Question From An MGX Customer & HP Indigo Roll Press Operator:

Our company has experimented with cheaper digital stocks from other suppliers. While attempting to print on some of these products, we are experiencing inconsistent UV coating and frequent web breaks. We’ve also noticed a shorter blanket lifespan: we are finding that we need to replace the blanket more often then we used to. All of these issues are causing downtime on our press and the UV coating inconsistencies are resulting in rejected labels, reprints and waste. Why are we experiencing these problems with non-MGX stock?

Answer:

It is likely the stock that you are describing hasn’t been treated with a contiguous coating. Every MGX digital material is optimized with the best contiguous coating process in the industry, which will give you the best possible print quality, consistent UV coating, and long blanket life. Other materials on the market are not coated; rather a digital solution is mixed in the pulp at the time of manufacture. This method of treatment is usually less expensive but can cause a multitude of digital press issues including brittleness, web breaks, inconsistent UV coatings, and shortened PIP and blanket life. Here’s a little more detail on the issues raised in the query above:

Coated vs. Non-Coated Materials

Substrates can be digitally treated when the paper is manufactured by mixing digital coating with the paper fibers. This creates a substrate with digital coating “peppered” throughout the entire substrate. Digital inks will adhere to this coating during printing; however, this coating method leaves many areas of the substrate untreated for digital printing. As you can see in the diagram on the right, the black orbs in the diagram illustrate the digital-receptive coating. As the picture shows, many microscopic areas of the material’s surface will be left without digital treatment. Because of this, digital inks will only adhere to the portions of the material that contain the digital coating, leaving many uncoated “holes” within the material. Therefore, digital inks can lift off of the non-coated portions of the substrate which can cause picking and ink lift-off. Ink lift-off from the substrate can also stick to the digital press blanket, leading to more frequent blanket replacement and press downtime.

UV Coating Inconsistencies

The entire surface grain of these other materials is not consistently coated, which can lead to inconsistent UV coating. One MGX customer experienced these problems when using a cheaper, non-coated product –  a glossy UV coating appeared matte and splotchy on the finished printed product and was subsequently rejected by the client. Another downside to this coating method is that the digital treatment is embedded throughout the substrate and not just on the surface of the material. This can cause the substrate to be brittle, causing web breaks, downtime, and potential problems on your press. One MGX customer using a non-coated material experienced three web breaks and over an hour of downtime on their machine due to the brittleness of the non-coated stock.

Digital materials coated with a contiguous coating method are evenly coated throughout the surface of the substrate. You can see the difference in the graphic (right), with the digital coating pictured in black. As the diagram illustrates, contiguous coating leaves no breaks or “holes” in the coating so the ink is always in contact with the digital treatment. Substrates with contiguous coating feature heavier ink coverage so colors have the potential to be as rich and vibrant as possible. Items digitally printed on contiguous-coated substrates are also more robust and durable with little to no ink lift-off in tape tests and less web breaks during production.

Extended Blanket Life

Contiguous-coated materials also extend the life of your blanket as there is less residual ink that adheres to the blanket. Digital ink that flakes off the non-coated portions of the substrate will stick to the blanket, leading to more frequent blanket replacement and less downtime. Extended blanket life saves you time, money and maintenance hassles.

With advances in digital printing, photography and scanning technologies, counterfeiters have more tools than ever to mimic a product.  These technologies make it easy to copy a brand and hard to discern a genuine product or document from a counterfeit. As new security printing and packaging technologies emerge, copycats quickly take note and scramble to produce reproductions of the new process. Therefore the brand protection and security market is constantly developing new technologies and processes to stay one step ahead of criminals.

Why do counterfeiters take such extreme measures to produce realistic copies of a product? It’s profitable to copy a successful product, piggybacking on the item’s sales and stealing potential revenue from the original manufacturer. According to the International Authentication Association (IAA), the illegal practice of counterfeiting costs industries anywhere between $200 billion and $600 billion dollars per year (see L&NW article). All industries are susceptible but some face more risks than others: Pharmaceuticals, software, music, automobile/machinery parts, and movies are all markets that currently combat fraudulent reproduction of their products. Even brand-name commodities and licensed products face the risk of counterfeit.

