FEATURE: As an added-value proposition, clear varnish in digital ink-jet printers is becoming ever more popular. Sophie Matthews-Paul looks at the applications and advantages.
NEWS: Israeli superwide-format digital printer manufacturer Matan says it has increased the size of its production floor by 75 percent to cater to growing demand for its Barak range.
Avery Dennison says it will be 'exploring the future of graphics solutions' at FESPA 2013 next month with a number of new substrates on show for the first time.
Exhibition display specialist Complete Studio Graphics says its new UV Lightbar from Colorific has saved it 'significant' man hours and production costs.
The lower ranks of the UV-curable market might be well served with printers but Fujifilm's addition brings some advanced features into a sensibly priced engine.
ArtSystems profiles Onyx Thrive, the workflow software RIP that provides a scalable print production solution based on the Adobe PDF Print Engine (APPE).
A. Mehta: Thanks for posting this here & sharing with us Morwenna,
you are right - if only we had the weather all year round.
I was up on a blip in NY which advertised AT&T and what a view
and the amount of phone calls that generated was amazing.
ahprinters.com
Steve Gurley: There are solutions that use geo-positioning to deliver the relevant content to the event-goer's phone. These solutions allow the event producer (or their agency) to create mobile content and then assign it to one or more specific geo coordinates. Patrons are encouraged, via event signage, to download the app. Once the app is launched, the location is reconciled and the content is delivered. The party who creates the content can also create multiple channels of content for that location, which gives the viewer more options and makes the mobile engagement experience more engaging. Content creators can also create a set of content for display during the event while the concert-goer is on premises and different content for when off premises.
NFC tags allow the content to become more granular. For example, tap on an NFC tag while at concessions and you get content specific to concessions. Tap a tag at the merchandise table, you get content specific to that area, including payment options.
The combination of geo-centric content couple with the added granularity of NFC gives the mobile user a broad range of content options.
Check out the mobile solutions section at www.symon.com to see what is possible.
Geof Jones: I agree they look bad - AR images would have been better
but NFC is not going to work from the stage to the viewer - so sometimes old works - good old bluetooth messaging or even a screen saying txt us and get the track or something
good attempt gone wrong
its a bit like a QR code on a motorway sign - who's going to use that ?
Steve Gurley: Amen!!! I couldn't agree more. Perhaps my last post on the topic would be of interest to you. I posted it on my blog at the Digital Screenmedia Association. http://www.digitalscreenmedia.org/steve-gurley/view/24029/yet-even-more-on-2d-barcodes
You may also want to see my insights on NFC by going to my personal blog at http://www.steve-gurley.com
POD Iberia will give its MTex 1800 textile printer, launched in the UK at Sign and Digital UK, its first European outing at FESPA 2013 in London next month.
Wide-format print expert Sophie Matthews-Paul addresses the major obstacles and overviews the options for those considering the digital textile market.
Banners have long been the bread and butter of wide-format production, but with increased competition and lower margins are they still worth the effort? Sophie Matthews-Paul looks at how the market has changed.
As screen technology advances, will there be an opportunity for printers, or others, to provide cross-channel colour calibration? GMG's Michael Farkas discusses.
Laurel Brunner's Verdigris Project has seen plenty of change in print's environmental awareness over its five years, but there is still a lot to be done.