FREMONT, Calif. — May 8, 2017 — Electronics For Imaging Inc. (EFI) today announced that it has acquired privately held CRC Information Systems (CRC), a Reynolds and Reynolds company. Reynolds and Reynolds is headquartered in Dayton, Ohio. CRC, which is based in Scottsdale, Ariz., is a provider of business management information systems (MIS) for commercial printers and packaging label and forms printers throughout the United States and Canada.

EFI™ is the global market leader of innovative end-to-end certified business and production workflow software to the commercial print, publishing, and packaging industries. The addition of the CRC will expand EFI’s market share in North America, enabling EFI to offer CRC customers a path for the future, including opportunities to implement complete, end-to-end, business and production workflows that drive efficiency and profitability.

“We are excited to welcome CRC customers and employees into the EFI family,” said Jeff White, general manager, SMB Segment, in the EFI Productivity Software business unit. “We intend to continue to meet the needs of CRC’s existing client base with the same enthusiasm they have come to expect over their years in business, while offering those customers access to the full portfolio of EFI products, as well as an opportunity to consider an end-to-end solution approach leveraging EFI Productivity Suites, including the Midmarket Print Suite, Enterprise Commercial Print Suite, and Packaging Suite.”

“We are very excited to join the EFI family and are confident in the additional value they can bring to our customers,” said Erv Ratazak, Manager, Product and Services, CRC Information Systems. “EFI has the technology, skill and reach that will enable CRC customers continued growth and success for years to come.”

Posted May 8, 2017

Source: Electronics For Imaging (EFI)

HAMBURG, Germany — May 8, 2017 — Higher levels of productivity, opportunity and growth that fuel customer success reflect the key advantages on display from Electronics For Imaging, Inc. at this year’s FESPA exhibition, May 8-12 in Hamburg, Germany. New products include the EFI™ Reggiani ReNOIR FLEXY, an industrial textile printer making its worldwide debut. In addition, EFI is presenting a pair of new LED inkjet printers offering exceptional returns on investment, as well as the latest version of the company’s Midmarket Print Suite, based on the award-winning Pace™ MIS/ERP software, offering advanced tools for superwide format production management.

The Reggiani ReNOIR FLEXY launching at FESPA 2017 is new equipment that allows nearly any business to get into industrial textile by offering the outstanding performance and results of larger Reggiani printers. Customers can run the widest variety of fabrics — from knitted to woven as well as low- and high-stretchable and stretchable materials — with confidence using the printer’s brand new “Dynaplast” fabric adhesion device. The 1.8-meter printer is available with eight printheads and has a production speed of more than 400 square meters per hour with a resolution of up to 2,400 dpi. It incorporates the latest digital technologies for best-in-class performance, is easy to operate and has a low maintenance cost, making it an ideal solution for production and sampling alike.

The printer is the first EFI industrial textile printer to have a new green housing reflecting Reggiani’s brand heritage as well as the product line’s environmentally friendly production advantages, such an ink recovery feature that dramatically reduces ink consumption.

The new EFI Pro 16h wide-format hybrid roll/flatbed LED printer on display sets the standards by which other entry-level hybrid roll/flatbed LED production printers will be judged. This new Fiery Driven™ printer is extremely affordable, includes white ink, and its feature set assures lowest total cost of ownership, superior image quality and a broad range of applications. This new printer platform has faster speeds than other EFI entry-level hybrid production platforms, with some print modes offering up to a 30-percent higher throughput.

Best-in-class print resolution and speed in roll-to-roll printing

EFI is also showcasing its next generation of VUTEk® roll-to-roll printers, with the new, industrial 3.2-meter EFI VUTEk 3r roll-to-roll LED printer on exhibit at the show. This printer has the highest resolution in its class, offering superior quality using EFI UltraDrop™ Technology 7-picoliter print heads. It also boasts the highest productivity in its category with speeds of up to 345 square meters per hour.

Designed to be the industry’s most technically advanced LED roll-to-roll production offerings, the new VUTEk roll-to-roll printer line includes unique, integrated production workflow benefits that allow print professionals to do more work in less time. Users gain a competitive advantage in quality and throughput thanks to the complete set of available value-added options, including an inline finishing system for all-in-one printing, x-cutting, slitting and collecting, and additional white and light colors.

