Masterpiece Graphix

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!

Fenton, MO January 17, 2012 –

HEADLINE:

Masterpiece Graphix (MGX) has released a new lineup of innovative synthetic stocks for the HP Indigo, Kodak Nexpress, Xerox iGen, and other digital presses. Masterpiece REVOLUTION Digital Sheets are a new line of top-quality, universal materials that are compatible with both liquid toner and dry toner digital press technology.

FULL STORY:                         

MGX has introduced a revolutionary new product for digital press users–Masterpiece REVOLUTION Digital Sheets, a new lineup of top quality, universal materials that are compatible with liquid toner and dry toner digital machines. Digital printers can rev up their capabilities with high performance synthetics that run flawlessly on the HP Indigo, Xerox iGen, Kodak Nexpress, Canon ImagePRESS, Konica Minolta Bizhub and other similar technology.  With this new product lineup, MGX takes the headache out of securing digital products for specific to a machine, eliminating the need to increase inventory for multiple presses.

“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 our digital synthetic stocks,” said Dan Lawellin, national sales manager for Masterpiece Graphix.  “Our newest treatment technology adapts to your machine, responds to your ink system, and produces bright, vibrant colors with optimal adhesion and no shrinkage.  Now digital printers can 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 they choose to print it on.”

Masterpiece Graphix stocks ten Masterpiece REVOLUTION Digital Synthetic substrates in 12″x18″ sheets with same-day release:

• 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 to digital printers to use interchangeably on the HP Indigo and dry toner presses like the iGen and Nexpress. 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. MGX Masterpiece REVOLUTION Synthetic Paper stocks can easily be converted via cut, perforation, laser die-cut, folding, and/or punching. Its versatile properties make it a superb choice for menus, children’s books; hang tags, safety tags, and horticultural tags. Masterpiece REVOLUTION Digital Synthetic Papers are available as unsupported stocks, or as a pressure sensitive product with various adhesive options.

For additional information, please contact:

About Masterpiece Graphix:

Masterpiece Graphix (MGX) is the premier digital substrate manufacturer, providing solutions for liquid toner, dry toner, and inkjet digital press technologies. As the first and only HP-Certified Indigo Treatment Center established in North America, Masterpiece Graphix has successfully treated hundreds of digital sheet and roll materials for the HP Indigo press. Masterpiece Graphix offers turnkey, ready-to-run digital material solutions for HP Indigo, Xeikon, EFI Jetrion, Kodak Nexpress, Memjet RapidX, and Xerox iGen digital presses, as well as solutions for other digital press technologies. As a digital material manufacturer and treatment center, MGX is a one-stop-shop for all traditional commodity stocks and exotic materials, opening up new revenue opportunities for digital press users. MGX is a Dscoop Gold Partner, and will be exhibiting at Dscoop7 in booth #229.

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Fenton, MO January 9, 2012 –

HEADLINE:

Masterpiece Graphix 24 mil MAX Impact Card Stock has been certified by RIT for printing on the HP Indigo 5500 and 7000 digital sheet presses. MGX MAX Impact products are innovative premium card stocks available in 24, 30 and 36 mil thicknesses that are compatible with the HP Indigo, Kodak Nexpress, Xerox iGen, and other digital presses.

FULL STORY:                         

The Printing Applications Laboratory at the Rochester Institute of Technology has certified Masterpiece Graphix 24 mil MAX Impact Stocks for printing on the HP Indigo 5500 and 7000 digital sheet presses. The new revolutionary stock, which enables the production of 24 point postcards on a standard digital press, was given RIT’s highest rating of three stars in every category tested including runnability, fixing and blanket compatibility.

Masterpiece Graphix MAX Impact stocks are 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 the design are printed on the front of the sheet. When folded at the score with a typical bindery folder and cut on a guillotine cutter, the front and back lock together to create an impressive 24 mil card. 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. Using this technology, digital printers are able to create new applications outside of the typical thickness range for their digital machines, and expand their product offerings to their customers.

