Screen (USA), a leader in digital imaging and print-on-demand technology, has opened a new Technical Center for performing printing demonstrations and process testing. The 1,817-square-foot facility is housed within Screen’s software engineering division in Irvine, Calif. As part of the company’s commitment to providing customer-focused technology solutions, it complements the recently expanded Demonstration Center at the Screen corporate headquarters in Rolling Meadows, Ill.

“The Technical Center is designed to help print service providers acquire high-level technical knowledge about Screen Truepress inkjet presses, as well as deliver customer solutions under different operating conditions on a wide range of substrates,” said Sean Dawson, large format and workflow product manager, who is in charge of the facility. “Its California location makes it easier for busy print shops in Southwestern states and along the Pacific coast to take part in demonstrations and training without having to travel all the way to the Chicago area.”

The Technical Center consists of 1,400 square feet of demonstration space, in addition to a separate conference room and spare office totaling 417 square feet for use by customers and visiting Screen team members. It currently features the Truepress Jet2500UV, a hybrid printing system that accommodates roll-to-roll media up to 98.4 inches wide and rigid materials up to 1.96 inches thick. A Zund G3 M-2500 digital cutter produces accurate, unique graphics from sample files printed on the Truepress Jet2500UV.

“Customers want to see equipment they have heard about or been introduced to at trade shows print their own jobs,” Dawson said, “We encourage them to bring challenging job files.”

Customers are especially interested in how well the Truepress Jet2500UV handles graphic overlays, double-sided window clings and see-through graphics. Demonstrations of raised lettering printed in multiple ink layers for dimensional signage are popular, too. The Truepress Jet2500UV prints up to seven image layers in one pass through the machine.

“Customers also want to print day-night backlit sign faces on acrylic and glass sheets in order to test our opaque white ink,” Dawson said. “It exhibits some of the best adhesion and opacity characteristics in the industry.”

The customer solutions aspect of the Technical Center’s mission already has caught on, and Dawson expects it to grow.

“Manufacturers of print media introduce new products for wide-format systems every year,” Dawson pointed out. “Truepress customers frequently want to test different substrates on live jobs, but they don’t always have the time or personnel to spare. We will work with the media suppliers and evaluate their products for the customer. We also will work with customers to determine the feasibility of certain substrates or processes in achieving special applications desired by a print buyer.”

The Technical Center is staffed by nine technology specialists and color experts, including five with G7 Expert certifications. The Truepress Jet2500UV is a G7-qualified system, and customers can receive G7 certification or color management training on the device.