“This Dscoop event is not a tradeshow and it is not a conference—it is an experience,” said David Wierengo, president of Gregory Inc. “The only event where the emphasis is on the people of the industry and their collective need to learn more so that they can excel. It is a place to trade ideas and a place to spend three days networking with your peers. Dscoop is an investment that will yield great returns.”

Are you ready for what’s next? Apply for a membership in Dscoop today and expand your professional network at Dscoop7.

About Dscoop

Dscoop is an open and informed network of graphic arts professionals who own and operate HP Indigo and Scitex presses. Dscoop members discuss solutions and business strategies to help improve efficiency and profitability in their companies. How can you learn what’s next in the digital print industry?

• Dscoop annual conference, open to Dscoop members only, is the only event where the HP graphic arts community comes together to gain exposure to best practices and ideas in the industry.
• More than 40 Webinars per year addressing topics on new business practices, technical solutions and products.
• Four issues per year of Dscoop Quarterly, a printed newsletter highlighting the latest information and new ideas for your business.
• The Online Print Directory, viewable by the public, where potential customers and Dscoop members can view your contact information and product fulfillment.
• 24/7 online discussion forums
• Special discounts and deals from more than 90 Partners, including Masterpiece Graphix, a Dscoop Bronze Partner

Visit the Dscoop website to learn more, or contact Dscoop headquarters at 312.527.6707 or info@dscoop.org [mailto:info@dscoop.org] for membership information.

Introducing Masterpiece REVOLUTION Digital Sheets: a new line of top quality, universal materials that are compatible with both your liquid toner and dry toner machines. REV up your digital print operations with high performance synthetics capable of running on your HP, Xerox, Kodak, Canon, Konica Minolta…interchangeably.  No more searching for products specific to your machine.  No more increased inventory from multiple products for each press.  No more limitations from the lack of availability of a material on all of your press equipment.  By combining our diverse knowledge and expertise of digital printing into one sheet, Masterpiece Graphix has created a truly Revolutionary product that brings universal printability to all of your synthetics.  One SKU. One inventory. All of your machines. Our newest coating technology adapts to your machine, responds to your ink system, and produces bright, vibrant colors with optimal adhesion and no shrinkage.  Freely move static cling vinyl, wall graphic vinyl, PVC, styrene, synthetic papers, polyethylene, and more from one machine to the next, and maintain the confidence that every project will be a Masterpiece, no matter which digital press you choose to print it on.

Masterpiece Graphix now stocks ten Masterpiece REVOLUTION Digital Sheet substrates with same-day shipping:

• MGX-1360 7 mil REVOLUTION Clear Polyester w/ Tipped Sheet
• MGX-1319 Masterpiece REVOLUTION Static Cling – White
• MGX-1320 Masterpiece REVOLUTION Static Cling – Clear
• MGX-1141 6 mil Masterpiece Premium REVOLUTION White Wall Graphix
• MGX-1153 2 mil REVOLUTION White Polyester/Perm/90#
• MGX-1284 Masterpiece REVOLUTION 10 mil PVC – White
• MGX-1304 Masterpiece REVOLUTION 15 mil PVC – White
• MGX-1306 Masterpiece REVOLUTION 10 mil Styrene – White
• MGX-1009 Masterpiece REVOLUTION 3.25 mil PSA Vinyl/Perm/90# – White
• MGX-1003 Masterpiece REVOLUTION 3.25 mil PSA Vinyl/Rem/90# – White

Masterpiece Graphix also supplies custom runs of Masterpiece REVOLUTION Synthetic Paper stocks that run interchangeably on the HP Indigo and dry toner presses like the iGen, Nexpress, and other similar press technology. MGX offers several grades of Masterpiece REVOLUTION Digital Synthetic Paper sheets in thicknesses ranging from 8 to 15 mil, with rapid processing and order delivery. Masterpiece REVOLUTION Synthetic Papers are bright white and are a perfect choice for tear, chemical, and moisture-resistant applications. Converting MGX Masterpiece REVOLUTION Digital Sheets synthetic paper stocks is easy; the material can be cut, perforated, laser die-cut, folded, and punched. Its properties make it a superb choice for menus, children’s books; hang tags, safety tags, and horticultural tags. The Masterpiece REVOLUTION Digital Sheets synthetic paper lineup is available as unsupported stocks, or as a pressure sensitive product with various adhesive options.