Another model in the new roll-to-roll printer line, the 5-meter EFI VUTEk 5r LED printer, also boasts best-in-class print resolution and productivity with throughput speeds up to 455 square meters per hour. Béflex, a print service provider in Budapest, Hungary, was the first in Europe to install the VUTEk 5r.

Asked what they think about the machine, László Bárán, CEO, said: “Currently, this is the most up-to-date printer on the market. It prints significantly faster and with a better image quality than our previous 5m wide printer while only needing half the ink and power. EFI has established a real partnership with us. I honestly believe we have a five-year technological advantage over others with this equipment. That is a huge competitive advantage in the European market.”

EFI customers now have the added benefit of the 3M™ MCS™ Warranty on their outdoor graphics and fleet and vehicle graphics work printed on VUTEk 3r and 5r printers, along with EFI Quantum 3 and 5 roll-to-roll printers. The printers are now eligible for the warranty using new co-branded EFI – 3M SuperRange XF series LED inks along with 3M premium media and overlaminates.

EFI’s Midmarket Print Suite: end-to-end integration in varied environments

EFI is also showing the latest release of its workflow productivity software at FESPA – version 5 of its Midmarket Print Suite, which drives end-to-end efficiencies for display, signage and graphics customers. Improvements include an upgrade to the suite’s Superwide Format component database for easier estimating, planning and management in dedicated signage and graphics production printing environments, as well as a new workbench tool and deeper integration with imposition and fulfillment components.

Other products in EFI’s booth at hall B7, stands E30 and E35, include:

• The EFI VUTEk FabriVU® 340, an aqueous dye-sublimation soft signage textile printer that builds on EFI Reggiani’s 70-year long experience in advanced textile imaging. The 3.2-meter device prints up to 2,400 dpi with four-level grayscale printing and 4 to 18 picoliter drop sizes. It enables direct print to textile or transfer paper with changeover capability from one to the other using the same ink set. The printer is also available 1.8m and 5.2m widths.
• The EFI VUTEk LX3 Pro, a 3.2-meter, eight-color, LED hybrid roll/flatbed inkjet printer for POP businesses designed for high production throughput, higher volumes and shorter lead times while maintaining the image quality needed for retail signs and point-of-purchase displays. Its cool cure LED gives access to more substrates, including heat-sensitive materials, such as chipboard, foam and acrylics.
• The latest versions of the EFI Fiery® proServer and Fiery XF digital front ends, which provide accurate and superior color management on a wide range of substrates, including soft signage and transfer paper for textile production. Next to an advanced set of production tools available for both solutions, Fiery proServer also features a highly advanced FAST (Fiery Accelerated System Technology) RIP engine for quick file processing for EFI superwide, hybrid and roll-to-roll printers.
• EFI’s Digital StoreFront® e-commerce and EFI DirectSmile™, a fully integrated marketing software solution for data-driven print, PURL, email, SMS, social media, mobile media and image personalization that enables customers to offer robust, customizable and flexible eCommerce job submission and campaign management across multiple media, including traditional and soft signage.

Posted May 8, 2017

Source: EFI

SINGAPORE  — May 5, 2017 — On April 21, 2017, the Texanlab Laboratories Pvt. Ltd. opened its third state of the art and technologically advanced laboratory at Tirupur (Tamilnadu), a town in South India famous for knitwear exports and known as Manchester of India. It is also a popular destination chosen by European and American retailers for buying various knitted products like t-shirts.

With a footprint of 6,200 square feet in the center of Tirupur city, this new laboratory is equipped with the very latest equipment for testing of textiles in terms of all physical and color fastness parameters. It’s worth mentioning that one-third of the lab uses natural daylight and fresh air to reduce electricity usage – a step towards sustainability, which fully aligns with the company’s commitment to sustainable development.

This textile laboratory would be the first of its kind to serve the export industry with more than “just testing” services – it will also provide end-to-end solutions in the supply chain, from raw materials to final products.

As a service division of the DyStar Group dedicated to textile and ecology testing services for 30 years, the Texanlab now has testing laboratories in Mumbai, Gurgaon, and Tirupur in India, as well as sales offices in Asia, Europe, and America. The Group plans to set up a new laboratory soon in Bangladesh. Texanlab closely works with global brands and retailers and has tested more than

350,000 RSL parameters since its inception. With the new lab, the whole team will undoubtedly support the industry to further reduce harmful chemicals and create a greener and cleaner environment.

Posted May 8, 2017

Source: DyStar Group