Joining the existing 1.6m-wide UCJV300-160 model, which was launched last September, will be the UCJV300-75, UCJV300-107, and UCJV300-130, with print widths of up to 0.8m, 1.09m and 1.36m respectively.
The printers in the series are all said to feature low running costs and instantly dry ink, which allows printing to a wide range of materials, including PET film, fabric and heat-sensitive media.
The integrated cutting functionality on the machines enables users to create applications including labels, decals, window clings, floor graphics, POP displays, vehicle markings, packaging and prototypes in a single unit.
All three new models will feature Greenguard Gold certified LUS-170 inks – including an opaque white ink, new ID Cut function for automatic cutting of consecutive jobs via barcode, and four-layer day/night printing, which Mimaki said enables designers to build layered graphics for backlit applications.
The official launch of the new models will be at Fespa in Berlin next month but Mimaki’s exclusive UK distributor Hybrid Services will be showing the UCJV300-75 model on its stand at Sign & Digital UK, taking place at Birmingham’s NEC next week, from 24 to 26 April.
“Sign & Digital UK will allow visitors an exclusive first look at the smallest member of the family,” said Hybrid’s national sales manager John de la Roche.
“Because it’s a UV technology, you’ve got all the eco-benefits of that and another advantage is the practicality of the machine, which – in theory, being UV – will print to almost anything.
“It brings this type of technology into the smaller businesses that don’t need the width, such as those doing specialist label making or packaging.”
He added: “What we’ve found with the larger versions of these machines is that they will print to a lot of heat sensitive materials that you wouldn’t normally be able to print onto with solvent or latex.
“The white ink is another advantage as it’s very difficult to print onto dark materials with a typical roll-to-roll printer, so that opens up lots of possibilities.”
Commercial availability of the new models is expected around autumn 2018 while pricing and other specifications, such as the maximum speed, is yet to be disclosed.