If you are in the market for a specific material that will run flawlessly on your entire digital press arsenal, MGX can help you create the digital-ready materials you require. For more information on in-stock or custom Masterpiece REVOLUTION Digital Sheet options, please contact your MGX sales rep or email the sales team.

REV up your printing.  Join the REVOLUTION.  Make it a Masterpiece!

Masterpiece Graphix (MGX) has partnered with Convertible Solutions to create a new solution for super thick digital printing applications: Masterpiece MAX Impact REVEAL sheets, from Masterpiece Graphix, allow digital printers to produce 24 mils thick cards that contain a pull-away tab, revealing a QR code or other hidden message.  Using a clever adhesive system, this product is offered as a Masterpiece MAX Impact product, a new lineup of innovative digital-ready double thick stocks from MGX and Convertible Solutions. These unique preconverted materials are available for the HP Indigo, Kodak Nexpress, Xerox iGen, as well as other digital press models.

Each sheet of Masterpiece Max Impact REVEAL material is actually 12 mils thick with a specialized no tack adhesive on the back of the sheet and a score down the center. Both sides of your design are printed on the front of the sheet. When folded at the score with a typical bindery folder, the front and back lock together when cut on a guillotine cutter to create an impressive 24 mil card, with a hidden portal for a QR code, message, or sweepstakes promotion. After printing, the sheets can be UV coated to add gloss and protection, or a thin protective lamination layer can be added to make the card thicker and more durable.

Masterpiece Max Impact REVEAL Sheets are designed for digital printers that want to combine a hidden QR code or message with the tactile impact of an extremely thick, and therefore more impactful, postcard. The portal of the Masterpiece Max Impact REVEAL sheets could contain a sweepstakes entry, QR code, contact information, or another creative marketing approach. In conjunction with digital press variable data technology, Masterpiece Reveal Sheets can be used to create a variety of high-impact direct mail pieces, garnering higher response rates than traditional postcards.

“QR codes are only one application for the portal,” adds David Williams, director of business development at Convertible Solutions. “The hidden area can be used to create a sense of mystery, encourage engagement with the mailing, or present a special offer in a playful way.”

As you may have heard, MGX has partnered with Convertible Solutions to offer a unique lineup of preconverted digital-ready substrates, Masterpiece MAX Impact Stocks. This new line of materials includes Masterpiece Max Impact REVEAL sheets, and allows digital printers to create high-quality 24, 30 or 36 mil cardstock products on the HP Indigo, Kodak Nexpress, Xerox iGen, as well as other digital press models. Double Thick Masterpiece MAX Impact Stocks can be utilized to easily create double thick commercial print products like flyers, folding cards, postcards, membership cards, various envelope configurations, sweepstakes packets, and other digital press projects.

Masterpiece Graphix MAX Impact Stock face material is HP Indigo-certified, and its current construction with adhesive system is pending certification. Options are also available for digital roll-fed presses.

For more information on Masterpiece Max Impact REVEAL sheets, or the entire lineup of Masterpiece MAX Impact Stocks, please contact your MGX Digital Material Expert, or email the Masterpiece Graphix sales team.

Masterpiece Graphix has several 12″ x 18″ sheet material options with special pricing for your HP Indigo, Kodak, Nexpress, Xerox iGen, or other digital press. Get in on the savings and contact your MGX Digital Material Expert, while our supplies last!

• MGX-1075: Masterpiece Premium 10 pt. Card Stock C1S: This product is RIT-certified, and MGX has 10,000 specially-priced sheets. This product can be treated on one or both sides, depending on your preference.

