FREMONT, California - EFI launched two new, advanced digital inkjet printing technologies at the May 27-30 Ceramics China tradeshow in Guangzhou, driving more value and efficiency for customers in the analogue-to-digital transition in ceramic tile decoration. EFI’s complete exhibit at the show, which also included advanced EFI Fiery® digital front end (DFE) technologies and genuine EFI Cretacolor inks, bolster the EFI Cretaprint™ ecosystem for ceramic decoration printers, ink and color management.
 
Many of the leading ceramic tile manufacturers in China and across the globe rely on EFI Cretaprint technologies to ensure faster turnaround, high efficiency and excellent quality. The new products unveiled at Ceramics China will help customers maximize production quality and ink savings, minimize production cost and expand chromatic richness so they can manufacture at the highest possible quality in the most efficient way possible.
 
One of the new products at the tradeshow, the EFI Cretaprint M4 platform, allows customers to print on popular, larger tile sizes up to 1180mm wide and offers enhanced imaging quality with variable-drop grayscale imaging, giving users a cost-effective and efficient alternative to analog methods for vibrant full-color decoration.
 
The printer includes eight bars for color and special-effects inks, and features a new, automatic nozzle cleaning system that yields a much longer print head life compared to other ceramic tile printers.
 
Ceramics China also was the launch point for the new Cretaprint M4 SOL, a soluble-salt digital print offering specifically designed for producing high-transit, porcelain-polished tiles. Users can jet soluble-salt inks and bring richer colors to their porcelain tile decorations with lapatto and polished finishes.
 
This innovative combination of Cretaprint inkjet technology and a soluble salts application widens the possibilities of creative design of porcelain tiles. EFI Cretaprint digital inkjet technology also brings tighter control on process parameters for constant ink laydown and temperature, resulting in higher tone stability on finished porcelain jobs.
 
High productivity, quality and value with EFI’s complete ecosystem 
 
In addition to the new printer technologies at Ceramics China, EFI showed the newly released EFI Fiery proServer for Cretaprint, version 2.0, a high-end DFE technology that helps customers retain their competitive edge by producing superior-quality designs faster, with improved color management and reduced ink costs.
 
A new and unique Smart Ink Saving feature on the Fiery proServer incorporates users’ actual ink costs to calculate the most affordable ink combination possible for each pixel of a design. The product also includes a CMYK+spot color mode that simplifies editing tasks without limiting the product’s full technical capabilities.
 
EFI Cretacolor inks used with the Cretaprint printers at Ceramics China help tile manufacturers profit from the full value of the complete EFI Cretaprint ecosystem. Users gain predictable running costs and high performance and reliability. Combined with Cretaprint printers and the Fiery proServer, the inks help users achieve maximum color intensity and gamut, chromatic range and color stability over time, and uniformity throughout the manufacturing line.
 
“China is the world's largest producer, consumer, and exporter of ceramic tiles, and we were thrilled to showcase our portfolio to new and potential customers who are looking for new innovations that can help them earn more profit with efficient, high-quality digital print technologies,” said José Luis Ramon Moreno, vice president and general manager for EFI’s Cretaprint and Nozomi operations.
 
EFI’s Ceramics China exhibit followed the company’s successful exhibition earlier this year at the Cevisama International Show in Spain, where EFI Cretaprint received the prestigious Alfa De Oro prize.
 
EFI Cretaprint printers offer the most advanced digital ceramic tile printing systems as part of its legacy as a leading provider of tile printers, consumables, accessories and digital equipment for the ceramic tiles industry. For more information about EFI Cretaprint printers, visit www.efi.com.