Condé Offers ChromaLuxe Connections Photo Panels
Condé Systems announced they have added Unisub ChromaLuxe Connections to their DyeTrans family of dye-sublimatable products. ChromaLuxe Connections is a series of aluminum photo panels designed to easily create uniquely personal and stylish wall art from one or more photographs.
Available in a variety of panel sizes (6×6, 8×8, 8×10, 10×10, 11.75×11.75, 11×14, 9×21, 16×20, 20×30 and 24×26 inches), Unisub’s ChromaLuxe Connections can be arranged in a configuration that best complements the chosen photograph(s) and/or selected mural location. All sizes of ChromaLuxe Connections photo panels are gloss white aluminum with 1/8-inch radius corners and are designed to align properly with a 1-inch gap between the panels. conde.com
Epson Expands Stylus Pro Line
Epson expanded sales of its Epson Stylus Pro 7000-series printers to a broader range of professional imaging markets. The Epson Stylus Pro 7700 and 9700 are engineered to exceed the expectations of professionals who produce corporate graphics, imposition proofs, company signs and banners, indoor trade show displays and more.
The Epson Stylus Pro 7700 (24 inch) and 9700 (44 inch) incorporate the company’s latest achievements in high-performance inkjet printing. Epson’s MicroPiezo TFP printheads help produce stunning photographic images and extremely precise text and line art at speeds that nearly double that of the company’s previous generation printers. Image quality is further enhanced by Epson UltraChrome vivid magenta inks and dual black printing. This pigment-based ink technology enables prints to attain “true archival permanence” on a wide range of media types.
The Epson Stylus Pro 7700 and 9700 are available for $2,995 and $4,995, respectively. proimaging.epson.com
Upgraded Print Software from Kodak
Kodak recently released the newest version of its Kodak Professional Digital Print Production software, Version 14 (DP2v14). Kodak states that DP2 helps pro labs consistently integrate new category offerings through creative design tools, high-speed processing, flexible workflow configurations and efficient output to a wide range of printers. The latest version of DP2 is designed to deliver greater productivity, improved image quality and make it easier for pro labs to add creative new products for their customers.
New enhancements and benefits in DP2v14 include: new image tone-scale contrast segment adjustments for better control of image detail within shadows and highlights; improved auto color management application with embedded profiles; new black-and-white image output neutralizer to eliminate unwanted color casts; new green-screen workflows and feature improvements, including integrated routing of images to 36 Pix for KnockOut services; and new controls to vary the color and style of individual characters in rendered text for creative new products. kodak.com
Fujifilm Invites Printers to Take the Onset Challenge
Fujifilm announced the “Onset Challenge,” a five-step process that demonstrates how the Onset family of wide-format printers can help unlock new business and increase profitability. Taking the Onset Challenge begins with a visit to onsetchallenge.com.
The website provides visitors with an opportunity to answer a few simple questions about their business needs, and then returns the Onset options that best fit those needs. The site also gives the user a custom return-on-investment (ROI) calculator to demonstrate how the press can pay for itself.
There’s also useful information about the Onset series’ three models, the S70, S40, and S20, which are designed to deliver the high-volume production needs of graphic display print providers. Onset UV flatbed inkjet presses are engineered to provide “unrivaled print quality at high print speeds,” said Todd Murphy, Business Development manager, Wide Format Equipment, Fujifilm North America, Graphic Systems.
Onset technology features full-bed print arrays and a choice of finishes, from low-glare satin to high-impact gloss. And the three models can be optionally configured with automation.
Personalized Home Photo Decor
A new website, homedecorbyme.com, launched to offer personalized home decor using consumers’ photographs.
The site offers a selection of larger format canvas wall art, photo coffee table books, framed poster prints and some other photo merchandise products (mugs, water bottles) that aren’t technically decor per se but still fun.
What we find most interesting about the site is that it breaks out the various photo merchandise choices by room. For instance, in the “home office” section you’ll find desktop frameless prints, photo desk organizers, calendars and playing cards. Jump into the bedroom area and you’ll find wall decals, canvas prints and photo keepsake boxes.
The product selection is quite extensive and includes a few photo products we hadn’t seen much of—such as the very cool photo growth charts. As the age of personalization products rages on, homedecorbyme.com has latched on to an interesting niche with these services.
HP Producing Large-Format Self Portraits
HP is contributing to a participatory photography installation during Les Rencontres d’Arles 2011 that allows attendees to capture and print large-format self-portraits taken in a giant photo booth.
Located in the Great Hall of Les Ateliers SNCF of Les Rencontres d’Arles for the duration of the festival, July 4 through September 18, the photo booth is free to all festival attendees. The photos taken in the booth are printed on an HP Designjet Z6200 photo printer located on a bridge 40 feet above the festival floor and will float down to the attendees waiting below to be given to participants.
Designed for photo labs, digital print shops, advertising agencies, design firms and commercial printers, the HP Designjet Z6200 photo printer delivers photo-quality prints with a resolution of 2,400 dpi and versatility for indoor applications from line drawings to photographic output and signage. It is up to 50% faster than its predecessor, with speeds as high as 1,500 square feet per hour. With HP Vivid photo inks, the HP Designjet Z6200 offers improved scratch resistance and gloss uniformity, and the printer’s eight-ink system features HP chromatic red ink for greater ink efficiency. hp.com
