Masterpiece Graphix

Nevada-based DynaGraphic Printing (DGP) has been pushing the boundaries of digital print for more than seven years. Sales manager Marjie Swiatek said that last year’s Dscoop5 conference gave her the opportunity to speak directly with peers, sharing concerns, ideas, opportunities and more. This experience directly impacted sales at DGP.

“Our clientele developed a taste for variable data and images, with color that rivaled offset, and our sales team was eager to use variable data options for numbering, addressing and other functions that had previously been post-press,” Swiatek said. “The Dscoop conference education sessions were jam-packed with creative ideas that we were able to express and present to our customers with ease and interaction. For that reason, our entire sales team will be attending Dscoop6 this year.”

Dscoop is an open and informed network of graphic arts professionals who use HP Indigo and Scitex. Dscoop members discuss solutions and business strategies to help improve efficiency and profitability in their companies. Do you take advantage of all that Dscoop offers?

• Dscoop6, Feb. 17-19, 2011, in Orlando, Florida, is the annual conference where the community comes together to share ideas and experiences that propel their businesses forward

• More than 40 Webinars per year addressing business, technical, label and packaging, and grand format topics that discuss best practices and analyze industry trends

• 4 issues per year of Dscoop Quarterly, a printed newsletter highlighting the latest information and new ideas for your business

• 24/7 online discussion forums for members to help and learn from other members, with 55,000 hits per year

• Peer groups for business owners, technical operators, and sales executives to exchange ideas with like-minded industry professionals

• HP Capture Program tools, case studies and customizable Web-to-print tools on dscoop.org

• Special discounts and deals from more than 90 Partners, including Dscoop Gold Partner Masterpiece Graphix

To learn more about Dscoop, visit www.dscoop.org. Call 312.527.6707 or e-mail info@dscoop.org for membership information.

St. Louis, MO January 27, 2011 – Masterpiece Graphix is proud to announce new sales and distribution partnerships with Leed Consultancy and Lowry Sales B.C. Ltd., making MGX’s vast selection of digital sheet and roll materials available in Canada and throughout Europe. Now HP Indigo, Xerox iGen, Kodak Nexpress, EFI Jetrion, Xeikon, and other digital press users in Europe and Canada will have access to MGX’s expansive catalog of digital-ready products. Digital press users throughout Europe and Canada will also be able to utilize custom stocking options not previously available in their region.

“Masterpiece Graphix is tremendously excited to offer high-performance digital materials throughout Canada and Europe,” said MGX President/CEO Doug Watson. “We’ve received many requests for our digital materials to be readily available in international markets. European and Canadian digital press users will now enjoy shorter lead times, reduced shipment rates and access to more materials as a result of our new relationships with Lowry Sales and Leed Consultancy.”

Alan Steenson of Leed Consultancy is MGX’s European Ouside Sales Agent based in the United Kingdom. Leed Consultancy is in the process of finalizing European warehousing options, and is currently taking orders for MGX digital materials in the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe.

Masterpiece Graphix’s Canadian distributor Lowry Labels & Tape currently offers warehousing options in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montréal. MGX Customers can opt to store their desired digital materials in these locations, keeping their digital stocks ready to ship quickly as needed. Canadian and European customers can expect shorter lead times for commonly ordered materials when they utilize MGX’s new warehousing and distributorship options.

MGX is scheduling regular monthly shipments of digital material from their St. Louis, Missouri facility to warehouse space in Europe and Canada to save customers from the additional expense and hassle indicative of international freight. Interested parties can get in on the savings by contacting MGX to schedule regular orders of their desired material, or to package a small order for testing along with other orders for reduced shipping rates.

Digital press users in Europe and Canada can contact MGX’s regional distributor to request pricing and lead time on desired digital roll and sheet stocks.

Contact information for Masterpiece Graphix digital material sales and distribution in Europe:

Contact information for Masterpiece Graphix and Lowry Labels & Tape Canadian distribution options:

For additional information, material samples or images please contact:

Click Here to Download a PDF of this News Release

Masterpiece Graphix is proud to announce a distribution partnership with Lowry Labels & Tape, making MGX’s vast selection of digital sheet and roll materials available in Canada! MGX’s entire product catalog is now available on a custom stock basis for the first time in Canada, thanks to Lowry’s distribution channels. Now HP Indigo, Xerox iGen, Kodak Nexpress, EFI Jetrion, Xeikon, and other Canadian digital press users will have access to more MGX products, as well as regional custom stocking options not previously available.

