe without special over-coatings.

    --  UVGEL Inkjet Printing: This technology combines a remarkable recent
        advance - UV curable ink that instantly gels on contact with the media,
        an advanced "self-aware" piezoelectric print head technology, an
        LED-based UV system that cures without adding any damaging heat to the
        media, and continuous, on-the-fly, print head nozzle monitoring and
        performance compensation.

    --  Latex Inkjet Printing: These printers use water as the main ingredient,
        but the carrier for the pigments is either latex or resin-based.
        Printers using these types of inks need heaters built into the printer
        so the media becomes receptive to the ink for adhesion and enables the
        ink to dry properly. Output is dry and can be finished and mounted
        straight from the printer without requiring the outgassing period.

    --  UV-based Flatbed Printers: UV-curable printers use ink where the carrier
        is not evaporated and the ink doesn't dry - it is cured using an
        ultraviolet light. UV-curing inks can print onto just about any
        substrate, including foam board, wood, cardboard, glass and vinyl and
        produce a very robust image that lasts for extended periods outdoors.

    --  Solid Toner Technology: Solid toner options, such as Océ CrystalPoint
        technology, bridge several advantages of both traditional inkjet and LED
        printing. Solid Océ TonerPearls(TM) toner is converted into a gel,
        which is then jetted and crystallized onto the media roll. The gel is
        crystalized as soon as it hits the media, so prints come out dry, cut
        and ready to be used, without post-printing preparation time for complex
        finishing needs.

Key Considerations When Selecting Large Format Technologies

Once you understand the different technologies, there are several key considerations when deciding which type is right for your business.

    --  What are the Strengths? Consider the "pros" of each and determine which
        are the most important to you. Consider: do prints dry quickly; are
        prints water resistant; can it print on uncoated materials; is the
        printer and the substrates it uses relatively inexpensive; is it cost
        effective to operate?

    --  What are the Limitations? Just as each printer type has its strengths,
        they also have limitations that must be considered: does it require
        media with a special coating; do prints have long dry times; does it
        require special ventilation; does it require preprint and post-print
        heaters to cure the media, resulting in higher energy consumption; will
        prints have a matte look?

    --  What are Key Applications? Each printing technology has its own
        strengths and limitations, so the applications you will be producing -
        both now and in the future - will help dictate which type is right for
        you, whether that's signage, GIS maps, CAD drawings, backlit displays,
        floor graphics, fine article photography, interior decorations or
        something else.

No One-Size-Fits-All Approach

Even with an understanding of the trade-offs of each large-format printing technology, determining which one is the best investment for your business may still be a challenge. In many instances, there is no one "perfect fit," and you will need a combination of these technologies in order to print the widest variety of customer requested applications in-house. Talk to your preferred large format hardware partner to determine which technologies make sense for your business needs - both now and into the future.

To learn more, please register to download Canon Solutions America's "Aligning Your Wide Format Printing Investment with New Applications & Customer Demands" whitepaper.

About Canon Solutions America, Inc.
Canon Solutions America provides industry leading enterprise, production, and large format printing solutions, supported by exceptional professional service offerings. With the technology offerings of the Canon and Océ brands, Canon Solutions America helps companies of all sizes find ways to: improve sustainability, increase efficiency, and control costs in conjunction with high volume, continuous feed, digital and traditional printing, and document management solutions. A wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc., Canon Solutions America is headquartered in Melville, N.Y. and has sales and service locations across the U.S. For more information on Canon Solutions America, please visit csa.canon.com.

Canon is a registered trademark of Canon Inc. in the United States and elsewhere. Océ is a registered trademark of Océ-Technologies B.V. in the United States and elsewhere. All other referenced product names and marks are trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby acknowledged.

© 2018 Canon Solutions America, Inc. All rights reserved.

    Canon Solutions America, Inc. Website: Editorial Contact:

    http://csa.canon.com                   Conor Febos

    For sales info/customer support:       631-330-4109

    1-844-443-INFO (4636)                  cfebos@csa.canon.com

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