- Great Looks, Superb Print Quality and Fast Application for the Supercars Championship’s Most Successful Team Operating in Extreme Racing Conditions - 

Each week, under extreme race conditions in the highly demanding and intensely competitive 2023 Supercars Championship, the Red Bull Ampol Racing team relies on Avery Dennison high-performance wraps to protect its new livery and cars from the searing heat and dangerous road debris.

“We are excited about the new livery,” said Jordan Leach, Business Director, Graphics Solutions, Australia and New Zealand and ASEAN, Avery Dennison. “The high-quality matte finish is striking, lightweight, and more advanced than before. Avery Dennison is leveraging our expertise in materials science to push the limits and ultimately give the Red Bull Ampol Racing team a winning advantage.” 

Triple Eight Race Engineering, the team behind Red Bull Ampol Racing, has been a valued partner of Avery Dennison for over 12 years. Working in close collaboration, Avery Dennison continually makes improvements to its wrap films, pushing the boundaries of quality, performance, durability and ease of application every season. 

“Our new Gen3 Camaros feature more complex curves and deep recesses that require careful attention during the wrapping process,” said Jamie Whincup, Managing Director, Triple Eight Race Engineering. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Avery Dennison again for this season. Incredibly durable, the overall look is not only flawless but also spectacular.” 

For the 2023 season, the team’s Gen3 Chevrolet Camaro racing cars are wrapped with the Avery Dennison MPI 1105 digital print wrapping film, a premium high-gloss cast film with stunning printability, maximum durability and superior 3D conformability, for complex surfaces with curves and recesses. The MPI 1105 uses Easy Apply™ RS technology to ensure the same application speed and convenience as the renowned Avery Dennison Supreme Wrapping Film. 

The digitally-printed images are protected by the Avery Dennison DOL 1480Z Matte overlaminate, a premium quality, flexible cast vinyl protective overlaminate film with extreme conformability that supports highly demanding graphics applications. 

These cars are subject to extreme environmental conditions, but thanks to the Avery Dennison Supreme PPF Xtreme series, the highest wear sections of the cars are protected. In addition, the paint protection film's next-generation technology delivers impact, scratch and stain resistance with enhanced self-healing and comes with the benefits of optimised installation and an extended warranty. 

Learn more about the Avery Dennison products for Red Bull Racing’s 2023 livery at https://graphicsap.averydennison.com/en/home/promotions/red-bull-ampol-racing-2023.html and get an exclusive look behind the scenes at our collaboration in the high-performance world of racing at https://avydn.co/3FR32Bp. 

Kellogg's, one of the world's most recognised food manufacturing companies, has partnered with the HP Brands Innovation Platform and the team at print service provider, Precision Proco Group’s Sheffield site, to design and digitally print special packs of Corn Flakes to mark 100 years since Kellogg's first brought its iconic cereal to the UK.

To mark the brand’s centenary in the UK, 2,022 unique, Corn Flakes packs decorated with iconic assets, including historical branding, packaging, and adverts that have been featured since 1922 have been created.

To bring the unique centenary packs to life, Kellogg’s leveraged the power of digital printing. By partnering with Precision Proco and using the company’s HP Indigo 10000 digital press and SmartStream Mosaic software, Kellogg’s was able to provide a unique design for every single limited-edition box. This has helped Kellogg's tell the story of when its cereal was first introduced to the British public back in 1922 and has influenced breakfasts around the world over the last century.

The 2,022 limited-edition cereal packs have been gifted to Kellogg's UK employees, as part of activities to celebrate its 100-year milestone. Following the success of the campaign, Kellogg’s is keen to continue its digital printing journey across more of its products.

The 100th anniversary activity is just one example of Kellogg's partnership with HP, which has supported the cereal company's digital printing journey since 2020.

Steve Wardle, Senior Manager, Design Operations & Process, Kellogg Company, also commented, “This unique milestone in Kellogg’s history was the ideal opportunity for us to demonstrate our creativity to produce a wonderful souvenir for our UK employees and to also learn even more about the power and capability of digital printing and the power of personalisation.”

“We couldn’t have brought this idea to life without the creative talent and expertise from Deldea Design, the team at Precision Proco, and the inspiration provided by HP who support brands with insights into a world of possibility with HP digital print and how to unleash it’s potential.”

“Empowering brands to create memorable and engaging experiences through packaging co-creation is the result of building trust via marketing thought leadership, combined with our unique innovation services and a great partnership, such as Kellogg’s. We are just at the very beginning to this journey and I’m looking forward to what comes next.” Said Jose Gorbea, Global Head of Brands Sustainability and Innovation at HP Inc.