• MGX-1434: 13 mil PVC: This product can be treated on one or both sides; please specify your preference when ordering. MGX currently has 72,000 sheets in stock, with special pricing.

• MGX-1077: Masterpiece Premium 15 pt. Card Stock C1S: MGX has 5,300 sheets at a special price. This product can be treated on one or both sides specifically for your digital press model.

• MGX-1160: 10 pt. Green Card Stock: We have 1,250 sheets that can be treated on one or both sides for your digital press.

• MGX-1110: 15 mil Opaque Styrene: Masterpiece Graphix is offering 750 sheets of this material, to be treated on one or both sides depending on your preference.

• White & Clear Glassmate: Ideal for space branding, Masterpiece Premium Glassmate is a unique substate engineered specifically for glass applcations.MGX has 500 sheets each of white and clear Glassmate that are HP Indigo-compatible, at special pricing.

For more information on any of these items, including pricing, please contact your MGX Digital Material Expert, or email the MGX sales team.

Are you looking to space branding as a unique offering to your customers, and a way to build your digital revenue? As you may already know, Masterpiece Graphix has partnered with 3M Commercial Graphics to offer specialized sheet and roll digital products for space branding applications. Do you want to start offering products for walls, countertops, and windows, but find yourself apprehensive to purchase several stocks to produce all of these products, and more? Not to worry! MGX and 3M Commercial Graphics is offering digital-ready IJ86E, a versatile polyolefin substrate that is specifically manufactured for a variety space branding applications. Now you are free to create many space branding products using one digital material.

IJ86E is a 6 mil polyolefin substrate with a removable adhesive, designed primarily for wall graphics. However, this material is very versatile, and can be utilized for countertop and window graphics as well. Polyolefin is becoming a popular alternative to vinyl, as the material is a more environmentally friendly alternative to PVCs.

IJ86E features two exclusive technologies to 3M products: Controltac™ removable adhesive and Comply™ air channels. Controltac™ adhesive is slideable and repositionable until firm pressure bonds the material to the substrate. 3M Comply™ technology permit air bubbles to escape through channels in the adhesive as a film is being applied. This feature allows a novice installer to apply graphics virtually bubble-free, even on curved surfaces.

Masterpiece Graphix has IJ86E in stock, with short lead times on sheets and rolls to digital press users. Please specify your digital press when ordering to ensure the best possible stock performance. For more information on IJ86E, as well as other space branding materials from MGX and 3M Commercial Graphix, please contact your MGX sales rep or email the sales team.

Would you like to be able to print 24, 30, and 36 mil cards on your digital sheet press? Everyone knows your press capabilities limit you to only 18 mil and thinner stocks!

PROBLEM SOLVED: MGX is offering a revolutionary digital product that allows you to produce double thick cardstock projects: Masterpiece Premium MAX Impact Stock. This innovative MAX Impact solution creates a finished piece that is twice the thickness of a typical “thick” postcard, and is compatible with HP Indigo, Kodak Nexpress, OKI Data Engine, Memjet, and Xerox iGen digital press technology.

Imagine going to your best customer with hang tags, loyalty cards, postcards, retail tags, greeting cards, gift cards, business cards, and other commercial press projects that are more impactful and higher quality due to the thickness of the stock.

You’re probably wondering how you can produce all of these thicknesses on a digital press, when the maximum thickness you can run may be only 18 mil or less…read on to find out how.

Each sheet of MAX Impact Stock is actually 12, 15, or 18 mils thick, with a specialized no tack adhesive on the back of the sheet and a score down the center. Both sides of your design are printed on the front of the sheet. When folded at the score with a typical bindery folder, the front and back lock together when cut on a guillotine cutter to create an impressive 24, 30, or 36 mil card. After printing, the sheets can be UV coated to add gloss and protection, or add a thin protective lamination layer to make the card thicker and more durable.

