Electronics For Imaging to showcase advanced white ink print capabilities at ALL4PACK Paris
03 Dec 2018 --- Digital imaging company Electronics For Imaging (EFI) will present its portfolio of advanced corrugated packaging production technologies at this week’s All4Pack trade show in Paris. This year’s showcase will include the launch of new print modes for the EFI Nozomi C18000 – the ultra-high-speed, single-pass inkjet corrugated board press that is helping many of the world’s leading packaging companies thrive with high-graphic, direct-to-board digital printing.
Show attendees are able to experience Nozomi’s new white ink feature. While the Nozomi press prints in up to six colors (CMYK, orange and violet), it now includes a white ink option that significantly increases users’ capabilities.
Furthermore, corrugated packaging workflow products on display at ALL4PACK include EFI Corrugated Packaging Suite business and production software, and EFI Escada, a product in the Suite that helps packaging companies maximize the potential of their operation, from corrugator and process control to full traceability and reporting.
White ink enhancements
With the white ink, packaging converters can create impressive photographic images and vivid colors directly on brown kraft board liner. The high-end, powerful EFI Fiery NZ 1000 digital front end (DFE) driving the Nozomi press simplifies the process of creating spot or flood white layers for print jobs, says EFI.
“EFI’s new print modes for Nozomi and our new white ink further strengthen our overall portfolio for efficient corrugated production with world-class digital print engine and packaging workflow solutions,” says José Luis Ramón Moreno, Vice President and General Manager, EFI Industrial Printing. “All4Pack visitors are coming away from our stand with new ideas about how leading-edge digital capabilities can have a revolutionary effect on their businesses.”
In addition, the press now offers three new modes to optimize printing capabilities and ink consumption, as stated by EFI:
- PHOTO mode allows matching of up to 97 percent of Pantone Colors in six colors with no ink consumption limit – an ideal feature for printing corrugated display materials where saturation and vivid colors are key.
- POP mode reduces the color gamut slightly, without a significant difference in the final appearance, and is ideal for photographic printing where ink saving is an important criterion.
- ECO mode works with a restricted color range and the lowest possible ink consumption. It is intended for printing packaging where lower cost is a critical factor. Even when using uncoated boards and simple graphics, it is possible to achieve significant ink savings with excellent print results.
The new print modes help customers address a wider range of production needs. Not only can users leverage the high-end quality that recently earned the Nozomi press Product of the Year honors for single-pass inkjet devices from industry association SGIA, but they also can cost-effectively take digital production beyond premium shelf-ready packaging and display applications by economically producing less-sophisticated color designs.
Versions increase packaging relevance
Full-scale digital corrugated packaging production on the Nozomi press gives packaging companies and brands a new opportunity to cost-effectively create unlimited versions, small production batches, and even jobs where every package differs from the others, says EFI.
Packaging is a key element in brand positioning for the growing online shopping market, and, for that segment, the Nozomi press gives e-tailers the power to include images relevant to the recipient and/or the product(s) contained in the box, and even include special, targeted offers right on the box, according to EFI.
The press Fiery DFE efficiently processes the large amounts of variable data needed to make these applications a reality. And, as the digital production opportunity expands the number of shorter-run, versioned and fully personalized jobs that packaging converters produce, the EFI ecosystem of corrugated technologies helps those customers thrive with a complete workflow that streamlines job submission, planning, order promising, accounting and more.
Powerful business and production workflow management
EFI’s workflow for corrugated production, the Corrugated Packaging Suite, is an end-to-end, comprehensive software offering for box plants, sheet plants, sheet feeders and corrugated display businesses. The Suite integrates with EFI Fiery DFEs, the Nozomi press and other digital production devices.
Version 6 of the Suite on display at All4Pack includes robust shipment planning technology that optimizes trailer load capacity so users can reduce both their costs and their carbon footprint. Plus, the Suite’s Corrugated Business System offers robust new order-promising, back-to-front scheduling, search features and a powerful new data import tool that simplifies the process of upgrading to the Suite from legacy systems. Other enhancements include a new feature to implement universal pricing changes by customer, ship to location, sales rep, product styles and board grades.
Productivity Workbench and Business Intelligence tools for the Suite simplify the process of reviewing, managing and analyzing detailed production and sales data. A new integration with Esko CAD-X for the Suite lets users create simple European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers (FEFCO) styles for boxes and import existing Esko ArtiosCAD ARD files.
Plus, the Suite’s EFI Escada corrugator control technology helps users increase profitability, achieve greater efficiency and productivity, and reduce downtime and waste.