Essentially there are four categories of brand protection strategies that printers and manufacturers can choose to implement individually or as a combination for security printing:

• Overt: This category is obvious to both the customer and the manufacturer, and is classified by the unique packaging or look of the product or brand. One of the most common forms of overt security packaging is tamper-evident labeling. Other examples include complex label graphics that are difficult to replicate, or the use of hard-to-attain holographic or exotic material within the design. This strategy is coincidentally the most complex because in many cases the unique packaging is exactly what the counterfeiter is trying to copy.

• Covert/Forensic: These security features are hard to identify by the customer or even the naked eye. However, covert features are hard to mimic because they are hard to identify without specialized equipment. One application of covert packaging is to incorporate security ink into the printed product so the image fluoresces when placed under ultraviolet (UV) light Kodak Nexpress recently released red florescent ink that is invisible to the naked eye but can be used for security printing applications. A printer may also choose to utilize security paper into the product which when copied, displays a message that deters counterfeiters.

• Numbering/Coding: Digital printers are perfectly poised to utilize variable data as a security feature for their customers. Setting up a system that is unique to each item is a way to be certain that each product is unique and therefore hard to mimic. Utilizing algorithms, sequential numbering or custom barcodes to create a custom label for each product is a way to integrate security as well as information into the product. These forms of variable data can contain useful data such as print date or product origin.

• Information Linkage: Advances in digital technology has allowed manufacturers to use embed “smart” sensors within their products so they can track and identify their items easily. The most common form of information linkage security packaging is radio-frequency identification (RFID). These smart sensors can be embedded in the packaging upon manufacture, which allows for scanning of an item to determine authenticity. RFID tags can even track movement of items within a certain area with the right equipment. RFID technology is an emerging and developing tool which may come to replace conventional barcodes in the future.

Masterpiece Graphix has many substrate options available for security printing applications. Holographic materials, exotic substrates, security paper and tamper-evident polyester and self-destructive labeling materials are all available through MGX, ready to run on your digital press. MGX carries RIT-certified DeterX® Gray Void Security Paper (R1419 as rolls, MGX-1303 as sheets) for the HP Indigo. This unique paper is HP Indigo-certified for the WS6000, WS4050, 5000, 5500, and WS45000. This paper is stocked with a gray/blue pattern that reads “COPY” when duplicated. This digital substrate is perfect for printing checks, coupons, rebates, event tickets and other secure document applications. Custom colors and hidden messages are also available. For more information on DeterX® papers or custom security solutions for your application, please contact your MGX sales rep.

In retail, direct mail, and manufacturing, companies are struggling to differentiate themselves from their rivals by utilizing eye-catching characteristics in their product offerings. As a digital printer, it is important to be able to offer clients materials and options that will help them stand out from their competitors. 3D substrates are an excellent way to help your customers literally “stand out” from the rest by displaying text and high-quality graphics that jump off the page or change images. Masterpiece Graphix currently stocks HP Indigo-compatible Lenticular and Azuna® 3D Bubble sheets. Both plastic substrates are durable and extremely diverse, and are both applicable to a multitude of similar end-uses. However, there are advantages as well as limitations to consider when utilizing either substrate.

Lenticular

With lenticular sheets, you can produce a 3D effect, do 3D imaging, demonstrate movement with multiple frame animation, “flip” from one image to another, or “morph” two dissimilar images together, or any mix of the aforementioned processes. MGX Lenticular allows an image to be reverse-printed on the smooth side of the plastic on an HP Indigo S2000 press. The ink can then be laminated for additional image protection.