“HP’s partnership with Kellogg’s is a brilliant example of how digital printing and customised packaging can bring a brand’s history to life. HP started its personalisation journey over ten years ago and since then has dug deeper into this megatrend, learning that personalisation can create a one-of-a-kind experience for consumers.” said Dave Prezzano, UK & Ireland Managing Director “I’ve loved seeing the limited-edition Corn Flakes boxes come to life, and it’s brilliant to see how HP Indigo and Kellogg’s have helped to celebrate this 100-year milestone.”

In partnering with Kellogg's, HP has been able to use its market-leading digital print technology to further leverage the power of Kellogg's iconic brands and to surprise and delight breakfast enthusiasts across the country with these unique cereal boxes.

To learn more about how brands can celebrate uniqueness with digital print, please see here.

Earlier this year INX International Ink Co. expanded its information outreach to customers by introducing the Printer Space blog, which covers a wide range of printing-related topics. Taking another step to provide beneficial information, the INX Troubleshooting Guide App was recently updated with more solutions to common problems.

New information for users of water-based Flexo inks makes it the tenth guide to be available where customers can quickly find answers when they encounter printing issues. The library already consists of separate guides for Sheetfed, Web Offset/Heatset, EB Litho, UV Flexo, UV Litho, UV Hybrid, UV Metal Decorating, and both 2-piece and 3-piece metal decorating.

The app identifies problems and symptoms, provides recommended solutions, and now offers nine different languages for the three metal decorating guides with the addition of Czech. Besides English, it is also available in French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Polish and two Spanish versions – Latin America (Español) and Castilian.

“This latest update with the Troubleshooting Guide App is indicative of our commitment to help improve the flow of information to our customers,” said Renee Schouten, INX’s Vice President of Marketing. She pointed out that when it was first introduced in 2014, one of the main goals of the app was to limit the amount of downtime for printers.

“Our ink experts continue to keep the dialogue fresh because change is constant in our industry. There is great value in knowing about new products and capabilities, the most recent regulatory changes, and best practices and techniques to keep you at the forefront of print and package innovation. And like our free online INX University courses, we’ve added another language to this app.”

Learn more about the Troubleshooting Guide app by clicking here.

Ilford sets a world record - in adverse weather conditions with rain, snow and temperatures around 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit).

"The longest digitally printed photograph was produced on September 26th 2020 by Canon, Oberstdorf Tourism, Oberstdorfer Fotogipfel and Ilford in Oberstdorf, Germany," says Tom Albrecht of Guinness World Records.

Jochen Kohl of K2 and responsible for the technical implementation of the world record: "To defy this weather, the choice of paper played a decisive role. Ilford had already made the right choice of material in advance: "ILFOJET Synthetic Paper". This paper is characterised by a low paper thickness, an important factor in making the way from the roll to the Canon Pro-6100 over a length of almost 110 meters. Its special coating, in combination with the Canon inks, resisted the adverse weather and difficult printing conditions. It is also extremely robust, so that it could be easily bent and pulled. Many viewers of the live stream were amazed at how durable the photorealistic material is. Rain showers and gusts of wind at the top of the ski jump put the material under extreme conditions".

Uwe Janke, Sales Manager Germany at Ilford: “During this world record, the team around Jochen Kohl reached their physical limits in almost 18 hours of continuous work in rain and snow. In the last third it was actively supported by the house technicians of the Oberstdorf House. Countless stairs had to be run up and down. Jochen Kohl used all his strength to pull the print sticking to the ski jump table due to the rain down the 110 meters".

Background Information: Perfect Teamwork between Canon, Fotogipfel Oberstdorf, K2-Studio and Ilford

After calculating the maximum roll length of the Canon "imagePROGRAF PRO-6100" several rolls of "ILFOJET Synthetic Paper" were produced with a special length. Two test runs were carried out by Jochen Kohl from K2-Studio in advance at Ilford. Then it was off to the ski jump in Oberstdorf, with a stopover at Thomas Weissmann from Holz-Weissmann, a specialist in the construction of freight and sea crates. In just a few hours, he built a solid wooden crate for helicopter transport, which was the only way to transport the printer up the ski jump. Once at the top, the box was opened, the printer was filled with ink, the special roll was inserted and the printer was protected from rain and snow with a protective cover. Due to the protection, the printer was not visible during the 16 hours in which it continuously printed the 109.04 meter long synthetic paper from Ilford.

Recently Michael Smith, Business Development Manager in the Ricky Richards Print Media division, was asked by his customer Rebecca to guide her in the right direction for a printable media to help create a room at the Westmead Children’s Hospital.

Earlier this year Rebecca Brady from Rathenart Designs contacted Michael to discuss her latest project. The Eye Clinic within Westmead Children’s Hospital asked her to create art for their front counter area to help brighten up treatment rooms. She was looking for printable products that were safe to use in a hospital environment.