Masterpiece Graphix MAX Impact Stocks, a lineup of innovative pre-converted digital-ready specialty substrates, can be utilized to produce high-quality 24, 30, or 36 mil cardstock projects on the HP Indigo, Kodak Nexpress, Xerox iGen, as well as other digital press models. Digital printers can now create thick, impactful commercial print products like postcards, hang tags, business cards, and other digital press projects. Masterpiece MAX Impact Stocks are available in a variety of pre-converted layouts, for easy production of folding cards, postcards, membership cards, various envelope configurations, sweepstakes packets, and other digital press projects. Templates are available for each layout, and custom options are also available.

About Masterpiece Graphix:

Masterpiece Graphix (MGX) is the premier digital substrate manufacturer, providing solutions for liquid toner, dry toner, and inkjet digital press technologies. As the first and only HP-Certified Indigo Treatment Center established in North America, Masterpiece Graphix has successfully treated hundreds of digital sheet and roll materials for the HP Indigo press. Masterpiece Graphix offers turnkey, ready-to-run digital material solutions for HP Indigo, Xeikon, EFI Jetrion, Kodak Nexpress, Memjet RapidX, and Xerox iGen digital presses, as well as solutions for other digital press technologies. As a digital material manufacturer and treatment center, MGX is a one-stop-shop for all traditional commodity stocks and exotic materials, opening up new revenue opportunities for digital press users.

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.

Fenton, MO October 12, 2011 –

HEADLINE:

Masterpiece Graphix has partnered with Convertible Solutions to create a new solution for super thick digital printing applications: MAX Impact Stocks, from Masterpiece Graphix, allow 24, 30 and 36 mils thick products to be made on the HP Indigo, Kodak Nexpress, Xerox iGen, as well as other digital press models. Using a clever adhesive system, this new lineup of innovative digital-ready materials allow digital printers to create high-quality MAX Impact products not previously available.

FULL STORY:

Masterpiece Graphix (MGX), a digital material manufacturer and treatment center, has partnered with Convertible Solutions to introduce a lineup of innovative preconverted digital-ready specialty substrates. This new line of materials includes Masterpiece Graphix MAX Impact Stocks, which allow digital printers to create high-quality double-thick cardstock products up to 36 mils thick on the HP Indigo, Kodak Nexpress, Xerox iGen, as well as other digital press models. This technology can be utilized to create other double-thick commercial print products like hang tags, business cards, and other digital press projects. This relationship also broadens access to other digital preconverted options for postcards/mailers, membership cards, various envelope configurations, sweepstakes packets, and other digital press projects.

Each sheet of MGX 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 Graphix MAX Impact Stock face material is HP Indigo-certified, and is currently pending certification with its glue combination. Options are also available for digital roll-fed presses.

Masterpiece Graphix MAX Impact Stocks are designed for printers and direct marketing companies that want to combine variable data or short run printing with the tactile impact of an extremely thick, and therefore more impactful, postcard. The same technology can be utilized to create other double-thick commercial print products like hang tags, business cards, and other commercial press projects.

“Direct mail is an essential part of any effective multichannel marketing campaign,” explains David Williams, Director of Business Development at Convertible Solutions. “A well designed mail campaign can work on its own or in conjunction with email marketing, personalized URLs, mobile marketing and QR codes to dramatically increase response rates.”

“Postcards are one of the simplest and most effective forms of direct mail,” according to Convertible’s Director, George Fry. “Thicker postcards stand out and have higher response rates than thinner cards, but producing a personalized postcard on a thick stock has been difficult. The digital presses required for short run or variable data printing did not work well with such heavy stock.”

“This is a perfect marriage of technologies,” explains Doug Watson, CEO of Masterpiece Graphix. “ Combining the visual impact and durability of our specialty substrates with Convertible’s unique design and converting capability will give printers and direct marketers new ways to make projects stand out.”