Masterpiece Graphix offers two types of in-stock Lenticular material: 75 LPI and 100 LPI Lenticular as 12”x 18” sheets. LPI, or lenticule per inch, determines the resolution capacity of the substrate. A higher LPI equals a higher resolution image. MGX 100 LPI Lenticular is a higher-quality substrate that is unavailable through other suppliers.

For any MGX Lenticular image effect to work, multiple images must be properly aligned, or interlaced, and the material must have a square, even cut prior to printing. Interlacing is when the multiple images that create the desired effect are “cut up” and strategically reassembled via specialized software to complete the visual illusion of depth or movement. A misaligned cut can slice into part of the morphed image which can ruin the desired finished effect. A perfectly parallel straight cut is guaranteed on all MGX Lenticular sheet products to ensure the quality of the finished image.

There are a few limitations in utilizing Lenticular in an application. MGX Lenticular sheets are only recommended for use on the HP Indigo S2000. Furthermore, specialized software such as HumanEyes or PhotoIllusion, is required in order to morph the images together and to create the finished piece.

Azuna® 3D Bubble Sheets

Azuna® 3D bubble synthetic sheets is an innovative material that when printed creates a 3-D effect that is similar yet different to the 3D look of lenticular, which can be utilized without costly software or art setup charges. In addition, Azuna® 3D bubble sheets are compatible with any HP Indigo sheet press with a thick substrate upgrade.

Masterpiece Graphix currently stocks Azuna® 3D Large Bubble 12”x 18” HP Indigo-compatible sheets.  The substrate is also available as a small bubble pattern by request. The look of the substrate reminds one of raindrops on a windowpane; the final effect creates the illiusion of 1-2” of depth, with images appearing at the front or back plane of this depth.

With Azuna® 3D, text and images appear to float which creates a three-dimensional look similar to that of 3D lenticular. The substrate is optimized to be printable on either side, allowing printers to choose the desired finished look depending on which side of the material is printed on. If the Azuna® sheet is surface-printed, the floating text and image look is achieved with the printed image appearing to be in front of the bubbled material. If the image is reverse-printed, the “bubble” look of the material appears to be in front of the printed image.

Although images still “pop” off of the substrate with a 3D effect, Azuna® 3D bubble sheets don’t have quite the versatility of lenticular. The substrate cannot demonstrate movement or morph between two dissimilar images like lenticular can. However, any HP Indigo sheet press user can utilize Azuna® without specialized 3D software like HumanEyes. The substrate prints on any HP Indigo sheet press with a thick substrate upgrade, and is not limited for use only on the HP Indigo S2000 model.

Other custom 3D substrates are also available through Masterpiece Graphix. For substrate samples or more information on 3D substrates and how to apply them to a particular end-use, please contact your MGX sales rep.

High-quality, customizable photo books is one of the fastest growing segment of commercial printing on the HP Indigo press. The HP Indigo is an excellent choice for photo book applications. Digital book printing is also a lucrative market utilizing dry toner presses technologies like the Xerox iGen and the Kodak Nexpress, due to short run and personalization options.

The applications for on-demand photo books are endless; books can be customized to record important milestones like a wedding, high school graduation, or a new baby. Photo books can also be utilized to create school yearbooks, company reports, church registers, universities publications, family reunion albums, sports team books, artist portfolios, or even a small publishing run. With innovations in design technology and digital photography, many diverse business segments are requesting customized books. Professional photographers, businesses, and schools are all buyers in this growing market. Photo book order quantities can be very diverse, ranging from one printed copy to several thousand. Digital printing and variable data technology make small run prints profitable while still offering many options to the consumer.

The most profitable and prolific digital book printers utilize online software as a front engine so customers can order their custom photo books quickly and easily without professional design programs. One of the most popular software packages is SoftWorks Systems Inc.’s Remote Order Entry System (ROES), which is primarily used by digital photography labs and professional photographers. There are many business models out there: visit sites like Shutterfly, Snapfish, Zookbinders, and Couture Book for inspiration.

