Sign Africa Journal November / December 2018 | Page 20

REGULARS
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
provided 3D Next Level with a comprehensive
customer database. According to van den Doel,
this will be essential to securing jobs within the
advertising, events and luxury goods sectors, to
name a few.
formulated to bring out the best in the company’s
VersaUV LEC, LEF and LEJ series printers. In addition
to imaging beautifully, these premium inks cure
instantly and are extremely flexible, producing
graphics that can stretch around curved surfaces
and edges without cracking.
N3 DISPLAY CREATES HIGH-
IMPACT WALL GRAPHIC WITH
DRYTAC’S RETAC TEXTURES LINEN
www.massivit.com
ROLAND HONOURED WITH TWO
SGIA AWARDS
Gloss and White ECO-UV inks enable users to
incorporate stunning dimensional and textural
effects into prints, adding appeal and value. When
cured, Roland ECO-UV inks are also VOC-free as
well as scratch and alcohol resistant.
www.rolanddg.co.za
TROTEC SP2000 SCOOPS SGIA
2018 PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
AWARD
N3 Display Graphics created a super-sized version of
Roy Lichtenstein’s iconic pop art painting – Whaam!
for its building in Bristol, using ReTac Textures Linen
media from Drytac.
Roland DGA Corporation’s VersaUV LEC-540 printer/
cutter and ECO-UV ink have been recognised with
two 2018 Specialty Graphic Imaging Association
(SGIA) Product of the Year Awards.
Roland’s VersaUV LEC-540 received top honours
within the ‘Roll-to-Roll UV Printer’ category, while
the company’s ECO-UV ink was recognised as the
best product in the ‘Digital Inks – UV’ category. This
year’s competition featured a record-setting 255
submissions, with winners selected in 68 different
product categories.
‘As a pioneer of UV print and cut, Roland has played
an integral role in introducing and advancing this
important technology, enabling users to take their
design and print production capabilities to the
highest possible levels,’ said Roland DGA President
Andrew Oransky. ‘We’re thrilled that the SGIA
judging panel saw fit to give our UV printer/cutters
and inks the recognition they deserve.’
The 137cm (54 inch) VersaUV LEC-540 printer/
cutter is ideal for producing everything from
vibrant signs, labels, decals and specialty graphics
to realistic packaging prototypes on actual
press substrates. With its integrated cutting
capabilities, the LEC-540 scores and contour cuts
in one seamless workflow, maximising efficiency,
productivity and convenience.
Also winning a 2018 SGIA Product of the Year
Award was Roland’s ECO-UV inks, which come
in CMYK, Gloss and White and are specially
20
Trotec Laser announced that the SP2000 laser
cutter for large format materials has received the
Specialty Graphic Imaging Association’s (SGIA)
Product of the Year Award in the Lasers-Routers-
Cutters 10cm x 20cm (4” x 8”) and larger category.
More than 100 companies competed in the 2018
Product of the Year competition, submitting 255
entries in the 74 categories, the largest field of
competitors in the award programme’s history. All
entries were on display in the Golden Image Gallery
at the 2018 SGIA Expo (18-20 October, Las Vegas).
‘This was a banner year for entries. Product quality
was outstanding, and the competition was fierce.
Trotec’s award was well-earned,’ said Ray Weiss,
Director of Digital Print Programmes, SGIA.
The SP2000 combines a robust, ergonomic, and
low-maintenance system design with high-speed,
high power precision processing capabilities in the
largest safety class 2 laser cutter on the market.
These purpose-built premises accommodate
around 20 employees, including onsite fitting
teams. The company has been a customer of fellow
Bristol brand Drytac from the beginning. It uses
the Linen material from the Drytac ReTac Textures
range for all its wall art, including its own homage
to Lichtenstein.
Robin Campbell, Projects Manager at N3 Display
Graphics said, ’ReTac Textures Linen is simply what
we call ‘wallpaper’ at N3. We use it for the majority
of our wall graphics. It has a slight texture which
provides a realistic feel of the wall underneath and
holds colour well, producing really vibrant graphics.
‘We have tried other brands’ products but have
always had problems with adhesion. In one
case a wall graphic peeled off as soon as the air
conditioning was switched on, while another
product described as ‘repositionable’ couldn’t be
removed from the wall. Drytac’s ReTac fits the bill.’
The system was designed for efficient processing
of large-format materials such as acrylics, wood,
textiles and cardboard, to name a few. The system
offers a generous working area with an ergonomic
design. The version of Whaam! produced by N3 Display
Graphics is around 15m long by 4m tall at its
highest point – somewhat larger than Roy
Lichtenstein’s original 1963 diptych on display at
the Tate Modern gallery in London. Using its Océ
Arizona 460 XT UV flatbed printer, N3 Display
Graphics also added its own stamp to the image
with fresh colours and extra movement in the
background.
www.troteclaser.com www.drytac.com
ISSUE 98 NOV/DEC 2018 | www.SignAfrica.com