This agreement also gives MGX customers access to other digital paper-based products powered by Convertible Solutions preconverting technology. This includes double thick cardstock options, as well as product options for membership cards, various envelope configurations, sweepstakes packets, and other commercial press projects.

For additional information, please contact:

About Masterpiece Graphix:

Masterpiece Graphix (MGX) is the premier digital substrate manufacturer, providing solutions for liquid toner, dry toner, and inkjet digital press technologies. As the first and only HP-Certified Indigo Treatment Center established in North America, Masterpiece Graphix has successfully treated hundreds of digital sheet and roll materials for the HP Indigo press. Masterpiece Graphix offers turnkey, ready-to-run digital material solutions for HP Indigo, Xeikon, EFI Jetrion, Kodak Nexpress, Memjet RapidX, and Xerox iGen digital presses, as well as solutions for other digital press technologies. As a digital material manufacturer and treatment center, MGX is a one-stop-shop for all traditional commodity stocks and exotic materials, opening up new revenue opportunities for digital press users.

About Convertible Solutions:

Convertible Solutions is a subsidiary of Inter-State Studio and Publishing Company. In addition to the Double Thick Impact Cards, the company makes a full line of pre-converted stocks for envelopes, mailers and presentation folders. More information is available at www.ConvertibleSolutions.com.

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.

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.

Fenton, MO September 19, 2011 – Masterpiece Graphix (MGX), a digital material manufacturer and treatment center, has been named as a Certified Color-Logic Partner for digital metalized substrates. Now Masterpiece Graphix can provide compatible solutions for fantastic digital press metallic and special effects with Color-Logic’s Process Metallic Color System™.

Announcing the partnership, Color-Logic director of sales and marketing Mark Geeves commented: “Masterpiece Graphix and Color-Logic have worked together to ensure that Masterpiece Graphix Brilliant Metalized Paper/Perm/40# (R1361) provides the best possible image quality results on the Xeikon 30000 Series of digital label presses.  As a result, Masterpiece Graphix becomes the first Color-Logic technology partner to qualify substrate for use on Xeikon equipment.  Our collaboration ensures that Masterpiece Graphix is familiar with the Color-Logic Process Metallic Color System™, and stands ready to assist Xeikon users who wish to print on metalized paper to achieve the dramatic Color-Logic effects.”

MGX also offers Xeikon-authorized enhanced metalized material solutions for BOPP and polyester synthetic substrates. In addition, Masterpiece Graphix manufactures a multitude of metalized roll and sheet substrates that are compatible with other digital label presses.

For additional information, please contact:

About Masterpiece Graphix:

Masterpiece Graphix (MGX) is the premier digital substrate manufacturer, providing solutions for liquid toner, dry toner, and inkjet digital press technologies. As the first and only HP-Certified Indigo Treatment Center established in North America, Masterpiece Graphix has successfully treated hundreds of digital sheet and roll materials for the HP Indigo press. Masterpiece Graphix offers turnkey, ready-to-run digital material solutions for HP Indigo, Xeikon, EFI Jetrion, Kodak Nexpress, Memjet RapidX, and Xerox iGen digital presses, as well as solutions for other digital press technologies. As a digital material manufacturer and treatment center, MGX is a one-stop-shop for all traditional commodity stocks and exotic materials, opening up new revenue opportunities for digital press users.

About Color-Logic:

Color-Logic^™ develops color communication systems and software tool sets for a variety of special effect printing applications.  Color-Logic provides brand owners, product managers, corporations, and their advertising agencies the ability to differentiate themselves and their clients with a simple print production process that yields dramatic results.  Color-Logic special effects utilize the existing workflows of printers and designers, yielding dynamic results without the use of special equipment.  Color-Logic supports the value of print and works with designers and printers to enhance their printed media.  For more information, visit www.color-logic.com or call 513-258-0047.

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.