Masterpiece Graphix

Would you like to be able to print 24, 30, and 36 mil cards on your HP Indigo roll press? Every Indigo professional knows that the press’s current capabilities limit printing to only 18 mil and thinner stocks.

MGX now offers 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 and other digital press technology. This product is available in rolls or as sheets, and has recently been RIT-Certified for the HP Indigo 5500 & 7000 digital sheet presses. MGX now offers custom roll products in this innovative and versatile stock.

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 we can do it.

MGX’s 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 the printed piece is 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. MGX MAX Impact stocks are available as a custom roll product, and is made to order per your company’s specifications.

Masterpiece Premium MAX Impact Stock is compatible with a wide variety of liquid toner, dry toner, and inkjet digital presses, such as the HP Indigo, Xerox iGen, and Kodak Nexpress. Other digital press models may also be compatible, but we recommend testing the stock first to evaluate compatibility with your particular press model.

Masterpiece Graphix MAX Impact 24 mil Cardstock sheets are currently RIT-Certified for the HP Indigo 5500 and 7000 digital sheet presses, and MGX is working on certifying MAX Impact roll stocks as well.

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

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.

Are you finding yourself printing on your expensive, mainstay stocks in order to calibrate your HP Indigo roll press? Would you like to utilize the same trusted standard that HP Indigo has used to keep their onsite show demo machines running flawless and trouble-free? Look no further than Masterpiece Premium 100# Gloss Calibration Paper (R1341). This 100# gloss text weight paper not only offers stability and consistency for calibrating your HP Indigo, it also is a versatile stock paper useful for a variety of press projects.

Masterpiece Premium 100# Gloss Calibration paper is a foolproof setup stock, essential for troubleshooting color and registration calibration on the HP Indigo. Glossy 100# calibration paper is recommended by HP to perform correct calibration using the Indigo’s densitometer. An industry benchmark, Masterpiece Premium 100# Gloss Calibration Paper is HP Certified for use on the WS6000, and is an excellent choice for flawless HP Indigo roll press setup and calibration.

HP Indigo has used R1341 to calibrate their demo presses at industry trade shows like Dscoop and Label Expo. Masterpiece Graphix customers trust this versatile setup paper to effectively calibrate their Indigo for easy and worry-free setup. Using setup paper is a more consistent and less expensive alternative to utilizing your costly BOPPs and pressure-sensitive stocks for fixing press issues. With Masterpiece Premium Setup Paper, you can save your expensive stocks for printing jobs, and utilize a less expensive and simple-to-run stock to calibrate your digital press.

In addition, Masterpiece Premium 100# Gloss Calibration Paper is an excellent choice for everyday print projects. It’s an easy-to-run stock, and since it’s a calibration paper, you can rest assured that your job will print with flawless results. Use it to produce books, unsupported labels, and other projects for trouble-free printing.

Masterpiece Premium 100# Gloss Calibration Paper (R1341) is stocked in our St. Louis facility in 12” wide rolls, and is also available in custom widths and lengths to fit your press needs and budget.  For more information on our HP-Certified setup paper, download a spec sheet, talk to your MGX digital expert, or email the 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.

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.

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.

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.