The Luscher JetPrint

It’s amazing what you can find while perusing a tradeshow floor. After having poured through every booth, you might find a little widget that makes your life easier. On the other hand, some discoveries are unavoidably large.

The Lüscher JetPrint is one of the largest flatbed printers we’ve seen. So, we visited with their business manager to learn more about this behemoth. We were truly amazed.

Its $850,000 list price isn’t going to attract a small or medium signshop. But even if it exceeds your price range, you should learn about its state-of-the-art technology. If your shop needs size, speed and quality at any cost, you’ll want to know all about this printer.

Specifications

Normally, we measure dimensions in inches, but this printer’s so big we’ll resort to feet. The JetPrint measures 5.2 ft. high x 16.4 ft. deep x 21.3 ft. wide, which means you’ll need lots and lots of room. It weighs 3.86 tons (approximately 8,000 lbs.).

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The operating environment ranges between 63 and 72° F, with a relative humidity requirement between 45 and 75%. For power, you’ll need three, 400V circuits, with a maximum of 30 amps. The workroom will also need a dry air supply.

Printing technology

The UV-cure JetPrint lives up to the company’s advertised environmental position. The printer uses environmentally friendly inks and needs no special venting. The Spectra printheads, solid and dependable, boast 1,024 nozzles per color. That, of course, can only mean one thing – speed. We’ll discuss this a little later.

The printer's robust structure can handle 550-lb. media. As with most flatbeds, the gantry-mounted printheads and the drying unit traverse the table length. The heads move back and forth in the gantry track. Combined, the mechanism covers all of the table’s real estate.

The printer’s printable-image area measures approximately 138 x 122 in. (roughly 11.5 x 10.16 ft. or 117 sq. ft.). That’s one huge piece of media.

We’ll now tie all of the pieces together to demonstrate the JetPrint’s flexibility and productivity potential.

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Image quality

The printer’s four resolution modes indicate output flexibility. The draft mode registers 200 x 200 dpi, the standard mode a true 400 x 400 dpi, and two quality modes: 400 x 600 and 600 x 600 dpi. The produced images show excellent detail and vibrant colors.

Printhead/color combinations abound. The simplest configuration comprises four heads that handle cyan, magenta, yellow and black. A six-head configuration adds light cyan and light magenta.

Moving up to eight heads provides more choices. For example, you can add a light yellow and light black to the six-color configuration (CMYKLcLmLyLk). The JetPrint also supports white ink, so you could add two white heads to the six-color configuration (CMYKLcLmWW). Finally, you can go for maximum speed and run a dual CMYK configu¬ration (CMYKCMYK).

For close viewing, you may opt for the six-color or CMYKLcLmLyLk, eight-color setup. How about printing on non-white backgrounds, or do you want white for high¬lights? No problem. Finally, if you really need to crank images, run a dual CMYK setup.

Speed

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Speed depends on the printer’s quality mode and its color configu¬ration. Kiwo gave us a print-speed rating for the machine’s standard quality mode only. The company calls it “True 400 x 400 dpi.” Because these images looked great, it’s probably a good benchmark. But, expect speeds of 1,076 sq. ft./hr. with the CMYK, CMYKLcLm or CMYKlCLmLyLk configurations.

Remember, these configurations are slow. If you use the dual-CMYK configuration at 200 x 200 dpi, speeds pick up to 2,152 sq. ft./hr. That’s approximately 179 3 x 4-ft. prints per hour.

Productivity features

Positioning media on a flatbed printer takes time. If the media’s off a fraction of an inch, it may be ruined. JetPrint’s designers obviously understood proper media-to-imaging alignment. To ensure accuracy, the engineers incorporated numerous features that contribute to precision printing and continuous machine feed.

The JetPrint’s zoned vacuum table securely holds the media in place. Even lightweight media won’t blow out of place. Also, you can mix the media sizes. You can simultaneously place small or large pieces on the table and print them in one fell swoop. A pin-registration system, which insures precise alignment and goof-proof printing, is integrated into the table.

A giant, fast printer is worthless if you’re constantly replenishing ink. The JetPrint’s 3-liter ink cartons ensure plentiful ink supply and minimize changes.

Flexibility and markets

The JetPrint, like other flatbed printers, can print on various media. You can work with virtu¬ally any material: paper, adhesive-backed vinyl, banner media, metal, wood and even glass. Most UV-cure printers accept textured and/or thick media up to 1 or 2 in. thick, but the JetPrint handles up to 3.15-in.-thick media.

Kiwo sees a diverse market for its JetPrint, including banners, POP displays, tradeshow signage and vehicle wraps. The company has positioned the JetPrint as an integral part of a large-scale screenprinting operation. Because the printer uses white inks and prints on glass and films, it can produce lighted displays and signs.

All of this sounds great, but, if the operating cost is high, pricing the finished products may close you out of the market. Luckily, depending on the media, your cost of goods should be very competitive.

Software

The JetPrint comes complete with a full-featured RIP and server. Specific to the printer, it allows you to gang prints of different sizes for optimum table utilization. A standalone computer console allows positioning of the gantry and conducts maintenance operations.

Conclusion

What can we add? The JetPrint has it all. The fast, flexible, flatbed printer produces great-looking images that don’t cost an arm and a leg. The initial buy-in limits the JetPrint to prosperous shops. If you own or work in a large shop, examine your current product offerings. Do you want a flatbed, UV-cure printer’s flexibility? Do you want to offer an ultra-wide-format print? Do you need to crank out gobs of images? If you answer “yes”, then seriously consider the JetPrint.

Key Information

KIWO, 1929 Marvin Circle, Seabrook, TX 77586. (800) 549-6872 , (281) 474-7325, www.kiwo.com

Company Background: Kiwo manufactures chemical products for screenmaking and specialty adhesives, which include Azocol, Kiwocol and Polycol photoemulsions. Kiwo also distributes the Lüscher JetScreen and JetPrint.

Price: $850,000

At a Glance: The JetPrint is a UV-cure, flatbed printer that’s capable of printing on 3.5-in.-thick media. Top printing speeds register approximately 2,150 sq. ft./hr. Print resolution ranges from 200 to 800 dpi.