High-quality substrates from Masterpiece Graphix are perfect for photo book applications. MGX substrates are specially formulated for heavy ink coverage, with no picking or pinholes. This allows printers to print the richest, most vibrant colors for beautiful image quality. MGX substrates consistently perform better than our competitors’ in tape tests, with zero ink lift-off.

MGX’s new line of superior digital gloss and cover stocks offer superior ink adhesion and excellent color reproduction for beautiful image quality. MGX digital gloss stocks are printable on both sides and are available in 80# and 100# weights, in text or cover stocks.

MGX digital gloss paper and cover stocks are very competitively priced for all digital book applications and are certified for use on the HP Indigo 5000 and 5500 as well as the Kodak Nexpress. These stocks are compatible with many other dry toner digital presses like the Xerox iGen, Xerox Docucolor, Canon ImagePRESS and the Konica Minolta Bizhub.

No matter the type of cover requested, be it hardcover, soft cover or paperback, MGX has material options and recommendations for your specific photo book application. For more information, please check out our stocked sheet substrates or call your MGX sales rep for custom substrate options for your specific photo book application.

Anywhere you look on retail shelves, flexible packaging, or flexpack, is emerging as an economical and practical option for prime packaging. According to the Flexible Packaging Association, the total size of the flexible packaging industry was $25.6 billion in 2008 (see article). With the trends that are emerging in digital packaging, there is no reason that the flexpack market will not increase along with digital press use in the coming years.

Flexible packaging presents an opportunity for narrow web digital press users who currently print pressure-sensitive tags and labels to expand their product offerings for additional revenue streams.  Its unique characteristics make it an ideal digital substrate.

There are many reasons why a brand manager would select flexpack for a digital press application:

• Short Runs: Printers can produce small quantities of flexible packages economically, making the design ideal for smaller brands or sample sizes. Short run packaging also allows for mass customization of products tailored to the specific needs of the consumer. Combined with the variable data technology of digital printing, customization can be taken a step further. Digital press users can create unique packaging graphics with different dynamic data such as serial numbers and barcodes for each item printed. With fast on-demand digital printing, printers can produce lower quantities on an as-needed basis, reducing inventory and warehouse space.

• Cost-effective & Greener Packaging: Packaging constructed with flexpack technology can reduce material costs as well as the size and weight of the finished package. Smaller, lighter packages take up less space, reducing warehouse space and transportation costs as a result. In addition, reduction in packaging materials can be economical, cutting material costs. In combination with digital’s profitable short-run advantages, flexible packaging presents itself as an economical choice in today’s market.

• Barrier Construction: Flexible packaging contains layers of materials that create a functional barrier, lending itself to many product applications. Barriers keep contents fresh in food packaging. Barriers are also useful in chemical packaging to keep potentially hazardous material within the package.

• Convenience: Flexpack is the ideal way to produce snack containers or smaller single-use portions. The economical advantages to flexible packaging make it an excellent choice for shorter-life products or convenience items. 

Masterpiece Graphix is the one-stop resource for digital flexible packaging materials and information, and can supply all of the substrates you need for your specific application. Digital-ready heat-sealable films, cosmetic web, co-ex, LDPE, BOPP, polyester, and snack web are just a few of the flexpack substrate options that MGX offers. MGX substrates are of the best possible quality, featuring superior printability, excellent ink adhesion and can be customized to your packaging requirements.

Customers continue to purchase MGX materials to produce flexible packaging for candies, bread bags, food items, potato chips, and hazardous materials. With our expertise, MGX can help you select and build a material specifically for your flexpack application. For more information on flexible packaging substrates from Masterpiece Graphix, please contact your MGX sales rep.