Masterpiece Premium MAX Impact Stock is compatible with a wide variety of liquid toner, dry toner, and inkjet digital presses. Other digital press models may also be compatible, but we recommend testing the stock first to evaluate compatibility with your particular press. Now you can create impressive digital postcards on extra-thick stocks, for more impact and responses when combined with your digital press’s variable data options.

As an example, if you were making postcards with Masterpiece Premium MAX Impact Stock, the material could be trimmed into several postcard sizes: 4 cards at 4.125 x 5.5 inches, 2 cards at 5.75 x 8 inches or one very impressive card at 8.5 x 11 inches. With these options, your digital press can produce other impressive double thick cardstock projects. Max Impact face material is HP Indigo-certified, and is currently pending certification with its glue combination. Options are also available for your roll press as well.

For pricing and additional information on Masterpiece Premium Double Thick Card Stock options, please contact your MGX sales rep or email the sales team.

If you haven’t already heard, Masterpiece Graphix has partnered with 3M Commercial Graphics to treat and distribute digital sheet and roll materials. This new relationship will give MGX customers access to digitally-treated roll and sheet substrates from 3M Commercial Graphics, including wall graphic, floor, countertop, digitally printable materials, as well as overlaminates. Under this new relationship, Masterpiece Graphix will also be able to offer proprietary custom material solutions to MGX customers.  In addition, MGX will toll-coat products for 3M Commercial Graphics through this partnership.

The MGX/3M Commercial Graphics partnership will give digital press users access to many sheet and roll materials that were previously unavailable to the industry. Here are just a few of the 3M Commercial Graphics product options that are now made digital-ready by MGX:

Specialized Adhesives for Every Application: 3M is most well known for their tapes and other adhesive technologies.  3M Commercial Graphics is able to leverage these technologies into adhesives that work in a multitude of different graphic applications.  3M Commercial Graphics specializes in vehicle wraps, fleet graphics, and a variety of unique applications like floors, sidewalks, countertops, and textured surfaced walls.  These different applications require an adhesive to be strong enough to adhere to each substrate, and also in many cases remove easily so that the substrate can be used again.  3M Commercial Graphics has extended these changeable and removable adhesive technologies to the MGX partnership, now allowing for narrow web customers to offer digitally-printed graphics in locations they could not previously service.

3M Commercial Graphics knows that brand owners want their graphics and images to look flawless after installation.  Whether that means the graphics perfectly align when overlapped or that there are no bubbles in the finished graphic, 3M has a technology to help the installer accomplish these criteria.  Controltac™ is a 3M brand name for films with pressure-activated adhesive. Controltac™ adhesive is slideable and repositionable until firm pressure bonds it to the substrate.  3M Comply™ permit air bubbles to escape through channels in the adhesive as a film is being applied.  This feature allows a novice installer to apply graphics virtually bubble-free.

Overlaminate Options: As a distributor of 3M Commercial Graphics products, MGX is pleased to offer a multitude of overlaminates to provide graphic protection options for digitally-printed substrates. Through this partnership, MGX will be offering several textured overlaminates specifically for floor and sidewalk graphics. These non-slip overlaminates offer protection and traction to digitally-printed graphics, and comply with many workplace safety standards. For more information on the multitude of overlaminate options from the MGX/3M Commercial Graphics partnership, please contact your MGX sales rep directly to find an option that best fits your project.

A Diverse Mix of Application Possibilities: In our recent Dscoop webinar on space branding, MGX and 3M Commercial Graphics showcased specialty products from 3M that were specifically designed for space branding applications. 3M™ Scotchcal™ Graphic Film with Comply™ Adhesive IJ40C is the perfect 3M Transit Ad Graphic film IJ36, another intermediate film, is an ideal choice for short-term space branding graphics, as the material removes cleanly without adhesive residue. In addition, many specialty products like premium films 3M™ Controltac™ Graphic Film with Comply™ adhesive IJ180C or IJ180Cv3 are available for outdoor commercial fleet vehicles, watercraft, and transit graphics, as well as many other applications. Each 3M Commercial Graphics product is specially formulated to perform well under its recommended usage. For more information on some of the readily available space branding products from 3M Commercial Graphics and MGX, check out this 3M spec sheet on available materials.

