FFEI Ltd, the global developer of award-winning digital imaging solutions, today announced that its modular digital UV inkjet press, Graphium, will make its UK debut at IPEX 2014 on FUJIFILM stand, S4-E330.  Demonstrating unparalleled application versatility, Graphium offers converters increased flexibility and productivity, enabling them to accept complex projects requiring a wide gamut of colours on virtually any substrate. Supporting up to five digital colour modules and six flexo stations, Graphium offers the unique capability from a single vendor of being able to integrate optional flexo and finishing stations inline for conversion in a single pass.

On the stand, Graphium will be running real label jobs, demonstrating its “concept to finished product” capabilities. At the front-end will be FFEI’s RealPro Toolkit software that will check and prepare jobs for print, including ink setting, trapping and pre-flighting. Graphium will be printing across its 410mm web width in five colours using a high-opacity white in addition to CMYK. Jobs will be finished inline with Edale designed flexo varnishing, die-cutting and slitting along with an AB Graphic International Vectra multi-turret rewinder. In this way, Graphium will print 200 real jobs, slit into five ribbons and wound on small cores for visitors to take away.

“This is the leanest method of producing short-run labels,” said Andy Cook, FFEI managing director. “With more jobs, shorter lead times, lower costs and minimal waste, Graphium offers converters and commercial printers looking for additional revenue streams a powerful solution for meeting complex customer requirements in rapidly changing markets.” In addition to its label converting capabilities, Graphium’s versatility enables it to be used for packaging and specialty print applications.

“Graphium represents a new generation of digital inkjet press aimed at the narrow web market,” said Cook. “With low capital investment, high quality print, unparalleled productivity, Graphium brings all of these factors together for  a ‘cost-in-use’ that defines it as the most productive, high opacity digital white press on the market.”

Graphium uses specialist Uvijet Graphium UV curing inks developed by Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems. These inks combine the functional performance, colour gamut and adhesion needed for label printing with reliable jetting performance required for consistent printing.

Building on FFEI’s longstanding expertise in digital inkjet technologies, Graphium combines a range of leading-edge technologies that allow users to convert complex jobs that are not economically viable with standalone conventional or inkjet presses.  With innovative workflow, prepress, colour management software and cutting-edge head calibration technology, Graphium’s technologies ensure consistent quality through repeatable production and guarantee a match between press and proof. Printers and converters are able to benefit from high-quality, vibrant printing, with excellent adhesion, light fastness and durability.

“With Graphium, converters can now achieve greater efficiency from prepress to production and the return on investment over conventional printing is huge – not only for short-runs, but longer ones also,” concludes Cook.