Olomouc, Czech Republic – Grapo Technologies, a manufacturer of wide format hybrid and flatbed UV printers based in the Czech Republic will be demonstrating its next generation of printing technology at FESPA 2010, scheduled for June 22-26 in Munich. The new flatbed Gemini X10/1080UV from Grapo Technologies is capable of printing on rigid substrates as well as roll-to-roll, and will bring to market higher speeds, improved quality and a number of new innovations. Grapo Technologies is located in Hall B2, Stand 460 at the show.

"The theme at FESPA 2010 is Catch the New Wave of Innovation," said Radim Králik, CEO of Grapo Technologies. "That's exactly what we will be bringing to the show with our next generation platform for UV flatbed printers. With a printing area of 2x3 meter for rigid sheets as well as the ability to handle rolls up to 165 cm, the Gemini X10/1080UV brings tremendous new business potential to sign and display printers at an affordable price point."

Faster Output, Exceptional Skin Tones
With speeds of up to 90 square meters per hour, the new Gemini X10/1080UV also offers double the speed of previous generation Manta printers when printing with white ink at 15-30 square meters per hour. High quality printing of skin tones and better quality flat colors also differentiate this new printer.

"Sign and display printers are always seeking higher quality to meet the escalating requirements of their customers," added Králik. "With greater speed and productivity, as well as the wide range of printed products, the Gemini X10/1080UV enables sign and display printers to produce more jobs at higher margins. Much of this new capability is enabled by the 10 XAAR 1001 printing heads with unique Through-Flow system and variable drop sizes for grayscale printing embodied in this new generation printer, as compared to eight printing heads and a fixed drop size in the previous generation."

Expanded White Ink Capabilities
With the new design, the white ink heads are specifically positioned to print in one pass. "The Gemini X10/1080UV can print CMYK, white and CMYK again, printing three layers all in one pass," explained Králik. "This is quite unique in the industry and contributes heavily to the improved productivity of this device. This capability is particularly important when printing on transparent substrates, such as acrylics, where images must be displayed on both sides. In addition to using white ink as the diffusion layer for backlit applications for point of purchase and other materials, white ink can also be used as a spot color, allowing selected images to be highlighted for greater effect."

Grayscale Printing Brings Speed, Quality, Cost Savings
Previous generations of Grapo Technologies' printers used a binary printing technology with a single drop size.  In the Gemini X10/1080UV, grayscale printing is enabled by eight different levels of drop sizes ranging from 6 to 42 picolitres, with extremely precise drop placement.  The ability to jet small droplets produces sharp images with smoother gradients and quartertones, while larger droplets produce dense, uniform solids. The result is a near-photographic image quality and also results in more efficient ink consumption, saving up to 35% in ink usage depending upon the application.

This variable drop capability especially affects white ink printing and allows the opportunity to produce more interesting images with much finer detail. The precise drop placement also contributes to both the improved quality and speed of the printer. Grayscale printing can either simulate additional colors, such as light magenta and light cyan, in a CMYK printing process, or additional specialized colors can be utilized if needed.

"We have designed this printer to be even easier to operate and more energy efficient than past generations," concludes Králik. "It is ideal for screen printers seeking to move to more modern and efficient digital technologies, digital sign printers who wish to move away from less environmentally friendly solvent printing, and for offset or flexo printers who can effectively use the Gemini X10/1080UV to create short run samples cost effectively and/or diversify their offerings. Combined with the broad range of substrates that can be used, from irregularly shaped items, wood and glass to all types of plastic, vinyl and paper materials, the capabilities of the Gemini X10/1080UV relative to its price point are unmatched in the industry. We are excited to see the reaction of FESPA attendees."

Orders will be taken for the Gemini X10/1080UV at FESPA, which will be commercially available in August 2010.