Masterpiece Graphix

Advances in digital press technology have allowed industrial sheet press users to manufacture durable labels for a multitude of end-use applications. The HP Indigo is ideal for industrial manufacturing because of its ability to print on thicker sheet substrates like polycarbonate, polyethylene and PVC vinyl. Your company can greatly benefit from the versatility of your press by creating membrane switch overlays for electronic devices with keypads.

A membrane switch is an electronic on/off switch with a graphic interfaced keypad, allowing users to dial in setting via a touch screen, which is printed on tough material like polycarbonate. The visible portion that the operator uses to enter setting is the membrane switch’s graphic overlay.The membrane switch is not visible to the user but lies underneath the graphic overlay, relaying the user’s desired settings and controls to the machinery.

The design of the graphic overlay is very important because it displays the object’s brand identity, instructions, machine feedback and tactile feel that is crucial for the operator to enter in he/she’s desired settings.  Every time an operator uses this overlay and the switches below them, they interact firsthand with your company’s product. This is why it is so important to design an eye-catching, easy to understand yet 100% functional membrane switch graphic overlay.

Membrane switches can be used on many devices across many industries, including food service, medical equipment, exercise equipment, office equipment, household appliances, automotive panels, and industrial machinery. Digital press production of membrane switch graphic overlays is an ideal way to manufacture membrane switch overlays. Digital technology can economically print short-run jobs -the typical size of a membrane switch overlay print run. Digital’s variable data technology allows for multiple options for different color variances of the same product or to allow for production of graphic overlays in different languages. Many membrane switches are reverse-printed to protect the digital ink from getting damaged or scratched for a longer product lifespan. A graphic overlay could also be laminated with acpo digital overlaminate to protect the substrate the stresses of continued use and a harsh environment.

Masterpiece Graphix offers polycarbonate, polyester and polyethylene sheets that are HP Indigo-compatible for all membrane switch options. Polyester typically holds up longer than polyethylene and polycarbonate in membrane switch applications. MGX’s digital material experts can help guide you in selecting substrates for your particular membrane switch overlay job. For more information on MGX materials for membrane switch overlays, please contact your MGX sales rep.

Fenton, MO August 24, 2010 – Masterpiece Graphix (MGX) of St. Louis, Missouri, has partnered with Xeikon, a pioneer in digital color printing, to offer metalized substrate enhancement services for the Xeikon label presses. Xeikon-authorized MGX Brilliant Metalized Paper/Perm/40# (R1361) will be one of the substrates running on the Xeikon 3500 digital press at the Labelexpo 2010 show in Chicago, IL. Xeikon is exhibiting at Booth 6135, Hall F at Labelexpo.

MGX’s R1361 has been enhanced with a digital topcoat and is authorized for use on all the Xeikon label presses for the best possible image quality and toner adhesion.  MGX also offers Xeikon-authorized enhanced metalized material solutions for synthetic substrates such as BOPP and polyester.

According to Filip Weymans, Business Development Manager – Labels & Packaging, Xeikon, “We are excited about our partnership with MGX. Our presses work exceptionally well with most standard self-adhesive label substrates without any pre-treatment or coating (Paper and BOPP). In case of MGX’s R1361 Metalized substrate, a digital topcoat is required to optimize the image quality and adhesion. All the MGX substrates that we have tested work really well with our presses. We will demonstrate this at Labelexpo.”

“We are all about creating materials that enhance digital printing performance,” said Doug Watson, President of Masterpiece Graphix. “We have a high regard for Xeikon and it is a privilege to develop materials for them.”

The Xeikon 3500, launched at IPEX 2010, addresses the need for more production capacity. It can handle scalable media widths up to 20.3 inches, a significant size increase that allows label converters to digitally address a wider range of applications with 1200 dpi imaging quality. In addition, it can handle monthly duty cycles up to 3.8 million square feet.

The Xeikon 3500 is ideal for the production of self-adhesive and heat transfer labels. Equipped with high-precision LED-based imaging heads, it generates excellent image quality. The press is equipped with 5 color stations, 4 for the standard process colors while the 5th allows the use of spot colors. Print speed of the press is unaffected by the number of colors used as well as the repeat length of a label. The Xeikon 3500 can also apply a special security toner for anti-counterfeiting applications, and ‘one-pass’ opaque white to create a desired ‘no-label/label-less look’ on transparent labels. It runs on Xeikon’s new QA-I toner, which meets all the applicable FDA standards for indirect and direct contact with dry food items.

About Masterpiece Graphix

Masterpiece Graphix (MGX) is a digital coating company, supplying digital-ready roll and sheet materials for liquid toner, dry toner and inkjet press applications. Masterpiece Graphix is the only HP Indigo Certified treatment center for HP Indigo optimized materials in North America. Serving customers with short lead times, certified as well as custom digital material solutions, competitive pricing, and substrate guidance, MGX’s team of coating experts has proven themselves to be the unrivaled competitor in quality and service within the digital materials industry.

About Xeikon

A pioneer in digital printing, Xeikon designs, develops and delivers high-end digital color printing systems for the industrial, document and commercial printing market segments. These systems are composed of advanced web-fed printing engines using LED-array-based, dry toner electrophotography, open workflow software, exclusive toner and other consumables. Xeikon’s production and R&D operations are based in Belgium and its solutions are distributed and supported through a worldwide sales and service network. Xeikon is a division of Punch Graphix. For more information, visit www.xeikon.com.

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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.

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.

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.