Minneapolis, MN – MacDermid ColorSpan, Inc., an innovator and leader in the wide-format color inkjet printer market, introduces its second flatbed / roll-fed hybrid, piezo-electric UV inkjet printer, the DisplayMaker 72UVX. Developed as an extension to the highly successful DisplayMaker 72UVR, the new 72UVX offers the ability to print on rigid sheets or flexible roll stock up to 73 inches (185 cm) wide and ½-inch (12.7 mm) thick. Designed around sixteen (16) 600-dpi Micro-Quad piezo-electric printheads, the 72UVX delivers true 600 x 600-dpi quality at print speeds up to 400 square feet / hour. Bruce Butler, director of marketing, stated, “At less than one-third the price of other flatbed UV printers, the DisplayMaker 72UVR in its first 10 months in the market has quickly become the fastest selling UV printer in the world, outselling its top 3 competitors combined. Now, with the new DisplayMaker 72UVX and its ability to print on even thicker boards and at faster print speeds, we have once again set a new standard for flatbed printing performance and value. The 72UVX combines production speed with award-winning quality, ease-of-use and low cost of operation. And, at well under $100,000, it is affordable to a broader group of sign and screen print shops that are looking to increase productivity while saving material and labor costs.” The DisplayMaker 72UVX uses an open, non-obstructive design that reduces the footprint space requirements while making it easy to use. When configured for printing rigid materials, two 36-inch (91 cm) x 75-inch (190 cm) roller tables are attached to the front and rear of the printer to accommodate sheets up to 60-inch (152 cm) in length. Optionally, two additional tables can be added for sheets up to 120-inch (305 cm). The tables can easily be removed for printing of roll-to-roll flexible media. The loading of rigid materials has been made easier in a number of ways. First, the 72UVX features a releasable pinch roller system for easy insertion. Once in place, the pinch rollers are engaged with a variable force adjustment to work with a wide variety of materials. Pressing the load button causes the printer to use its integrated Automation Eye to sense the right, left and front edges while also checking for media skew. It then automatically positions the media for printing. The Media Wizard feature stores many of the characteristics of a particular media, such as media feed advance rate and platen vacuum force. When selecting a new media type, the Media Wizard restores these values, greatly reducing the time to switch from one type of media to another. Other Product Features Micro-Quad Printheads — Sixteen (16) industrial-quality, long-life piezo-electric printheads are configured as four interlaced heads using 384 jets per color. These 600-dpi printheads jet a micro-sized 25-picoliter droplet. The result is higher quality prints at lower production costs when compared to typical 360-dpi, 70-picoliter, 6-color printers. Production-Oriented Speed — Designed-engineered as a production sign system, the DisplayMaker 72UVX uses 16 piezo-electric printheads with 1,536 total jets. The printer boasts a 600x600-dpi print speed of 400 square feet (37.2 m2) per hour in its Billboard Quality print mode. Its Production Quality mode has two print resolutions that both turn out quality, sellable graphics; 200 square feet (18.6 m2) per hour at 600x600-dpi and 400 square feet (37.2 m2) per hour at 600x300-dpi. A 600x600-dpi High Quality mode is also available at 100 square feet (9.3 m2) per hour. SolaChrome-UV inks — UV-curable, pigmented inks, available in cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Each comes in a sealed 3-liter container that allows for easy, no-mess ink changes while protecting the ink from light exposure. SolaChrome-UV inks, which have no solvent odors, are designed for reliable jetting, low maintenance, extended head life, low cost of operation and long-term outdoor display life – 2 to 3 years depending on application. SolaChrome-UV inks cure instantly and print directly on inexpensive uncoated rigid and flexible substrates for durable, indoor and outdoor graphic applications. Advanced Automation Eye — Only found on ColorSpan printers, it uses a high-resolution imaging sensor, colorimetric spectrophotometer, and embedded software to automate the setup and calibration steps critical for achieving and maintaining print quality. AutoSet Calibration – analyzes dot placement of printed patterns and automatically sets the head-to-head alignment and bi-directional (bi-di) dot placement alignment to compensate for variable print speeds, head height settings and media thickness. AutoJet Calibration – eliminates banding in prints and extends the useful life of the printheads by mapping out jets that are not up to performance standards and compensating by using another jet in their place. AutoTune Scheduler – schedules the AutoJet calibration to occur during unattended print runs to ensure maximum print quality and minimize waste or reprints. AutoEdge Detection – uses the image sensor to aid in the loading of rigid materials by detecting right, left and leading edges allowing the printer to move the material into position for printing. It also checks for and warns the user if the board appears to be loaded askew. Linearization – the on-board spectrophotometer supplies color and density data to the external RIP’s color management software. The color management system then linearizes the color curves to ensure accurate and consistent color. Color Profiling – using the on-board spectrophotometer, the DisplayMaker 72UVX prints and automatically reads hundreds of color swatches to allow the RIP and ColorMark+ color management software to create custom ICC and ColorMark profiles for 3rd party media. Markets With its ability to print directly onto rigid display materials the DisplayMaker 72UVX is ideal for sign makers, screen printers and other print-for-pay service providers that produce indoor and outdoor signs, banners, POP and exhibit displays by greatly reducing their finishing and labor costs. In addition, the DisplayMaker 72UVX prints on flexible roll stock for the high-speed production of outdoor signs, banners, floor graphics, and other high volume work. Pricing and Availability The DisplayMaker 72UVX has a US retail price of $89,995. This price includes 4 liters of SolaChrome-UV ink, 3 liters of printhead cleaning solution, 600 square feet of banner vinyl, installation and on-site training. The printer is available through MacDermid ColorSpan’s worldwide network of value-added distributors and resellers beginning in October 2005.