PRESS RELEASE

For immediate publication

June 2010

Diamond Transfers with Help from Xeikon

Punch Graphix UK Ltd has announced the installation of a Xeikon 3000 digital colour label press at Diamond Photofoil Ltd, Maidstone, Kent, a company involved in the manufacture and supply of digital transfers, print application machines, and contract product print services.

The work undertaken at Photofoil allows for the production of full colour print on plastic products, glass, ceramics, and other non-paper items. The company’s existing Xeikon engined Chromopress device was entering its tenth year of production, and growth at the company has been placing heavier production demands on the machine. David Hitch, Managing Director of the family-owned Photofoil, takes up the story: “Digital imaging machinery has made significant advances in the ten years since our initial purchase, and our requirements were also changing. We spoke with Xeikon in some detail about the product that we needed for our business, and they worked with us on adapting the Xeikon 3000 to our specific needs, such as handling the lightweight substrates that we use.”

The new machine offers a wider colour gamut and significantly faster production speeds than the original machine, but the Chromapress is still being kept on as a back-up machine.

Photofoil’s business includes the provision of a turnkey transfer system for companies that are seeking to produce such work for themselves, with the company providing the foils for transfer production. Alternatively Photofoil can print and supply the transfers for customers to apply with specialist equipment. “We are happy to work in whichever way our customer wants,” said David Hitch. “We will adapt a Xeikon machine for them so that they can produce their own transfer foils, if that is the level of investment that they can afford to go to. We have sold complete systems to customers in Holland and in the US, but none in the UK as yet.

“You could argue that the main item that we are selling is our experience, whether customers need our transfer service or a full system installation. Having been in the business of transferring images to many products for over 30 years we like to think that we have a pretty good understanding of what the market needs by now.”

Photofoil produces both digital and silkscreen transfers that are applied using conventional hot foiling techniques, creating full colour graphics at high speed. The printed moulding can be handled, assembled and packed instantly after printing making it ideal for “by the press” operation: mould, assemble, image, and pack. This system offers reduced cycle times and a technique that is simpler than in-mould decoration.

Photofoil digital heat release transfers incorporate four colours plus process plus white, and can incorporate photorealistic images which can be applied to most thermoplastic mouldings, ABS, polystyrene, SAN, and acryllic. Application machines from Diamond have been used for flat bed or rounded product applications of up to one metre long for display panels or ice buckets, and as small as 20mm for pens, lipstick tubes and compacts. Complex curved shapes can be catered for.

The digital technique offers a significantly more detailed image to be created, and is targeting existing promotional goods printing methods such as pad printing, silk screen, and hot foil printing.

Commenting on the installation, Chris Matthews, General Manager of Xeikon UK, said: “We are delighted to be able to work closely with Photofoil to update their digital printing equipment. Whilst the Xeikon 3000 machine is focused towards digital label production, this installation shows how well the technology can be adapted to other digital demands.”

Xeikon 3000
The Xeikon 3000 web-based label press has a top speed of 31.5 feet of label production per minute, and a monthly duty cycle of 1,500,000 feet. The five colour engine provides for the four standard process colours plus a choice of spot colour, special security toner for anti-counterfeiting applications, or an opaque white for the “no label” look on transparent material. The press is capable of handling an unrivalled range of substrates including self-adhesive films, co-extruded films, unsupported films, paper, transparent and opaque foils, and paperboard. The press handles a substrate width of 330mm, and provides for an imaging width of 322mm. The environmentally friendly dry toner electrophotography imaging process enables the use of conventional substrates without the need for coating or pre-treatment.

For job preparation, the Xeikon press is equipped with the truly open, scalable and modular X-800 Digital Front-End (DFE), combining extensive pre-press functionality including a high-speed RIP with impressive variable data printing processing. In addition, the X-800 DFE is designed to deliver the highest print quality level, a practical die marker function and precise step-and-repeat functionality. The system is also equipped to handle complex operations such as sequential numbering and barcodes.

For more information on Photofoil see the http://www.photofoil.com web site, or call 01622 871 088. For further information on Punch Graphix and Xeikon e-mail infouk@punchgraphix.com or visit the www.xeikon.com web site.

ENDS

About Punch Graphix
Punch Graphix provides innovative, competitive and environmental friendly imaging and printing solutions for the global graphics industry. Under the Xeikon brand name, Punch Graphix designs, develops and delivers high-end digital colour printing systems, software and consumables for the commercial, document printing and industrial markets. Under the basysPrint brand, Punch Graphix designs, develops and delivers mid to high-end imaging systems for offset prepress commercial markets. With a clear-minded focus on R&D, Punch Graphix is solely dedicated to customer satisfaction and aims to deliver cost-effective graphic excellence that goes beyond all expectations.

More information
For more information on Xeikon products in the UK please contact:

Russell J Hicks
Genesis Marketing Services
29 Foxholes Close, Deanshanger MK19 6HA
Telephone: 01908 260 662 Mobile: 07885 852 428
e-mail: russ.hicks@genesis-marketing.com
Web: www.Genesis-Marketing.com
Blog: http://genesisnews.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @GenesisNews