As a mixed media artist Rebecca works with digital collages and mixed media to create beautiful designs that tell a story. Her artworks are a detailed and complex hub of fusing colour in multi layers. Rebecca’s love for patterns and design was inspired by her grandmother from an early age. “That has continued to light a fire in me” Says Rebecca.





Using the Ricky Terralon Dreamscape Wallpaper that Michael suggested allowed her to create an underwater wonderland in the Eye Clinic for the children to get immersed into their own imaginary world. Knowing her designs were printed on the Terralon wallpaper, which is a sustainable, PVC free, breathable wallcovering made from 31% post-consumer recycled content, she felt she made the perfect choice. 

Rebecca also designed the front counter in the clinic which she created as a fantasy scene with hidden animals and enchanting landscapes. Ricky Richards’ Grafityp GEFUV was used as the printable media for the counter.  GEFUV is a seamless soft white matte environment-friendly chlorine- and PVC free self-adhesive. With the support of Signwerx who did the printing and Mister Wallpaper who installed the media, Rebecca said her client was thrilled with the result.

And so is Michael and the team at Ricky. “We love seeing what our printable media products are used for.” Says Michael “This is another wonderful project completed with our sustainable products.” 

If you would like to know more about these products, please contact Michael Smith at Ricky on 029735 3333 or via email: michaels@rickyrichards.com.au 

Best-selling manga and comic series of all time, One Piece, has marked its 20th anniversary with an exhibition featuring 24 huge 3D printed replicas of its leading characters which have been produced on a Massivit 3D printer.

Visiting fans have been able to interact with all the characters that have ever appeared in print or animation during this two-month show in Taipei, Taiwan.





One Piece, written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda – an artist renowned for changing the history of manga – has recorded the highest initial print run of any book in Japan. There are more than 450 million in circulation worldwide. It also set a Guinness World Record for "the most copies published for the same comic book series by a single author”. One Piece has been adapted into a festival film, an anime series, thirteen animated feature films, one original video animation, thirteen television specials and developed into a media franchise.

SID Installation Art was commissioned by event organiser Remake Works Co., Ltd and One Piece Mugiwara Store Taiwan, to bring these immensely popular characters to life using their Massivit 3D 1800 Pro 3D Printer. Fans at the event have revelled over the characters, interacting with the 1.8m-5m (5.9ft-16.4ft) tall models and sharing augmented reality clips of themselves on social media via the event app that films them in customised scenes.

Previously, SID Installation Art worked predominantly with Styrofoam and fibreglass to produce gaming and manga-related props. However, they found this process to be very tedious, requiring a lot of skilled labor and time. 3D printing has proven to be faster, with more creative possibilities, and capable of executing highly complex jobs in dramatically less time. For this reason, the business chose to incorporate large format 3D printing production capabilities into its offering with the adoption of a Massivit 1800 Pro 3D Printer. As a result, SID Installation Art has now established key relationships with events, exhibition and gaming producers, interior designers, and architects.





Hung Jui Chia, COO of SID Installation Art, said: “3D printing has proven to be a real game changer for us in terms of our overall turnaround time, the accuracy we’re able to achieve, the production size, and new possibilities for creative vision. Although our team is nationally recognised for its expertise in hand sculpting, the benefits of digital, large-format 3D printing are clear. We’ve dramatically reduced our lead time on projects due to the ability to share the initial digital 3D model and iterations with clients in order to finalise design specifications quickly and with the confidence that the 3D model accurately represents the final output. Moreover, the Massivit 3D printer enables us to produce models in half the time it would have taken with our traditional manufacturing processes, largely because we no longer need to create a preliminary mould which is the bottle neck. This means we can accept a greater volume of jobs - our Massivit 3D printer is in use 18 hours per day”.

“Creating props and scenic environments based on digital 3D models also brings us far greater design flexibility so we can propose and implement unique props and models. In the case of this high-caliber One Piece anniversary event, the event organiser, Remake Works Co.,Ltd, is an innovative organisation that required top quality production and was keen to try a new manufacturing process. 3D printing has allowed them to bring these characters to life so that One Piece fans can literally meet, touch, and interact with the characters they have grown to love on the page and screen. It is a great way of drawing the global community and celebrating.”





Erez Zimerman, CEO of Massivit 3D added: “We are delighted that the highly-skilled and creative team at SID Installation Art has been able to adapt their expertise to deliver such a breathtaking series of outstanding, 3D printed masterpieces. Building on their accumulated know-how in sculpting high-quality props and statues, they have been able to visualize just what is possible using Massivit 3D solutions and to bring these characters to life for a global audience. The results demonstrate how scenic fabricators can now execute huge creations at unprecedented speed. We look forward to helping our rapidly-growing community of customers in the entertainment industry discover how 3D printing can inspire and propel a fresh approach.”

Check out this awesome bit of work! 

For the release of their latest DC Comics movie AQUAMAN, Warner Bros invites swimmer to dive into the world of the King of Atlantis.

