HP Print Excellence Awards
Digital printing equipment manufacturer Hewlett-Packard issued a call for entries for the HP Print Excellence Awards, a new worldwide competition honoring graphic arts printing produced on HP Designjet, Indigo, Inkjet Web Press and Scitex systems. An international panel of print experts will select winners in 16 categories of commercial print, wide-format graphics and label and packaging applications.
In addition to evaluating print quality, the HP Print Excellence Awards will recognize innovative examples of environmentally responsible printing. The competition is free to enter. HP graphic arts customers can download entry details and forms at www.hp.com/go/printexcellenceawards. Entries are due by March 15, 2012. Winners will be announced at an invitation-only gala event held during Drupa 2012 next May in Düsseldorf, Germany. Select entries will be on display at HP’s stand at drupa, in hall 4. The competition unifies several existing regional and worldwide HP print quality awards into a single, comprehensive program.
Chic Canvas Turns Memories into 40×60 Wall Art
Chic Canvas has taken the traditional photo and recreated it into art. With more than 20 years’ experience as a professional giclee printing service, it has mastered the art of fine-tuning and customizing photos to produce personalized gallery-wrapped canvas photo prints.
Consumers can upload any photo (300 dpi or better) to chiccanvas.com and within one week receive their keepsake, in canvas sizes that range from 8×10 inches to enlargements of 40×60 inches. All the prints are gallery wrapped, meaning the canvas wraps around the side of the image and is secured to the back of a frame. Text can be added to the edge of the wrap for personalization.
While photographers have had the option of printing photographs onto canvas for a while, most were printed with dye inks. Now, with the advances of giclee and archival inks, Chic Canvas uses the latest inkjet printers and seals the canvas with special UV protectors that help it last up to 100 years.
“These canvases will pass the test of time. By virtue of archival inks and giclee canvas, most giclee photographic reproductions will last for decades without wear or decay. Only the finest materials are used in this process, and unlike film, giclee canvas art will not rot or yellow over time,” said Al Marco, owner of Chic Canvas.
Photographers can input images from their cameras onto their computers for uploading or scan the photographs to be printed digitally using the fine art giclee process. Images can be enhanced with effects like black and white or sepia, and old photographs can be touched up before printing. Prices range from $55 to $385, with custom sizing and orders available. chiccanvas.com
Colex Highlights Fotoba Auto Cutters, Sharpcut Flatbed Cutter System
In addition to its Fotoba line of automatic cutters, Colex debuted the newest model in its Sharpcut flatbed cutter system in late fall. Leading Fotoba’s automatic print-finishing solutions is the Dreamcut XLD-170 67-inch-wide automatic cutter for flexible media, rolls and sheets up to 35mil thick. A unique feature of the Dreamcut XLD-170 is its automatic feed alignment. The device automatically realigns to the edge of the printed image to produce square-finished images even if the printer fails to print parallel to the media edge. It’s said to cut a 150-ft. roll of media in less than 10 minutes. Also in the lineup is the XL320 super-wide 130-inch cutter for “grand-format” printer users, which compensates for tracking errors and works with all brands of large-format inkjet printers.
Colex’s Sharpcut, powered by the i-cut vision camera and software, is its most productive and value-priced solution for finishing complex digital display graphics jobs. The cutter/router is designed to allow finishing technicians to perform intricate cuts with its multifunctional mechanized capabilities. It features a triple-interchangeable tool head station controlled by i-cut to select the proper tool for each job. Unlike other routers, the Sharpcut, in addition to its fixed knife and special oscillating knife for cutting and routing, can kiss cut, crease and route rigid substrates. colex.com
Scan to FTP Servers with Canon imageFormula Scanner Products & Nocson Software
Canon USA announced a new software solution from Nocson Collaborations called EasyScanToFTP—a utility designed specifically for Canon imageFormula scanners that lets users upload images directly to FTP servers. The utility, available as a download from the Nocson website, was developed to make imageFormula scanners more flexible where FTP servers are prevalent. The EasyScanToFTP utility is optimized for quick, convenient operation, allowing users to store frequently visited sites and connecting information.
“The addition of Nocson’s EasyScanToFTP software to Canon’s imageFormula scanners streamlines the distribution of scanned files anywhere they need to go,” said Jim Rosetta, vice president and general manager, Imaging Systems, Canon USA. “We are committed to making Canon products more flexible to fit into the workplace that is being constantly updated and becoming more connected.” usa.canon.com
Xerox Launches New Phaser 7800 Color Laser Printer
Packed with color quality tools, extensive media handling capabilities and professional finishing options, Xerox’s Phaser 7800 is built to produce jobs quickly with precise control over color matching, helping creative shops beat deadlines and exceed expectations.
Printing at 1,200×2,400 dpi, the Phaser 7800 is engineered to bring out fine details in images, photos and graphics. Core to the printer are its color-matching capabilities. It’s equipped with the PhaserMeter color measurement device powered by X-Rite and Adobe PostScript 3, to offer color accuracy print after print. It has also been licensed by Pantone for optimal color reproduction of the industry standard Pantone Matching System.
The 45-page-per-minute printer handles a wider range of media weights—from 75 to 350 gsm—and more sizes than competitive printers. Creative professionals can push design boundaries with heavyweight stocks for photo books and calendars, and nontraditional sizes for postcards and photos. Automatic two-sided printing is a standard feature, and finishing options can be customized to meet specific applications. Pricing for the Phaser 7800 starts at $4,599. xerox.com
