Big Picture - March 2018 - 10

EFI CONNECT: THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
For the 18th year, print professionals from around the globe gathered at The Wynn, Las Vegas, to attend
EFI Connect, January 23-26. The conference, celebrating EFI's 30th birthday, featured more than 200
educational sessions, a myriad of networking opportunities, plus keynotes, customer panels, and fireside
chats, all tailored to signage and graphics, packaging, in-plant production, and commercial print
providers from 23 countries.
The event kicked off with CEO Guy Gecht sharing EFI's insight into digital print's future and the era
of the fourth industrial revolution:
"Adapt to change; it's what successful companies are doing," he said, before giving the audience a
virtual tour via augmented reality of the Nozomi, EFI's massive single-pass machine.
Gecht said the enabling platforms that will allow your company to be successful in the fourth
industrial revolution are inkjet printing and smart automation. And the new definition of print involves
personalization with very frequent design changes. "Markets where the image is primary - apparel and
interior décor - will be the first to benefit due to personalization," he said. EFI's goal in 2018 is to "go
deep" in packaging, textiles, and sign and display.
TOP TAKEAWAYS:
"Digital print can do it quicker, better, and more competitively." -Mal McGowan, McGowans Print
"One little typo can turn into one big problem." -Sally Gilbert, Gilson Graphics
"The industry today includes high customer expectations; change in product mix and complexity;
diversifying; becoming a one-stop shop versus specializing in what you know best; consolidation; ondemand; and personalization." -Gaby Matsliach, EFI senior VP, general manager of productivity software
"Corrugated, textiles, and display graphics are the top emerging opportunities for inkjet printing."
-Ken Hanulec, EFI VP marketing, inkjet solutions

ARENA OVERHAUL
Printscape Imaging and Graphics (myprintscape.com) in Pittsburgh typically
outputs graphics and signage for other brands, but one huge project required
massive prints of the shop's own logo. Printscape obtained naming rights to a
local ice and sports arena and used a plethora of their wide-format printers to
create exterior and interior signage that would rebrand the entire facility with its
new name, Printscape Arena at Southpointe.
"Everything existing had to be taken down and [the new graphics had to be] put
up in its place with our new branding," says Darin Smith, Printscape general manager.
"We had a small window of opportunity to have everything installed and ready to
go for the press event November 2. We wanted the name change to be a bit of a
surprise, so the challenge was getting everything installed at the last minute." The
installation took two weeks and included 3500 square feet of printed signage.

March 2018

Equipment used:

* HP Latex 560/570 printers
* Two Screen Truepress Jet2500UV printers
* Océ Arizona 350 GT/460 GT flatbed printers
* MultiCam Digital Express CNC digital cutter
* MultiCam 3000 Series CNC router
* Seal 65 Pro MD and 600 laminators

BIG PICTURE

Materials used:

10

* Mactac Imagin wallNoodle removable adhesive vinyl
* 3M Scotchcal 8519 Lustre Overlaminate
* Orafol Oracal 651 vinyl
* Brushed aluminum and white Dibond
* 3/16- and 1/2-inch Ultraboard, CNC cut with laser-cut mounting template
* 3-mil Sintra PVC foamboard
* Ultraflex SuperSmooth Blockout vinyl banner material
* Lintec clear vinyl
http://www.myprintscape.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Big Picture - March 2018