Have you recently installed a new HP Indigo sheet press, or are you considering the purchase? MGX wants to provide you with FREE HP Indigo-compatible sheets to trial on your new machine! All you have to do is contact MGX and request our HP Indigo Sheet Press Welcome Kit. We will send you a whopping 2000 sheets of HP Indigo-compatible sheets, including:

• 500 sheets of 100# Gloss Text (MGX-1325)
• 500 sheets of 100# Gloss Cover (MGX-1327)
• 500 sheets of 80# Gloss Text (MGX-1324)
• 500 sheets of 100# Uncoated Text
• And more sample packs of sheet substrates, by request.

In addition, we will include literature on MGX and a material swatchbook. MGX also has other materials we can include to build you a custom welcome kit, tailored to your business needs. Please visit our website to view the other stocked sheet materials we can include in your kit.

To request your free HP Indigo Sheet Press Welcome Kit, please call 636-349-6401 x225 or email sales@mgxdigital.com.

Have you recently installed a new HP Indigo WS6000, or are you considering the purchase? MGX wants to provide you with FREE certified material to run on your new machine! All you have to do is contact MGX and request our WS6000 Welcome Kit. We will send you a whopping 10,000 feet of FREE HP Indigo-Certified material for use on your new 6000, including:

• 2500’ Masterpiece Premium 100# Gloss Calibration Paper (R1341)
• 2500’ 60# Unsupported Setup Paper (R1267)
• 2500’ 2.6 mil White BOPP/Perm/40# (R0440)
• 2500’ 60# Semigloss/Perm/40# (R1332)
• 500’ Acpo Polypropylene Digital Overlaminate (410DIG)
• 2500’ 2 mil Clear BOPP/Perm/40# (if available) (R1126)

All the substrates in our welcome kit have been certified by HP to run on the WS6000. To request your free HP Indigo WS6000 Welcome Kit, please call 636-349-6401 x225 or email sales@mgxdigital.com.

Recently it has come to our attention that there are a few rumors making the rounds about Masterpiece Graphix. As a digital treatment center, we take great pride in our reputation and want to dispel any misconceptions about our business. Below are the actual facts about Masterpiece Graphix, so don’t believe any misinformation to the contrary!

MGX Offers More Than Just HP Indigo Roll Materials: Masterpiece Graphix has been coating HP Indigo roll materials for over a decade. However, MGX is also now offering sheet materials for HP Indigo presses. We keep many stocked sheet material solutions in-house, ready to order and run on your HP Indigo sheet press. In addition, MGX also offers material solutions for the EFI Jetrion industrial label roll press, as well as compatible substrates for dry toner sheet presses like the Xerox iGen and Kodak NexPress. We are continuously adding new digital press technologies to our list of coating capabilities, so if a customer brings a desired material/digital press combination to us, we can help formulate a coating solution.

MGX is More Than Just a “Custom House”: Masterpiece offers turnkey, ready-to-run material solutions for all available HP Indigo press models. Since we’ve successfully coated over 800 different facestock/adhesive combinations for the HP Indigo, we are confident that we can offer HP Indigo-compatible substrates that will run flawlessly the first time. In addition, MGX offers RIT-certified material solutions for many press models like the WS6000. Certification means that the material has been thoroughly tested by the Rochester Institute of Technology’s Printing Applications Laboratory to run trouble-free on a particular HP Indigo model.

MGX Offers Toll Coating, And More: Masterpiece Graphix can ship you digitally-coated, ready-to-print stock from nearly every industry supplier. Of course, you can always ship your desired material to us for coating, but it’s not necessary. Substrates can be ordered directly from us and quickly shipped to you once the material has been coated. Many materials arrive at your location six business days after your order.

MGX Carries Material Mainstays As Well As Exotic Substrates: In fact, MGX carries ALL the industry mainstays like semigloss and BOPP, as well as the tricky, hard to coat substrates. Masterpiece Graphix is essentially a one-stop-shop for Indigo-compatible materials, offering everything from papers to plastics, pressure-sensitives to polycarbonate. No matter the material you desire, MGX has the material you need, at competitive prices. More on this below…

MGX Offers Competitive Pricing on Industry Mainstays: MGX can offer excellent pricing on all the digital material you need, including industry staples like papers and films. You can rely on MGX to provide competitive pricing on all of your needed materials, not just the exotic, hard-to-find stocks. Please don’t hesitate to contact MGX for pricing on any material; we will get it to you quickly, and can answer any questions you have on a particular material. Ordering materials from MGX cuts your bottom line in other ways: running MGX substrates provide increased pip and blanket life on your machine, which in turn lowers your downtime and maintenance costs. Our materials also offer the longest shelf life in the industry.

