Colorado 1650 in Japan
Introduction of the Colorado 1650 printer with UVgel ink. Photobition Japan to combine environmental friendliness with high productivity.
In early November 2021, Photobition Japan, one of Japan’s leading print centres, introduced the Colorado 1650, a UVgel ink-equipped printer capable of producing both gloss and matte prints in a single unit, and began full-scale operations.
We were looking for a printer that would be ideal for printing on wallpaper and plain paper, as end users are increasingly demanding output materials that can replace PVC,” says Mikio Hino, General Manager of the company. He had been looking for a machine that would be ideal for printing on wallpaper and plain paper. He continues, “We looked at a number of different machines with water-based inks, and the Colorado’s unparalleled productivity was a decisive factor in our decision”. The company’s new UVgel inkjet printer is now in production.
Mr. Hino said, “I have the impression that we have developed new inks and printheads in just three years since its predecessor, and we have cleanly improved all the parts of the chassis that were considered problematic. The introduction of the Colorado 1650 is the start of a company-wide effort to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This is why end users have such a strong need to be environmentally conscious. This is a different situation from the past, where we had to consider the price.
In the future, the Colorado 1650 will be used to produce more paper and PET prints, as well as PVC media to replace solvent-based prints.
The scene of the verification of output samples for full-scale operation.
The Colorado 1650 features a new UVgel ink with an elongation rate of 185%, making it softer and better able to handle projects such as pasting on tertiary curved surfaces. The gloss level of each CMYK sheet is now more even and consistent, while the excellent rub resistance means that lamination is generally not required for short-term outdoor applications.
The carriage is unique in that the printhead and the curing unit are independent. This has resulted in an increase in productivity of up to 159m2/h. The finish is matte when the curing unit follows the ink head and gloss when it crosses it. The curing temperature of the ink is very low, so there is almost no risk of deformation of the media due to heat load.
The new Colorado 1650 is the perfect solution for our customers who are looking for a new way of printing. We hope that the new Colorado 1650 will help to solve environmental issues such as the reduction of VOC emissions and contribute to the productivity of sign graphics. (Satoru Kubono, Chief of Digital Press Market Development Group, Canon Production Printing Systems)