Lowry offers stocking locations in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montréal, giving Canadian MGX/Lowry customers a range of warehouse locations that best fit their digital business. Existing MGX customers in Canada now have access to Lowry’s warehouse network. MGX customers can opt to store their desired materials offsite, ready to ship to their pressroom quickly as needed. Canadian customers can expect shorter lead times for commonly ordered materials when they utilize this option.

MGX is in the process of scheduling regular monthly shipments of material from our St. Louis, Missouri facility to Lowry’s warehouse space in Canada to save our customers money and hassles on international shipments. Get in on the savings by scheduling regular orders of your desired material, or package a small order for testing on your press along with other orders for reduced freight charges.

Is there a digital sheet or roll material you are interested in, listed on our website or otherwise? Contact Zoran Culin at Lowry to request pricing and lead time on your requested stock, and set up regular orders to ensure that your desired digital materials are always ready to ship quickly to your facility, when you need them.

Here is the contact information for more information on these new Canadian distribution options from Masterpiece Graphix and Lowry Labels & Tape:

For more information, please contact Zoran directly or email our sales team.

Metalized substrates add pizzazz to your digital press offering with sparkle and interest. However it can be tricky to for a graphic designer to create a file that will achieve the desired metalized colors and effect when it goes to press. Color-Logic, a developer of color communication and software tools for special effect printing, The Process Metallic Color System™ by Color-Logic provides a communication system linking graphic designers with printers and converters. Previously only available for offset lithography applications, the Color-Logic Process Metallic Color System Version 2™ now supports digital press, inkjet and flexo printing processes. The Process Metallic Color System Version 2 ™ enables licensed printers to produce remarkable metallic effects on HP Indigo and Xeikon digital presses. The system is designed so that nearly any digital press that can print opaque white ink on a metallic substrate can produce striking images, hundreds of metallic colors and dazzling special effects.

Now industrial HP Indigo and Xeikon users with five-color printing capabilities (white plus CMYK) can utilize the Color-Logic process to produce as many as 250 different metallic hues on metalized substrates. The Color-Logic software works by incorporating the metallic substrate into the design, creating an effect equivalent to that achieved when running offset lithographic images with metallic ink. The Process Metallic Color System™ standardizes the process to benefit both printers and designers, to ensure files are correctly printed without the trial and error that can hinder metallic printing projects. The software system produces beautiful special effects for labels, folding cartons, signage, literature, point-of-purchase, and other specialty applications.

The Process Metallic Color System™ by Color-Logic has gained popularity initially for its ability to produce striking metallic images and special effects using offset lithography and flexography. In addition to Xeikon and HP Indigo technology, Color-Logic has recently released the new version of their metallic printing system to be compatible with wide-format inkjet.

The Process Metallic Color System™ software works by providing graphic designers with the ability to add a fifth silver separation to their usual CMYK images, creating designs that were previously impossible to achieve. Many Color-Logic special effects are simple and easy to create, and the system does not require you to purchase additional hardware or software to implement the technology. Files are generated by the same design software press users currently use, so Color Logic’s Process Metallic Color System™ platform is already compatible with your existing workflow. Printers that want to utilize the system are licensed and authorized by Color-Logic after demonstrating their metalized printing capabilities with the Process Metallic Color System™. This certification is a strong selling point when bidding on metallic printing jobs.

Color-Logic sells directly to printing companies who can then license the process from Color-Logic on a one-time basis, for perpetual use. Color-Logic partners with major press and output device suppliers, including manufacturers providing coating and proofing equipment, as well as ink and substrate suppliers, to ensure compatibility with existing printer workflows and practices. Products are thoroughly tested before release to ensure that the metallic printing system produces exceptional results on different digital press models.

Color-Logic, in conjunction with Xeikon, showcased their Process Metallic Color System™ at Graph Expo in October 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. Color Logic’s booth distributed printed samples of MGX’s Xeikon-Authorized Brilliant Metalized Paper/Perm/40# (R1361), which were printed using Color Logic’s metalized printing software on a Xeikon digital press.  Color-Logic’s Process Metallic Color System™ received a coveted MustSee’em Award in the Software category at Graph Expo.

Take a few minutes to see how the Color-Logic Design Suite produces dynamic  effects with the most common design programs available in the marketplace today by following this link.

Masterpiece Graphix can provide digital metalized substrates for HP Indigo and Xeikon that work well with Color-Logic’s Process Metallic Color System™. For more information on our metalized substrates, please contact your MGX sales rep directly or email our sales team.

