a range of its finishing solutions including Graphtec plotters and WidInovations laminators. Clutton’s praise of Graphtec GB’s solutions is clear, with him saying: “We collaborate with Graphtec for plotters due to their reliability. This is a hugely important area of the market, and we are always looking for more finishing equipment to complement our printers.” Graphtec GB is the UK’s official Graphtec, Mutoh, and WidInovations importer and distributor. Among the range of solutions on offer by Graphtec GB is the newly released Mutoh HydrAton 1642, a 64-inch roll-to-roll printer featuring the company's latest water-based UV technology. According to Tom Kneale, managing director of Graphtec GB: “The recently announced Mutoh HydrAton will be very popular for specific applications, such as food production environments or wallpaper applications in hospitals.” First showcased at drupa 2024, the HydrAton 1642 utilises a new ‘AQUAFUZE’ UV-curable ink technology. The solution, which was developed with Fujifilm, involves a hybrid ink system that combines the benefits of water-based and UV-curable inks. It aims to utilise Fujifilm’s proprietary dispersion technology to achieve low volatile organic compound (VOC), low-odour, and non-hazardous printing. It has also been designed to adhere to a wider range of substrates including non-porous materials, without the need for primers or adhesion promoters. The ink film has been developed to offer high scratch resistance without requiring an overcoat, making it ideal for wallpapers, retail décor, indoor signage, and public space applications. In Kneale’s opinion, this push for ink innovation is a clear trend in print that will likely see further advancements in the near future. “Various types of inks, such as UV, eco-solvent, water-based, flexible, and rigid inks, are now available, offering solutions for diverse applications. The sheer breadth of solutions that are now available is huge and cover many more applications than ever before,” he adds. “In my opinion, we will continue to see advancements in ink technology for various substrates and an expansion of the colour gamut. Currently, we offer five or six different ink technologies suitable for a range of applications.” Kneale also stresses the importance of choosing the right finishing solutions to pair alongside your printer, ones which can integrate seamlessly and reliably. He suggests that those using Mutoh solutions should consider pairing them with Graphtec cutters, saying: “Graphtec cutters are renowned as the leading brand in the UK, USA, and Europe, and they integrate seamlessly with Mutoh printers. “The integration of Mutoh printers and Graphtec plotters with barcode systems has streamlined the process, making it more efficient and user-friendly than ever before.” The Mutoh Graphtec barcode system facilitates continuous cutting of pre-printed media by reading barcodes to detect data changes. This can enable seamless processing of sequential print and cut jobs on roll media, even with different data sets, by detecting the ‘start mark’ of a new barcode. PSPs need not be reminded of the importance of robust finishing solutions in providing high quality output. Finishing transforms your printed image into a high-quality, functional, and visually appealing product, and so the ability for your wide-format printer to pair seamlessly with these solutions should always be a key focus. Kneale concludes: “The integration of Mutoh printers and Graphtec plotters with barcode systems has streamlined processes, making it more efficient and user-friendly than ever before.” Room to Grow As businesses continue to demand more agile, efficient, and high-quality print capabilities, wide-format solutions will need to step up with innovations that blend speed, precision, and sustainability. As it stands, it seems that the technology is keeping in step with the sector, providing more possibilities by the day. With advancements in automation, smart connectivity, and sustainable solutions on the horizon, the next wave of wide-format solutions have the chance to not just meet the needs of today but also reshape what is possible tomorrow. 66 email: editor@printmonthly.co.uk July / August 2025 - Issue 355 WIDE-FORMAT PRINTERS ▲ The HydrAton 1642 uses a new ‘AQUAFUZE’ UV-curable ink technology The Sinocolor FB-2513S has a max speed of 75 m2/h 75m2/h
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