Mimaki's new direct full colour digital packaging printer

Mimaki's new direct full colour digital proofer on original substrates and small run digital packaging printer: the new UJF-605RII

This new roll-to-roll and flatbed inkjet proofer UJF-605RII was previewed at Fespa in Berlin. Mimaki's newest innovation offers full colour, including white ink, high resolution proofing on many different substrates.

Amsterdam, July 23, 2007

Mimaki Engineering, a leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and cutting machines for the sign/graphics, textile and industrial markets, previewed the roll-to-roll and flatbed inkjet proofer UJF-605RII at Fespa in Berlin. The versatile proofing machine features full colour proofing, including white ink, on the final materials that are intended to be used for the job.

Proofing on various substrates, including untreated plastic materials, like PET, metal, polycarbonates, coated and uncoated papers, soft packaging film, shrink film and PLA, has long been a dream of many printers, especially in the packaging industry. Currently, if at all possible, it means time consuming, expensive and inefficient work.

With the new, soon to be introduced Mimaki UJF-605RII proofer, all this will change. Printers will be able to produce on demand proofs on virtually any material, enabling them to respond efficiently and rapidly to their customers' demands.

Prevention of errors and reduced loss of cylinder engravings – for gravure printers – is one of the most important benefits of proofing with theUHF605RII. Package printers will be able to produce high resolution proofs up to 1200 x 2400 dpi on many final output materials. This way printers can drive their overall proofing costs down while at the same time increasing their productivity and efficiency.

Up to now it has been difficult to proof soft packaging materials, such as OPP/PET films, shrink films, but such demanding jobs are no problem for Mimaki's new up to seven-colour proofer. The UJF-605RII can be used to proof on transparent media, apply under- or overlaying white ink, check on colour, bag shape, design and barcode location, all prior to engraving, or plate making and printing. Overlaid printing for specific gradation is also featured. The roll-to-roll system caters for unattended operation. Media with a maximum print area of 600 x 500 mm is supported.

The UJF-605RII can handle roll media up to 0.2 mm thick and cut sheet up to 2.0 mm. This allows the machine to also produce short runs of membrane switches, since these materials are usually under 0.2 mm.

"Our new direct digital colour proofing machine UJF-605RII significantly reduces time to market and offers our customers in gravure and flexographic printing versatile proofing capabilities, variable data printing and small run production on difficult substrates", says Sakae Sagane, Managing Director of Mimaki Europe. "The high resolution proofer eliminates errors by enabling its users to proof the same files they will send to their gravure cylinder engraver, thus making it possible to detect mistakes before engraving. Our specially designed UV ink creates durable solid, vivid and detailed prints and adheres to a variety of untreated plastic materials like PET, polycarbonate etc."

The UJF-605RII prints with Mimaki's UV curable inks and employs an advanced colour management system, consisting of Mimaki Profile Master and Raster Link Pro II software with ICC profiles.

Users can access the new proofing printer directly from their standard layout software such as e.g. Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator or ArtWork Systems. Supported file formats include .eps, .ps, .jpeg, .bmp and ArtWorker CompojetPS.

Mimaki Europe's UJF-650RII will be expected to be available as of October 2007.