And what better way to experience it in his natural habitat ?

Imagined and created by the independent advertising agency Brand Station, this unusual & out-of-the-box poster campaign has been set-up at the heart of Paris, in the Edouard Pailleron swimming pool.

A true technical feat, this 495m2 immersed poster weighed in close to 1.5 tones and took 10 professional divers to lay out the graphics.

This outdoor advertisement was created by Brand Station, France.

GSDI France dressed a livery in the colours of the famous manga "Dragon Ball Z" on the occasion of a Yes GO operation. A design that will allow travellers to live an experience in augmented reality!

Wrapped inside and out with Hexis films demonstrates how a combination of Movies & Signage can build brand awareness and excitement. Hexis transport films cover a wide range of options from coloured anti graffiti films matched to State or Corporate colours, digital print media, anti graffiti laminates and Purezone Anti microbial films. London Underground, Paris and many European lines are all Hexis specified and wrapped.
 




Gare de Lyon welcomed the first train OUIGO dressed in the colors of Dragon Ball! On the occasion of the release of the feature film Dragon Ball Super - Broly at the cinema on March 13th, the BANDAI company celebrates the Super Saïyen through this exceptional device. On the arrival on the platform of the Gare de Lyon, the Dragon Ball train did not go unnoticed. 

From February 24, travellers will be able to board OUIGO trains dressed in the colours of Dragon Ball for an exceptional ride. More than 30,000 people are expected to travel in these trains that will run for two weeks.





Trains will run between Paris, Marseille, Lyon Saint-Exupery, Marne-la-Vallee, Roissy CDG, Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Lille Flanders, Toulon, Nice, Antibes, Cannes, Saint-Raphael and Nice. On February 27th only, BANDAI NAMCO Group and OUIGO will offer their travellers the opportunity to play and participate in a tournament around the now famous DRAGON BALL Fighters video game in one of the central train sets of the 7:07 train departing from Paris Gare de Lyon. (Paris / Nice, round trip). A key, his journey by train to win! BANDAI NAMCO Group will also be celebrating Super Warriors and Dragon Ball Super - Broly 's theatrical release in mid - February by setting up corners dedicated to the intergenerational hero in two distinct locations in the capital during the school holidays.


 


#publictransport #gsdi #ouigo #sncf #hexisgraphics #hexisaustralia

Kwik Kopy was recently chosen as the official print partner for The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards in recognition and celebration of Australia’s highest achievements in film and television. This amazing work highlights how Garry Folcarelli of Kwik Kopy Alexandria produced print material that represented the prestige of the awards. 

Objectives:

One of most important requirements was to provide a wide range of quality printing materials that could be given out at lead-up events such as the AACTA Industry Luncheon as well as the AACTA Awards ceremony and official after party. Printed collateral included:

• - Invitations
• - Posters
• - Event programs
• - Year in review booklets
• - Winners’ cards
• - Sealed envelopes
• - Social media cards

Strategy and Execution:

The first step Kwik Kopy took was to meet with AACTA and get a clear understanding of their business, needs and expectations. Folcarelli recommended using print stock that suited the glamour of the event that also reflected the bright camera stage lights of the event.  


Solutions:

The sheer number of people handling the materials, coupled with lighting and cameras flashes meant it was crucial to get the right paper stock and finish right. Kwik Kopy took the following approach: 

• - Use coated stock for the covers of the Judge’s Handbook and uncoated stock for the inside pages. This gave the right look and professional, high-quality feel for the occasion.
• - For the winner’s cards a matt finish was used to stop reflect the lights using gloss celloglaze finishes would mean far too much reflection. 
• - Kwik Kopy Alexandria chose special inks like a gold metallic finish and silver metallic toner. The gold metallic finish helped makes the logo and lettering ‘pop’ on print pieces such as the invitations and programs.
• - For the winner’s card Kwik Kopy created a folded die-cut outer piece. The cut-outs allowed AACTA to insert the winner’s details and seal the card. This meant AACTA could maintain complete secrecy and suspense until the winner announcements on the night! 

Results:

AFI | AACTA Partnerships Manager, Chloe Krushka says that customer service is key when finding a reliable print partner. That’s exactly what they found in Kwik Kopy.

“A quick turnaround and flexibility to work with changes is very important to us. This includes working together to create and follow timelines that work for both parties as well as advice on what materials will work best for the job in question. We have greatly enjoyed working with Kwik Kopy. Garry has been fantastic. He has been very responsive and helpful when it has come to our printing needs.”

Royston Labels has created label packaging for Griffiths Brothers' Cold Distilled Gin, combining simple black line work with evocative detailing and flashes of blue. This may sound fairly simple, but using thermochromic ink, the blue portion of the label will only appear when the Gin is considered cold enough to be enjoyed at its best. How cool!