Masterpiece Graphix is proud to offer its vast selection of digital sheet and roll materials in Europe! MGX’s entire product catalog is now available on a custom stock basis for the first time in the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe. Now HP Indigo, Xerox iGen, Kodak Nexpress, EFI Jetrion, Xeikon, and other digital press users have access to MGX products not previously available in the European marketplace.

MGX has a dedicated sales rep who is handling all material orders in Europe. Alan Steenson of Leed Consultancy is our MGX sales rep based in the United Kingdom and will have European warehousing space available soon to MGX customers. Alan can help your business with pricing and material selection for your specific application. Alan Steenson can also help your company determine the best supply chain solution for your digital business.

MGX is in the process of scheduling regular monthly shipments of material from our St. Louis, Missouri facility to warehouse space in Europe to save our customers on international freight charges. Get in on the savings by scheduling regular orders of your desired material, or package a small order for testing along with other orders for reduced freight charges.
Is there a digital sheet or roll material you are interested in, listed on our website or otherwise? Contact Alan to request pricing and lead time on your requested stock, and set up regular orders to ensure that your desired digital material is always ready to ship quickly to your facility, when you need it.

Here is the contact information for MGX digital material sales in UK and Europe:

For more information, please contact Alan directly or email our sales team.

Masterpiece Graphix offers many roll and sheet substrate solutions for folding carton production, including two HP Indigo-certified substrates.  Recent innovations in HP Indigo press technology has made folding carton production a new revenue opportunity for both roll and sheet HP Indigo users.

As digital printing evolves, more short-run applications are becoming possible (and profitable) via digital press technology. According to a recent L&NW article, HP Indigo is focused on digital press applications “beyond labels”, and have made improvements to the roll-fed WS6000 and even the sheetfed HP Indigo 5500 to facilitate additional production options such as folding carton. Now, both presses can print on board stock up to 18 points thick with the necessary upgrades, offering new revenue opportunities for digital printers. Currently HP Indigo is the only press vendor that offers both sheet-and roll-fed presses that are engineered to support folding carton substrate printing up to 18 points thick.

Narrow web roll presses are best equipped for producing larger folding cartons. The HP Indigo WS6000 is especially suited for printing folding cartons, with its nearly 12 ½ inch narrow web width and over three foot repeat. These options giving press operators a much larger printing surface to lay out a product carton job. The press efficiently utilizes each repeat frame, minimizing material waste.

Recent developments in HP Indigo sheet press technology have made the HP Indigo 5500 a viable candidate for small folding carton production. Recently HP showcased the Indigo 5500 with its new thick substrate upgrade at Label Expo 2010 in Chicago. Now the HP Indigo 5500 can print on sheets up to 18 points thick. This new capability, combined with near-line systems for diecutting and folding manufactured by HP Indigo partners (see this HP news release), opens up a whole new market for commercial printers who currently utilize the HP Indigo 5500 for their digital press jobs.

Masterpiece Premium 18 pt C1S Board Stock (R1275) is certified for use on the WS6000, and is perfect for folding carton applications as well as business cards, direct mail pieces and postcards. Masterpiece Premium 18 pt Card Stock is available as a C1S or C2S product and can be optimized for Indigo printing on one or both sides of the substrate. The material offers superior printability and excellent ink adhesion on either side. In addition, Masterpiece Graphix offers many HP Indigo-compatible folding carton substrates at varying weights and thicknesses, tailored to your unique application. You can view a partial list of MGX’s roll-fed digital folding carton substrates here.

MGX offers several in-stock solutions for sheetfed digital folding carton production. Masterpiece Premium 10 pt. Card Stock (MGX-1075) is an HP Indigo-certified substrate for the 5000 & 5500, offering exceptional printability and ink adhesion. MGX also stocks many HP Indigo-compatible substrates that are suitable for folding cartons: 80# C2S Gloss Cover (MGX-1326), 100# C2S Gloss Cover (MGX-1327), and Masterpiece Premium 15 pt. Card Stock (MGX-1077). All of these sheet products are always in stock and are also compatible with dry toner technology like the Xerox iGen and Kodak Nexpress. You can view all MGX stocked sheet products here.

Is there a digital folding carton material that you desire, but it isn’t mentioned here or on our website? No problem! Masterpiece Graphix can source your desired material and engineer it to your digital specifications. For more information on all of our options for folding carton production, please contact your MGX sales rep.

