The firm, based in central London, has used a range of specialty media from Antalis for the ‘Rapidity Book of Bang!’ project. “We wanted to get ahead and show people something that showcases the possibilities with these presses,” explained Rapidity managing director Paul Manning. “We can produce a wide range of add-ons that are appealing to agency creatives for things like pitch books. White ink, clear ink, textured effects… these are not just frivolous options, they can be used in a way that is impactful and makes sense,” he added. Rapidity boosted its digital firepower in April with the installation of two HP Indigos 7600 presses. The £5.9m turnover company employs 36 staff and operates 24/6. The 16pp 200x200mm perfect-bound book features a range of different substrate types and thicknesses, including metallic, coloured, magnetic, transparent and translucent grades. Weights range from 112gsm to 330gsm. Rapidity is also planning to produce a case-bound version. Manning added: “We can produce 400gsm comfortably and can go up to 450gsm. We’ve also been experimenting with applying graphic films to paper to create metallic effects.” The book was also featured at an Antalis customer event for specifiers at HP’s Bracknell facility....

The reason for this drop, from over 9,000 visitors in 2012 to 8,314 this year, was the show being held in August rather than September, said Fespa marketing manager for the Americas, Lorraine Harrow. “This year’s visitor figures were actually back inline with 2011’s which was also held in August,” she said. Show organisers also pointed to the high percentage of decision makers at the show, with 50% of visitors in senior company positions and 44% with final decision making power. They also pointed to the fact that 13.5% of the 125 exhibitors at this year’s Fespa Mexico were new to the show, and that 13% of returning exhibitors increased their floorspace. Fespa Mexico exhibition manager, Michael Ryan, said: “This year’s show was a tremendous success and we’re delighted to continue the positive interest after last year’s record breaking year. It’s great to see the enthusiasm in the market is still here and the feedback we’re receiving from exhibitors is extremely positive. The success of the show is represented through 60% re-bookings for next year’s event.” The theme for Fespa Mexico 2013, held 15-17 August at the Centro Mabamex, Mexico City, was ‘discover a new world of print’. Visitors were encouraged to explore new business opportunities through engaging with new products, technologies and market trends. Features at the show included Wrap Professional, in which 32 vehicle decorators go head to head, Garment Central, offering eight sessions on garment decoration techniques, and a daily conference schedule. Edsel Lonza, sales manager at Xaar Latin America, Fespa’s global technology partner, said: “This was a very productive show for Xaar in an extremely buoyant market. We had positive discussions with the leading local resellers and distributors who are looking to assemble specialist wide format graphics printers in Mexico and who need to rely on a leading print-head supplier who has a local presence and can provide expert technical service and support.” Fespa Mexico 2014 will take place 21-23 August 2014 at the same location....

The latest in its portfolio of textile devices, the SC-F2000 incorporates the manufacturer’s own Garment Creator software, TFP printheads, chassis and Ultrachrome DG inks, marking its first fully designed and manufactured textile printer. The €20,800 device can print on a range of items, such as t-shirts, caps and fabric bags up to 25mm, and offers resolutions up to 1400dpi. The system, for which full spec details have not yet been released, can be configured with two sets of CMYK ink for white garments or CMYK with up to four white ink channels for coloured and dark garments. It can print white t-shirts in 27 seconds in dual colour mode and dark garments can be produced in less than two minutes using a white and coloured ink mode. Epson’s Ultrachrome DG inks are available in both 250ml or 600ml cartridges. Phil McMullin sales manager, professional graphics at Epson, said the F2000 would be particularly attractive to customers because it was a “complete Epson solution”. “There are a lot of units out there that are using Epson technology already but not that are a complete solution from a manufacturer like us. This meets customer demand for something that is fully integrated with our proven reliability and quality,” he added. McMullin said that the device was aimed at a broad cross-section of businesses, including high street and micro-businesses as well as larger businesses that were looking to offer added services for customers. The SC-F2000 will be ready for shipping in November and McMullin said that the manufacturer is currently in talks with potential resellers for the device. “We are looking for partners with deep knowledge in this industry and already have access to the pre-treatment and finishing technologies used with this kind of process,” he added....

The latest in its portfolio of textile devices, the SC-F2000 incorporates the manufacturer’s own Garment Creator software, TFP printheads, chassis and Ultrachrome DG inks, marking its first fully designed and manufactured textile printer. The €20,800 device can print on a range of items, such as t-shirts, caps and fabric bags up to 25mm, and offers resolutions up to 1400dpi. The system, for which full spec details have not yet been released, can be configured with two sets of CMYK ink for white garments or CMYK with up to four white ink channels for coloured and dark garments. It can print white t-shirts in 27 seconds in dual colour mode and dark garments can be produced in less than two minutes using a white and coloured ink mode. Epson’s Ultrachrome DG inks are available in both 250ml or 600ml cartridges. Phil McMullin sales manager, professional graphics at Epson, said the F2000 would be particularly attractive to customers because it was a “complete Epson solution”. “There are a lot of units out there that are using Epson technology already but not that are a complete solution from a manufacturer like us. This meets customer demand for something that is fully integrated with our proven reliability and quality,” he added. McMullin said that the device was aimed at a broad cross-section of businesses, including high street and micro-businesses as well as larger businesses that were looking to offer added services for customers. The SC-F2000 will be ready for shipping in November and McMullin said that the manufacturer is currently in talks with potential resellers for the device. “We are looking for partners with deep knowledge in this industry and already have access to the pre-treatment and finishing technologies used with this kind of process,” he added....

The reason for this drop, from over 9,000 visitors in 2012 to 8,314 this year, was the show being held in August rather than September, said Fespa marketing manager for the Americas, Lorraine Harrow. “This year’s visitor figures were actually back inline with 2011’s which was also held in August,” she said. Show organisers also pointed to the high percentage of decision makers at the show, with 50% of visitors in senior company positions and 44% with final decision making power. They also pointed to the fact that 13.5% of the 125 exhibitors at this year’s Fespa Mexico were new to the show, and that 13% of returning exhibitors increased their floorspace. Fespa Mexico exhibition manager, Michael Ryan, said: “This year’s show was a tremendous success and we’re delighted to continue the positive interest after last year’s record breaking year. It’s great to see the enthusiasm in the market is still here and the feedback we’re receiving from exhibitors is extremely positive. The success of the show is represented through 60% re-bookings for next year’s event.” The theme for Fespa Mexico 2013, held 15-17 August at the Centro Mabamex, Mexico City, was ‘discover a new world of print’. Visitors were encouraged to explore new business opportunities through engaging with new products, technologies and market trends. Features at the show included Wrap Professional, in which 32 vehicle decorators go head to head, Garment Central, offering eight sessions on garment decoration techniques, and a daily conference schedule. Edsel Lonza, sales manager at Xaar Latin America, Fespa’s global technology partner, said: “This was a very productive show for Xaar in an extremely buoyant market. We had positive discussions with the leading local resellers and distributors who are looking to assemble specialist wide format graphics printers in Mexico and who need to rely on a leading print-head supplier who has a local presence and can provide expert technical service and support.” Fespa Mexico 2014 will take place 21-23 August 2014 at the same location....