New and boosted Onset models plus updated Acuity offer widest range of productivity choices

Advancing on all fronts

At the entry level, Fujifilm has introduced the Acuity Advance HD 2545 wide-format UV inkjet printer, the next generation of the highly successful Acuity HD 2504 that was launched in April 2007 and which has quickly become the fastest-selling flatbed UV inkjet printer in the market.

Designed to suit print applications that require high resolution imaging, the Acuity Advance is available in a white ink version (Acuity Advance HD 2545W) to complement the standard CMYK unit. Customers can field upgrade from the standard HD 2545 to the white-supporting HD 2545W configuration. Both models feature a newly developed print-head array which increases productivity compared to the HD 2504, while still maintaining near photographic image quality thanks to their unique variable drop technology.

Throughput in production mode is up to 22 m2/hr, while high quality mode has increased to 15m2/hr. Using Fujifilm Sericol Uvijet white ink, the Acuity Advance HD 2545W delivers unmatched flexibility, allowing users to print a very opaque white under, over or between other print layers.

The Acuity Advance models retain the dimensions and print area of their predecessor - 1.25 x 2.5 m - and print onto substrates up to 48 mm thick. There is also a roll-fed option for all types of flexible media. Both printers are available immediately.

The fastest gets faster

Inca has also introduced an innovative bi-directional printing technique that boosts the production speed of the award-winning Onset flatbed UV inkjet printer by up to 25 per cent. The new bi-directional mode allows the already impressive Onset, which handles print sizes of up to 3.2 x 1.5 m, to increase its production throughput from 500 to 600 m2/hr, equivalent to 375 1.5 x 1 m posters an hour, with no loss of quality.

Bi-directional printing has previously proved difficult to achieve, with the placement of ink droplets and curing producing a striped ‘lawn' effect as the head passes in each direction over the substrate. The advanced design and engineering of the Onset overcomes this through the development of techniques to accurately control droplet size and release according to the print direction, giving exceptional quality at increased print speeds.

The Onset is the top-of-the-range model in the Inca wide-format inkjet family, available exclusively through Fujifilm. The bi-directional printing feature is standard in all new Onset machines.

New addition fills the gap

Inca has expanded its range of flatbed inkjet printers with the announcement of the Onset S20, a lower speed unit that fills the gap between the existing Onset and Turbo Plus models while still offering quality and productivity to suit the needs of specialist display print companies.

The Onset S20 incorporates some of the high-end features of the Onset, at a performance level and price that will appeal to many companies, allowing Spyder and Turbo customers to progress as their business builds. It can image 250 m2/hr and is suitable for daily volumes between 1500 and 4000 m2.

Available exclusively through Fujifilm, the Onset S20 prints edge-to-edge on substrates up to 50 mm thick over a 3.12 x 1.6 m area on a moving bed.  Accurate pin positioning allows users to print single- or double-sided on a variety of sheet sizes and there is an optional semi-automatic media handling system for increased productivity.

The standard colour set is four-colour CMYK, but six-colour Fujifilm Sericol Ultratone ink (CMYK plus orange and violet) or white (CMYK plus two whites for under- and over-coat) versions are also available. Commercial shipments are expected in March 2009.

The Fujifilm Acuity Advance HD 2545 and Inca wide-format presses, combined with Fujifilm Sericol UV inks, represent the most complete range of high performance inkjet printing systems available. In addition, Fujifilm's Advanced Research Laboratory in Japan is spearheading the integration of key inkjet technologies to create the printing systems of the future.