Responding to market trends and adding new services to your offering is critical for sign-makers looking to diversify to grow and succeed in the market. Standing still is no longer an option in what is a highly competitive market and being able to differentiate your business from the competition will support long-term growth. One area that has seen significant expansion in recent years is personalisation, which has grown beyond the more traditional products to offer customers access to all manner of signage and print. One of the driving forces behind this extended market is direct-to-object (DTO) printing, with this allowing sign-makers to print directly onto almost anything the customer desires. With this in mind, SignLink takes a closer look at DTO technology and speaks with suppliers in this market about their latest offerings and how this machinery can support with personalisation and other work. A Global Showcase Mutoh used this year’s edition of the FESPA Global Print Expo to showcase three of its DTO printers with the aim being to draw interest from businesses from around the world. These three printers differ in size, opening up several options for companies in terms of what they can produce. Starting with the larger model, the XpertJet XPJ-1462UF is a UV LED flatbed DTO printer that boasts a table size of 1,420mm x 700mm. Printing in six colours – CMYK plus white and varnish – the machine can print on items up to 150mm thick and handle material as heavy as 50kg/sq m. Other features include automated media height and obstacle detection and two new 101.6mm multi-segment UV LED curing lamps. “The XPJ-1462UF will cater to a wide range of requirements, including 2.5D direct-to-object, industrial, packaging, awards, and sign and display printing, including ADA compliant braille,” Mutoh says, describing this as: “An attractive allin-one solution for screen printers looking PRINTING BEYOND PAPER With demand for services such as personalised products on the rise, direct-to-object (DTO) printing allows companies to deliver work to customers faster. Here, we take a look at some of the latest technologies in this market ▲ Inkcups’ Helix machines are used to print onto glassware and reusable drinkware 49 Issue 253 - June / July 2024 email: news@signlink.co.uk DIRECT-TO-OBJECT PRINTING
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