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.

With advances in digital printing, photography and scanning technologies, counterfeiters have more tools than ever to mimic a product.  These technologies make it easy to copy a brand and hard to discern a genuine product or document from a counterfeit. As new security printing and packaging technologies emerge, copycats quickly take note and scramble to produce reproductions of the new process. Therefore the brand protection and security market is constantly developing new technologies and processes to stay one step ahead of criminals.

Why do counterfeiters take such extreme measures to produce realistic copies of a product? It’s profitable to copy a successful product, piggybacking on the item’s sales and stealing potential revenue from the original manufacturer. According to the International Authentication Association (IAA), the illegal practice of counterfeiting costs industries anywhere between $200 billion and $600 billion dollars per year (see L&NW article). All industries are susceptible but some face more risks than others: Pharmaceuticals, software, music, automobile/machinery parts, and movies are all markets that currently combat fraudulent reproduction of their products. Even brand-name commodities and licensed products face the risk of counterfeit.

Essentially there are four categories of brand protection strategies that printers and manufacturers can choose to implement individually or as a combination for security printing:

• Overt: This category is obvious to both the customer and the manufacturer, and is classified by the unique packaging or look of the product or brand. One of the most common forms of overt security packaging is tamper-evident labeling. Other examples include complex label graphics that are difficult to replicate, or the use of hard-to-attain holographic or exotic material within the design. This strategy is coincidentally the most complex because in many cases the unique packaging is exactly what the counterfeiter is trying to copy.

• Covert/Forensic: These security features are hard to identify by the customer or even the naked eye. However, covert features are hard to mimic because they are hard to identify without specialized equipment. One application of covert packaging is to incorporate security ink into the printed product so the image fluoresces when placed under ultraviolet (UV) light Kodak Nexpress recently released red florescent ink that is invisible to the naked eye but can be used for security printing applications. A printer may also choose to utilize security paper into the product which when copied, displays a message that deters counterfeiters.

• Numbering/Coding: Digital printers are perfectly poised to utilize variable data as a security feature for their customers. Setting up a system that is unique to each item is a way to be certain that each product is unique and therefore hard to mimic. Utilizing algorithms, sequential numbering or custom barcodes to create a custom label for each product is a way to integrate security as well as information into the product. These forms of variable data can contain useful data such as print date or product origin.

• Information Linkage: Advances in digital technology has allowed manufacturers to use embed “smart” sensors within their products so they can track and identify their items easily. The most common form of information linkage security packaging is radio-frequency identification (RFID). These smart sensors can be embedded in the packaging upon manufacture, which allows for scanning of an item to determine authenticity. RFID tags can even track movement of items within a certain area with the right equipment. RFID technology is an emerging and developing tool which may come to replace conventional barcodes in the future.

Masterpiece Graphix has many substrate options available for security printing applications. Holographic materials, exotic substrates, security paper and tamper-evident polyester and self-destructive labeling materials are all available through MGX, ready to run on your digital press. MGX carries RIT-certified DeterX® Gray Void Security Paper (R1419 as rolls, MGX-1303 as sheets) for the HP Indigo. This unique paper is HP Indigo-certified for the WS6000, WS4050, 5000, 5500, and WS45000. This paper is stocked with a gray/blue pattern that reads “COPY” when duplicated. This digital substrate is perfect for printing checks, coupons, rebates, event tickets and other secure document applications. Custom colors and hidden messages are also available. For more information on DeterX® papers or custom security solutions for your application, please contact your MGX sales rep.

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.

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.

Few digital substrates have the versatility and eye-popping properties of lenticular.  Lenticular sheets can be used to produce a 3-D effect, demonstrate movement, “flip” from one image to another, or “morph” two dissimilar images together. The material’s unique and durable characteristics make it multipurpose, appearing in anything from product packaging to footwear embellishments. Masterpiece Graphix lenticular is unique in that it allows an image to be directly printed on the smooth side of the plastic on an HP Indigo press, eliminating the costly additional lamination process.

Masterpiece Graphix offers two types of lenticular material to our sheet customers: 75 LPI and 100 LPI lenticlar sheets. LPI, or lenticule per inch, determines the resolution capacity of the substrate. A higher LPI equals a higher resolution image. Masterpiece Graphix offers the hard-to-find 100 LPI lenticular, a superior material not available through other sheet suppliers.

A lenticular substrate’s quality is crucial in producing a fantastic finished image. For any lenticular image effect to work, the two images must be properly aligned, and the material must have a square, even cut. A misaligned cut can slice into part of the morphed image, ruining the effect a lenticular product produces. Masterpiece Graphix guarantees a perfectly parallel straight cut on all lenticular sheet products.

For more information on our lenticular sheet products, visit our store site or contact your MGX sales rep.