MGX Provides Customized Stocking Solutions For Your Company: MGX can create a custom stocking option to fit your business model. Substrates can be ordered from us directly, or materials can be drop-shipped to us for coating. If you plan to regularly order the same material, MGX can help you develop a custom stocking solution, ensuring that you always have digital-ready material in-house, the way you want them.

MGX has partnered with EFI Jetrion to coat materials for use on the Jetrion 4000 and 4830 industrial inkjet roll presses as an EFI-certified Jetrion treatment center. Masterpiece Graphix currently offers an EFI-certified material for the Jetrion: 54# Semigloss/Perm/40# (R1338). As part of the EFI and MGX partnership, every new Jetrion press purchase now ships with a free roll of this material.

In addition to the EFI-certified material, MGX has also formulated two Jetrion-compatible substrates: 2.3 mil white BOPP and 57# Semigloss/Perm/40#. Many white BOPP materials that MGX typically coats for the HP Indigo can also be formulated to be compatible with the EFI Jetrion.

The 4380 is the latest edition to the EFI Jetrion UV inkjet series of presses, designed to produce high-quality, narrow-web digital labels. The 4380 touts a wider web width and faster linear speeds and over twice the throughput than its predecessor, the Jetrion 4000. The 4830 can print up to 8.3 inches wide on a 9 inch roll, allowing 2-up 4-inch labels. The wider print zone enables label converters to efficiently take on more print jobs. The 4380 is unique in allowing press operators to profitably produce both long and short-run label jobs. The press also features white ink capability, and can print directly on pre-printed rolls or pre-diecut labels.

EFI launched its new Jetrion 4830 UV inkjet system during Labelexpo Europe 2009 and subsequently won the LabelExpo Europe Label Industry Award for New Innovation for the 4380. The 4380 recently won the 2010 European Digital Press (EDP) Association Award for the “Best Industrial (Specialty) Printing Solution” category.

As a digital material provider, Masterpiece Graphix can optimize materials for HP Indigo, EFI Jetrion or other digital press applications. MGX can help digital press users develop new substrates for use on their digital liquid toner, dry toner, and inkjet presses. If you would like to develop a new digital-ready material for your specific digital press application, please contact MGX for more information.

Masterpiece Graphix has added an incredibly unique and stand-out material to their HP Indigo-compatible sheet line: Azuna 3D bubble synthetic sheets. This innovative material when printed creates a 3-D effect that is similar to the look of lenticular, without the costly software or additional art charges. Azuna 3D bubble sheets are a stocked box product and are available in two styles: large bubble and small bubble.

Masterpiece Graphix currently carries two lenticular sheet products, but the sheets are limited for use on HP Indigo S2000 presses, and also require specialized, expensive software to create finished effect. With Azuna 3D, text and images appear to float, creating a three-dimensional look similar to that of lenticular, without having the expense of design time or software costs. In addition, the bubble sheets are compatible with any HP Indigo sheet press.

Azuna 3D is optimized to be printable on either side, so printers can choose the desired finished look depending on which side of the material is printed on. If Azuna 3D is surface-printed, the floating text and image look is achieved, with the printed image appearing to be in front of the bubbled material. If the image is reverse-printed, the “bubble” look of the material appears to be in front of the printed image.

The possibilities for use of Azuna 3D is limitless: creative POP displays, direct mail and promotional pieces just to name a few. The material can be folded or die-cut, and is recyclable. For more information on this exciting new product offering, please contact the MGX sales team.