The Griffiths Brothers name is associated with premium gin that has been created using cold distillation to better capture the flavours of the botanicals, so in manufacturing the label for this special drink, the Royston team used a series of specialised techniques to ensure the highest quality finish.



The label was printed on a clear material to ensure that it was sufficiently and that the large, bold design was clearly delineated. High definition raised print was applied to give a smooth textural quality to the text, and vibrant blue detailing was achieved with premium inks.

For an innovative finishing touch, a heat-responsive section was added to the back. They manufactured this portion of the label using thermochromic ink, which turns blue when the gin is cold enough to drink. At warmer temperatures, the blue fades – indicating that it’s time for a trip back to the refrigerator.

Though impressive, this gin label’s colour-changing capabilities might be dismissed by some as the printing equivalent of a parlour trick, if not for the fact that it serves to reinforce the key selling point of this premium gin. Unlike traditional distillers, Griffiths Brothers created this gin using cold distillation, the better to capture the flavours of the botanicals used in its making, and ultimately making for a cleaner, brighter taste.

Designed by Milestone  and printed by Royston Labels,  the Griffiths Brothers Gin label is also an excellent example of digital inkjet printing. CMYK + White were printed on 50 micron Fasson Clear polypropylene (PP) film, with the white going down first to provide a neutral background for the vibrant blue and some of the leaf details. The vibrant Blue ink was then applied via flexo to the name of the gin and as an accent colour.

HP picks Label Impressions for global launch of Smirnoff sleeves made with SmartStream D4D

Label Impressions was chosen by HP to provide the shrink sleeves for HP’s Adobe MAX worldwide launch of HP SmartStream Designer for Designers (D4D). The software was used to create stunning individualized Yarza Twins designs for Smirnoff.

Printing on Label Impressions’ newly installed HP Indigo WS6800 Digital Press, has commenced digital printing services to offer innovative and cost-effective solutions to its customers for labels, shrink sleeves and flexible packaging.

“The added capabilities of HP Indigo including one-of-a kind prints with HP SmartStream Designer and Mosaic make it possible to do big exciting campaigns,” said Jeff Salisbury, CEO, Label Impressions.

HP SmartStream Designer for Designers (D4D), a new plug-in for Adobe Illustrator® CC2019, is a suite of “light” design solutions that enables designers to easily create an unlimited number of variations on any design.

HP Indigo Digital – chosen for quality that matches LI's flexo
An established, high quality flexo provider in business for 30 years, Label Impressions selected HP Indigo technology for its ability to match the converter’s high print quality, after comparing Indigo with inkjet during an extensive vetting of the available digital technologies on the market.

“Only HP Indigo has the print quality that matched our high-quality flexo standard and can be interchangeable for customer runs,” said Salisbury said.

Label Impressions sharp print quality has earned World Label Awards in both 2016 and 2017 as well as numerous innovation and quality awards in 2018.

As a leader in cosmetic and personal care packaging color consistency is a critical company value for Label Impressions, where tight color standards are maintained in production. “Our clients are very particular about color. The WS6800 inline spectrophotometer for color consistency on press was the deciding factor for us since it allowed us to maintain our stringent color standards and commitment to our clients,” Salisbury added.

Label Impressions clientele is more than half personal care, in addition to food and beverage, and pharma. The Indigo press is running a large volume of shrinks, flexible films for small sachets and sample pouches for customers who want to do short runs or to get samples to a trade show, in as few as 1000 to 5000 pieces.

Additionally, the converter is getting great results running high-end wine label stocks including its own FiberStone stone paper.

The HP Indigo acquisition was also in line with the sustainability program at Label Impressions, a carbon-neutral facility since 2007, delivering big savings on waste with the first image a sellable print.

Salisbury said he had already sold off one flexo press since launching the HP Indigo digital printing.

Ricky partners with Goldberg Aberline Studios for Sculpture by the Sea.

In August this year, Ricky Richards was asked to partner with the talented artists from Goldberg Aberline Studios for Sculpture by the Sea and there was no hesitation by General Manager, Kathryn Polgar to jump onboard.

On October 18 Sculpture by the Sea returned to the Bondi Beach to Tamarama Beach coastal walk for the 22nd year. On display are 100 sculptures designed by artists from Australia and around the world. 

The boys from Goldberg Aberline Studios have turned Ricky printable backlit textile Samba and Nylon 420 fabric into a very special inflatable installation for Sculpture by the Sea! They have created a gigantic coral reef called: Microcosm. 

