Graphic Arts Magazine March 2018 | Page 11

Installations and investments GROUPE LETTRA EXPANDS WIDE-FORMAT BUSINESS WITH AGFA ANAPURNA M3200I RTR Groupe Lettra (Boisbriand, QC) recently installed an Agfa Anapurna M3200i RTR (roll-to-roll) UV inkjet printer from Agfa Graphics. As a leader in large-size printing in Québec, the company specializes in all types of vehicle lettering, wide-format printing, posters, signs, banners, commercial stickers and much more. The installation will enable Groupe Lettra to provide “one-stop shop- ping” for all its clients, as their experts can now produce high-quality large-size rigid prints or varying flexible media materials – all in-house. The new printer will also reduce turnover times, improve print quality and facilitate white ink printing. The Anapurna M3200i RTR is a 3.2-metre-wide high-quality roll-to-roll UV inkjet printer that produces indoor and outdoor applications at up to 123 m²/hr and also features white ink. “White ink comes in extremely handy on coloured self-adhesive vinyl, PVC banners or backlit film,” said Deborah Hutcheson, Director of Marketing for Agfa Graphics North America. “It’s also great for printing on decals because the colours look brighter and more vibrant when printed on white. It blocks the background from seeing through, which is a typical problem on shop windows. And on darkened car windshields, it becomes even more attractive.” Groupe Lettra press operator Pierre Crevaux beside the Agfa Anapurna M3200i RTR UV inkjet printer. Because of its thin-ink-layer technology, Agfa Graphics’ large gamut of UV- curable inks enables printing on a wide range of flexible materials, including front-lit and back-lit graphics. The inks “deliver the highest quality prints with the lowest ink consumption per square metre in the industry.” One helpful option is support for printing on mesh without liner, and simultaneous dual- roll printing up to 1.52 cm (60”). Agfa’s Asanti workflow adds dedicated colour management and automatic preflighting, for consistent quality and fewer errors. WEBCOM ADDS SHORT-RUN CASEBINDING FROM GP2 TECHNOLOGIES GP2 Technologies Cover-1 Automated Casemaking System Toronto-based Webcom, a leader in Canadian book manufacturing that’s been serving global and independent publishers for over 40 years, has expanded its already comprehensive digital inkjet production capabilities by investing in short-run casebinding machinery from GP2 Technologies, a New Hampshire- based OEM specializing in casemaking machinery for the production of on-demand, photo books and short-run hardcover books. The installations, which include a GP2 Technologies Cover-1 automated casemaking system, PräLeg casing-in machine and PräForm book press and join-set