MGX is proud to announce its new status as a Gold Partner within the Digital Solutions Cooperative for HP Indigo Users, or DScoop. This enhanced partnership level recognizes MGX as a valuable contributor to the HP Indigo community. Since Masterpiece Graphix is the only HP Indigo-Certified Treatment Center in North America, DScoop’s independent group of HP Indigo printers will benefit from MGX’s digital knowledge and expertise through its Gold Partner participation. Masterpiece Graphix will exhibit as a Gold Partner at the DScoop6 convention February 17-19, 2011 at the Gaylord Palms Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

Masterpiece Graphix will use this enhanced partnership status to present new digital material innovations to the HP Indigo industrial and commercial marketplace. This year MGX has made many exciting changes to their business model, adding a new coater, doubling the size of their facility and has added new co-branded digital products like acpo digital overlaminates, DSS security paper and Transilwrap plastics.

DScoop, or The Digital Solutions Cooperative, is a user-driven interactive community of HP Graphic Arts press owners and their sales, management, marketing and production teams. DScoop members support each other to collectively improve their print businesses and HP Indigo digital press technology. DScoop members collectively influence Hewlett-Packard’s product direction by sharing ideas and success stories within their membership. DScoop members interact throughout the year online via the DScoop website and face-to-face at the annual DScoop conference. This year, DScoop is hosting the first-ever DScoop/HP Partner Summit, which will be held during DScoop6 in the nearby Orlando Marriott World Center. This unique event will allow DScoop partners and HP Indigo partners the opportunity to directly interact with HP’s engineers and sales professionals, to learn firsthand about new product developments and to influence future HP Indigo technology.

As DScoop6 approaches, look for more product announcements and company news from Masterpiece Graphix in the coming months. If you are attending please contact your MGX sales rep directly to set up a meeting at DScoop6 or send us an email for more information. We look forward to connecting with you at DScoop6!

On September 14-16, the label and packaging industry gathered in Chicago, IL to share, learn and demonstrate the latest in offset and digital press technology at Label Expo 2010.  Masterpiece Graphix was on hand throughout the conference, meeting with clients, watching demonstrations and learning about the latest digital technology in the label industry. You could find MGX products and services in action at several events and booths throughout this year’s Label Expo.

HP Indigo Label & Packaging Awards:

As an HP Indigo Media Partner and the only HP Certified Treatment Center for HP Indigo in North America, Masterpiece Graphix offers HP-Indigo certified materials and custom material solutions. Masterpiece Graphix provided several rolls of HP Indigo-certified stock that ran on the WS6000 demo machine throughout Label Expo. One featured MGX material was Masterpiece Premium 18 pt. C1S Board Stock (R1275). This HP Indigo-certified substrate was requested by HP to run on the WS6000 during the show. The printed rolls were then finished by AB Graphic, who die cut the material into small boxes.

One highlight of the HP Indigo display was the long wall of labels and packaging samples that were nominated for the 2010 HP Indigo Label & Packaging Awards. This wall along the back of the HP Indigo booth showcased the beautifully-produced labels competing for awards in several categories of the 2010 HP Indigo Global Awards Competition. On Wednesday, September 15, HP hosted an awards banquet, and announced eleven companies as winners. Several MGX clients were nominated for awards. One Masterpiece Graphix customer, Dion Label Printing, located in Westfield, MA, won two HP Indigo Global Awards in the food and neutraceutical categories. Dion Label Printing’s Hay River Organic Pumpkin Seed Oil label, awarded best-in-category for food, was printed on MGX pressure-sensitive 2 mil silver metalized BOPP.

Metalized Substrate Solutions For Xeikon:

Recently, Masterpiece Graphix partnered with Xeikon to offer metalized substrate solutions for the Xeikon press series. As a supplier partner with Xeikon, MGX materials were on the Xeikon 3500 demo machine all day Thursday, along with September 16 at Label Expo. Xeikon and MGX showcased MGX’s Xeikon-authorized MGX Brilliant Metalized Paper/Perm/40# (R1361), as well as other Xeikon-ready metalized materials from Masterpiece Graphix. Xeikon displayed MGX signage and material samples all day on Thursday, September 16 in front of the new Xeikon 3500 roll press at their Label Expo booth.