Microcosm is Latin for little world. Taking a small piece of coral reef and exploding its scale to giant proportions, the work is a playful take on positive environmental change.
 “It never ceases to amaze us what our clever customers can do with Ricky products.” Kathryn says. “This sculpture is truly amazing, and we are proud to have our fabrics on show in such a beautiful piece of art.“

If you would like to know more about these fabrics and how you can use them, contact one of the team experts today: www.rickyrichards.com.au  

Nineteenth Century Palace Restored Using Massivit 3D Printing 

All over the world, there are a wealth of iconic landmarks and listed buildings steeped in history. These structures often serve as monuments that recognize a region’s history. However, as the decades pass, many of these stunning buildings deteriorate, some naturally, others due to neglect, or simply a lack of investment. 



Italy is a prime example of this - the country is synonymous with historical buildings that dot the landscape. Construction companies are frequently approached to restore these magnificent remnants of history, something which is often far from straightforward due to cost restraints and the lengthy construction time it can take to complete such projects. Savvy palace-owners are overcoming these bottlenecks by enlisting the help of innovative companies like Sismaitalia.  

Sismaitalia, a pioneer in visual communication, interior design and digital printing, was the first Italian business to adopt a Massivit 1800 3D printer. After initially acquiring the solution to provide customers with unique, interior design applications, the company subsequently recognised a gap in the restoration market that could be solved using rapid, large format 3D printing.

“With the capability to 3D print super-large objects, we can provide our customers with exact replicas within a fraction of the time and cost compared to traditional methods. This capability has seen us expand our service offering to existing customers as well as target new markets,” says Federica Tisato, Marketing & Communication Manager of Sismaitalia.



This is exemplified in a recent project, which saw Sismaitalia construct five life-size capitals for the grand Spada Palace in Ferrara. 

Built in the 1800s, the palace was originally owned by the renowned Spada family and was subsequently inhabited by several other families before its current use as a hotel. 

According to Tisato, the company was approached by the owners following a recommendation from a specialist restoration engineer. “The owners noticed that the crumbling façade of the capitals had become weathered over the years. As they are an essential element to the French balcony, the owners required them to be restored urgently,” she explains. 

Traditional restoration methods involve prolonged turnaround times, mostly due to the manual labor required. Additionally, depending on the intricacy, costs can often soar. Seeking a more cost-effective solution, the owners considered a temporary polystyrene replacement until they discovered the multitude of benefits achievable with 3D printing. 

With 3D printing, objects can be precisely replicated due to the technology’s digital nature. The five capitals were produced in two sizes, with one set measuring 480mm high x 430mm long x 215mm thick (19 x 17 x 8’’), and a larger set of three comprising pieces that measured 790mm high x 790mm long x 215m thick m (31 x 31 x 8’’). Using the Massivit 1800’s dual printhead, Sismaitalia could simultaneously produce a pair of capitals in just 20 hours.



Federica Tisato explains: “With the capability to produce each full-sized capital in one print, we could eliminate the lengthy turnaround times associated with traditional restoration methods. Beyond this, as the owners only required the 3D printed capitals for aesthetics, we could quickly produce the hollow structure and strengthen these with polyurethane foam to withstand the weight of the balcony. This ensured that manufacturing costs were kept to a minimum.” 
Once filled, each capital was finished with plaster and painted the same color as the original counterparts to ensure an authentic look. “As an architect, 3D printing opens the door to greater design options. It enables me to realize large projects in short timeframes without compromising on the aesthetics,” says Alberto Apostoli, Architect at Studio Alberto Apostoli.

Tisato concludes: “From a business perspective, projects like these demonstrate the growing adoption of 3D printing in a vast gamut of markets. We anticipate that this capability will continue to open the door to new markets. In fact, to date, our Massivit 1800 has played an integral role in securing projects within the interior design and architectural sectors and we have a handful of additional restoration projects in the pipeline!”

www.massivit3d.com/about/

HP technology behind 3.2 million unique water bottles in Europe

Danone is now selling 3.2 million Aqua d’Or water bottles in one-of-a-kind packaging for the Danish mineral water brand. Folienprint Rako, an All4Labels Group company, produced the water label campaign in two weeks using its HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press and HP’s SmartStream Mosaic and PrintOS print software.

The mineral water bottle labels for Aqua d’Or’s  “Flow Your Way” campaign feature unique designs by Danish artist Emil Kozak expressing nature and individuality, in a collectables promotion for the Swedish and Danish market created to engage with millennials.

“Using HP digital printing, the labels tell the story of Aqua d'Or natural mineral water flowing for 300 years through the untouched Danish nature until reaching purity, using design elements of drops, waves and skies,”  said Line Jorgensen, Brand Manager at Aqua D´Or. “The collaboration with HP digital printing and Danish artist Emil Kozak and HP made it possible to create these 3.2 million distinctive and creative labels.”

Eleven design patterns based on Aqua d’Or’s story elements were converted automatically into unique creations by HP Mosaic print software.

