20 Issue 250 - December 2023 / January 2024 www.signlink.co.uk SWISSQPRINT: HAPTIC EFFECTS Haptic effects in printing have increased in demand throughout recent years, and that is likely to continue in 2024. This is driven in part by a shift in the retail signage industry, where businesses are searching for new and innovative ways to attract customers and create unique experiences. Haptics are about delivering an enriched sensory experience. The ability to recreate surface textures, from wood grain to brickwork and leather textures, means the resulting prints not only look like the real thing but also feel like it, offering a truly immersive experience. This fascinating approach to visual representation is reshaping the way we interact with images. A Big Breakthrough While swissQprint has been enabling relief printing for well over a decade, for a long time this feature was often an afterthought as traditional printing methods dominated the industry. However, in the last few years, there has been a breakthrough, and more customers are requesting it as part of their printer's setup. A huge part of that change has been driven by the art and art reproduction markets. The first big advancement with the technology was the ability to reproduce an oil painting, complete with its unique textures. Once that was achieved, the question became how far can this go? Part of why the industry found printing such effects a challenge was that traditional relief printing was often slow due to the layering process. Building up those effects takes time and requires many different layers – sometimes as many as 18. If it was to become a mainstay in the industry, speed would be a crucial factor, especially for braille effects. Building up the Braille Indeed, braille printing is another vital aspect of what swissQprint can do with haptic effects. To create high-quality braille, several factors come into play. The shape, size, and build of each braille dot must be precise. Achieving the right adhesion of braille dots is also crucial, as it directly relates to the substrate and ink properties. It is a meticulous and intricate process, involving many layers with varying levels of lamp power control to ensure the correct curing for each layer. SwissQprint's innovative machines provide helpful features that facilitate this process. Also, they have drastically reduced the time it takes to deliver haptic effects. Previously, it might have taken two or three hours to do a square meter of haptic printing, whereas for today's swissQprint machines, it can be completed in a commercially viable timescale and is opening the creative possibilities to a wide variety of applications. From braille to recreating an oil painting, new capabilities for haptic effects are being discovered on a regular basis. SwissQprint’s regional sales manager Steve Pridham looks at the rise of this and the technologies that are driving it Haptic printing requires a high degree of control and flexibility. Inks, their volume, and curing levels can vary depending on the desired output The Rise of Haptic Effects ▲ Haptic printing can produce various textures, diversifying print styles, as offered by MAP Group UK
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