EFI Jetrion & The Label Expo Technology Workshop:

MGX is an EFI Jetrion partner, supplying high-performance semigloss and gloss papers engineered for the EFI Jetrion UV inkjet digital press. EFI Jetrion printed a label job on MGX-treated high gloss pressure-sensitive label stock as part of the Label Expo Technology Workshop Food Label print demonstration. The Label Expo Technology Workshop showcased four different printing technologies from HP Indigo, EFI Jetrion, Xeikon and Nilpeter, all running the same job at once. This unique press demonstration allowed attendees to compare print quality and performance across the board. The EFI Jetrion food label job was produced on 60# pressure sensitive semigloss that was optimized specifically for the Jetrion print demonstration by Masterpiece Graphix.

On September 14-16, the label and packaging industry will gather in Chicago for Label Expo 2010, to learn about the many innovations in the marketplace including advances in digital press technology. Masterpiece Graphix will be on hand to showcase their high-performance digital material on three different digital demo machines. MGX staff will also be available to meet with you personally at your convenience.

HP Indigo:
As the only HP Certified Treatment Center for HP Indigo in North America, Masterpiece Graphix offers HP-Indigo certified materials as well as custom material solutions for HP Indigo presses. Masterpiece Graphix HP Indigo-certified stocks will run on the HP Indigo WS6000 demo machines during the exhibition. In addition, MGX promotional brochures will be available by request at the HP Indigo booth #3223.

Xeikon:
Masterpiece Graphix has recently partnered with Xeikon to offer metalized substrate solutions for the Xeikon press series. As a supplier partner with Xeikon, MGX materials will be on press on the Xeikon 3500 demo machine all day Thursday, September 16 at Label Expo. Xeikon and MGX will be showcasing MGX’s Xeikon-authorized MGX Brilliant Metalized Paper/Perm/40# (R1361), as well as other Xeikon-ready metalized materials from Masterpiece Graphix. Additional MGX information and Xeikon-printed material samples will be available at the Xeikon booth #6135.

EFI Jetrion:
MGX is an EFI Jetrion supplier partner, supplying high-performance semigloss and gloss papers engineered for the EFI Jetrion UV inkjet digital press. EFI Jetrion will be printing samples on MGX-supplied high gloss pressure-sensitive label stock as part of the Label Expo Technology Workshop. EFI Jetrion will be demonstrating the print quality and ease of roll changes with MGX-supplied material throughout the three days of Label Expo. Additional information on MGX’s Jetrion materials will be available at the EFI Jetrion booth #6423.

Meet Up With MGX:
You can contact your MGX sales rep directly to schedule a personal conversation at the conference. You can also connect with MGX on Twitter. Masterpiece Graphix will be “tweeting” throughout the entire conference, uploading news and pictures remotely from Label Expo in Chicago. Direct Message MGX on Twitter during the conference to set up a personal meeting at Label Expo, and stay tuned to MGX’s Twitter feed to get up-to-the-minute updates straight from the convention. You will also find knowledgeable MGX staff at the three stands mentioned above throughout the duration of Label Expo. For more information or to set up a meeting, email MGX at sales@mgxdigital.com.

Masterpiece Graphix supplies are available through Tailored Solutions’ Label Traxx as a supplier partner. MGX became available on Label Traxx earlier this year and customers have enjoyed issuing PO’s and tracking inventory from their software with ease. Label Traxx makes ordering the full line of MGX’s digital materials easy, fast and reliable with the convenience of automatic inventory updates.

Label Traxx is a job management software system created by Tailored Solutions specifically for narrow web printers and printers who specialize in in-line roll converting. It enables different departments within a printing company to communicate easily via twelve user modules including Estimating, Job Costing, Quality Control, and Job Coster. Each module is a complete end-to-end solution that contains everything needed to streamline communication throughout the organization and to efficiently manage the print business. MGX customers using the Label Traxx system are able to reduce their order entry time by connecting directly and securely to Masterpiece Graphix, eliminating double entries and greatly reducing erroneous entries.

MGX, through Label Traxx, provides immediate order confirmation and advance shipment notice data. Utilizing the convenient bar code scanning feature of Label Traxx, users have the ability to scan incoming and work-in-process MGX material to maintain an accurate inventory count with ease. Many MGX customers that utilize Label Traxx have noticed that keeping track of material inventory is much easier and that ordering MGX material through the software is fast, convenient and easy to do.

For more information on Tailored Solution’s Label Traxx, please visit their website. For MGX-specific information about the Label Traxx system, please contact Masterpiece Graphix’s customer service at 636.349.6401 x211, or via email.