Aqua d’Or launched the special edition on August 30 at an event in the centre of Copenhagen, where the water bottles were exhibited in an art gallery. In a live printing experience for the 200 guests, posters of Emil Kozak’s designs were also printed by Damgaard-Jensen in Denmark.on HP Latex printers on site and signed by the artist.

“The Aqua d’Or campaign is a perfect example of how brands are using HP digital technology to become distinctive, while being creative and playful and generate excitement and buzz for the product among new customer groups, in this case millennials,” said Jose Gorbea, HP EMEA Brand Owner – Digital Print Solutions for Brands. “Flow Your Way showcases how HP´s technology can support the creation of multi-media campaigns, from 3.2 million unique labels to personalized in-store and outdoor advertisement, including transforming event spaces with HP Latex technology.”

The labels were printed on the 76 cm-wide HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press, delivering high-volume, wide-format label printing on a wide range of materials. HP SmartStream Mosaic is an algorithm which automatically generates a high number of unique graphic patterns from seed designs.

To create the 3.2 million ready-to-print PDFs, Folienprint used HP PrintOS composer, a cloud-based application using central high-performance servers, for super-fast creation of print files from variable data fed into VDP design templates.

“Thanks to the cloud-enabled PrintOS Composer application we were able to quickly turn around a very high volume of one of a kind print files on our HP Indigo 20000 and deliver a timely product for a key brand customer within two weeks,” said Michel Koch (Head of Pre Press Digital) of All4Labels.

PrintOS Composer creates compact PDF files for optimized fast processing on HP DFEs, making it up to 50 times faster compared to standard non-cloud tools. The ability to use PrintOS Composer on demand and with no hardware installation, simplified and expedited Folienprint production.

A SECOND LIFE FOR PIZZA PACKAGING

Under the scope of the World Cup, DS Smith’s display and packaging units worked in close collaboration with Pizza Hut in Portugal, to provide a second life to pizza packages during this period.

The new, special edition pizza boxes (medium, large and extra-large), had a built-in puzzle/ball, allowing those who bought two pizzas to construct a ball with the two detachable covers from these new boxes. Based on the fact that these pizza boxes could do more than just deliver pizzas, DS Smith developed this solution, which allowed Pizza Hut to communicate a brand message and stand out in an active and differentiating way within this specific time frame.

This special edition of new boxes provided customers with an experience which was both fun and educational, engaging them on an emotional level. In addition to the fun that a puzzle provides, bringing friends and family together, the concept also aimed to offer a moment of relaxation while assembling the puzzle, especially after such a stressful situation as a football match!

The solution provided by DS Smith combined innovation and sustainability. The packaging specialists at DS Smith worked in partnership with Pizza Hut to extract the maximum benefit from its 100% recyclable cardboard packaging, giving it a new purpose and functionality, and avoiding its disposal immediately after its primary use was fulfilled.

Massivit 3D Uses the Force of 3D Printing to Fulfil Teenager’s Dream with a Star Wars X-Wing Fighter Wheelchair Costume

Massivit 3D, the leading provider of large format 3D printing solutions for visual communication, has unveiled the ‘world’s first’ 3D printed Poe Dameron X-Wing Fighter charity wheelchair costume at Comic-Con International (San Diego, July 19-22).

The costume was the vision of non-profit organization, Magic Wheelchair, and created for Star Wars fanatic, thirteen-year old Vedant Singhania. Companies who collaborated with Magic Wheelchair to make this project a reality include, Pixologic Inc, responsible for the design and modelling, Dangling Carrot Creative who 3D printed the costume with Massivit 3D donating the printing materials, and Monster City Studios who completed the assembly and finish.

Utilising the high print speeds and dual print heads of its Massivit 1800 3D Printer, Dangling Carrot Creative produced 50 individual costume pieces in just over two weeks. The 2.44m-high and 3m-long (8’ x 10’) spaceship provides Vedant with his very own Star Wars X-Wing fighter jet, crafted by some of the original Lucasfilm prop fabricators.

The Project Troopers

Magic Wheelchair provides bespoke costumes to kids with wheelchairs at no cost to their families. As part of Comic-Con’s special ‘Star Wars experience’ this year, and its partnership with Pixologic – the supplier of ZBrush digital sculpting software – Magic Wheelchair selected Vedant to receive the extraordinary 3D printed costume.

Paul Gaboury, 3D Product Development Manager at Pixologic, explains: “We connected with Magic Wheelchair realizing that our technology and modelling expertise could help them with the amazing work they’re doing for children in wheelchairs. After we designed the costume, Dangling Carrot Creative was the last piece to the puzzle. The company gave us the capability to 3D print life-size parts to help eliminate the need for molds or casting, saving considerable time and money.”

Commenting on Massivit 3D’s involvement in the project, Avner Israeli, CEO at Massivit 3D, says: “Together with our customers like Dangling Carrot, we’re constantly discovering new and exciting applications achievable with our 3D printing solutions for the entertainment market.

