We live in a hybrid world. You cannot watch television without seeing advertisements for the benefits of hybrid technology for automobiles. Why is hybrid technology so touted? Because hybrid technology pairs tried-and-true methods with new and innovative strategies.
For example, modern mobile phones are hybrids. Remember home phones on curly cords? And then how expensive, cumbersome, and restrictive original car phones were? Home phones were limited to, well, use at home. And the first mobile phones were limited in rage of usage in cars and were far too large and heavy to carry in our pockets. Modern mobile phones – while used for phone calls (old technology) also enable us to basically carry a computer in our pockets (new technology). In effect, this “hybrid” technology allows us to multi-task, using one piece of equipment rather than needing a phone, laptop, the postal system, phone books, a rolodex, credit cards, and more, to accomplish what we need to do each day.
The same can be said for hybrid printing. In combining old and new techniques and technology, this type of printing saves time, money, and scheduling. Can hybrid technology benefit your sign making business? Absolutely! Why not try out hybrid printing and experience saving time and money!
What is Hybrid Printing?
With hybrid printing, digital and analog technology are combined, drawing on the strengths of each procedure, to create hybridly-produced products. Production efficiency and design creativity are expanded with this pairing. And think of the time and shop space that are saved! It is like leaping up a flight of stairs instead of taking one at a time - printing and production steps are removed and you "leap" to the final state of the process.
Why Invest in a Hybrid Printer?
Currently, jobs require several printing and converting techniques and multiple pieces of machinery to produce a final product. And because mistakes can happen any time in the process, you may end up with partially-finished projects, which are wasteful and costly. Hybrid printing to the rescue! What kind of savings can you expect from switching to a hybrid printer?
- Time: Take a large order for product labels, for example. With a hybrid printer, you can print and convert them in one pass, and immediately see if the finished product meets your and your customers’ expectations.
- Scheduling: Scheduling is also easier using hybrid technology. Less prep time and quicker printing times, opening up your schedule. No multiple adjustments are needed because you have combined techniques to create the final product.
- Productivity: Pairing digital and conventional printing technology creates advanced options for single-pass processes. This hybrid printing gives you more flexibility for your customers, and provides you the ability to increase your productivity because of the time and energy you save.
- Dollars: Save money on staffing, take on more work, reduce production time, and more.
What can hybrid printing be used for?
Roll-to-Roll Printing for Outdoor and Indoor Use
Your customers have high expectations, and so do you. Yes, you want to save time and money, but also you have high performance standards and want a machine that consistently provides high quality products without a huge learning curve.
SignWarehouse recommends you try out hybrid printing with the Mutoh ValueJET 1638UH Mark II 64" large format color printer. Saving room in your space while performing extraordinarily on rigid substrates and roll media, the Mutoh ValueJET 1638UH Mark II 64" large format color printer fits the needs of signmakers moving into hybrid technology for their shops.
Why consider the Mutoh ValueJET? It is a dual head, UV-LED hybrid printer providing real production-based UV-LED performance at an affordable price. Some uses for this hybrid printer:
- Outdoor-durable signs
- Decals
- Banners
- Wall and floor graphics
- Fleet and custom vehicle graphics
- Full and partial vehicle wraps
- Industrial labels/product labels
Its staggered dual print head design provides high print speeds and the dual UV lamps, on both sides of the print heads, provide exceptional cure times, allowing for higher production capacity. Because it's a hybrid, it not only gives you the ability to print on rigid substrates, it also gives you the flexibility to print on roll media.
Print on material up to half an inch thick and save valuable floor space with its dual function and multiple application design. The CMYK plus white and varnish ink options are ideal for printing packaging prototypes, point-of-purchase displays, and indoor signage.
Features of the Mutoh ValueJET Mark II printer:
- Dual UV lamps for high speed printing
- Print on roll and rigid media
- Rigid front and rear tables are included
- MUTOH Intelligent Interweave “wave” printing eliminates banding and produces excellent speed and quality
- Drop-on-demand, variable dot piezo print head
- MUTOH genuine VerteLith RIP and MUTOH Edition FlexiDesigner 21 software suite
- 1-year on-site warranty
Notice It Is a Mark II?
Mark II = advancement!
What's new with Mark II? Well, Mutoh added the new VerteLith software, which optimizes the output performance of MUTOH wide-format printers. It is Mutoh's first in-house RIP software.
VerteLith was specifically designed to optimize the performance of flatbed printers using UV inks with CMYK, white, and varnish. And all the complexities of mixing those layers. It pairs very well with the Mutoh 64" printer and so it is bundled together.
SignWarehouse is committed to providing top-quality products, so we have been testing this software it in-house. We tested it with our 661UF and the verdict is...It's quite good!
Hybrids to the rescue again! Since it doesn't have a front-end design piece, VerteLith is bundled it with a MUTOH-only edition of FlexiDesigner. It could be considered yet another hybrid because it marries the tried-and-true Flexi design space with the new VerteLITH RIP and its superior drivers.
Why Not Make the Switch?
Sometimes adopting new technology is as much of a hurdle in our brain as it is in our skills. If we are used to doing something one way, to change that method, even if it means upgrading our production, is a difficult adjustment. Take time to investigate hybrid printing and then look at your business model and at your business goals. Could hybrid printing help you expand or improve your business? Could it save you valuable time to increase your production, bring on more customers, or have time for life outside of work?
It is worth the effort to investigate hybrid printing. And contact SignWarehouse any time to speak to our helpful Sales Department for more information. But please, just don't call us from a 1980's car phone!