Is there a 3M Commercial Graphics product you would like to see digital-ready for your press? Let Masterpiece Graphix know! Email our sales team to get more information on any 3M Commercial Graphics product, made digital-ready by MGX.

Masterpiece Graphix has developed materials for many digital presses like the HP Indigo, and more recently the Kodak Nexpress, Xerox iGen, and Memjet RapidX. Now MGX is serving even more commercial presses like the OKI data engine on the Xante, Intec, or Isys, as well as the MGI Meteor with synthetic substrate options like BOPP, PVC, styrene, polyethylene, and more. Do you have one or more of these digital presses? We want to know!

The OKI print engine on the Xante, Intec, and Isys is based on dry toner digital technology; the same is true of the MGI Meteor. These presses utilize similar technology as the iGen and Nexpress. MGX has been treating and testing synthetic substrates specifically for the OKI Xante, Intec, and Isys print engine, in addition to the MGI Meteor press. Right now, MGX is testing synthetic substrates like PVC, PSA vinyl, polyester, static cling, styrene, wall graphic, BOPP and more for use on these digital press models.

As we ramp up our capabilities, we want to ask our customers to let us know if they have one of these machines, and what materials they would like to run on their press. Our digital material experts are committed to working together with your team to get you the best possible image quality out of your synthetic substrate jobs on your digital press model.

Be sure to get in touch with your MGX sales rep or email the sales team, and let us know what digital synthetic materials you need for your OKI Xante, Intec, or Isys engine, or your MGI Meteor press. Masterpiece Graphix is here to help you get the digital materials you want for all of your digital press needs.

Some of the most challenging printing projects require substrate attributes that seem to contradict one another. For instance, a customer may require a material that has the look and feel of paper, but is also tear and water-resistant. Synthetic substrates are a good go-to choice for many digital press projects like prime labels, commercial print projects, photos, gift cards, tagging, and in-mold labeling. Synthetic materials are an ideal choice for applications in which durability and resistance to water and chemicals are important. Label printers and commercial printers are also looking to synthetic substrates to improve brand image, and to increase margin on their highest-quality jobs.

One market that is especially suited for synthetic materials is plant and horticultural tags. Plant tags need to be tear and weather-resistant with a bright white print surface. One MGX client produced a series of unique plant tags, complete with tear-off outdoor planting calendars for a large national green house. A synthetic paper was the right choice for this project for its durability, bright white finish, and its ability to be micro-perforated for easy tear-off.

Masterpiece Graphix has supplied hundreds of synthetic substrates to digital press customers, and offers not only BOPP, but other specialty solutions to suit specific needs. Here are just a few of the flagship digital-ready specialized synthetic products that Masterpiece Graphix offers:

• Masterpiece Premium Synthetic Paper: MGX offers several grades of synthetic paper in thicknesses ranging from 8 mil to 15 mil. Masterpiece Premium Synthetic is a bright white synthetic paper, and is available in sheets or as rolls. It’s a perfect product for tear, chemical, and moisture-resistant applications. Converting MGX synthetic paper stock is easy; the material can be cut, perforated, laser die-cut, folded, and punched. Its properties make it a superb choice for menus, children’s books; hang tags, safety tags, and horticultural tags. This material is available as unsupported stock or in conjunction with various specialty adhesives and liners.