“This project has been an extraordinary opportunity to test the true value of our technology and to put young Vedant in the spotlight for the right reasons. There’s nothing quite so wonderful as bringing joy to a child.”

The costume was presented to Vedant at the Comic-Con International show on Saturday. He expressed his excitement and appreciation to all involved: “It’s mind-blowing. I didn’t expect the costume to be so big and I'm thrilled that it’s an X-Wing Fighter because I love Star Wars. I was really excited during the parade. I was so happy because all the people were taking pictures of me. It made me feel like a celebrity."

METROPOLE Ensures Life-Size Triceratops Causes a Stir in Paris using Massivit 3D Printing


Massivit 3D, the leading provider of large format 3D printing solutions for visual communication applications, today announced that its customer, METROPOLE has created an ultra-realistic, full-size triceratops to promote a new palaeontology exhibition at Paris’ Musée national d'Histoire naturelle.
 
With the objective to drive visitor footfall to the museum’s exhibition, the visually-striking dinosaur was brought to life using METROPOLE’s Massivit 1800 3D Printer in just two days. Measuring a gigantic 1.8m-wide, 2.33m-long and 3m-high (5.9ft x 7.6ft x 9.8ft), the reptile is currently grazing on vegetation at the Gare d'Austerlitz railway station, adjacent to the museum.
 
Bringing History to Life
“When it comes to producing giant attention-grabbing models that truly turn heads and capture people’s attention, our Massivit 1800 is the solution of choice,” says Denise Zanet, Executive Partner at METROPOLE.
 
Using the Massivit 1800’s unrivalled print speed of up to 35cm / 14’’ per hour and dual print heads, METROPOLE was able to meet the museum’s stringent deadline by producing the triceratops in just eight components. Once assembled, the company strengthened the construction with ballast to guarantee the dinosaur’s longevity during sustained interaction within a public environment. To ensure even greater lifelikeness, Metropole’s cinematic artistic team then covered the dinosaur with a textured surface to achieve its natural-looking skin, while also producing realistic eyes to enhance its authentic appearance.
 
“The Musée national d'Histoire naturelle was completely blown away by how astonishingly lifelike our 3D printed triceratops looks,” says Zanet. “It’s already generating huge buzz at the train station with many passers-by asking how it was created and where they can find out more.”
 
Securing Repeat Business
According to Zanet, France’s leading transport company, SNCF Gares & Connexions approached METROPOLE following its close collaboration and success of last year’s Corto Maltese campaign. This saw the company produce a life-size replica of the Italian comic book adventurer in celebration of the series’ 50th anniversary. 
 
She explains: “Gares & Connexions were so overwhelmed by the incredible success and interaction that the 3D printed replica generated, that they recommended us for this campaign. This is a testament to the strong customer engagement and brand awareness attainable with our Massivit 1800.”
 
The stunning triceratops will be wowing the public throughout the duration of the palaeontology exhibition, which is on display until 2nd September.

SCREEN’S L350UV+LM VOTED ‘BEST LABEL PRINTER’ BY EDP 

Screen GP Australia is pleased to announce that the Screen Truepress Jet L350UV+LM (Low Migration inks) was awarded ‘Best Label Printer’ category by the European Digital Press Association (EDP) in its Annual Awards, presented during FESPA 2018, Berlin last month.

The EDP comprises twenty-one leading industry trade magazines, covering twenty-seven European countries, with an editorial focus on digital print processes. EDP’s total readership reach is more than half a million and winners are selected across several digital categories for quality and innovation in technologies for the printing industry. Criteria such as achievement, innovation, quality and costs are deciding factors.

The +LM version of the successful Truepress Jet L350UV label printer features a chill roller and newly developed low migration (low permeability) inks that offer unrivalled levels of functionality to food packaging label production. The UV curing of these special inks is accelerated using nitrogen gas bursts into the curing station. 

Peter Scott, Screen GP Australia’s Managing Director says: “Since launching the original Truepress Jet L350UV inkjet label press in 2014, over 100 units have been shipped worldwide, with soon-to-be five in the ANZ region. We have accomplished this in close partnership with our label and CtP distributors Jet Technologies and Fujifilm NZ. Details of the latest New Zealand installation will be released shortly. With the L350UV+ and +LM models, Screen delivers industry-leading, reliable print speeds of up to 60 meters per minute, together with the option of gamut-expanding CMYKW plus orange inks and the unique low-migration inks for food applications.”

Scott continues: “We are naturally delighted to have won the EDP award for best label printer. To receive such recognition is an honour and further affirms our belief that we are leading the way in the development of inkjet solutions in the digital labels sector. Our R&D people continue to work extensively on innovation, productivity and customer-friendly applications.”

www.screenaust.com.au 

3D projection mapping creates this Heavenly experience.