Fujifilm to show Blueprint Live concept at Fespa

Fujifilm plans to make a splash at Fespa, taking the opportunity to present its all-new Acuity wide format range in person, with new models to be launched, and six printers on its stand C30, Hall 2.2, at an event the company is calling ‘Blueprint Live’.

In a world where change is constant, three years ago the company went back to the drawing board to define a new blueprint for UV inkjet print performance. The result is a brand new range of Acuity printers designed and developed by Fujifilm that the company says redefine price/performance, and transforms print ROI.

Fujifilm’s ‘Blueprint Live’ event at Fespa 2022 will showcase previously unannounced models, with a total of six printers on show, including the first two printers launched as part of the new range - the Acuity Prime and Acuity Ultra R2 - seen together at an event for the first time.

The company says visitors will be able to see first-hand “how they bring new meaning to versatility and value, reset the expectations around ease of use, and deliver outstanding quality and reliability.”

Fujifilm says the new Acuity Prime and Acuity Ultra R2 are “attracting widespread acclaim” for “their combination of quality, productivity and unmatched ROI.” Launched a year ago, the Acuity Ultra R2 is available in 5m or 3.2m versions – with both being showcased on the stand.

The company says its new super-wide platform features the same levels of quality and reliability as its predecessor, but offers a number of design improvements to benefit both ease-of-use and overall productivity. Like the original Acuity Ultra, the R2 is available in various colour configurations up to eight channels – but recognising the fact that modern print businesses often have different needs and priorities – the Acuity Ultra R2 is available with conventional UV curing as standard, or with an LED UV curing system for six colour and white configurations. This gives users the option to choose either the ultra-high productivity of conventional UV, or the comparatively lower operating costs and reduced energy use of LED UV.

To complement the new LED UV curing system, Fujifilm has also launched Uvijet AU - a new ink for the Acuity Ultra R2 that offers the same “exceptional” adhesion, but designed specifically for LED UV curing. Uvijet GS is still available for the conventional UV curing system to support the dual CMYK high productivity printing configuration. On the ‘Blueprint Live’ stand, the 5m model will be printing using conventional UV inks, while the 3.2m model will be operating in LED UV curing mode, to highlight the relative advantages of each curing technology.

The Acuity Prime was also revealed to the world in mid-2021. This new flatbed prints at “unprecedented speeds with high quality” onto a range of rigid and flexible media, and offers versatility, value and ease-of-use.

A new ink system – Uvijet HM – has been formulated to provide “outstanding adhesion” to a broad range of substrates, while also producing a wide colour gamut. The new ink range is optimised “to produce high quality, vibrant images” day-in, day-out.

According to Fujifilm new jettable primer improves adhesion still further for particularly challenging substrates. This removes the need for the offline pre-treatment of media before printing, saving time and money.

The machine also features a printable area of 2.54m x 1.27m and can accommodate media up to a thickness of 51mm. The company says careful consideration has also been given to operational ease-of-use. Multiple practical benefits for both operators and service engineers have been built into the design, making the day-to-day operation of the printer as straightforward as possible.

One such feature is the media loading pins, which can be operated with the touch of a button, allowing for “pinpoint media placement precision and accurate print registration” from job-to-job. The five-part media zone system, based on common media sizes, reduces the amount of masking required. This means job set-up times can be sped up considerably.

The Acuity Prime 20 is available with four, five or six ink channels, while the Acuity Prime 30 can be configured for up to seven. Both models will be showcased running live throughout the show.

David Burton, business director, Fujifilm Wide Format Inkjet Systems said, “During a challenging time for the market, Fujifilm has been working on delivering a completely new range of printers that are set to define a new blueprint for wide format print performance. Fujifilm’s ‘Blueprint Live’ event at Fespa 2022 represents the latest milestone for the company to showcase this vision and provide print businesses with the latest printers to meet the rapidly changing needs of its customers.

“If you’re at Fespa this year, we look forward to welcoming you to ‘Blueprint Live’ on the Fujifilm stand to experience the power of Acuity printers for yourself.”