Kemtek will exhibit solutions from its Epson and Widinnovations range, as well as samples from its other devices, at the FESPA Africa and Sign Africa Expo, taking place from 11-13 September at the Gallagher Convention Centre, 9am-5pm.

Epson Solutions

The SureColor SC-V7000 is Epson’s first UV flatbed large format printer, offering exceptional image quality and flexibility across a wide range of media. Along with these qualities, its intuitive interface and convenient features make it easy to use, from beginners to experienced pros, while opening up coveted new business opportunities.

Widinnovations

The widcnc R120 by widinovations is a precise, robust, reliable and technologically advanced cutting machine that is designed to respond effectively to the needs of an increasingly demanding market. The R120 comes equipped with all the tools necessary to perform even the most complex jobs, such as mist cooling, tool sensors and automatic linear rail lubrication, and four electrically operated vacuum zones.

The widlaser S600 from widinovations is designed to effectively respond to the needs of the laser engraving and cutting market, and is developed to be compact, fast, robust reliable and technologically advanced. The compact dual-chassis design allows users to have all the necessary elements to properly function with the equipment in a single volume.

The widinovations widlaser F200 has been designed to effectively meet the needs of the laser marking market. The user-friendly software with powerful tools is suitable for beginners or professionals.

Visitors at the expo will also be to see samples produced on the company’s Canon, HP Indigo and Scodix solutions.

FESPA Africa and Sign Africa Expo, taking place from 11-13 September 2024 at Gallagher Convention Centre from 9am-5pm, is sponsored by Stixo and Roland. Entrance is free, please register online.

KEMTEK IMAGING SYSTEMS
+27 11 624 8000
kittym@kemtek.co.za
www.kemtek.co.za

Chemosol showcased printers, cutters, heat presses and more at the FESPA Africa and Sign Africa Expo, which ran from 13-15 September at Gallagher Convention Centre.

The company showcased its range of Epson SureColor solutions, which included the SC 7200 digital dye sublimation roll-to-roll printer, SC 40610 signage printer, SC F6400H 111.7cm dye-sublimation printer, SC F2100 direct-to-garment printer, SC-F500 60.9cm dye-sublimation printer and SC-F100 A4 dye-sublimation printer.

The SureColor SC-F7200 is a professional digital dye sublimation roll-to-roll printer developed specifically for the production of high-quality printed textiles.

Users can create a range of professional-quality signage and displays with the SC 40610 precise and productive signage and display printer.

The SC-F6400H is a six colour dye sublimation printer that has been developed for textile producers, promotional goods businesses and photographic studios.

The SureColor SC-F2100 offers a complete DTG package for designing and printing T-shirts, polo shirts, tote bags and other fabric items.

The SureColor SC-F500 is designed to help businesses expand their product offering, and is Epson’s first 60.9cm dye-sublimation printer.

The SC-F100 was developed for small businesses and start-ups looking to expand their product offering into the promotional goods sector.

Also showcased was a Hanrun Paper EVO-600 DTF printer and EVO-B600 shaker/dryer, Bascocut vinyl cutter, Han’s Yeuming CMA1309-V-A and Han’s Yeuming CMA0604-B-A laser cutting solutions (both of which cut Perspex and wood, and can engrave), Han’s Yeuming MF20-E-D and MF20-P-C metal engraving solutions, as well as an Eastsign SOT-64-H roll-to-roll press (single phase unit), and the AMD-3025 digital foil printer.

Visitors could also see the CY-707 cap and flat press machine, CY-022 mini-mug press, CY-S1 8-in-1 combo press and CY-P2 15x15cm heat press solutions.

The event was sponsored by Platinum sponsors Roland DG South Africa and Stixo Signage Supplies.

CHEMOSOL
+27 11 058 3500
info@chemosol.co.za
www.chemosol.co.za

In the inaugural episode of The Switch podcast series, Timothy Thomas, Country Manager at Epson South Africa, and Samantha Choles, Communications Specialist at the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA) share their thoughts, as well as industry-based evidence, to bust the prevailing myths surrounding print and the manufacture and use of paper.

The world of print has received its fair share of criticism and predictions about its future in the past two decades, brought on mainly by the digitisation of industries and the disruption this has caused to print as a result. Many have predicted the downfall of print altogether, believing digital content makes print obsolete, which could not be further from the truth.

Myth 1 – The Print Industry Is On Its Way Out

It’s no secret that print in the traditional sense has been on the decline, particularly in the realm of the media where newspaper and magazine circulations have dropped considerably and in many cases, publications shut down entirely. However, print has been around for over two centuries and will always have a place in many ways. Where the pandemic led to people increasing their use of screens and digital devices, many turned to physical books as a way to shut down and enjoy a kind of digital detox. This is not to speak of the importance of paper in other applications: tissues, product packaging, labels, milk and drink cartons, and dosage leaflets for medicines.

People have also realised that reading reams of content from a screen for hours on end was not just uncomfortable but lacked the charm of the familiar feeling and smell of a book. And, of course, being able to surround yourself with printed pictures of precious memories is far more appealing to a lot of people than storing them away in the cloud where you hardly get to see them.

Myth 2 – Paper And Printing Are Unsustainable

With the disruption caused by digital technology, the print and paper industries have been forced to transform their products and other offerings to meet the evolving demands of consumers and heed calls to reduce the negative environmental impact caused by printers. ‘Through the process of print, more trees are planted, which means more carbon dioxide gets sucked up,’ said Choles, while laying deforestation concerns as a result of trees being cut down for mass paper manufacturing to bed. ‘Trees are a crop; just as we farm mielies and grain for food, we farm trees for paper and many things beyond paper too.’

Printers are now also designed to be more lightweight and compact to ensure they take up less space, and incorporate innovations to ensure the printers consume less energy by producing less heat and, as such, requiring less cooling.

Myth 3 – The Printing Industry Is A Major E-Waste Contributor

It’s true that the print industry has historically produced a considerable amount of e-waste in the form of consumables that were either non-recyclable or incorrectly disposed of, causing items such as toner cartridges and even old printer devices to end up in landfills.

However, with the transformation of print to meet modern sustainability standards, print manufacturers are working harder at reducing their carbon footprints. Epson, for example, has committed to stop selling laser printers entirely and is focusing fully on its inkjet printer offering, which consume up to 85% less energy than a similar-speed laser printer.

‘Laser unfortunately does leave a very negative footprint on the environment. In South Africa, we actually fast tracked that decision and two years ago stopped the sale of laser devices in South Africa to really centre and focus our attention on contributing towards both South Africa and the African continent with new technology that lessens the impact on environment,’ said Thomas.

Contrary to common myths, the print industry is anything but dead, it is alive and well, having simply pivoted away from unsustainable practices that don’t serve the eco-friendly agenda of today and the future. Paper, on which print relies, is equally deserving of a more positive reputation, particularly as it does have positive environmental ripple effects.

EPSON SOUTH AFRICA
www.epson.co.za