• Masterpiece Premium Clear Polyester (PET): This material offers the same performance of our white synthetic paper in a crystal clear construction. An optional white tipped-on sheet allows the material to feed trouble-free through the HP Indigo sheet press engine, and removes cleanly for the final application. HP Indigo users can combine the clarity of the substrate with the white ink system to create a wide range of opaque and transparent effects. Masterpiece Premium Clear Polyester is available in sheet or roll form through the MGX/Transilwrap partnership. MGX can offer HP Indigo-compatible polyester roll and sheet stocks, as well as options for the Kodak Nexpress and Xerox iGen.

• Masterpiece Premium 6 mil Wall Graphix: While not traditionally considered a “synthetic paper”, Masterpiece Premium Wall Graphix is an extremely popular product for HP Indigo digital press users. The product features an ultra-removable adhesive that removes cleanly without residue. The material is repositionable, allowing the graphic to be reused or adjusted. This product is RIT-Certified for use on the HP Indigo 5000/5500, and is available in sheets or as HP Indigo-compatible rolls. This material is also available as a Kodak Nexpress or Xerox iGen-compatible product; please specify your press model when ordering.

If you are in the market for a specific synthetic material, or if you need a specialty material that will resist chemicals, moisture, and damage, MGX can help you get the digital-ready synthetic material you need. MGX has compiled a database of hundreds of synthetic substrate constructions, so we can help you find the best possible choice for your digital print project. For more information on synthetic options, please contact your MGX sales rep or email the sales team.

HP Indigo digital printing technology is well-suited to digital photo production, and is gaining popularity in the digital photofinishing industry. Photo-specialty printing is one of HP Indigo’s fastest growing markets, with a 30% year-over-year increase for new HP Indigo press placements in photo specialty applications in 2009. In addition, HP Indio saw a 40% year-over-year increase in photo specialty page output during the photo industry’s peak-production season, October 1 to December 31.  Applications for photo specialty products are endless, and more products are hitting the marketplace all the time. Some possibilities include photo books, accordion folders, high-end cards, photo prints, and wall graphics.

Digital technology has “caught up” with traditional silver halide photo production: the HP Indigo can now offer archival-quality printing options, small runs, and inline finishing options. A print permanence study by Wilhelm Imaging Research (WIR), the respected industry authority on digital print longevity, gave HP Indigo pages printed on a gloss stock a WIR Permanence Rating of approximately 45 years, which outperforms the best silver halide paper on the market. The study also shows that HP Indigo photo book prints received a WIR Album/Dark storage rating of greater than 100 years.

To meet this exploding demand, HP has developed several flagship solutions specifically for the photo production industry. Many HP Indigo users are currently utilizing the HP Indigo WS6000, 5000, 5500, 7000 and 7500 to produce photo-specialty products. In addition, the HP Indigo 7200 offers improved color management and consistency specifically for high-volume printing of photo-specialty products like photo books. This digital sheet press offers blazing-fast production speeds of 240 four-color letter-size pages per minute, and volumes of up to 7.5 million pages per month. Other features include linked color management utilities and optional finishing systems for inline cutting; offset stacking of book blocks, and lamination.  Dry toner presses like the Xerox iGen and Kodak Nexpress also are capable of producing photo specialty products like books, prints, and cards.

If you are looking to integrate photographic products into your press offerings, Masterpiece Graphix can help with substrate selection, production consulting, and product development. Digital printers that desire a traditional high-gloss paper or cardstock product can achieve this by applying a UV or high-gloss laminate over the printed stock. These finishing options also add longevity to the print. If you are looking for a unique, luxurious look, MGX can also supply textured roll or sheet substrates that mimic the look of canvas, cloth, linen, metal, or vellum. Any substrate can be varnished or laminated to add durability and permanence to the printed product, or printed without a finishing solution to create more cost-effective option.

The possibilities for photo production are anything but limited to card and paper substrates. Emerging technologies include fabrics and pressure-sensitive stickers and wall graphics. Your Masterpiece Graphix sales rep can help you source and treat the digital materials you need for your specific photo application, whether it’s a traditional or off-the-wall product. For more information on all of our photo production substrate solution, please contact your MGX sales rep or email the sales team.